[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 54 (Wednesday, April 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3857-S3858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              CYBER-CHATS

 Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, over a year ago, I began having 
online computer chats with students from around my home State of 
Vermont. These chats have been a lot of fun and very informative. The 
questions that the students have asked me reflect not only their 
interest in government and current events, but also the advantages that 
they have in terms of access to knowledge via the information 
superhighway.
  Just 3 or 4 years ago, I could not have imagined coming back from a 
vote on the Senate floor, sitting down in front of my computer and 
having a conversation with a group of young Vermonters over 500 miles 
away. The advances in technology have amazed me, but so have the 
understanding students have about technology and what it means for all 
of our futures.
  Students' questions have ranged from my legislation to protect the 
privacy of our online communications to United States policy toward 
Iraq to how to get them out of their next period math test. While I 
will never be able to help a student skip a math test, these 
discussions have convinced me of the thirst of our children for the 
opportunities these technologies represent and our responsibility as 
leaders to help provide them
  Last week, I had the unique opportunity to chat with students from 
one of the Nation's oldest running one-room schoolhouses in Granville, 
VT. I

[[Page S3858]]

ask that the transcript from this chat be printed in the Record as 
testimony of the wonders of Internet technology and, more important, of 
our Nation's youth.
  I also want to thank Shannon Roland, the teacher at Granville, for 
her work in preparing these exceptional students. She should be 
commended for bringing their education outside of and beyond the walls 
of a one-room schoolhouse.
  The transcript follows:

       Oneroom 1. Glad to be here. I am now surrounded by 17 
     beautiful first through fourth graders, aged 7 to 10. AP and 
     Channel 22 are also here. Hello Senator.
       Patrick L. I wish I could be there with you in person but 
     we are all excited in Washington to be doing this.
       Oneroom 1. We are too. Jack has a question for you. Have 
     you ever seen a land mine?
       Patrick L. I am not the world's best typist so I apologize 
     if I make some mistakes.
       Oneroom 1. That's fine. We're learning too.
       Patrick L. I have seen landmines all over the world and 
     have two deactivated ones on my desk. They are horrible 
     weapons that should all be banned. They kill mostly children 
     and innocent civilians.
       Oneroom 1. Brian wonders if you've ever seen the Granville 
     School web page.
       Patrick L. Love the picture of the school on the front. Who 
     is the student?
       Oneroom 1. That's a picture of Benny. He's going to be a 
     bug scientist. Dylan asks, where do you live?
       Patrick L. I live on a tree farm that belonged to my 
     parents in Middlesex, Vermont. I drive down route 100 often.
       Patrick L. I also have a house in the Washington area where 
     I live when the Senate is in session.
       Oneroom 1. Brooke wonders if you might stop by our school 
     sometime.
       Patrick L. I would like to drop by sometime. Unfortunately 
     we are often in session while you are in school and you are 
     out when I get home to Vermont for the weekend. After seeing 
     your web page I am especially eager to drop by.
       Oneroom 1. We'll be going to school on Memorial Day if 
     you're around. We've had lots of snowdays. Harlie wonders if 
     you know any of the children who were killed by landmines.
       Patrick L. I have visited a lot of hospitals around the 
     world where we use the Leahy War Victims Fund. My wife is a 
     registered nurse and I have watched her help with some of the 
     children who have been injured. It is a real tragedy and it 
     has to stop.
       Oneroom 1. We agree. Benny (the boy in the picture) wonders 
     what you do in your free time.
       Patrick L. Benny I try to cross country ski around my farm 
     during the winter and hike there during the summer when I am 
     home. I am also an avid photographer and bring a camera with 
     me almost everywhere I go even to meetings at the White 
     House.
       Patrick L. Benny you look great in the photo!
       Oneroom 1. We like to cross country ski. In fact, we had 
     lessons here all winter. Sammi wonders if you have ever been 
     to a one room schoolhouse. We think you would like to meet 
     our teacher because she's really nice. [Picture].
       Patrick L. I think you are very fortunate to have Shannon 
     as your teacher. I have not been in a one room schoolhouse 
     since I was a child but it seems to me you are getting a 
     better education than a lot of very large schoolhouses.
       Oneroom 1. We think so too. We're going to Boston to the 
     museum and the aquarium for our school field trip. Jasmine 
     wonders when you started being a senator.
       Patrick L. The field trip sounds great. I did one like that 
     when I was 12 and still remember it. Jasmine I became a 
     Senator when I was 34. That was in 1975.
       Oneroom 1. Erica asks, have you ever lost a law you wanted?
       Patrick L. Many times, Erica, I will push for legislation 
     that doesn't pass the first time around but we keep working 
     until it does. One example is the Northeast Dairy Compact. At 
     first it failed but finally passed and will help the dairy 
     farmers in Vermont.
       Oneroom 1. Christopher is also concerned about landmines. 
     He wonders where most of them are.
       Patrick L. Most of the landmines, Christopher, are in 
     Africa.
       Oneroom 1. Dylan says that it scared him too. Brooke says 
     her favorite book is ``Anne of Green Gables.'' Sammi wonders 
     if you can make a link from your site to our web page.
       Oneroom 1. Brian wonders if that's your wife skating with 
     you in the picture on your web page.
       Patrick L. Sammi we will link it with the transcript and a 
     couple drawing. Dylan I know what you mean and Brooke I liked 
     that one too and read it to my children when they were young.
       Oneroom 1. All of the children say thank you for taking the 
     time to do this. This is cool to talk back and forth like 
     this. And it's neat the way we can send questions and have 
     you answer them. Thank you very much. We have to go to recess 
     now.
       Patrick L. Brian that is my wife Marcelle with me and it 
     was taken on one of the fields at our farm in Middlesex--just 
     a ways up route 100.
       Patrick L. Thanks--wish I could go to recess with you but 
     instead will head to the Senate floor. I am very proud of all 
     of you and thank you!

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