So the president has invited you to the White House to congratulate you on your recent success. What do you say? Now is your chance to launch into everything that bothers you about U.S. foreign policy or repeatedly thank him for the recent tax cut.

You could thank him for keeping the United States a safer place or complain about the lack of success in Iraq or just stand there with a blank look on your face. While for many of us meeting the president would be a pipe dream, it was all a reality for the DU men’s hockey team last Wednesday.

In a ceremony honoring the men’s and women’s hockey and basketball NCAA champions, President Bush thanked the many important people in attendance such as Colorado Sen. Wayne Allard and DU alumni and Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton. But told fellow DU alumna Condoleezza Rice to keep working. “No rest for the weary,” said President Bush. DU president Marc Holtzman accompanied the team to the White House along with Head Coach George Gwozdecky. President Bush was then presented with a Crimson DU hockey jersey with the number 43 on the back right below “Bush.” Senior captain Ryan Caldwell presented the jersey to the president. Caldwell had little to say to President Bush except for “thank you” with a big smile. It was a great picture. A Canadian presenting the jersey to the U.S. president and President Bush telling a story about the Czech Republic player on the team, Lukas Dora.

“I like the story of Lukas Dora…they tell me he talks a lot on the ice. He’s a talkative guy, but uses unique English to confuse his opponents,” said President Bush. “Kind of sounds like the strategy I use at press conferences.”

President Bush closed with urging the champions to use their spotlighted opportunity to make a difference in their communities.