After a lengthy introduction and several rounds of applause, President Barack Obama gave his first official address to the joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Although he touched on other national and international issues, Obama focused much of his speech on the state of the economy — specifically his hope for recovery.

Although other issues are at hand, David Foxx, senior in political science, said the economic focus was appropriate.

“The economy is the biggest problem, if you don’t have a job, you can’t afford any type of healthcare and you can’t send anybody to school. We’ve got to get this economic crisis under control,” he said.

The president opened his speech with a review of the nation’s fall into economic turmoil.

“A surplus became an excuse to transfer wealth to the wealthy instead of an opportunity to invest in our future,” he said.

But “…that day of reckoning has arrived,and the time to take charge of our future is here,” Obama said.

The message of hope was a constant during the rest of the address. Foxx, a  said Obama’s message and tone was appropriate.

“I think he did a good job as far as his tone…he really tried to give an optimistic yet sober view,” Foxx said.

Key to economic turnaround is credit, according to the president.

“The concern is, if we do not restart lending in this country our recovery will be choked off before it begins,” he said, adding that lenders need to have confidence restored but also will be held accountable for any government assistance.

“This time CEOs will not be able to use taxpayer money to pad their paychecks or buy fancy drapes…” he said.

Obama said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was just the first step toward pulling the nation out of the recession and that it is only a short term help.

“The only way to fully restore America’s economic strength is to make the long-term investments that will lead to new jobs, new industries and a renewed ability to compete with the rest of the world,” he said.

Obama also said cutting costs where money was being wasted was another important step to take. The president said Monday that he would cut the national deficit in half by 2013. Tuesday he said he would accomplish part of that by cutting “ineffective programs” and “wasteful spending.”

“…we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them,” he said. “I will root out the waste, fraud and abuse in our Medicare program that doesn’t make our seniors any healthier…”

Obama also warned Congress that it would have to “sacrifice some worthy priorities” that there is no funding for.

DJ Godette, a senior in business administration, said he is “optimistic” that Obama’s administration will better the economic situation, but wasn’t sure whether the president’s promises would be met in four years.

After the sober warnings of cuts and sacrifice, the president took a turn toward the positive when he spoke of education and health reform, making another appeal to future bipartisan legislation.

He also reminded taxpayers of the tax cuts in the stimulus bill and the benefits the nation would reap because of increased funding for education. The president said education is “a prerequisite to opportunity” and encouraged every American to “commit to at least one year of higher education or career training” in order to become the most educated nation per capita by 2020.

Godette said Obama’s call to increase higher education is “doable” but the president is not the only one who must make that decision.

“It’s important that that initiative is not only taken from a fed gov level but also from a state and local level. Local administrators must promote the next level of education to students coming through,” he said.

Obama also spoke of raising military pay among other increases. Godette said those things are possible despite the economy, but not anytime soon.

“The type of reform that President Obama is sepaking of is not quick fix reform, things are going to take time,” he said.

Obama closed his address with three stories of hope and possibility and a reminder that a love for the country, “Must be the starting point for every debate we have in the coming months.”

And that debate will continue as more reforms are introduced in congress.

According to Foxx, Obama needs the support of both parties to fix the problems with the economy.

“I think [bipartisanship] is necessary,” he said. “We need to all pull together as a country, as a family.”