Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 24, 1993 TAG: 9301240239
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
AN INAUGURAL EXPERIENCE THESE STUDENTS WON'T FORGET
Awe-inspiring continuitySIX STUDENTS from the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities at Roanoke's Patrick Henry High School visited Washington, D.C., last week for the inauguration of President Clinton. We asked them to tell us about their trip and their impressions of the event. Here's what they had to say:\
Amid the chaos, confusion, and cameras, William Jefferson Clinton became our nation's 42nd president. One of the definitely memorable events of my youth will be the fact that I was able to personally witness this historic ceremony. Washington, D.C., was turned upside down with decorations, celebrities and traffic as I arrived Inauguration Eve. After attending congressional receptions and House office tours, my group and I crawled into our sleeping bags with anticipation of the long but festive day ahead of us.
Inauguration morning was at first like any other January morning in Capital City, but one look in the direction of the Capitol building, and we knew the special feeling being felt by everybody who was in attendance that day. As the inaugural ceremony commenced, eight shivering Roanokers stood within the hundreds of thousands of members of Bill Clinton's audience. By the end of the morning, however, the shivers of cold had turned to shivers of patriotism in our newfound celebration.
The lips of the man "from Hope to History" moved separately from his speech on the large video monitor set up next to the reflecting pond, but the voice of our new leader in his Inaugural Address was clear and beckoning to anyone who listened. He beckoned his fellow citizens to join him in the renaissance of the American dream and the renewed dedication of responsibility to "a world warmed by the sunshine of freedom." I certainly did not feel, as Bill Clinton said, that anyone had "forced the spring" as I stood staring at our future on a cold winter day, but I realized that every American, whether Democrat or Republican, whether Clinton supporter or Clinton rejecter, had to marvel at the overwhelming sense of awe that we all felt. It wasn't necessarily the words spoken, the flags waving, or the music playing, but just the knowledge of the American continuity that has enabled the world's strongest democracy to pass the torch of the presidency with troops saluting and not warring. In times without prosperity we at least have stability, and in times without joy we at least know that we have the potential for a better tomorrow if we want it enough.
To me, the American rite of inauguration is the ultimate symbol of the amazing transition made in peace every time a new administration come to power. When John Kennedy was shot almost 30 years ago, Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office aboard Air Force One with Kennedy's slain body behind him. The nation mourned the loss of one of its greatest leaders, but the vice president rose to take control. In a time when much of the world was still in a state of shock, America carried on in the firm tradition of strength and unity that has made the country survive over two centuries of grueling uncertainty.
Clinton's words were politically correct and perhaps even cliched, but they were undoubtedly comforting. He told us that "there is nothing wrong with America that what is right with America cannot fix." He asked for the help of each citizen in securing tomorrow, and preparing for tomorrow's tomorrow. For the sake of those for whom we leave the planet we call home, we must not forget our futures.
I don't know if I will look back on my experience with extreme appreciation or just sentimental reminiscence, but I do know that I will not forget what witnessing democracy in action has meant to me. We don't have to sit and watch our federal debt reach astronomical proportions. We can't continue to allow racism and prejudice to be taught to our youth. We won't let equal citizens in financially challenged situations be deprived of health care and insurance. I hope that we can make these necessary visions a reality, I thank all the community leaders and organizations that supported us for the opportunity to travel to the inauguration, and I now understand the pride of a member of democracy. - Craig Fifer
`Our Time for Change'
I am a college U.S. history student in the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities at Patrick Henry High School. This year we have been studying the foundation of the American government and the changes it has gone through to become what it is today. Our government is a confusing thing to learn about, with many branches, committees and rules. Attending the inauguration was an amazing and wonderful learning experience for all of us.
