CHICAGO – First year students were dismayed last Tuesday night when President Barack Obama failed to propose a solution to the lack of summer funding for the M1s’ mandatory Area of Scholarly Concentration project. While Obama discussed many issues in his speech – from healthcare reform to gun control – he did not address the one budget gap that is concerning students at Feinberg School of Medicine most.

“I took time off from studying to watch the speech,” said Eileen Richardson, a concerned M1. “Now I don’t know what BOOP is and there’s still no answer to how I’m supposed to pay rent in June and July.”

Students were hopeful the Obama administration would be able to find an answer to the question that has plagued the M1s since Arrival Week: how will the mandatory research for the coming summer be funded?

“Haven’t we talked about climate change enough?” Caleb Hui, another distraught first year student, asked. “I was really hoping Obama could shift gears, roll up his sleeves and solve a real problem.”

“See if I vote for him next time,” Hui added.