"Believe it or not, this is not the first time I've entered a room on a Harley," Dole said, standing behind a podium and slipping on a pair of black shades.
But Dole's joking manner quickly turned to campaign issues as she stressed her goals for North Carolina, as well as the importance of student involvement.
Students for Dole is a branch of Dole's campaign totally dedicated to and run by students, said David Chesley, youth coordinator for the Dole campaign.
There are chapters at 25 universities across North Carolina.
Chesley said events planned by individual chapters include precinct walks, voter registration drives and rallies.
"The key here is a paycheck, not an unemployment check," she said.
The state is also leading the nation in the war on terror, Dole said. She emphasized her desire to eliminate food stamps and substandard housing for military personnel stationed in North Carolina.
"I want every young person in North Carolina and in America to grow up in a safe world," she said. "I'm so darn proud of the role North Carolina is playing in the war on terrorism."
Dole said she will focus on improving public schools by restoring discipline to the classroom and increasing respect for teachers.
But some criticized Dole for her reluctance to interact with other candidates for the Republican nomination, as well as her lack of concrete stances on important issues. Six protesters stood outside the auditorium and tried to detract people from entering the rally.
Inside the auditorium, Josh Hutton, a sophomore economics major at Duke, expressed concern that Dole's long absence from the state does not make her qualified to speak for residents. Hutton served as an intern for Jim Snyder, who is also seeking the Republican nomination.
"I'm interested in our state being represented by a true conservative candidate," he said. "I'm most concerned about the fact that she hasn't lived in the state for so long."
Dole, whose only N.C. residence is her mother's home in Salisbury, spent many years in Kansas, the state her husband Bob Dole represented in the Senate.
But Dole said she fully expects to participate in debates with the Democratic nominee should she win the Sept. 10 primary. She also pledged to maintain a high standard of professionalism during the campaign.
"I will very much stay on the high road," she said. "North Carolina has a reputation for down-and-dirty politics. I think we can change that."
The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.