Tuesday, we arrived in Washington, along with the rest of the world, around 7 p.m. We quickly dressed and went to a reception for Congressman Rick Boucher, [D-Abingdon]. Following the reception we toured the office of Congressman [Harold L.] Volkmer, [D-Mo.,] and learned a little about exactly what a congressman does. Wednesday, "our time for change had come." As we headed toward the Capitol building, the streets were jammed with excitement, vendors, police, tourists and reporters. We settled down and observed a major part of history, the inauguration of President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. That evening we attended a party at Tech 2000 in honor of the new secretary of education, Dick Riley. A little excitement was added to our evening as we stood outside the MTV inaugural ball and watched the limos unload. We saw stars including Peter Jennings, Marlee Matlin, Lauren Bacall, Shirley MacLaine and Christie Brinkley, just to name a few.
Thursday, we met with [Rep.] Bob Goodlatte, [R-Roanoke,] and visited Union Station. Cold, tired and worn out from walking, standing and waiting in traffic we began our trip home to Roanoke. It was an exciting three days and a once in a lifetime experience. We learned a little about how our government works and had fun doing it. The trip was wonderful. - Kelly Edwards
The chance of a lifetime
Exciting. That is the best adjective I can use to describe the events that I have seen in the past few days. The inauguration of William Jefferson Clinton and Albert Gore Jr. will lead us into the future of the United States, and the future of the world. The future of which I speak is technically my generation's future. Bill Clinton will decide many events that will affect the youth of today more that anyone else. This essay is a detailed account of the sights we saw, showing how a trip to Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day affected one teen-age student.
On Monday, at noon, six enthusiastic students and two teachers from Patrick Henry High School piled into a van. Our destination was Washington, D.C., and our goal was to learn as much about politics as we could. After making the four-hour drive, we arrived in D.C. to find that the traffic was awful. We the pushed our way through and ended up being late for our first party. This was a cocktail party for the Space, Science, and Technology Committee. At the party, we met Rep. Rick Boucher. Then we went home all excited about what the next day had in store.
Our trip included tickets to the inauguration and many other exciting events. The inauguration was very crowded. It was hard to move around, and from our ticketed locations, it was hard to see the Capitol steps. Many people crowded around the gates also hoping to catch a glimpse of President-elect Clinton. The ceremony was short, but meaningful. The Winston-Salem, N.C.-born poet Maya Angelou shared a poem about the problems that divide the nation. Little was known about the poem before it was read at the ceremony. It turned out to be eloquent. The president-elect then became the 42nd president of the United States after he took the oath of office. For his inaugural speech, he spoke about how this time, meaning his presidency, was like an early spring, and with this change will follow. The ceremony was followed with the Inaugural Parade. The streets were packed with people and this made it impossible for our group to see the parade live.
Later that evening, we attended a cocktail party at Tech 2000 promoting the advancement of technology in schools. This was exciting because one the guests was the secretary of education, Richard Riley. At this time, we explained what the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities was about and basically how it worked. Next, because of our inability to get tickets to any of the sold-out balls, we decided to walk around outside where the MTV Ball was being held. This was a good idea, because after we arrived, many celebrities did also. We saw people including Kathleen Turner, Marlee Matlin, Christie Brinkley, Steve Issacs and Eric Nies entering into this ball. It was amazing to see in person the people that l constantly see on television. The best part of this experience was when Eric Nies (MTV personality) waved to me (and only me!). Seeing these famous people was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.
Thursday morning, our group went to meet with the congressman from our district, Bob Goodlatte. At this time, our questions were answered, and we got to see his office. This was the last event on our schedule, and although extremely tired, everyone had had a good time. Although a Republican in belief, I feel that from what I have seen, President Clinton will try to improve the United States, and I will try to support him. I feel the things I experienced in the capital on this trip will always be remembered. We met interesting people, saw the 42nd Presidential Inauguration, went to exciting parties, and learned a lot. I know not all teen-agers are interested or involved in politics, but I and my fellow students enjoyed gaining knowledge about how our government and lives are run. I, as a teen-ager in America, hope the Clinton administration will help the future of the youth. And for our trip, I feel it was definitely the chance of a lifetime.
- Holly Spraker
Where was the change?
Change is what President Bill Clinton plans to bring about in his term as president. But I did not see much change as I stood through the 1993 Presidential Inauguration. I was one person in half a million people at the inauguration and I saw no change taking place. Only the people with really good connections were in a place where the president was larger that a dot. There was the Rev. Billy Graham praying (what happened to Church vs. State?), and there was still no woman taking the oath of office. What change do you see?
