Presidential Portrait
State Senator Lisa Gladden and City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, both Western alumnae, addressed the entire Western student body at an assembly on October 8, 2009, and presented the school with portraits of President Obama for the school's classrooms.
Senator Gladden spoke of the solid foundation she obtained at Western for her future higher education and her work on the Obama campaign. She praised Western's current students for their achievement in receiving the National Blue Ribbon School award. Students were surprised to learn that the guest speaker for Sophomore Day when Senator Gladden attended Western was Oprah Winfrey, at the time not yet a national celebrity.
City Council President Rawlings-Blake, like Senator Gladden, praised Western for the excellence of the education she received, and told students that among them were the state senators, council presidents, and U.S. presidents of tomorrow.
In Western tradition, the assembly program feature performances by Western students, including modern dance, the chorus, and a piano solo.
Following the program, Senator Gladden spoke to one of Ms. Jablonowski's AP Government classes about her work as an attorney, the justice system, and the Constitution. She assisted students in posting a portrait of President Obama in the classroom>