February 20, 2012

Visit from Honest Abe

President Lincoln (aka Steve Wood)
This really isn't Campus Ministry related but it does have to do with my other job here - teaching Social Studies.  Our department was charged with coming up with an assembly for "President's Day" (which is actually Washington's Birthday) so we decided to invite Mr. Steve Wood, an Abraham Lincoln impersonator from Claremont, to come speak.  We wanted it to be a surprise so we spread rumors all last week that a "former president" was coming to speak at Trinity.  While technically true, rumors abounded that Presidents Clinton, Bush, or Carter were coming.  There were also rumors that President Obama was visiting.  The kids didn't know who was coming until some saw "Mr. Lincoln" drive up to Trinity in a Prius.

Ms. Byron introduced him as I played "Hail to the Chief" from the sound room.  When "Flourishes and Ruffles" played there was a burst of energy from the kids and when they saw "Lincoln" they were dying - this guy looks just like Lincoln (as you can see in the picture to the left).  Three of our students played Secret Service agents and escorted him in and stood by as he spoke.  God bless them, they hardly moved an inch during his whole talk.

Mr. Sheenan presents the plaque marking Jimmy Carter's 1975 Visit to Trinity
Mr. Wood spoke for about 20 minutes about Lincoln's visits to New Hampshire (all in character) and ended with a reading of "The Gettysburg Address."

Mr. Sheehan '79 then spoke about Jimmy Carter's 1975 visit to Trinity during his campaign for president.  Mr. Sheehan was a student here at the time and remembers thinking, "This guy doesn't have a chance." As Carter was the only president to have ever visited Trinity (albeit as a future president), we had a plaque made up marking his visit which will hang outside the classroom in which he spoke (310).

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