Students choose best presidents

In a timely project, students in Marshall Klapman’s fourth-grade

class at El Morro Elementary School got to pitch their picks for U.S.

president last Friday.

Students selected someone -- from any era of history -- they

thought would make a good president. The assignment included reading

the candidate’s biography and doing a book report, presenting their

chosen leader to the class and creating a campaign poster to

illustrate the candidate’s presidential-like qualities.

Dylan Olsen, 9, chose Louis Braille, who was born in the 1800s,

the son of the best harness maker in France.

“One day he played with tools; a tool got flung in the air and it

got caught in his eye,” Dylan said. “One eye went blind and the other

blurrier -- then both eyes were blind.”

Dylan said Braille became a teacher and came up with the braille

system -- letters written as raised dots that allowed blind children

and adults to read and write.

“He never gives up and is determined,” Dylan said. “He got sick a

lot and lived through it.”

Lucas Capibianco, 10, campaigned for the 16th president, Abe

Lincoln. Lucas stressed that by voting for Lincoln, citizens would

get an honest, hard-working good man who wants freedom for all.

“He freed the slaves; he made sure to help the slaves by asking

Congress to pass the 13th amendment,” Lucas said. “He is honest; it’s

important because if you lie people will get mad, and if you’re

running again people won’t want to vote for you.”

Cyanna Atkinson, 9, picked Rosa Parks to be the nation’s leader.

“I’m for Rosa Parks for president because she didn’t back down

when people called her house and threatened to kill her family,”

Cyanna said.

Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Ala., for not giving up her seat

on a bus to a white man, helping to spark the civil rights movement.

“She continued to work on civil rights,” Cyanna said.

Students picked myriad candidates, including Oprah Winfrey,

Sacagawea, Franklin Roosevelt, Princess Diana and Martin Luther King

Jr.

Daniel Rush, 9, campaigned for Michael Jordan with the slogan,

“Michael Jordan ABC Slam Dunk for President.”

“The people of California need hope for a better president, better

schools, more funding and more sports for kids,” Daniel said.

Daniel noted Jordan’s career highlights and pointed out his

determination.

“Please vote for a slam-dunking president,” Daniel said.

Eric Papa, 10 said he believes that his uncle, Mat Hoffman, would

make a good president.

“He’s a good man, down to earth. He started with nothing and

created a successful bike company,” Eric said.

Let the voting begin.