"Sometimes magic happens," said Joanne McGlynn, assistant principal of Concord High School, of General Wesley Clark's visit there Thursday. "I think magic happened this morning."

Clark spent Thursday morning talking with students in the library in Concord High School in New Hampshire. They talked about some of the toughest issues facing young people today - like education, drugs and abortion.

"These kids were amazingly honest," said one Clark staffer.

The students were equally impressed with Clark. Meeting candidates is nothing new to them - other candidates have stopped by on the campaign trail - but Clark's visit was unique in its intimacy.

"Everyone was wowed by it," junior Matthew Pearl said. "He was shaking hands with whomever he could reach. We saw a difference because we were so close to him."

"He's a very good listener," Pearl continued. "If he is the presidential candidate, we want someone who will listen to what we have to say."

Pearl introduced Clark during the ceremonies and led him during the tour of the school. He presented Clark with a Concord High Crimson Tide vest that he wore during his visit.

"It was really cool," Pearl said. "I was his right-hand man. The guys in the campaign who normally do that stuff said I could do it. It makes you feel kind of important that he would let a high school student do that."

The Concord High students heard that West Point cadets touch a statue for luck, so they began a similar tradition of putting pennies on the new school seal for luck. They asked Clark to place the first penny on the seal for luck in his campaign.

McGlynn said the response to Clark by the students was "tremendous. He clearly cared and was interested in what they had to say."

Before Clark left, McGlynn said she invited Clark to come back again to visit the students.

"I told him there was another famous general who said, 'I'll be back!'" McGlynn said. "He laughed, and now I have a piece of Concord High stationary with the words 'I'll be back!' signed by Wes Clark."