CHAMPAIGN There was no shortage of support for President Bill Clinton among the thousands of people at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall who flocked to the arena Wednesday to hear the embattled commander in chief outline his agenda for the remainder of his administration.

Amid the hoopla of scandal, Clinton met with open arms and open hearts as he strolled onto the makeshift stage flanked by Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of Education Richard Reilly.

We love you, Bill, cried an adoring fan when the deadening roar of the crowd had subsided. This statement seemed to reflect the sentiments of the event attendees, who braved the early-morning cold while awaiting admittance.

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Clinton’s stop in Champaign comes on the heels of his State of the Union address Tuesday and vehement denial Monday of allegations, including sexual misconduct, emerging from tapes handed over to independent investigator Kenneth Starr by Pentagon worker Linda Tripp. The tapes, secretly recorded by Tripp, allegedly involve conversations with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, who allegedly concedes to having an 18-month sexual affair with the president and subsequently being urged to lie about it to prosecutors in the Paula Jones trial.

Whether Clinton may have engaged in the alleged activities remains a question, but one thing does seem certain. Supporters of the president who turned out to hear him speak Wednesday have, for the time being, cast aside their doubts and rallied behind him, citing his stellar record on the issues affecting their lives as reason enough to do so.

This gives me real solid feelings and support for my president, said Brenda Weist, a graduate student in political science from Trenton who made the pilgrimage to Champaign in support of Clinton. He’s shown that he really cares about me, my education and my future.

The two-hour event included short speeches from Gore, U.S. Sens., Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., as well as U.S. Rep. Tom Ewing, R-Ill., and U of I President James Stukel.

While introducing the president, Gore affirmed his loyalty to the president despite the current controversy, urging the audience to back the commander in chief in upcoming efforts to reduce the deficit, expand college grant programs and control global warming.

Let us move together into the future, he said. Please join me in supporting him and standing by his side.

Gore underscored some of the major successes of the Clinton administration, including the introduction of the first balanced budget in 30 years, the creation of 50 million new jobs, the lowest-ever poverty rate among African-Americans and the dramatic increase in private home ownership. He also took the time to plug new proposals outlined in the State of the Union address. Each met with roaring applause.

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Gore energized the crowd by hailing Clinton’s call for the training and installation of 100,000 new teachers in schools across the country.

He is ready to make this generation the best educated in the history of America, he said.

Gore also highlighted Clinton’s commitment to the environment, asserting the president is leading the world in efforts to control global warming.

By allying himself closely with Clinton and promoting his successes, Weist contends the vice president is sending an overt message to the voters.

He’s saying, I’m Al Gore and I’ll be here in 2000, she said.

Inheriting a crowd already in ecstasy, Clinton spoke directly to the students, outlining a three-prong message which he urged them to forward to older generations. Science and technology, education, and Social Security, he said, must be issues of highest priority. Clinton was adamant his audience not just listen but actively seek reform.

I came here to ask you to do something, Clinton said. I need you to get this message out to everybody.

In the area of science, the president proposed to increase substantially funding for the National Science Institute and cancer research, calling for greater understanding in the field of medicine and a speeding up of technological advances.

While commending astronaut John Glenn for his return to space study, Clinton demanded the United States reaffirm its commitment to space exploration, an area through which he said we continue to learn about ourselves.

Finally, he pushed for continuing support of Internet expansion to include subsequent generations.

In education, Clinton said he is committed to make a college education as universal as a high school education is today. To do this, the president proposed to make elementary education equal in quality to higher education. With the 100,000 new teachers Clinton wants to add to classrooms, he plans to increase funding for school construction projects, institute national standards for students and expand the PELL grant program to assure all children ultimately reach college.

We have to create a network of lifetime learning, Clinton said.

In the State of the Union address, Clinton stressed the importance of fixing Social Security, due for bankruptcy next century, using any projected budget surplus for its repair. The president repeated these sentiments Wednesday, calling for a widespread commitment to the endangered program. Instead of directly appealing to the baby boomers in the audience, Clinton urged students to spread the word and commit individually to the problem.

When I was younger, I never thought about it, Clinton said. But, even the young must care for the future of Social Security.

Right now, it’s more likely that [younger generations] will see UFOs then collect Social Security.

Student reactions to the president’s words were positive, and the inspiration he seemed to generate could be felt throughout the hall. Speaking to students needs and concerns, Clinton topped off an auspicious address by saying, Keep your eyes on the future and reach out along the lines that divide us.

After listening to the president, Amy Lilly, an junior in social work from Murphysboro, seemed to heed his ideas.

I now have a stronger sense that we need to make ourselves active, she said. It’s not our place to sit back and let government do its thing. We really need to pitch in and do our thing.