Clinton Thrills Hilton Crowd

Some of them waited nearly three hours in the arena, but a 
group of 11,000 Iowa Staters had a rare audience in Hilton 
Coliseum last month with President Bill Clinton and Vice 
President Al Gore.

In Ames April 25 for the National Rural Conference, the 
president obliged ISU's request for an address to faculty, 
staff, students and local residents and school children.

Iowa State's pep band and the Iowa State Singers took turns 
entertaining the crowd, many of whom arrived hours early to 
get good seats. If it weren't for the red, white and blue 
bunting hanging from the balcony railing or the presidential 
seal affixed to the podium, the event could have been a 
Cyclone pep rally. The good-natured crowd even sustained "The 
Wave" for two or three minutes during a time-out for both 
musical groups.

In an atmosphere and a speech that strongly resembled a 
campaign stop, Clinton talked briefly of many things: of 
responsibility that must accompany First Amendment rights, of 
guaranteeing the American dream for young people, of workers 
laboring longer days for paychecks smaller than they received 
10 years ago, of the courage of Americans in the face of such 
tragedies as the recent Oklahoma City bombing and the Iowa 
floods of 1993.

Clinton spoke at length on the importance of education, not 
only as a means to better wages, but to less stressful, more 
stable families as well.

"Inequality is increasing among Americans with jobs. The 
middle class is splitting apart and the fault line is 
education," he said.

"The budget deficit is not the only deficit we have. We also 
have an education deficit and you have millions and millions 
and millions of Americans who wonder whether they have 
failed, because as hard as they work, they cannot make it in 
the modern economy," Clinton said. "The only way to turn that 
around is to revolutionize the availability and the quality 
of education to all of our people without regard to their 
race or income or religion."

Clinton reiterated his support of the national service 
program and the federal direct student loan program, which 
Iowa State helped pilot this school year. He cautioned 
against cutting education opportunities in the name of 
reducing the budget deficit.

Following Clinton's speech, the Iowa State Singers 
unexpectedly were summoned to a loading dock in the basement 
of Hilton where the presidential motorcade waited. After 
serenading the presidential entourage with The Bells of Iowa 
State, the group launched into Betelehemu, a Nigerian song 
whose message essentially is "we"re so happy you are here," 
according to Robert Molison, professor of music and director 
of the choir.

"The sound was reverberating off the walls and it was 
absolutely beautiful," recalled ISU President Martin Jischke. 
"Out walked the president and he just stopped. He and the 
vice president were enthralled, transfixed. The students were 
singing their hearts out. It was a magical moment."

Instead of continuing to their limos, Clinton and Gore waded 
into the group for a photograph.

"It was unreal," Molison said. 

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Contact:  Anne Dolan, News Service, (515) 294-
updated:  5-25-95