This week students from throughout Oregon have been participating in a Model Presidential Nominating Convention. The convention has been held every four years since 1968. It was started by Jim Barlow and Bill Pressly, both then teachers with the Beaverton School District, and both now semi-retired. Presidential candidates like Bobby Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Michael Dukakis, Jesse Jackson, and Bill Clinton have appeared at the various conventions which are normally held at the Memorial Coliseum. Whether the convention is Democratic or Republican depends on which party is out of power in the White House. Students from different schools represent states, research issues, hammer out a party platform, and nominate a presidential and vice-presidential candidate. I was a student in the 1984 convention and then worked as a volunteer for several others. Liz, when she was teaching for the Beaverton School District, had her classes participate. The above photo of Jim Barlow was taken yesterday by our friend Janet Miller, who is assisting Barlow this year. So was the below photo of Oregon’s governor addressing the students yesterday.
