Dan Hoffmann is the Governor of the North East Junior State and gave a statement to eschoolnews.com about the speech President Obama will be giving to students. The President's speech is meant to be an inspriational address to students about the need for them to continue their education and stay in school but has met opposition from those who believe the President will be speaking about his health care agenda.

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Excerpt from "Obama's speech to students sparks controversy"

Responding to these concerns, White House officials said on Sept. 3 that the text of Obama's speech will be posted on the whitehouse.gov web site Sept. 7, allowing teachers and parents to review it before his address the next day.

Students themselves, meanwhile, are coming out to say that people should not allow fear and unease to rule their actions.

"It seems as though opponents of the president often attempt to vilify the genuine attempts to spread hope across the nation, simply because they are afraid of what change may occur if the president is allowed to inspire and affect young people," said Dan Hoffmann, a senior at New Rochelle High School in New York. He is also a member of the Junior State of America, a national organization for students who are interested in politics and government, foreign affairs, the law, and education. "Students across the country deserve attention, and I'm glad to see that President Obama is willing to address them, their future, and the importance of education."

Link to full story on eschoolnews.com

Obama's speech to students sparks controversy 

By Maya T. Prabhu
Assistant Editor

A plan by President Barack Obama to address students nationwide via the internet Sept. 8 has energized opposition, with some districts refusing to allow students to view the speech. Others, however, say they welcome the opportunity to let students hear from the president directly, and they don't see what all the fuss is about.

"It's hard to understand how a speech by the president of the United States that is expected to encourage students to work hard and stay in school could be so controversial. The anger this has generated among some individuals feels misplaced," said Nora Carr, chief of staff at Guilford County Schools in North Carolina.