Hey, anyone else here a participant in the Presidential Classroom program?

[Lifelong Protester]

Someone posted on Thursday a question about "Is this what Watergate was like?" and posed it to us 'old-timers', and a respondent mentioned being at a high school program on government that met at the Shoreham Hotel in D.C. I was a participant in the Presidential Classroom in 1973, and it was a BIG DEAL!! This would have been February of 1973, and the Watergate investigations were a bit in the future...but I was in the senate hearing chamber the day L. Patrick Gray was being grilled (he was going to be the new FBI director, if I remember) and he was asked what he knew about the break in. We heard from a lot of interesting politicians and media types.

Also, there was a panel of folks talking about Political Parties... and ....Karl Rove was the representative for the you-know-whos. Always stuck in my mind that I actually shared the same air space as KKKArl Rove...and lived. He was at all 6 of the classrooms that year.

Any other Presidential Classroom attendees out there? Did it start you on the way to political junkie-hood or -ness??

[wavesofeuphoria]

1. I am a Presidential Classroom alum from 1982

Two speakers at our session that I recall vividly were John Anderson and Sandra Day O'Connor. I remember "roaming" around the Capital buildings with our little badges and notebooks (flashed those and we could go anywhere ... never ever would that happen now). I remember meeting with Warner .. he was our relatively new Senator then.

The best part of PC was meeting other teens from all over the country .. and indeed it did ignite a lifelong interest in politics and activism.

[Lifelong Protester]

2. good, that makes two of us!!

Our senator was Hubert Humphrey, and I still treasure the photo take of all of us Minnesota kids and the Senator. He had a photographer come in special for that, which impressed all of us.
Yep, I recall roaming the halls of the Senate office building, and yes, my friend and I chased Ted Kennedy into an elevator! Yes, we chased HIM!! He was very gracious to two giggly nervous girls who had just made fools, so to speak, of themselves by running after him. He shook our hands and said "Welcome to Washington!" He had Eunice and Ethel with him (the two ladies in elegant furs, I recall).

Top that off with a visit to Ford's Theater for a performance, and we were in heaven.

We had great kids from all of the US and I recall several kids from other countries, one fellow in particular from Nicaragua.
Great time it was.

[wavesofeuphoria]

3. On the Sunday we arrived ...

we visited a Mosque, a Temple, a Catholic Church, and went to Washington Cathedral. Eye opening to a lot of people really.

Our theatre night was at WolfTrap .. we went to a dinner theatre ... Gypsy Rose (can't recall exactly the name of the play).

I recall taking a bus tour at one point .. we drove by the Watergate Hotel and the hotel were Reagan was shot.

My roommates were from Oklahoma City, OK, Lubbock, TX, and White Plains, NY :)

Ahhh .. memories coming back .. :)

[Lifelong Protester]

4. Yep, we saw the same religious buildings...

and our play was a 70s classic~ Godspell!

My roomies were from Philadelphia, Tyler, TX, North Carolina (i forget the city). Sure brings back memories as I really loved that week in Washington. I think we were like five in the room at the Shoreham because I recall a rollaway bed.
That and the last night when we had a dance... and a lot of tears were shed as the whole thing was coming to an end.