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Obama Just Made His First Public Appearance Since Leaving Office and Reminded Us How Much We Miss him

The former president joked, "What's been going on while I've been gone?"

In his first public appearance since leaving the White House, former President Barack Obama held a dialogue with Chicago's young leaders. 

On the panel held at the University of Chicago on Monday, Obama, along with students and young leaders of civic engagement, discussed how to make fruitful changes in the community by using politics and action. 

Throughout the conversation, Obama asked questions and gave useful advice about how one can become an influencer in their community. 

  • Upon entering the room, Obama started with a joke about what's been happening since he left

  • The former president said that since he left office, he's been thinking about what his next steps should be

  • The conversation often centered around the positive and negative aspects of social media

  • One student was able to tell Obama about a time she met him before he was president

    During the panel, Obama spoke of the book he is writing now and discussed the importance of young people getting involved in their local communities. 

    Students on the panel spoke to the importance of not only participating in democracy during an election. One high school student even suggested phones and Facebook were hurting the way youth are able to receive and process information. 

  • Watching Obama's calm demeanor and intelligence made many people quickly remember how much they miss having him as president

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