THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 30, 1996 TAG: 9601300337
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. was about to dissect a computer frog at Elizabeth City Middle School on Monday when the amphibian disappeared.
Eighth-grader Rachel Reid, granddaughter of Superior Court Judge Herbert W. Small, was guiding Hunt through ``The Interactive Frog Dissection'' on the Internet, but the program moved at a slower pace than allowed by the governor's schedule.
When the fake frog left the screen as the program prepared the instruments for its demise, Hunt turned his attention to a lecture on chaos theory and complex geometric shapes from another eighth-grader, Linwood Creekmore.
Technology show-and-tell played a big part in the governor's second visit to the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools in six months - a rare encore appearance in one of Hunt's favorite districts.
Hunt was in town for a fund-raising reception Monday night at the home of state Rep. W.C. ``Bill'' Owens Jr., who said during the middle school visit that his gathering would raise more than $20,000 for the governor.
``He's an easy sell,'' Owens said.
Hunt's tour of the middle school media center included a stop in the giant glass booth that houses the nerve center of the school's video system, and several computer lessons from students and faculty eager to show off the school's state-of-the-art technology.
Hunt also addressed nearly 175 students, teachers, parents, administrators and officials who gathered for a brief forum on education issues.As he did in his August visit to P.W. Moore Elementary School, the governor lauded Elizabeth City-Pasquotank's use of technology and other innovations to help students learn.
``Did you ever think that Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County would be showing the way to the rest of the state?'' Hunt asked the crowd. ``You are. You really are. And that's exciting.''
The Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Schools in the fall received the first-ever district award from a committee of educators appointed by Hunt's office to honor ``entrepreneurial schools.''
In remarks Monday, Hunt talked about the importance of education.
``Public schools have been right at the heart of America, ever since we started this country,'' he said. ``Public schools are places that belong to all of us, and where all of us have equal opportunity.''
The governor used the forum to plug his favorite education-related programs: the Support Our Students after-school program and the Smart Start initiative, which aims to ensure that all children enter school ``healthy and ready to learn.''
Hunt also emphasized school safety measures that make it a felony and an automatic suspension to bring a gun to school. He praised the use of uniformed officers in schools and said that each school must develop its own safety plan.
``Across North Carolina, we have got to say, `We are going to have safe and orderly schools,' '' Hunt said.
Students asked Hunt some pointed questions about problems like teen pregnancy, the dropout rate and funding for arts education. Hunt met each concern by challenging local parents, teens and educators to hammer out local solutions to universal problems.
Hunt sprinkled praise among local school and county officials, and he received some from Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Superintendent Joe Peel.
``He has really had one of his primary focuses in education,'' Peel said, adding that Smart Start and other school-related programs show that Hunt ``is one of those rare people who does understand the whole system.''
Word of Elizabeth City-Pasquotank's statewide accomplishments will be well spread in Raleigh. The governor promised Monday to wear his new district sweatshirt during his next morning walk through the capital. ILLUSTRATION: James B. Hunt
by CNB