On January 28, 2014, Barack Obama gave his State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Obama proposed ideas to strengthen the middle class and expand education, as the focus this year was investing in the people. Barack Obama pitched his new ideas on minimum wage, retirement, unemployment benefits, and investments in education. One of the more controversial proposals was the increase in minimum wage from nine dollars to ten dollars and ten cents.

“I don not think it is a good idea,” Freshman Morgan Latta said. “Since the minimum wage is going up, so will the prices on things, which would make stuff less affordable.”

One of Obama’s goals among others this year, is to expand early childhood education by making quality pre-k available of all four-year-old children. “It is great,” Freshman Alyssa Hevia said. “Pre-k is the foundation for your whole education and it really should be available for everyone.”

Incorporating Americans back into the workforce, one of Obama’s goals as president, became one of the main concerns. The United States has “The lowest unemployment rate in over five years,” President Barrack Obama said. Obama’s wants to continue the creation of jobs to expand opportunities for Americans. This year, Obama would like to start making factories more environmentally friendly by constructing factories that rely more on natural gasses and authorize funds to build fuel stations.

“I think it’s good that he’s [Barrack Obama] actually doing something about the environment,” Freshman Juanito Laguerre said. “There should be more focus there.”