I am not trying to be ungrateful because it was great experience. It was the most exciting three days I have had in a while. But the actual inauguration was not the highlight. Although I could not see the inauguration, I could hear it loud and clear. Maya Angelou's poem was probably the most original and creative part of the ceremony.
Although I could not see Gore, Clinton or anybody else on the Capitol steps, I did find it amusing to talk to the other spectators seeing history in the making. There were die-hard Democrats, drunk people who probably did not know where they were and Republicans who were there in case a miracle occurred and Bush remained president. There were more youths than I expected. I talked to a group attending the Youth Presidential Conference who were vocal on what they thought of the conference and Clinton (mixed reactions about both). It would have been nice to see the Inauguration Parade live after the ceremony. After four hours standing outside, we headed for a warm house with a TV.
Although attending the inauguration was the purpose of the trip, we participated in some other exciting events. To make sure we got the word out about the Center for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Patrick Henry High School, we carried a flier about the program. We gave it to people we thought were influential. Tuesday evening we attended a cocktail party sponsored by Congressman Rick Boucher who is on the Committee for Space, Science, and Technology. We talked to Boucher and made sure he had one of our fliers. We also attended a cocktail party sponsored by the International Society fro Technology in Education, in honor of the secretary of education.
After we were prim and proper for two hours at the cocktail party we tried to crash some of the inaugural balls. We tried to get into the Arkansas ball but lacked the key part, the ticket. We ended up going around the corner to the MTV Rock 'n' Roll Party at the Washington Convention Center. Again we spent a few hours standing in the freezing cold waiting for stars to make their grand entrances. We were not the only ones with the same idea. We were lucky to get there early and have standing room right in front of the entrance. Some of the people we saw included, Christie Brinkley (without Billy Joel), Peter Jennings, Marlee Matlin, Kevin Nealon (he shook my hand), Eric Nies from MTV and Kathleen Turner, just to name a few. After looking back at how excited we were to see the stars, it seemed funny because we seemed to forget that they are just like us.
We had a packed three days, and I just mentioned my impressions of some of the highlights. Everything we did in between was either walking, standing or waiting in traffic. There were crowds everywhere. I do not see how anything is going to get done if that inauguration was Clinton's idea of change. Things were much too conservative and slow for me. I am not saying that I do not like Bill Clinton. We shall see what he will do. I watched and listened this week. I now know what it is like to work in Washington for the government. It can go from being dull and boring to exciting and fast paced. I do know one thing though: if I ever get to be president I know what I would change and compared to the government's idea of change, mine would be a revolution.
- Debra Kurshan
Through Republican eyes
From the eyes of a young Virginia Republican the inauguration of William Jefferson Clinton and Albert Gore Jr. was a sad moment. Twelve solid years of Republican leadership came to an end. George Bush was my hero, I guess you could say. He was a great leader and a great role model. The majority of Americans simply did not understand how hard it was for a Republican president to work with an unforgiving Democratic Congress. George Bush was given the blame for a lot that he could do nothing about.
However, for better or for worse we now have a Democratic president. He comes from the governor's office of the small state of Arkansas, and with him he brings the environmental man from good old Tennessee. They took the nation by storm last year, fulfilling a dream on Jan. 20, 1993, that few thought they could reach. Change, promises for action and youth were what the Democrats claimed would cure the nation's blues. I am glad that we have a young president, I only wish that he was a real American, a Republican. We must remember that with youth comes inexperience and promises that cannot be kept. Bill Clinton has four years to prove that he is the change that our great country needs. I personally think that he will come up short on a lot of promises that he made.
