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Student Journalists Get Obama Access That Professionals Might Envy

President Obama at a briefing with college students at the White House on Thursday.Credit...Zach Gibson/The New York Times

WASHINGTON — For most journalists who cover the White House regularly, the chance to question President Obama comes rarely, and the opportunity for a one-on-one interview with him almost never.

Not so for a group of college journalists visiting the White House on Thursday, who were treated to a surprise presidential news conference in the White House briefing room. One of them even scored a tentative date to interview Mr. Obama on his campus next month.

“I heard there were some hotshot journalists here,” Mr. Obama told the students, striding to the podium to interrupt a scheduled question-and-answer session by his press secretary, Josh Earnest. “Josh was speaking for me, and I wanted to make sure he was getting it right.”

The president proceeded, over the next 40 minutes, to take a wide range of questions from the students, who were attending the first White House College Reporter Day, on issues like immigration, the water crisis in Flint, Mich., Syrian refugees, civic engagement and his proudest achievements.

In between, Mr. Obama managed to sneak in some fatherly advice — “just never admit that you’re nervous, just pretend like it’s routine,” he told one anxious questioner — and some teasing as he made pitches for an expanded student loan initiative and the confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee, Merrick B. Garland.

“Hey-ay,” Mr. Obama said, playfully cocking his head at a young woman who prefaced her question with a “Hey.”

She asked Mr. Obama whether he planned to take additional executive actions on immigration while the Supreme Court decides the fate of his program to allow millions of undocumented immigrants to live and work legally in the United States.

“Our hands are a little bit tied” on major changes, Mr. Obama said, adding that a future president could undo his executive orders, and that he was “not optimistic” that Congress would come through with legislation before he left office.

Facing a roomful of students with politely raised hands, Mr. Obama modified some of his standard lines for a younger audience. Asked about his proudest achievements as president, he cited the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which has resulted in health coverage for 20 million Americans, but also mentioned his family.

“Mainly as the assistant to Michelle Obama, I’ve raised two daughters who are amazing, and I’m really, really proud of them,” Mr. Obama said, adding that doing so while also focusing on his job was “something that I work hard on.”

Answering a student who said the president’s chances of reaching his goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year appeared “iffy,” Mr. Obama said, “We’re going to keep on pushing.”

Dan Corey, editor in chief of The Daily Targum at Rutgers University, where Mr. Obama is scheduled to be the commencement speaker next month, seemed to catch the president off-guard when he asked point-blank for an interview when the president comes to his New Brunswick campus.

“That’s a good use of your time right there,” Mr. Obama said. He added that he usually vets interview requests with his press advisers, but, “I am favorably disposed towards giving you a little bit of time.”

A journalist who asked for a picture with him after the news conference was not as lucky; Mr. Obama said that if he obliged, “there will be a long line.”

But it was a student who asked about how to restore Americans’ faith in democracy who provoked the most animated response from the president, a former community organizer who campaigned on “hope and change” and has recently lamented his inability to change politics for the better.

After a long discourse on what is broken in politics — gerrymandered districts, a flood of undisclosed campaign contributions and negative advertisements — Mr. Obama cited the low turnout numbers in American elections, especially by young people.

“You can’t just complain; you’ve got to vote,” Mr. Obama said. “Don’t let people tell you that what you do doesn’t matter. Don’t give away your power.”

“You got me started,” the president added. “I went on a rant, didn’t I?”

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