Student Audience With The First Lady

by Garett R. Nadrich

"Mrs. Clinton was very laid back," said Adelphi NAACP President Carla Williams, one of a group of eight students who were were invited to meet with Hillary Clinton and sit with her on stage when the Senate candidate spoke here February 11.

She was extremely comfortable to talk to, and made it easy for the students to ask her questions." 

Six of the students who met with Mrs. Clinton were from Adelphi; the others came from visiting high schools.

Chosen for their leadership qualities, the panel of students waited in Room 211 of the University Center. Students from the panel who were interviewed later said they were nervous about how they would react when she entered the room. But when Mrs.Clinton arrived, their nervousness faded. "The excitement of her entrance alleviated all of the apprehension," Carla Williams said.  When Mrs. Clinton came in, the students in the room were involved in a heated discussion about whether colleges and universities should have a "national curriculum."  According to Williams, one of the students asked Mrs. Clinton whether she supports this concept. Clinton responded that she believes in a "national standard assessment."

As she observed these young leaders, the First Lady maintained a relaxed aura. The students who sat with her later recalled that "she was authentic and genuine in her responses, and seemed to really care about student concerns." Sophomore Rebecca Raymond, who is also the current STARS president for Adelphi, was also in attendance. "The first lady was very striking," she said. "She is a very personable and charismatic person, and was there to listen to our concerns."

Junior Mike Caplice spoke with Mrs. Clinton individually. He expressed his concern about insurance costs, as well as the specifics of his mother's health care. Caplice said, "Although she didn't follow through with my question, she did give me her press assistant's fax number and office number, so that I can contact her."

Another panelist has a mixed opinion of Mrs. Clinton's politics, but said that he believed her to be very personable. "I felt charisma just from shaking her hand," said Steve Cohen, who is enrollled in Adelphi's Honors College.

"I'm still confused about how Mrs. Clinton can run for office when she's only lived in New York for a few months," he added. "While I've lived in New York for five months and I'm not even allowed to vote!"