As a Republican the inauguration was very exciting. The crowds were unbelievable, everyone was trying to catch a glimpse of the new president. The truth was we could hardly see, we were very far back, and we had to use binoculars to see the new first family. We could, however, see the large screen television that was set up. Our location was all right because the only family that I wanted to see was George and Barbara Bush. After the ceremony, the Clintons and the Gores rolled down Constitution Avenue en route to Pennsylvania Avenue to begin the parade. The new leaders and their families were in the executive limos and with Secret Service agents everywhere. The only problem with this classic scene was that the windows were tinted, ruining the view that tens of thousands of people had come to see. Later in the parade they did get out of the limos to walk the last three blocks to the White House.
That night the MTV, Arkansas and many other balls were taking place. We did not have the chance to attend the balls, but the excitement outside the MTV and Arkansas balls was terrific. All the congressmen and other powerful people were waiting to get in. At the MTV ball the celebrities came out. Everyone from Ed Lover and Steve Isaacs to Shirley MacLaine and Christie Brinkley was out to honor the new president. At a party earlier that night I met and shook hands with the secretary of education, Richard Riley. He was very nice, but there was something strange about him.
As we were heading back to Roanoke I made up my mind about things. First, whether I am a Republican or not, I am going to respect Bill Clinton. I don't trust him, and I definitely don't like him, but I will give him the respect that the president of the United States of America deserves, even if he is a Democrat. I hope that Bill Clinton does not mess up. The second thing is, no matter what happens in my life, my dream is to be the president of the United States.
- Jeremy Carter
Educational experience
Teaching young people, especially elementary education, has always been a career that has greatly interested me. I am also interested in the political aspiration and paths that the leaders today might follow or create for the future. As a student and teen-ager, politics and the way our government works has always caught my attention. Spending three days in our nation's capital during the Presidential Inauguration really proved to be an exciting way to learn about our government and its transition of the change in leadership.
From the beginning of this political campaign, I put myself in place of a young voter. I listened carefully for clues, ideas and the goals from each candidate in order to pick the person that I thought was the best suited to lead our country. This helped me get involved and better understand the election process. When I was asked to attend the inauguration of the 42nd president of the United States, I was greatly honored. This was to be an experience that I would never forget and one that I would use to explain our government to my future students.
Tuesday, I was one of a group of six students and two teachers who headed to Washington in pursuit of an educational and once-in-a-life-time opportunity. We arrived safely and soon changed our clothes to attend a reception for Congressman Rick Boucher. There were not many other students there and we felt slightly out of place, but Boucher's hospitality made us feel welcome. The interesting part of the evening, however, was a young man who works for a congressman from Missouri showed us around his office and gave us a short lesson on activities around and on "The Hill."
Although Tuesday was tiring, no one in our group showed a lack of enthusiasm for the inauguration. It was so exciting. As one aspiring to become an educator, I was listening for comments our new president stated on his plan for educating children in the future. Also as a student in the Center for Advanced Studies in Humanities I was looking forward to hearing what our opportunities were. Being a part of an original program of history, literature and the arts, I was listening to see what plans might apply to students today. President Clinton stated, "I challenge a new generation of young Americans to a season of service - to act on your idealism by helping troubled children, keeping company of those in need, reconnecting our torn communities. There is to much to be done . . . " This statement was directed to the "new generations" and I appreciated it, but I was hoping for more specific ideas on education. Later that evening we attended the Tech 200O reception where we met and discussed our program with the new secretary of education, Richard Riley. I was satisfied with his interest in our current program and how it might be expanded to create new challenges.
On Thursday, after two long and physically demanding days the lack of sleep was slowly taking its toll. Although many were tired, the excitement did not quite end yet. We met with our newly elected Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and we were all impressed. Telling by the work on his desk he was extremely busy but still made time for us to ask questions and gather knowledge on his job and duties. We all were appreciative of his interest in our activities.
After a long three days we began to slowly lose energy, but we still could not believe all we had done. We learned so much and had incredible experiences. Our entire group enjoyed being together and we all will never forget the opportunities and adventures. And as for the future of education and concern for our generation, I feel that our meetings proved that change and improvement in education certainly are in the minds of many of our leaders. These experiences not only were exciting but helped me to witness change in our government. Hopefully in the future I might be able to convey this to a classroom of my own students, when we will be watching future inaugurations. - Martha Feinour