1998 Miracle Yearbook

by Rebecca Ritzel • • Newt Gingrich Blackburn Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, addresses an audience ofstudents,faculty,and townsmenfrom Cedarville. T he average rural Midwestern county is nothigh on the listof nationalpoliticalpriorities. GreeneCounty,Ohio,however,canboastof electingaRepublicanPartymembertoeveryoffice,plusbeinghometoa sitting SenatorandRepresentative.WhenCongressmanDavidHopson wentlookingforaspeakerforhiscounty'sannualLincolnDaydinner,he wentstraighttothetopoftheGOP. Speaker ofthe House Newt Gingrich spoke before a crowd of around 2,000 people on Friday,February6in Green County's largest auditorium,theJeremiahChapel.TheGreeneCountyCentralCommittee fortheRepublicanParty played hosttotheeventandsolicited useofthe building.Asthecollegeadministrationfrequentlyemphasized,Cedarville merelyprovidedthefacilities. EducationprofessorDr.DwayneFrankhasbeenamemberofthe countyRepublicancommitteeforfiveyears."Theeveningwentverywell. Whenyoudon'tgetthatkindofanationalpersontoooften,youcan'tlose," said Frank. Thisis hisfirstyearhehassponsoredtheCedarvilleYoung RepublicansClub.UnderthedirectionofpresidentKirkLeBlanc,theclub organized 180students to volunteeras security guards,hostesses,and parkingattendants. Approximatelythreefourthsofthecrowdattherally werefromthe collegefamily."I'dliketothinkthattheaverageCedarvillestudentwentout ofintellectualcuriosity... IfTeddyKennedywerehere,I'dliketothink we'dhavethesameresponse,"Franksaid. Senior communications and political science major Jonathan Hammond,whilenotapersonalfanofGingrich,wasgladtherallygave Cedarvillestudentsachancetobepoliticallyactive."Anytimeanyonegets achancetoattendapoliticalrally,theyshouldgo,regardlessofwhetheror nottheylikethespeaker. Youneedtohearthem outwhetheryouagree withthemornot. Untilyou'vegiventhemthattime,you'renotinapositiontoagreeordisagree,"Hammondsaid. Mr.Gingrich'sspeechwasprecededbytheSymphonicBand'srenditionofthe"BattleHymnoftheRepublic"andaconcert version ofthe"StarSpangled Banner"performed by music professor Beth Porter. Asis decorum at mostpolitical gatherings, a serious ofintroductions preceded the speaker. Dr.Dixon introduced Cedarville College to the crowd and introduced his "neighbor,"SenatorMichaelDeWine.DeWinewelcomedhiscolleaguefromtheHouseofRepresentatives,Mr.DavidHopson. Hopson expained the process ofgetting Gingrich to Greene County,including the Speaker declining a dinnerinvitation with Saddam Hussein forthat very night. Gingrich directed his speech atthe localresidents. HespokeofPTA meetingsand writing letters tothe schoolboard. In an atmosphere like thatofa one-sided town meeting,Gingrich proposed initiatives that mustbeencouraged atthelocallevel. Alargeshow ofhandswentup when Gingrich askedthecollegestudentshow manybelievedthatwiththe presentsystem, they would getnothing backfrom whatthe were payingin to SocialSecurity. TheSpeakerdid notblamethem."Morepeople probably believe in UFO'sthan believe thatthey'll getSocial Security,"hesaid. Gingrich then proposed anew program that wouldissueeachAmericanapersonalsocialsecurityaccountandofferedfiguresthatshowedits significantincreaseinsavings from the presentsystem. Overall,attendeeshad apositive reaction tothe event. Frankcan recall hearing politicalspeechesasfar backasTruman. "I've heard a lot of political speeches in my life. The Newtspeech was the best delivered and had the best substance ofany speech I've heard," he said. promise keepers/Newt Gingrich 163