NOBEL PEACE PRIZE AWARDED TO OBAMA CAUSES CONTROVERSY

On October 9th, 2009, Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. Naming him the recipient of the prize, there has been much controversy over if he is deserving of it.

Obama was nominated 11 days after he took office and won. The Norwegian Nobel Committee states he was awarded "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The decision to award Obama has shocked many students at Washington Adventist University. It has left many questioning if Obama is deserving of the award. Some believe that there wasn't enough time to judge to see if Obama was worthy of the prize.

Political Studies major, Amanda Greenleaf, says "I think it was too soon. According to the Washington Post he was nominated less then two weeks into his term. He didn't do much in two weeks that would make him a good candidate."

Others believe that the President is not deserving of a prize for doing what he was elected to do.

A senior, Gio Santiago, states, "It’s his job. His presidential duties to be a peace maker. Why should he receive an award for that? It should have been given to someone who has gone out of their way rather then someone whose job it is."

While some think the president is not deserving of the award, others support the choice of the committee.

"I am happy he has received the prize," says Aaron Wilson a senior music major. "However, I hope that president Obama will continue this push in fostering peace and communication between other countries."

Many will continue to either praise or criticize the decision to award Obama with the prize. But for now he will take his place among the previous winners of the award. And even if he hasn’t lived up to the prize thus far, he will do so through out his term.