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Article published: Apr 16, 2005
Governor pays visit to area school
Sanford fulfills campaign promise to teacher

SUMMERTON — A promise made on the campaign trail three years ago was honored Friday when Gov. Mark Sanford visited Sylvia Mathis’ classroom at Scott’s Branch Intermediate School.

“I met the governor when he was campaigning at a Carolina football game and asked him if he won would he come to Summerton and meet my students,” Mathis said Friday morning. “Things have been too hectic for him to visit during the past two years, but he wanted to fulfill his promise.”

A 16-year teaching veteran, Mathis said her fifth-grade students wrote letters to Sanford at the beginning of the school year inviting him to visit their classroom. Sanford sent each student pencils and told them he would be honored to visit their school when he could find time in his schedule, Mathis said.

“When he called to say he was coming, he said he didn’t want this to be a political event,” Mathis said. “He said he wanted his visit to focus on the children.”

The governor spent a light-hearted time with the students, often laughing and joking with them, even allowing himself to be the target of some frivolity.

While local officials watched from the rear of the classroom, Sanford sat in a chair at the front of the room or wrote on the chalkboard as he talked to each child. Most of his time in the classroom was spent answering students’ questions, such as: ‘What did you want to be when you grew up?’; ‘Why is there a tax on everything we buy?’; and ‘Is it hard being governor?’

“I didn’t have gray hair until I became governor,” Sanford said as he laughed with the students. “I’d describe the job as very challenging.”
Before answering the question about what he wanted to be when he grew up, Sanford asked each fifth-grader what he or she wanted to be. While the majority of the students wanted to be lawyers, other students wanted to be teachers, professional athletes, a principal, a cosmetologist, a beautician, an employee at Federal Mogul, and one young man wanted to be president.

“I’m still not sure what I want to be,” Sanford told the kids. “But, I want each of you to always remember — God made all of you different.”

The first-term governor told the fifth-graders to “follow your gut.”

“Listen to what God is telling you,” he said on a serious note. “I wasn’t sure when I was your age what I wanted to be. Remember how different you are from your brothers and sisters. Be what you think in your heart. Follow your passion and you’ll do great things.”

In an effort to describe how the Statehouse operates, Sanford divided the students into two groups, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Choosing a topic the students could relate to well — “What’s the best kind of ice cream?” — Sanford stood back and allowed the students to decide.

The House chose vanilla with cherries on top; while the Senate went for a more contemporary flavor, cookies and cream.

Sanford then selected three students from the House and three from the Senate to work out a compromise. After 30 seconds in negotiation, neither side yielded and Sanford told the students that the same result occurs in Columbia.

“But when a compromise isn’t working, you have to dig a little deeper,” he said.

Mathis said her students had been excited since they learned of the governor’s visit.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event for some of them,” she said.

Contact Staff Writer Sharron Haley at shaley@theitem.com or 803-435-8511.