Dole Picks Chaminade High for Visit

Chaminade College Preparatory High School takes an uncommon--and uncompromising--approach to policing its campus: drug-sniffing dogs.

That is part of the reason campaign organizers picked the private West Valley school as the backdrop for a major anti-drug and anti-crime message by Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole during a daylong visit to California today.

“It’s an appropriate venue to highlight President [Bill] Clinton’s failure in the drug war and the rise in teen drug use,” said Dale Neugebauer, press secretary for Dole’s California headquarters.

The school also has a campus chapter of Students Against Drunk Driving, and for the past three years, Chaminade has hosted a post-prom party that discourages students from drinking alcohol.

“It’s really been a positive influence for the students and has made a big difference,” said Jeff Appell, a teacher and guidance counselor at the school who thought of the idea.

Since 1994, Chaminade has employed Interquest Group Inc., a Modesto-based company that uses specially trained dogs in random searches to sniff out drugs, alcohol and weapons.

The program “sounds really intrusive, but the handlers and the dogs are very gentle and the system is very unintrusive,” said Chaminade Principal Gary Murphy. “There were rave reviews here for it.”

But the buzz Tuesday at Chaminade was not over surprise searches. It was all about Dole.

Student journalists from Chaminade’s newspaper and its daily TV news broadcast program prepared to work alongside grown-up media covering Dole’s speech.

And student supporters, like David Miller and Jason Derry, anticipated the message Dole would give to the school’s future voters.

“I think it’s gonna be a great experience for the kids,” said 16-year-old Jason, who looks forward to registering as a Republican when he turns 18. “I can’t vote right now, but at least I can influence my parents’ vote and find out what issues he’s interested in for people my age.”

All 1,060 of Chaminade’s high school students are invited to Dole’s speech. About 500 school officials, parents and politicians, including Gov. Pete Wilson and Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren, also are expected to attend.

As Secret Service agents scoured the school gymnasium Tuesday in advance of the visit, workmen reviewed seating plans and built stands for the visiting media.

Student David Miller, 17, said the candidate’s visit will probably be the highlight of his senior year at Chaminade.

“This is like the biggest thing that’s happened to me,” said David, one of five members of Chaminade’s Future Young Republicans Club. “Omigod, like this is so huge to have him be here.”

Regardless of how many students actually support Dole, few are likely to forget his appearance at the West Hills campus, said Murphy, the principal.

“I remember in ’72 when George McGovern spoke at my high school [in Encino],” he said. “No matter whether you’re active in politics or not, having a presidential candidate speak at your school is something you’ll remember.”