Being a student or staff member at Bedford Middle School on Wednesday, April 2, 2008, was unlike being a faculty member on any typical school day.Former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to speak at 1:00 P.M. in the Quarry on behalf of his wife’s campaign.Security was tight at BMS—so tight, in fact, that I was asked to show ID before I walked through my own school’s parking lot.With all the doors of BMS’s main building locked for safety, we Cutters watched the long lines of supporters, the security detail, and the new crews through our windows. On the previous day, BMS teachers had been told that the students would not be allowed to attend the rally.We were disappointed that the middle-schoolers would miss such an historic visit, even if the agenda was political.We resolved to give them every opportunity to at least get a glimpse of the former President, and were thrilled to learn that they would get to “see him off” as he left BMS.All of us tried to have a “normal” day, but it was difficult.Several announcements were made asking teachers to check their emails for schedule changes when former President Clinton’s visit was moved to later in the day.The final plan was to get all 650 students in position at 2:20 P.M. behind barricades in the parking lot to greet President Clinton upon his arrival.I allowed my sixth graders to break the “no cell phone” rule so they could get pictures of this once-in-a-lifetime event.Several of them held “Welcome to Bedford” signs they made in Art that day, and they managed to get excellent locations right next to the barricades.When President Clinton’s caravan arrived, the restless students exploded into cheering.To our surprise, he approached the end of the barricade and began shaking the students’ hands and giving them high-fives. It was a poignant moment to see all those teenage hands reaching out to the former President, and he made sure to touch every one.He told me, “Nice to meet you,” as he shook my hand.My husband, also a BMS teacher, thanked him for coming, and President Clinton clapped him on the back.He spent nearly five minutes walking down the barricade and greeting the BMS students.One student even asked for a hug, and he gave one!It was such a pleasure to witness their excitement.We all returned to our classrooms, where we shared pictures we’d taken and feelings we’d had.I told the students they would never forget this day, and would likely tell their future children about it one day. Then, I dismissed them to the buses, which were awaiting them on police-protected U.S. 50 since the bus loading area was unavailable.After the students left the building and teacher supervising duties were complete, some of us teachers slipped into the rally where former President Clinton was giving his speech.Certainly, it was a day I will never forget either!
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, 2008, was unlike being a faculty member on any typical school day. Former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to speak at 1:00 P.M. in the Quarry on behalf of his wife’s campaign. Security was tight at BMS—so tight, in fact, that I was asked to show ID before I walked through my own school’s parking lot. With all the doors of BMS’s main building locked for safety, we Cutters watched the long lines of supporters, the security detail, and the new crews through our windows. On the previous day, BMS teachers had been told that the students would not be allowed to attend the rally. We were disappointed that the middle-schoolers would miss such an historic visit, even if the agenda was political. We resolved to give them every opportunity to at least get a glimpse of the former President, and were thrilled to learn that they would get to “see him off” as he left BMS.
All of us tried to have a “normal” day, but it was difficult. Several announcements were made asking teachers to check their emails for schedule changes when former President Clinton’s visit was moved to later in the day. The final plan was to get all 650 students in position at 2:20 P.M. behind barricades in the parking lot to greet President Clinton upon his arrival. I allowed my sixth graders to break the “no cell phone” rule so they could get pictures of this once-in-a-lifetime event. Several of them held “Welcome to Bedford” signs they made in Art that day, and they managed to get excellent locations right next to the barricades. 
When President Clinton’s caravan arrived, the restless students exploded into cheering. To our surprise, he approached the end of the barricade and began shaking the students’ hands and giving them high-fives. It was a poignant moment to see all those teenage hands reaching out to the former President, and he made sure to touch every one. He told me, “Nice to meet you,” as he shook my hand. My husband, also a BMS teacher, thanked him for coming, and President Clinton clapped him on the back. He spent nearly five minutes walking down the barricade and greeting the BMS students. One student even asked for a hug, and he gave one! It was such a pleasure to witness their excitement. We all returned to our classrooms, where we shared pictures we’d taken and feelings we’d had. I told the students they would never forget this day, and would likely tell their future children about it one day. Then, I dismissed them to the buses, which were awaiting them on police-protected U.S. 50 since the bus loading area was unavailable. After the students left the building and teacher supervising duties were complete, some of us teachers slipped into the rally where former President Clinton was giving his speech. Certainly, it was a day I will never forget either!
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