Tour Gives Students a Chance to Talk to Clinton in a Zip

Erica Muller, like many of her seventh-grade peers, figured that writing a letter to President Clinton and dropping it in the mailbox would be as effective as writing to Santa Claus.

But recording her message with a digital camera that put her voice and image on a computer disk to be delivered directly to the White House was exciting.

“At first I didn’t want to do this, but I’m glad I did,” Erica, 11, said Thursday. “Now I think it might make a difference.”

Erica was one of several students at A.G. Currie Middle School chosen to participate in the Zip-Across-America bus tour, which made its 16th national stop in Tustin. Since September, hundreds of schoolchildren have recorded their messages to President Clinton in a program designed to combine civic activity with cutting-edge technology.

“I feel good that I had the opportunity to do this,” said Carolyn Dang, 12, who asked the president to provide more money for college scholarships and criticized some of his foreign policy decisions, such as continuing trade with Indonesia, a country Dang called a “repeated human rights violator.”

“In other nations, like China, you can get arrested” for criticizing the government, Carolyn said. “I’m happy to be living in a free nation where my voice counts.”

Paulette Fuller, principal at the school, said the event provided “a wonderful opportunity for students to be involved in the political process, and to realize the power that they have to write a letter that might disagree with the president.”

Fuller said she also supported the program because students were asked to use computer technology, such as CD-ROMs and the Internet, for their research.

At Currie, the letters to Clinton discussed such issues as taxes, crime, education, the national debt and welfare--serious debates that were echoed among students throughout the nation, program organizers said.

“A lot of the letters have been quite chilling,” said Katie Grendahl, a spokeswoman who has traveled with the bus to most of the cities on the tour. The bus stopped in Orange County, before its final trips to Portland and Seattle, and Washington, because one of the sponsors, Silicon Systems Inc., is in Tustin.

“It’s unbelievable to consider what many of these kids have to go through and think about,” Grendahl said. “Like whether they’ll be safe on their way to school, or if there will be enough money for food programs so they can eat breakfast at school.”

The tour was sponsored by a group of computer companies, which donated two laptop computers and 10 high-storage disk drives to each school visited, and an equal number to the school districts. The districts also received two digital cameras, which the schools can use for yearbook and newspaper publications, officials said.

In January, organizers of the tour said they will deliver the students’ messages to the White House, and hope to meet with the president or a member of his administration.

“This was a day I won’t forget,” said Nagauma Garikiparthi, 11, who asked Clinton to provide more programs to combat gang violence. “I’ve always wanted to give a message to the president.”