E.C. Glass will be double-booked for Obama visit

By Annie McCallum

Published: August 18, 2008

Wednesday evening E.C. Glass High School is double-booked.

Long before presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama was scheduled to arrive in Lynchburg, Glass had its ninth-grade orientation on the books.

“We’re thinking and believe we can host both,” said Lynchburg City Schools Superintendent Paul McKendrick. “I think you also look at this as a teaching moment for these students. How many people can say they had freshman orientation and walked over and saw a presidential candidate?”

Obama, who will discuss the U.S. economy in a town hall meeting, probably won’t be mingling with the Class of 2012. Still, division officials said his visit is a historic event.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for the city to be one of the stops in the presidential race,” said Glass principal Kevin Latham. “I have been here 23 years and unless I missed it I don’t think a presidential candidate has been in town in the election cycle.”

Latham said Wednesday evening could be “quite interesting” but he doesn’t think Obama’s visit will affect orientation.

“We will be in the auditorium when Sen. Obama is in the gym,” he said. “I’m really not sure how everything is going to play out. I will certainly miss part of the town hall meeting because speaking to freshmen and parents is my number one concern.”

Details surrounding the visit were in short supply when school officials confirmed the event and its last-minute planning.

“I got contacted about him possibly coming here Friday evening,” McKendrick said. “I was asked to keep it a secret because they didn’t know if it was going to happen.”

The well-kept secret became reality Monday afternoon.

“This is all out of blue,” said Leigh Forrester, city schools spokeswoman. “Of course we welcome the chance to play host to him. This is historic.”

Forrester said Obama’s national press corps will accompany him to Glass and is expected to file stories from the school.

But why Lynchburg and why Glass?

“That’s the million-dollar question,” Forrester said.

McKendrick didn’t know why Obama selected Glass.

“I would like to think he looked at a school that did very well and a school system that has a good record of student achievement,” he said.

No matter what the reason, McKendrick said it’s a great thing for not only the school system, but the community as whole.

“How many other cities in Virginia have hosted a town meeting with either one of the candidates?”