President Barack Obama delivered his plans to reform the nation’s economy during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.

The members of the EIU College Republicans and EIU College Democrats analyzed what Obama’s address means for the economy, environment and college students.

Tom Zei, president of the EIU College Democrats, said he thinks Obama did a very good job of explaining what was necessary and how to help the nation during the address.

“Our boy’s still got it,” Zei said.

Zei is a senior political science major.

Jesse Green, president of the EIU College Republicans, said in an email that President Obama did what he needed to do in his speech.

“In short, President Obama addressed the key points that was necessary, remained ‘presidential’ and made no major rhetorical gaffes,” he said.

Green said he believes Obama’s speech will only help him marginally and that Obama said nothing substantial to gather additional independent support or reach out to conservatives.

Green is a junior finance major.

Zei said the State of the Union address gives any president a bump in approval ratings, but he feels the bump for Obama will stick.

“I think he answered a lot of people’s concerns,” Zei said. “I believe it will give him a more permanent bump in the approval ratings.”

Zei said he feels Obama’s speech will not just resonate with his own party.

“I think it will also get a lot of independent support which is where the real money is at when it comes to elections,”Zei said.

Obama made a proposal during the address, which would require high school students to stay in school until they are 18 years of age or until they graduate high school.

Green said he thinks Obama’s plan is implausible for certain parts of the country.

“I would like to see President Obama try to enforce this in Detroit where 47 percent of the adults are functionally illiterate and the high school graduation rate is around 32 percent,” Green said.

While Zei said he believes there will be a higher enrollment rate in colleges if this law is enacted.

During his speech, Obama said he plans to open 75 percent of government land to offshore oil drilling, which Green said is not enough.

A government employee somewhere in Washington, D.C. is going to pick on a map where a company can and cannot drill, Green said.

l of the Atlantic East Coast will be opened up, however this will not increase oil production because there is little oil there,” he said.

Zei said the offshore drilling would have to be something that he would have to look into personally but he did not think it would play to well with the environmental crowd.

“I was kind of surprised that he has opened up offshore drilling,” Zei said. “Is it going to be worth it as a whole?”

Kathryn Richter and Elizabeth Edwards can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]