Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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GROWING TOGETHER Continued from page 17 they have good minds, he said, putting his finger to his temple. But they have been brainwashed for so many years. Now it can change. We will never go back. Yeltsin moved toward the couch for a picture with my family, duck- ing with a hearty laugh to avoid getting his white hair caught in the ceiling fan. The Yeltsins presented my par- ents with a hand-painted, wooden tea set. This is old Russian art, Yeltsin said. My people have been doing this for hundreds of years. You can use it for vcdlcaor he said, tipping one of the cups and getting a laugh. Sensing his discomfort, my dad motioned for Yeltsin to take his tie oft Yeltsin promptly pulled the tic over his head, laughing and thank- ing my dad. He had already shed his coat earlier in the day. Naina Yeltsin, who stood qui- etly in the background most of the day, put the tie in her purse. When Yeltsin walked out into the Kansas heat, the circus began. Hundreds ofpeople flocked around as my dad tried to continue the tour outside. But the up-close-and-per- sonal time was over. Yeltsin shook hands and spoke to the people. From a distance,he was as down.tor earth and compelling as he had been across our table. Yeltsin took the wheel of the combine, waving his arms for the crowd and media to clear the way. Naina Yeltsin looked on with wonted eyes. He does not know how to drive this, she said. Yeltsin spoke atop the trailer- stage to the crowd that had been waiting several hours in the sum- mer sun to see hint I know now that 1 made the right decision when 1 picked Kan- sas to come to, Yeltsin said, wav- ing his arms, then putting his hand to his heart. I will tell you, Kansas has thebestfreedom,the best wheat and the best fanners in the world. When asked by a television reporter what he would take back to his country from the visit, Yeltsin motioned around the fann and said, Every- thing—together with the family. Yeltsin stayed until he had only lOrninutestomake it toMcConnell Air Force Base for his 330 p.m. departure to Ontario, Canada, where he was meeting with the Canadian government. As the Yeltsins were rushed to• ward the waiting motorcade, they looked into the crowd for members of my family, reaching to shake our hands and thank us again. Yeltsin hugged my dad and disappeared into the limousine. But before it could pull away, my mom appeared with an iced tea, which she quickly passed through an open window. ' hey ' re so hot, she said. I could tell they needed something to drink, A batten hour after Yeltsin left, about 15of the44:0 people whohad stood in our yard remained. Cater- en cleaned up, and Secret Service agents buzzed around. All that preparation, and he was here for barely an hour, my dad said. He and my brothers changed into their work clothes and imme- diately headed back to the field. The visit had interrupted harvest, the busiest time of a farmer ' s year. My family gave the Yeltsins a framed photograph of our family, which was taken in a nearby wheat field. 18 in BORIS YELTSIN

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COUNTRIES TOGETHER BY LAJEAN RAU Boris Ycksin visited the family of Lajean Rau, senior in journalism and secondary education, during the summer of 1992. Lajean ' s brother, Bruce, senior in landscape architecture, and sister Darlene, sophomore in secondary education, also attended K-State. RussianPresidentBorisYcksin made a lot of friends in Kansas this summer. He visited my family ' s farm as part of his trip to Kansas in mid- June aftera successful trip to Wash- ' ,von, D.C., which resulted in more than 30 agreements between RussiaandtheUnitalStates.While in Kansas, he also stopped at Wichita ' s Dold meat packing plant at Wichita State University. His message Was the same every- where he went. ' There will never be a war be- tween our two countries, Yeltsin said. We are friends now. I don ' t come to your country for handouts, but for partnership, hesaidatopawoodenflatbed trailer- stage at my family ' s farm. His commanding voice, ener- getic manner and frank speech wowed the crowd of about 100, made up mostly of friends of our family, fanners and representatives of the more than 20 farm organiza- tions that sponsored his stop at our (atm. His visk to ourhomebegan with a private meeting with the family. Flanked by politicians and digni- taries, including members of the Kansas congressional delegation, Gov. Joan Finney and the U.S. ambassador to Russia, Yeltsin and hiswife,Naina, took an impromptu tour of our house. It is true you live better than the president of Russia, he said, carefully looking over each room. I could only hope to have a refrig- erator this large in may own home. Yeltsin and my dad sat at our dinner table, looked at family pic- tures and talked farm talk . He asked about crop yields, cattle weightgainandimplements,barely giving his intemretertime to trans- late. Yeltsin ' s eyebrows raised at the answers to his questions. The wheat you grow comes from Russia, I am told, Yeltsin said, looking up from the table to the more than 15 people surround- ing it. And now, your yields are three times what we grow there. Yeltsin said he had much to learnfrommyfamilyandfromother American fanners. My people want to work, and Continued on page 18 Yeltsin speaks to a crowd of around 400 guests at the Rau family farm during his visit to Kansas. The visit consisted of a tour of the Rau farm and Interviews with the press. (Photo by Mike Wekhhans) BORIS Y PATS ' ti ru 17

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Lajean Rau, senior in journalism and mass communications, is interviewed by members of the press on her parents ' farm before the Yeksins arrived. While there, Rau of ten fielded questions from reporters, giving her parents a much. needed break. (Photo by J. Matthew Rhea) Secret Service agents follow alongas Russian President Boris Yeltsin cuts wheat in an American combine on theRau farm south of Wichicaduring his visit to ICARUS. (Photo by J. Matthew Rhea) •. Boats YELTSIN lit I9