Perhaps in the presidential election of 2008, these students will be voting for the candidate they deem worthy of running America.

Last spring, some students in the Edmonds School District received first or second place prizes in the Peace Action of Snohomish County 2004 Linda Jewell Memorial Essay Contest. The students wrote about what qualities make a good president and the responsibilities of being a citizen.

If you choose not to vote, then you have no right to complain, because you stepped back and let others decide for you, wrote Emily Whitson, an eighth-grader at Maplewood Elementary School. She recommended that people read newspapers to keep abreast of issues. Good point, Emily.

“Research the candidates and find out as much as you can about them,” Emily wrote. “Once you have followed enough speeches and discovered enough backgrounds, you will probably be confident in your choice. With all this preparation, voting for what you believe in will be a piece of cake.”

When voting, elect a president who holds unwavering family and community values and morals, wrote Alicia Hendrix, a freshman at Edmonds Woodway High School.

“He must be aware of the world’s history to avoid repeating mistakes and to be able to learn from the past,” she wrote. “Even with pronounced values, a solid education and an impressive background, candidates must possess several other qualities to be a deserving president. Among these are organization, determination, charisma and open-mindedness.”

Remember, the president of the United States is called the commander in chief, Reilly Duvall wrote. Reilly, an eighth-grader at Maplewood, wrote that the president helps create foreign and domestic policy, determines trade policies and approves fiscal policies.

“A president should definitely have a good, strong image in public,” Reilly wrote. “This means having confidence. He or she should be willing to look at all sides of an issue. Being friendly to racial issues is another important quality a president should have.”

A president should have a college degree in history and business law, wrote Brook Watson, an eighth-grader at College Place Middle School.

“I also think the president should be good with his communication skills, because the president will have to travel places and talk to people that speak different languages,” Brook wrote.

“An important characteristic would have to be patience and honesty. Most people think that the president should be trustworthy and honest, because he represents our country to other nations and he is a mentor to the American public.”

Scrutinize the candidates’ backgrounds, domestic values and skills as a world ambassador, wrote Caroline Grotheer, an eighth-grader at College Place Middle School. He or she must have an understanding of financial accountability, taxation and spending, and the impact of those policies on the average income.

“An ideal nominee would have the ability to create and uphold equity among economic classes, including the provision of equal opportunity,” Caroline wrote. “Our country suffers greatly without universal health care, and the recognition of this problem would be another necessity. Finally, this candidate must be ready to reinstate the personal freedoms that have recently diminished.”

Being an excellent communicator is a prime asset, wrote Rafaela Lopez-Santillana, an eighth-grader at College Place Middle School. It’s essential that a president be able to speak truthfully, intelligently and persuasively.

“The person who becomes president should support funding for education and advocate for programs that grow future leaders,” Rafaela wrote. “It would be essential to globalize our education system and encourage all Americans to become more willing to participate in cultural understanding and linguistic diversity. The president I describe could be the example for all of us to follow and be proud of.”

Great presidents have been aggressive activists, wrote Calvin Tran, who was an eighth-grader last term at Brier Terrace Middle School. Some presidents rallied the nation to meet large challenges and found answers to big questions.

“The country’s most highly regarded presidents have all been great visionaries who could imagine a new, national future, like Franklin Roosevelt, who offered the country a vision of America as a nation powerful enough to defeat Germany and Japan in World War II,” Tran wrote. “However, he was humane enough to improve living and working condition for Americans.”

A refrigerator magnet at Ruth Reeber’s house reads “If you can’t make waves, make ripples.” The eighth-grader at College Place Middle School wrote that she can make a difference even though she isn’t old enough to vote.

“I know what my values are and I talk to my peers about what they think about candidates,” Ruth wrote. “If they don’t agree with me, I try to keep an open mind and listen to their opinions.”

She recommended that people drop a dollar into the coffee fund. It may not be enough to buy really great coffee, but at least you’ll be able to complain about how the coffee tastes like mud. Make ripples, Ruth wrote.

Vote.

Columnist Kristi O’Harran: 425-339-3451 or oharran@heraldnet.com.