Over the course of this summer, my interpretation of what it means to be a part of Generation O has evolved. At first, it just referred to the young(ish) generation that is living through the many “firsts” of President Obama’s administration. Now, it has come to encompass the great diversity in how we feel, how our nation is changing, and pretty much anything else that falls into “how someone feels and how it relates to the public and world.” It’s a great term, and I hope it will stick.

My top 5 primary issues this year have been (among others) education, the war(s), healthcare, stem cell research, and the economic crisis. When reading my grades, please understand that my school is known for its lack of grade inflation and I’m holding our President to the same standards. This is in no particular order, but here are my “grades” for BHO:

-Education: not much action has been taken to reform education when compared to other issues, but I can understand why. A lot of other, more pressing concerns have come up, and education is something that is already working and just needs some help shaping up. President Obama’s proposed reforms, like merit pay for teachers, removing ineffective teachers, and the expansion of public charter schools are all excellent ideas that I can only hope will be put into action and expanded upon as his term continues. 
Final grade: C+ with an eye towards improvement.

-The War(s): he pulled out troops as promised from Iraq, and put more forces in Afghanistan. He is handling issues now regarding Bush’s administration and the CIA very well; his choice to move past old problems and avoid any in-depth investigations is a sign of maturity and wisdom. He knows that any focus on the past takes energy away from fixing the future. Additionally, Al Qaeda recently stated that they are feeling stress and the American strategy is “winning,” which is a very unusual admission for them and a sign that (hopefully) Obama’s choices are making a difference. 
Final Grade: A-

-Healthcare: a lot of people have been comparing their hopes for American health care to what Canada has now. Here is why that won’t happen, ever: Canada purchases pharmaceuticals at a discount because of its large purchasing power, as it pools the aggregate demand for all Canadian residents. It acts like Wal-Mart in purchasing goods from suppliers. Drug companies that spent the enormous fixed costs to create new drugs are charging relatively high costs in the United States and other free market countries to recoup their fixed cost and make a profit. If we all tried to be Canada, the system wouldn’t work because nobody would be paying those fixed costs. Drug companies in general sell to the Canadians at a slightly lower costs reducing the amount that they need to charge us. This creates an illusion that the Canadian system is cheaper when we are actually subsidizing them by paying their portion of drug development costs. Any promises by any public official that costs will one day be rock-bottom cannot be trusted. Even as the American mindset has been changing over the decades to understand the need to help others and move away from straight-up capitalism, this country as a whole still has trouble accepting fully regulated systems, since it is seen as relinquishing personal control to a higher power. Obama gets a solid E for Effort, but if dramatically reduced costs are the goal, then he gets as a  
Final Grade: C+

-Stem Cell Research: this issue is personal to me in part because of my home life (several physicians in my family, and serious scientific research projects in high school) and partly because it actually affects the health and happiness of one of my closest friends, whose father was diagnosed with MS when we were 12 (that’s 8 years ago, for those who are keeping count). Obama early on overturned Bush-era limitations on funding for stem cell research by the NIH, and opened up other avenues for federal funding of scientific research. He recognizes the importance of learning about and investing in America’s future, both for educational and medical purposes. Way to go, BHO.
Final Grade: A

-Economy: I know this is a rough and confusing topic, but bear with me. Obama’s first economic action as President was the appointment of Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. Geithner has led the government’s mission to rehabilitate the country’s troubled financial sector. He has injected public capital into banks in order for them to remain solvent as they take write-downs directly related to financial derivative losses. Although financial companies may not be finished altering their long-term business strategies, it seems that the temporary blind panic is over. In terms of the “real” economy, Obama has taken dramatic action; he ushered in the bankruptcy of Chrysler and General Motors, approved a $787 billion government spending stimulus, and has taken steps to encourage private spending with programs like the Cash Allowance Rebate System - colloquially known as ‘cash for clunkers.’ All of these actions seem to be guiding America in the right direction, equity markets have bounced higher since Obama’s inauguration and, although economic indicators like unemployment and consumer confidence are still dismal, these drops have lagged and seem to be bottoming out. Critics will find fault with Obama’s stoking of populist outrage over Wall Street compensation and the large amount of debt issued to finance his recovery programs, while on the other hand, this has led to a hasty repayment of TARP funds by many financial institutions and I have no doubt that the economy is better off with government stimulus than if spending had remained stagnant. There is much more reform work to do, but Obama’s crisis management has been solid.
Final Grade: A-

Now, on to our farewells. I spent this summer working days at Merrill Lynch and nights as a bartender, and visiting friends on the East Coast. In a few days, I leave for a trip to Italy with my best friend from high school, which we’ve been looking forward to for a long time. When I get back, I’ll head straight upstate to get back into the swing of things at Cornell, where I have 2 years left before (hopefully) either law school or a job. It’s been wonderful having the opportunity to share my (sometimes limited) thoughts with everyone, and I appreciate the comments when they come! All the best,

Michelle