Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr11/wh930625.zip/06-25B.TXT

Internet Message Format | 1993-06-26 | 10KB

From @lex-luthor.ai.mit.edu:[e-mail]  Fri Jun 25 01:53:07 1993
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1993 01:40-0400
From: The White House <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: President's Remarks to Academic Decathalon  6.24.93

                           THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary

_____________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                   June 24, 1993


                      REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
             WITH THE WINNERS OF THE ACADEMIC DECATHLON

                           The Rose Garden

5:43 P.M. EDT

         THE PRESIDENT:  I hope you enjoyed your tour of the
White House.  And I'm sorry we had to start a little late, but as I'm
sure you know, a very important debate is now occurring in the United
States Senate on the administration's economic plan; and I had to
make a call or two.

         Congressman Beilenson, it's good to see you.  I bet
you're glad you're not involved in that this afternoon, and glad to
be here with your folks.

         It's a real honor for me to welcome to the White House a
group of true student athletes -- the gold, silver and bronze medal-
winning teams in the 1992-93 United States Academic Decathlon.  The
gold medalists are from Plano East High School of Plano, Texas; the
silver medalists from Taft High of Los Angeles; the bronze medal
winners of Mountain View High School of Mesa, Arizona.

         These students have experienced the excitement of
competition and the thrill of victory.  And they should be a source
of pride for young people all across our country.  They've competed
for medals in 10 different events -- from math and science to
language and literature -- in an innovative and inclusive program
which fosters competition, enhances self-image, and shows how truly
exciting the pursuit of knowledge can be.

         As I understand it, the team members also are required
to give speeches, both prepared and impromptu -- that's a good
preparation for being President -- (laughter) -- write essays and
experience interviews.  These young people are equipped not with
javelins or shotputs, but with intellect and knowledge and the
ability to think creatively but with discipline.

         The importance of this kind of pursuit of educational
excellence cannot be overemphasized.  We're at a moment in our
history when we have to increase the educational ability of all
Americans; and in which it is not simply important how much our
people know, but what they are capable of learning and how quickly
and well they are capable of thinking through complex problems that
may face them tomorrow but are even unpredictable today.

         Because of these kinds of challenges, we cannot meet our
educational excellence goals through government mandates, we have to
meet them through incentives and through environments which promote
excellence and leadership from teachers and principals, the kind of
group work that we see in this Academic Decathlon.

         I applaud the Academic Decathlon, its President, John
Foley, and it's Executive Director, Ann Joynt.  At this time, I want
to say a special word of congratulations to the national champions,
Plano Senior High School from Plano, Texas -- Plano East.  They're
right behind me, right?  In the center.  (Laughter.)

         When I was in high school, Plano had a great high school
band.  Do you still have a good band?   It won a lot of national
awards.  Of course, that was back in the dark ages, but anyway.

         Under the coaching of Joyce Gillam and Jack Worsham,
Plano East amassed the highest total score, capturing seven gold and
five silver medals.  One particular youngster, Sunny Chu deserves
special mention.  Sonny's father suffered a severe stroke just days
before the national competition.  Nonetheless, Sonny still managed to
win the gold medal for highest overall score in the nation.  And I'm
pleased to report that Sonny's dad is back home recovering.
Congratulations to you.  Let's give him a hand.  (Applause.)

         Now, the group from Taft High in Los Angeles.  That's
you, right?  Coached by Michael Wilson, Taft High pulled in seven
gold and six silver medals.  Mara Weiss achieved the second highest
total score in the nation, earning a gold medal in the essay event
and a bronze in fine arts.  In fact, I understand Mara recently wrote
to my wife expressing her frustration that intellectual pursuits in
high school are still seen as the domain of the male student.  Mara,
where are you?  Did you really do that?

         MS. WEISS:  Yes, I did.

         THE PRESIDENT:  Good for you.  I'll hear more about that
as time goes on.  (Laughter.)

         Let me say that I think that is a real problem.  And
there is actual documented evidence of that, particularly in the math
and sciences areas, as young people move out of grade school into
junior high and high school.  And you deserve a lot of credit for
pointing it out.

         Just a few days ago in the Rose Garden, however, I
appointed another distinguished student and scholar, Judge Ruth
Ginsburg, to the Supreme Court.  I think those kinds of things should
do something to shatter the myth that intellectual pursuits should
remain the exclusive domain of men.  And I'm sure you'll have a lot
to do with that as you go through your life.

         And I want to congratulate, finally, the Mountain View
High School team from Mesa, Arizona.  They're here to my left.  Under
the watchful eye of coach Mary McGovern, Mountain View netted four
gold and seven silver medals.  Senior, Tagg Grant, amassed the
highest individual point total for his team with the best event being
economics.  Where are you, Tag?  I order to stay here for the next
two or three months.  (Laughter.)  This country needs your help.

         I understand that the scholarships are awarded to the
top three overall medal winners in each of three divisions.  It just
so happens that eight of those nine scholarship winners are on these
three teams.  But we've indicted the ninth scholarship winner to be
with us today as well.  He's Dan Casey, from Lower Merion High School
in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.  Where are you, Dan?  Welcome.  I'm
glad they took you in over there.  (Laughter.)  I looked up there and
counted, I thought they had an unfair advantage.  (Laughter.)  Dan
took the silver medal for the second highest point total in the
varsity division.

         Each of these young people represents our best future,
our best hopes.  They have proven how much people can do when they
put their minds to it, and I am very proud of them.

         I'd like now to invite John Foley to say a few words and
then I'd like to have some pictures taken with the teams and say
hello to them.  But first, Mr. Foley, thank you for your work and
come up and have a --

         MR. FOLEY:  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  Thank
you, Mr. President.  This is a great and memorable day for us.  I
know it's a day that our students will never forget.  They worked
very hard to be here.  They tell me that often they spend as much as
seven hours a day in preparing these 10 extremely challenging events.

         If I could I'd like to just mention our founder.  Twelve
years ago, Dr. Bob Peterson, who was then superintendent of schools
in Orange County, had a great idea.  He wanted to promote learning
and achievement in our schools by creating new role models on the
campus.  If athletes could be heroes, as they are, why not recognize
outstanding students?  That's what you're doing today, Mr. President,
and we truly appreciate it.

         I just want to say that we're all extremely pleased and
gratified to be here.  Your speech captured, I think, our program
very well -- its essence, its cooperation, team spirit, and
nonelitism, since these students all represent -- we have students
representing A, B, and C grade levels.

         We had over 3,000 students -- high school's
participating last year.  At our national finals in Phoenix, Arizona,
we had teams from 43 states and the District of Columbia.  That
competition was very closely fought.  There was very little
difference between the top three teams, as you noted.  Next year we
will be in Newark.  Our theme will be the documents of freedom; and
if you're schedule, which I know is a very busy one, should permit,
we'd love to have you join us there.

         Thank you very much, sir.

         THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

         Q      Mr. President, the House has voted to kill the
supercollider program.  Do you have any reaction, sir?

         THE PRESIDENT:  They did last year.  Maybe the Senate
will save it and we can save it in conference.  I'm not surprised.
You know, I'm grateful to them for saving the space station.  That
was headed for defeat, and we did a lot of work on it, and I'm glad
we were able to save it.  I always anticipated that if we were going
to save the supercollider, it would have to come in a conference
after the Senate did it.  So it's really up to the Senate now to
decide on the supercollider.

                          END5:44 P.M. EDT