Remarks on Arrival at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina

February 8, 1988

The President. Well, don't stop the music on account of me. Thank you all very much. This is a very warm welcome, and you make me very proud. I appreciate your coming out here on this day, and I'm looking forward to meeting the Duke basketball team. I know they had a pretty fine week. And yesterday it seems that somebody didn't win one for the Gipper. [Laughter]

But I know that we're expected for a meeting over on the campus here.

Audience members. Just say no! Just say no! Just say no!

The President. What are they saying?

Did I hear somebody saying just say no? [Applause] Well, that's what Nancy let me come down here to talk about, just say no. I don't know whether you'd be interested in knowing where that came from. But Nancy was appearing before a group of students like yourselves, and a girl in the audience spoke up and said, ``What do we do when someone offers us drugs?'' And Nancy said, ``Just say no.'' And today there are over 10,000 Just Say No clubs in schools and campuses across the country.

Audience members. Just say no! Just say no! Just say no!

The President. So, I can't hear. I can't hear what they're saying.

Well, I know that I've got to move on and get over to the forum and the meeting on this subject that I just mentioned. But again, I just want to tell you this is very heartwarming. You make me very proud, indeed, and I'll try to be deserving of this warm welcome. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 1:27 p.m. at the university.