Office of the Press Secretary
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For Immediate Release October 07, 2009
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AT AN ASTRONOMY EVENT WITH STUDENTS
South Lawn
8:07 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: From the moment humans first walked on this Earth, we've been endlessly fascinated by the stars. As long as we've been around, we've been trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe and figure out our proper place in the cosmos and somehow make sense of it all.
It was 400 years ago this year that Galileo built his first telescope. It was just three times more powerful than the naked eye. But he kept on working on it, and improving on it, until he built one 33 times as powerful. And then he turned it towards the sky. And he discovered that our moon wasn't smooth, that Venus had phases, that Jupiter had moons, and that Copernicus was right -- that we do revolve around the sun.
Now, we've come a long way since then. While Galileo's first telescope had lenses an inch wide, the Hubble Space Telescope has mirrors about seven and a half feet wide. A few years ago, the Hubble showed us the deepest image of the universe ever taken. And in that image, we can see about 10,000 galaxies, and each of those galaxies can hold billions of stars. Now, that's a lot, but get this: It would take 13 million of those images to map the entire sky. That's how immense it is.
So there are a lot of mysteries left and there are a lot of problems for you students to solve. And I want to be a President who makes sure you have the teachers and the tools that you need to solve them.
And that's why we're working to reinvigorate math and science in your schools and attract new and qualified math and science teachers into your classrooms, some with lifetimes of experience. That's why we've launched a Race to the Top to raise standards and upgrade your curricula and improve teaching and learning in math and science. That's why we're making a college education more affordable, so that by the time many of you graduate in 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
And that's how we'll move American students to the top of the pack in math and in science over the next decade, and guarantee that America will lead the world in discovery in this new century.
But that's going to take more than just what I as President or anybody in government can do -- it's going to take each and every one of you students. It'll take your sense of wonder, your passion, your persistence, your willingness to dedicate your lives to the pursuit of discovery. And it's going to take some hard work. Caroline and Lucas didn't just get lucky; they pored over data before they knew what they had found. Galileo worked for years to prove his theories. The Hubble's journey from paper to space took decades, because that's how success is won -- test by test and trial by trial.
Now, this morning, I awarded the National Medals of Science and Technology to individuals who've made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of human knowledge. And here's my question: Which one of you are going to come back here to claim your prize?
STUDENTS: Me!
THE PRESIDENT: I like that. Are you going to find a new star, or a cure for a disease? Will you invent the next iPhone, or a brand new industry that no one's even dreamed of yet? What will your great discovery be?
Galileo changed the world when he pointed his telescope to the sky, and now it's your turn. We need you to study, do well in school, explore everything from the infinite reaches of space to the microscopic smallness of the atom. We need you to think bigger and to dig deeper and to reach higher. And we need your restless curiosity and your boundless hope and imagination. Our future depends on it.
So, don't let anybody tell you that there isn't more to discover. Don't let anybody tell you that there's knowledge that's beyond your reach. There's something out there for each and every one of you to discover. And seeing how it's a beautiful night, and we've got a bunch of telescopes out on the lawn, let's get started together. (Applause.)
8:16 P.M. EDT
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For Immediate Release October 15, 2009
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO THE STUDENTS AT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CHARTER SCHOOL
Martin Luther King Jr. Charter School
New Orleans, Louisiana
12:31 P.M.
THE PRESIDENT: What's going on, King? How's everybody doing? (Applause.) Well, what a warm greeting -- I appreciate that, guys. Thank you so much....
But my main message is for the students here. So I want everybody just for a second, listen up, real quiet. I think some of you know a little bit about me. You know, when I was growing up I didn't have my father at home; he had left us. We weren't rich. We didn't have a lot. But the one thing that my mother and my grandparents told me was that if I worked hard in school -- if I loved to read and I loved math and I loved science and I studied hard -- there wasn't anything that I couldn't do.
Now, just from meeting the young people here today I can tell that there are so many bright, smart, promising students here. But, you know, there are a lot of distractions out there. A lot of you think, well, you know, I don't want to study -- I'm just going to play basketball. Or, I don't want to study, I'm going to be a rap star.
I want all of you to know that the most important thing you can do for yourselves and for your community and for your country is to work hard in school and to treat each other with respect -- and treat yourself with respect. Because I'm confident that if you all work very hard, then there's no reason why you can't be a doctor or a lawyer. There's no reason why you can't be the Secretary of Education or a principal of a school. There's no reason why you can't be a congressman or a senator -- maybe you can be the President of the United States. (Applause.) All right?
So I just got a promise in there -- I want a promise from every single one of you that you guys are going to work hard in school each and every day. Give me that promise. You promise?
STUDENTS: Yes! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: You give me a pinkie promise?
STUDENTS: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: Make your promise! All right, you know, that's a big promise there. So I'm counting on you guys. I'm going to come back and check on you guys to make sure you've all been working hard. All right? Okay. (Applause.)
12:36 P.M. CDT
For Immediate Release October 19, 2009
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REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO THE STUDENTS AT VIERS MILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Viers Mill Elementary School
Silver Spring, Maryland
11:30 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Here's the reason that I wanted to stop by for lunch today, and that is, I have heard great things about this school. I hear everybody here is reading all the time. Right? The motto here is?
PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Viers Mill, what's our goal?
STUDENTS: Read! Read! Read!
PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Viers Mill, what's our goal?
STUDENTS: Read! Read! Read!
PRINCIPAL DEVAN: Because great readers have?
STUDENTS: Great choices!
THE PRESIDENT: So you guys are readers. And so, being a reader myself, I wanted to come meet all these outstanding readers. Because you guys are reading so much and you're working so hard, you guys are doing great in terms of your test scores and how this school is doing. And so this was just a great example of how much improvement a school can make just in a really short time when you've got motivated kids.
So I wanted to come by and introduce myself, to say I'm very proud of you. I am hoping that you guys will continue to read, read, read, and that all of you are going to be really working hard not just this year but all the way through high school and then all the way through college, because how many people here plan to go to college? Everybody, right? I just wanted to make sure everybody's going to college. But that means everybody's going to have to work hard.
11:32 A.M. EDT
