Prepping for the President : Van Nuys: White House aides tell students what to ask and what to wear at today’s chat with Bill Clinton.

When President Bill Clinton holds an informal chat with students at Valley College today, he’ll probably be peppered with questions on education and the economy.

But not necessarily Bosnia or the military.

And when students meet the President, they’ll probably be wearing jeans and T-shirts rather than suits and dresses.

That’s the word from students who attended a half-hour prep session presented by the White House Monday on the Van Nuys campus. The group was briefed on the do’s and don’ts of chatting with the nation’s chief executive.

“We were told we can ask any questions that we like, but that we shouldn’t ask anything that has to do with Bosnia or the military,” said A. B. Miller, who is studying computer science.

“They want us to keep it basically to the economy and education,” added Elena Esparza, a sophomore studying office administration. “We’re also supposed to dress informally . . . no suits, no dresses and no high heels.”

Community college officials said that the prohibition on topics was voluntary and that they would allow students to participate even if they chose to dress formally. They said White House officials asked students to dress casually because “they want nothing staged and they want everything to be accurate and natural.”

And so it went Monday as campus administrators and White House aides scrambled to put the finishing touches on the hourlong presidential stop. Lawns were manicured, fresh white chairs were unfolded and wooden bleachers were raised to accommodate television camera crews.

In the last three days, nearly 100 telephone lines have been installed throughout the campus, including two lines for a phone fitted on an ash tree, strategically positioned close to the spot where Clinton will chat with students.

“It’s the latest in pay phones,” quipped Mike Rodgers, a technician for Pacific Bell, as he spliced a cable to get the tree phone in working order.

Fausto Capobianco, director of public affairs and government relations for the Los Angeles Community College District, said his office has been besieged by requests from students, faculty and the public, all wanting to participate in the presidential visit.

“I’ve had calls from people who say they’ve been citizens for 52 years who want to come,” Capobianco said. Others say they would go to great lengths for a chance to catch a close glimpse of the President.

“I’ll work as an usher!” pleaded Roger Graham, a journalism professor for 25 years. “I just want to see (Clinton’s visit) in some way.”

But campus administrators rejected Graham’s offer due to limited space. “This is so disappointing,” he said.

Clinton is scheduled to appear on campus at 11 a.m. His first stop will be a tour of a computer-assisted-design classroom, where students learn sophisticated techniques of tool-and-die manufacturing and computer machining. The President will then take a seat on a plain wooden stool in a shaded outdoor courtyard, where he will engage in 10 minutes of dialogue with a select group of 60 students.

Clinton’s visit is part of a two-day Western trip intended to regenerate momentum for his economic program. Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown will accompany the President during his campus tour. Brown has been designated the Administration’s liaison to California as the state seeks to improve its economy through job training and other steps.

Clinton will be given a demonstration of a computer-assisted mill, a cutting device used to make parts for such products as automobiles and children’s toys, instructor Rory Eikland said.

Students working the machine can draft parts on a computer screen, allowing them to edit and refine designs in minutes rather than hours, Eikland said. The computer translates the draft into a code to be downloaded into the mill, which cuts out the part after reading the code. “The end result is higher productivity,” Eikland said.

After leaving Valley College, Clinton and Brown will make an appearance in South-Central Los Angeles, where they are expected to highlight the Administration’s proposals for reviving inner-city neighborhoods as well as its broad economic plan.