On Wednesday Dec. 12, the Sioux Falls school district opened up to the public for ideas on the name of the new high school and middle school being built in the northwest and southeast parts of town, respectively. Ideas can be submitted on the school districts website.

The school board should take into consideration a more modern name for the new high school, named after the 44th president and first lady of this country.

The Obamas were the 44th first family of the United States. Both Michelle and Barack have made huge contributions to the United States education system, and were also huge role models for young people and minorities in our country, and still are. Michelle Obama was heavily involved in making school lunches healthier for students. While Obama was in office, the national graduation rate hit an all-time high at 83.2 percent. Both Obamas spent a lot of time visiting elementary, middle, and high schools and talking with students.

Some may argue that in our republican city and state, a lot of people may not like that name. No matter what the name ends up as, there are going to be people who oppose it. Why not go against what people expect is going to happen?

Overall, the Obamas are decent people, with family values who had good intentions for our country. They respected people and were huge advocates for minorities and everyone in the United States in general.

Imagine being a minority in Sioux Falls and seeing a school named after the first black president of our country. While a small thing, that bit of representation for that person might mean the world. Obama High School would most certainly be a valuable addition to the community of Sioux Falls.