In Walz’s hometown, locals at DNC watch party cheer on their former football coach

In Walz’s hometown, locals at DNC watch party cheer on their former football coach Show Caption Hide Caption Tim ‘coach’ Walz defines himself to voters, gives America pep talk Minnesota Gov. MANKATO, Minn. – Krista Goettl, Mankato West High School class of 2002, remembered watching Mr. Walz run classroom to classroom to check in on kids on Sept. 11, 2001, as images of the Twin Towers burning played on televisions in the hallway. Kourtney McConville, also from the class of 2002, remembered Mr. Walz acting as a supportive assistant coach to her female varsity basketball coach. Lindsey Northenscold, from the class of 2007, remembered Mr. Walz sitting on a desk in class and feeling like he wanted to show he wasn’t above them, even as high schoolers. “We’re pretty excited,” said Jane Petersen, 72, who is retired and works two days a week at the local library. It’s a nonpartisan position, so he usually wouldn’t go to a political event like the watch party on Wednesday night at the school where Walz taught social studies and coached football before becoming the area’s congressman. But “this is one of those times where I don’t care what it looks like,” he said. “It’s a hometown thing – like hey, that’s one of our guys.” He said Walz has always been straightforward, friendly, and an attentive listener to community problems, even as he rose from a high school teacher to a member of Congress and then governor. “Bumping into him and Gwen at the store or an event in town was like bumping into anyone in town,” Laven said. “That’s just how they are as people.” In the high school auditorium where they had assembled for pep rallies decades ago, former students screamed in surprise when they saw their class mates — the former football state champions — on stage at the DNC alongside Walz. “I’ve got goosebumps,” said Katie Ryan, who graduated in 2001 with Vote, after Walz’s speech. Asked what she made of the focus on their football team’s championship year, McConville said it really “was such a huge thing when it happened.” “We always kind of expected to lose. Tonight, “it’s a very similar feeling.” Jean Peterson, 93, raised a family in Lake Washington and helped start the local Children’s Museum. “He was a good teacher and an excellent coach,” she said, adding that he will bring a “common man” appeal to the campaign. “I’m not totally surprised” he was picked, she said. “He’d make a good vice president, we just don’t want to lose him. He’s done well by Minnesota.” Nora Henry, 58, said she’s never met Walz but that her daughter went to high school with his daughter Hope. “It’s one of the things that’s so wonderful about him,” she said. A friend texted Henry asking: “Is this guy for real?” “My sense is that some of it might be polished, but basically what you see is the real deal,” she said. “For me the whole thing in the Cities eclipsed other things he might have been doing” as governor, DeLaCruz said of the Harris-Walz Democratic ticket for the White House. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/08/22/walz-hometown-mankato-football-coach/74789223007/