First Lady Peps Up School Rally High School Students Cheer Speech On Education In Eugene

It was part pep rally, part political rally Tuesday as first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton told cheering high school students that her husband wants to make sure all students are given a chance to succeed in the next century.

About 4,000 students, teachers and other invited guests crowded into the gymnasium at South Eugene High School to hear Hillary Clinton tout President Clinton’s education initiatives.

“I love that sign,” Clinton said, pointing to a banner that read, “Education is our bridge to the 21st Century.” The banner echoed one of the main themes of the president’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago two weeks ago.

The South Eugene students cheered, stomped their feet and whistled as the first lady trumpeted her husband’s proposals to put computers in every classroom, use tax credits to make college affordable to all Americans and to make sure all children are able to read by age 8.

In her 24-minute talk, Clinton praised South Eugene as a “great high school” that creates opportunity and encourages personal responsibility among its students.

“We have to make sure all of you have the opportunity to live up to your God-given potential,” she said. “That’s what the president is trying to do.”

But education alone isn’t the only way of achieving a fair, tolerant society, she said. Tolerance of others is equally important, she said.

Clinton, who traveled with her daughter Chelsea to Bosnia earlier this year, said much of the ethnic violence in that war-torn country was fomented by educated people “who used the newspapers and radio to stir up hatred.”

Among those who were on the stage with Clinton were Sharon Kitzhaber, wife of Gov. John Kitzhaber, and Kelley Bruggere, wife of U.S. Senate candidate Tom Bruggere.

Students who listened to Clinton’s talk were enthusiastic afterward.

“It was great,” said Emiko Maeda, 14, a ninth-grader at South Eugene. “It was nice to know she really cares about us.”

The first lady’s quick stop in Eugene en route to Los Angeles will be followed by a trip to Oregon by the president next week.

The head of the Dole-Kemp campaign in Oregon, Deanna Smith, said Tuesday that she thinks the amount of attention Clinton is paying to Oregon reflects a concern that Bob Dole is gaining strength in the state.

Despite polls showing Clinton running ahead of Dole, Smith said, the Democrats “are beginning to worry.”

“They know this is a targeted state. Interest in the Dole-Kemp ticket is high,” she said.