President Bill Clinton Visits USC
President Bill Clinton visited USC on Friday evening, delivering a message of hope and prosperity for college students.
“The next 20 years look good. I would love to be your age and see what happens. It’s going to be an amazing time,” said Clinton during his 45-minute lecture.
Clinton was on campus as part of USC’s President’s Distinguished Lecture series. USC President C.L. Max Nikias introduced Clinton to a filled Bovard Auditorium, emphasizing that those in attendance were about to have the chance to “spend the night with a leader who has helped shape the course of the world.”
In front of a mixed crowd of USC students and distinguished invited guests, President Clinton spent much of his time speaking about the necessity of cooperation in dealing with global issues. Clinton added personal anecdotes about work he has done with the Clinton Foundation, including his experience in helping Haiti recover from the earthquake that struck the island in 2010.
Clinton emphasized that in order to fix the problems facing our world today, compromises often need to be made and people need to come together and find solutions. When it comes to the hotly debated Affordable Healthcare Act, Clinton said, “we don’t need to repeal it, we need to reform it.”
Although Clinton did not give any hints as to whether or not his wife, Hillary, would be running for president in 2016, he did open up about what it is like to be a grandfather. “It’s been very interesting to see what it’s like for an infant to wake up to the world,” said Clinton. “It’s made me think about our obligations to all of our children.”
Texas Governor Elect Greg Abbott, who was previously the Texas Attorney General, was in attendance to see Clinton speak. In an interview with ATVN, Abbott said “Clinton provided so much information for students.”
Clinton wrapped up the night by giving the students in attendance a final piece of advice. “I know what I want the world to look like, now you all have to decide how you want it to look. Anyone can talk. How are you going to change it?”
