Principal Dale Milam had asked Oregon’s Second District Congressman Greg Walden if it would be possible to come to the school to discuss government and answer questions the students had prepared for him.

Walden spent about an hour at the school, visiting every classroom and meeting students, including the preschoolers. But the bulk of his time was spent with the ninth and tenth grade where he told about his work and how he got involved in politics.

The students had many questions covering topics such as: The Homeland Security Act, war on Iraq, opportunities to intern at legislative level, the challenges of representing the interest of rural communities compared to the interest of urban areas, and more.

In response to the question, “How does one get started in politics?” the reply was, “Get an education first, learn to write and communicate well. Have a high level of achievement and good personal skills.”

Walden’s parting suggestion was that “each of us needs to make sure that we make a positive difference in this world. Impacting the world for good should be our daily goal.”

“I think it was a new thought for the students to actually realize that politicians are real people just like you and me,” said Milam. “They liked how down-to-earth he was and that he seemed interested in being with us.” •