‘Lessons’ tour arrives in town

Betty Young stood on the street corner across from the employee’s

entrance to NBC Studios Tuesday eyes peeled for the classic car

containing talk show host Jay Leno.

Young, president of Northwest State Community College in Ohio,

came 2,700 miles to enlist Leno’s help in getting the message out

about the importance of education and specifically what is offered at

two-year community colleges such as hers.

While not happy with how Leno has mocked the colleges and their

students on his late night show, Young said she believes he also

understands the importance of getting an education.

“He knows that we have failed to educate people,” Young said.

Young embarked on her “Lessons for Leno” tour on Sept. 19 and made

stops at community colleges in five states along the way. Her tour

ends today with an appearance at Los Angeles Valley College.

But on Tuesday, Young and her entourage were hoping to see Leno as

he arrived at the studio. They also had tickets to attend the taping

of that evening’s show.

Tonight Show spokeswoman Carrie Simons would not comment on

Young’s wanting to meet with the show’s host.

Set up at Bob Hope Drive and Parkside Avenue, Young said that

people waiting in a nearby line for a taping of “The Ellen DeGeneres

Show” were curious about her crusade and some were very supportive

having attended a community college themselves.

Among those was Michael Beck, a student at Ventura College.

Attending a two-year college following high school makes sense for

some students because they cannot always afford to attend a four-year

school, Beck said.

“It opens you up to the real world,” Beck said. “After high school

I didn’t have the grades to continue on, but with a community college

I can transfer to someplace better.”

He would like to go to UCLA to study film, Beck said.

While the Leno connection to Young’s trip -- some of which was

made on a 1992 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail motorcycle, the same

model Leno owns -- has garnered most of the attention it is only the

dressing to the issue of promoting education.

If she doesn’t get a word in to Leno, the time spent on the road

was still worth it for the people she met and the stories she heard

about people whose lives were changed by attending a community

college, Young said.

While Leno’s jokes may continue, she will always be there to come

to the defense of the students, Young said.

“When I hear somebody say something disparaging about community

college students, that is not how it is,” Young said. “We are real

colleges for real people.”

QUESTION

What do you think of Betty Young’s crusade for education and

community colleges? E-mail your responses to o7burbankleader

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