CLINTON VISITS MICHIGAN CITY

Long, hot wait for Clinton worth every minute of it

The day was hot, very hot. The temperature only touched the mid-80s,but when coupled with the pulsing body heat of 40,000 people, 85 could justas soon have been 180.

Although entertainment had been provided, it did little to appease thehostilities of the people. Many became rather feisty when trying to protecttheir sacred territories, but in situations like this, there is no suchthing as personal space.

Water, not surprisingly, was scarce and as a result, crowd members faintedin the sweltering sun. For nearly six hours we waited patiently for theguest of honor. A few who were packed against me wondered if it was trulyworth all the strain.

But at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, when the president's stark black limo cruisedto stage left, the crowd surged forward, anxiously seeking to greet thesole reason behind their immense tolerance: President Clinton.

As I saw the handsome president stride confidently to the platform stairs,an overwhelming feeling went through my body. I was instantly transformedinto a squealing teenager, much like those seen in Beatles concerts fromthe '60s.

The words he spoke had never seemed as clear to me as they did Wednesdayafternoon. Other high school students reported similar feelings.

"All the stuff he was talking about ... I (thought), 'Right on!'"Michigan City High School senior Tara Stanton said.

"He's actually doing something," exclaimed another senior,Megan McKinnon. "He's passed a lot of bills, including one to giveme a raise."

She was referring to the increase in the minimum wage.

To Jason Johnson, also a senior, President Clinton is doing a decentjob. "Since he's been in (office)," he said, "things havebeen running pretty smoothly."

Johnson also said he believes that since Clinton has a daughter aroundour age, a second term might include changes sympathetic of our generation.

Good point. With college costs soaring at speeds nearing mach. 10, thepresident's thoughts on student loans were extremely encouraging, furtherfueling my desire to succeed.

Despite the unbelievable conditions, I imagine a good time was had byall. Senior Katie Jones shouted, "It was an experience of a lifetime!"

Some, like junior Danny Tillman, plunged through the ferocious crowdjust to touch the president. "I saw him coming and I said, 'I got tomeet him'," Tillman told me. "So I ran down through the crowdscreaming, 'Excuse Me!' ... I (feel) so power-charged!"

Sarah Courington, a senior, came away from the event with more than merelya memory of Bill Clinton. "I got seeds from (U.S. Rep.) Tim Roemer(and) I'm going to plant them because I am the seed of a new generation."

Lastly, I would like to express my pride in this town. Several claimedthat Clinton's stop in Michigan City was only an over-hyped publicity stint,yet I strongly disagree. He pointed out that: "I don't see any cynicismhere, I see America." That is the key.

Michigan City is a piece of Americana. Our neighborhoods whisper thelives of earlier hard-working Americans; the ones who built this countryfor you and me. This town is richly embedded with tradition and history,it's only a wonder that it took 97 years for a president to visit us again.

Perhaps the most inspirational moment came not when President Clintontook the podium, but when, during the climax of our impatience, the crowdsuddenly began to sing American anthems. I turned my head to see who wasresponsible.

I didn't see any blacks or whites singing, nor did I see Republicansor Democrats sing. I didn't see rich, poor, young or old crooning alongto the timeworn songs. I saw, simply, thousands of devoted people swayingdizzily under the sun, singing praise to their primary connection: America.

*

Maggie Agba, a senior, is The News-Dispatch's columnist from MichiganCity High School.

PHOTOGRAPHING THE ACTION: Barbara Rivas of Valparaiso holds a flagand takes a photo Wednesday at Washington Park.

Photo/Jennifer Flowers

O'BANNON SPEAKS: Lt.Gov. Frank O'Bannon, the Democratic candidate for governor, addresses thecrowd in Washington Park Wednesday before President Clinton's speech. Thebandstand in Washington Park was the backdrop for the political event.

Photo/Jennifer Flowers

Area teacher makes sure his students get to see presidents

By John Lundy

News-Dispatch city editor

Taking 114 Kankakee Valley High School seniors to see President Clintonin Michigan City Wednesday was all part of teaching government, as far asJerry Hoover is concerned.

Hoover, 62, took a group of students to see former President Dwight Eisenhowerin 1962, when he was a teacher at DeMotte.

Since then, he has taken students from various schools to see PresidentLyndon Johnson in East Chicago in 1964; presidential candidate Barry Goldwaterin Hammond, also in '64; Johnson again in Jeffersonville, Ind., in 1966;President Gerald Ford twice during the 1975-76 school year; then-candidateJimmy Carter in the summer of '76 (school was out, but he organized a groupto see Carter); Vice President Dan Quayle in 1992 and finally Clinton inMichigan City.

He also spent a week in New Hampshire early this year with about 100students -- 50 from Kankakee Valley -- with the primary campaign for Sen.Richard Lugar.

It was on the bus trip home from that Eisenhower visit that Hoover becameconvinced seeing presidents and candidates was worthwhile for his students.

"We're on the way home and there's a kid who says, 'I shook handswith Eisenhower,'" Hoover related in a telephone interview from theWheatfield, Ind., school Thursday morning. "All of the other kids startedshaking his hand and he didn't wash it for three days. I'm thinking, 'Somethingis happening here.'"

About 15 of his students who shook Clinton's hand in Washington ParkWednesday were equally excited, and Hoover said that is typical of the experienceshe has had. But he faced some difficulties in arranging the trip.

Hoover, who coaches basketball as well as teaching government, did nothear about Clinton's planned visit until Monday. He learned not enough substituteschool bus drivers were available to make the trip, so he arranged to charterbuses and pay for it by charging the students $9 apiece. He presented hisplan to the School Board that evening.

"The School Board voted 6-1 to let us go but they didn't think verymany would pay that much to go." But nearly half of the senior classof 250 decided it was worth the money.

Among them were Dana Clark and Devin Simmons, who told about their experiencesas they stood patiently in the crowd of thousands of people waiting to crossthe Franklin Street bridge after the president's speech.

The two said their experience was dampened by the accident in which abouta dozen people were injured when a speaker stand toppled into the crowdjust a few feet from where they were standing.

"The speaker came full force straight down," Clark said. "Isaw it go down and I heard a couple of screams."

Clark approached a woman who had injured her back and "I was helpingher get comfortable," she said. Then she saw a man lying face down,blood coming from his head. She grabbed a napkin or handkerchief and heldit to the wound to stop the bleeding.

By then, she said, medics were on the scene and they took over. But theexperience was sobering.

"I just didn't want to be here anymore," she said.

Despite that incident, Hoover said the Michigan City event was the best-organizedof any of the similar events he had attended. He also was impressed withClinton.

"Of all the presidents I've seen, Clinton seemed to enjoy beingwith the crowd (the most)," Hoover said. "The other guy that wasgreat with them was Johnson. Johnson was unbelievable working a crowd."

Kankakee Valley students and teachers started their day in school at8 a.m. Wednesday and did not get home until 10:30 p.m. -- after fillingthe Michigan City Arby's for supper. But Hoover staunchly advocates takingstudents to such events.

"When I look at social studies itself, the reason we spend all thattaxpayers' money on a social studies curriculum is so that they grow upto become qualified voters," Hoover said.

"When you go to an event like yesterday's, they get the idea thatit's personal. It's not just something you read about or hear someone talkabout."