Kevin Hardy

kmhardy@dmreg.com

Apparently, Donald Trump was enough for Urbandale High School.

The billionaire Republican visited the high school's homecoming in September after students launched a month-long campaign to recruit a presidential candidate to campus. Students had also reached out to the campaign of Bernie Sanders, who couldn't make the fall homecoming dance, but expressed interest in a later visit. Campaign officials recently tried to firm up Sanders' visit, but were turned down by school administrators.

Students say they were told that another candidate visit would be too much of an administrative hassle.

"We were really disappointed," said Urbandale High senior Raelynn Meade. "Even if we don’t all support him as a candidate, it still would have been really cool to ask him questions close up."

And students said the decision to welcome a Republican to the school while turning down a Democrat looked suspicious.

"We let Donald Trump come as a presidential candidate, but in reality the main focus of his appearance at our school was that he was a high-profile celebrity," said Josh Ingham, another senior. "So we wanted a politician that is only involved in politics. So when the administration turned down this opportunity, we were kind of surprised and outraged since the campaign directly contacted our school. We had the opportunity."

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Ingham said students were gearing up to circulate a petition to present to administrators when the campaign offered a compromise of sorts. Sanders' Iowa staffers reserved prime seats at his Saturday evening appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds and set up a quick meet-and-greet with the candidate. About 25 Urbandale students gathered backstage behind a black curtain that separated them from the crowd of more than 1,500 waiting for the Vermont senator's arrival.

When Sanders reached the venue, he handed a microphone over to Ingham and asked him to tell the group what had happened at the school. He told them standing up to their school was "a very brave thing to do."

"Taking matters into your own hands is what the political revolution is about," Sanders said. "Thank you for being involved. What we are fighting for is your future."

Sanders, who was running behind schedule, took note of the chants and cheers coming from the larger crowd awaiting him.

"I think I've got to get out there," he said.

Ingham said he was surprised to find himself standing inches away from Sanders. The quick meeting wasn't the same as hosting Sanders at the high school, he said, though the students were grateful for the up-close encounter.

"It was exciting to say the least," he said after Sanders left for the podium.

Dena Soenke, spokeswoman for the Urbandale Community School District, said the district "respectfully declined" the campaign's request to hold an event during school hours.

"This past September, UHS students reached out to the leading Democratic and Republican candidates to invite them to Homecoming and achieved their goal of having a presidential candidate attend Homecoming," Soenke said in a statement. "During that time, we celebrated our students' initiative, collaboration and perseverance to achieve a set goal; qualities that will serve them well for years to come. Although we encourage students to become involved in the political process, we simply aren’t in a position to host presidential candidates throughout the school year in an ongoing manner."

AT THE EVENTS

SETTINGS: Community Center in Newton; American Legion post in Des Moines; Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds

CROWDS: Sanders attracted about 120 people in Newton and at a Latino round table dicussion in Des Moines; His evening rally at the fairgrounds had nearly 1,600 supporters.

REACTIONS: Sanders crowds in Newton and the American Legion were supportive, though the much larger crowd at his evening rally was noticeably louder.

WHAT'S NEXT: Sanders will hold campaign events in Marshalltown, Boone and Ankeny on Sunday.