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Today's fourth graders are tomorrow's leaders, and those fourth-graders have some very definite ideas on how to lead the United States.
Students in Matt Loge's class at Madison Elementary school recently were asked what they would do if they were president for a day. Their writings were in honor of President's Day.
Loge said, "These short essays help remind us of the dreams and idealism of youth along with some of the important goals held by the future leaders of America."
Excerpts of the goals and dreams of his class follow:
Bryon Farmer said if he were president for a day, he would give teachers a raise. He also said, "As President of the United States, I would not lie under oath."
"President" Travis Shepherd said, "If I were president for one day, I would lower taxes and give more money to the army." He also would lower the voting age from 18 to 10.
"If I were the first woman President," wrote Christie Beldon, "I would get a huge portrait of myself so every one would remember me as the first woman President." Beldon also would try to pass a bill that would keep billboards from advertising drugs and guns. And, she said, women should be able to play pro football if they want to and there would be more nail and hair salons for women.
Toshua Mallory wrote: "If I were the first woman to be president, I would give the poor people jobs and a home. I would lower the bills and the taxes. Then I would give some of the money that I earn from taxes to the army." She also said if a person wants to get into a state they would have to have a passport. "If the person don't have one they could go to jail for a week," she wrote.
Mallory's classmate, Amber Taylor, said, "If I were the first woman President for one day I would give money to the orphanages. Then everybody would get a raise." She also wrote, "Next, I'd allow anybody to have as many pets as they want. Then, I would have a pitbull and a cat."
Isabel Olivo wrote, "If I were first girl President I would have my face carved on a huge mountain. ... The kids at schools would have to go to school Monday through Friday, but if they weren't so good at a subject they could come Saturday and Sunday."
Jennifer Moore would "get my head on a dollar bill, and I would get my face on a calendar. I would make a two dollar bill ... I would try to invent a new color."
"President" Michael Hendrickson said if he were president for a day, he would watch some baseball games. He would also carve his face in a "big rock" and put it in Warsaw. "Then I would make sure that I would not be impeached like Bill Clinton."
Dustin Cutler wrote: "If I were president I would have a mall built in Warsaw, and it would be popular. I would have a lake in the size of my head. I would have my head on Mount Rushmore and I would make my best friend Jacob Snoke Vice President."
Snoke said he would give everybody an education. "Then I would pick Mr. Loge to be my vice president since he knows so much stuff about presidents. Then we could have our own hockey, basketball and soccer teams. After that we would find a way to upgrade all of the computers and put a big boo spear on all the rain forests."
Eric Blanton said, "If I were president I would make school shorter. It would be from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. I would make more gyms for people who wanted to lose weight. I would make more parks, and I would make a law that said you can't shoot the animals unless for food."
Donnie Wallen would "increase taxes, and I would give the arm forces more money. ... I would put a water park in Warsaw. Then I could have the court house bigger. I would give money to the poor so they wouldn't have to live on the streets."
Jon Treesh said, "If I were President I would have people carve all the governors faces on Mount Rushmore. I would increase taxes to raise money for the armed forces and lower the prices for stuff you buy."
Kasey Stephens said, "Gas would be cheap. When I would write agreements my hand wouldn't turn different colors. Children would have 24 hours of school once a week. Everyone in my country wouldn't steal, and would not do bad things to each other. ... Everyone would not lie under oath."
Francisco Gonzalez wrote he would "find a way to stop the 2000 computer Bug." He would also "give some of the money to the poor, buy some kind of special equipment for the American Red Cross, and try to make money out of coins."
Nicole Bratten wrote, "If I was a president I get my face put on paper or coin money. I would be President for as long as I could. If I was a President I would feed the homeless. I would have more police stations built. I would also lower the insurance rate. I would lower the crime rate too. I would make sure all the kids have homes. I would make sure all of the animals have a home. I would try to save the rain forest."
