After an election that involved young people like no election before, today’s ceremony has inspired students to go to lengths to watch President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration, and some said they would not have gone to such lengths for another candidate.
“He’s one of the first manifestations of the change we’ve experienced since the ’60s in this country,” junior Rachel Hirsch said. “It’s more than just desegregating schools … there’s actually a black president.”
Inauguration Day:
Washington, D.C. Swearing-In Ceremony *Formal event begins at 11:30 a.m. EST *Vice President-elect Joseph Biden will be sworn in by Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. *President-elect Barack Obama will be sworn in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John G. Roberts. Obama will take the oath of office, which is the only aspect of the inauguration process required by law, swearing in on the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used during his ceremony in 1861. The Inaugural Address *Following the swearing-in ceremony, Obama will give his inaugural address. Events following the Inaugural Address *Poetry reading by Elizabeth Alexander *Benediction given by Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery *The national anthem performed by The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters *56th Inaugural Parade |
Today, Obama will give perhaps the most important speech of his life. It will also be one of the most eagerly anticipated inaugural addresses in history. CNN even compared Obama’s inaugural speech to famous addresses given by Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.
Many, however, said they don’t expect such grandiosity from Obama’s speech. Rather, many students said excitement on campus about the inauguration stems from the significance of Obama himself, as the country’s first black president-elect and as a candidate who promised so much.
“At some point people get tired of talk and just want to get things done,” University junior Braden Wolf said.
Whatever Obama decides to talk about on the steps of the U.S. Capitol today, Wolf will be there to hear it. After taking a term off from school in the fall to organize Obama’s campaign in Bolivar, Mo., Wolf was rewarded with a ticket to the event, which he said was too good to pass up, even if it meant “crashing” on the floor of a friend’s Washington, D.C. apartment.
Wolf initially campaigned for Hillary Clinton, Obama’s new Secretary of State, but said he switched his allegiance to Obama after the former Illinois senator won the primaries. While in Missouri, Wolf said he met Obama as the candidate passed through the southwestern area of the state, just days before the Nov. 4 election.
Wolf said he was impressed with Obama’s ease in conversation compared to the Clintons.
“He doesn’t need to be as calculating,” Wolf said. “He is a lot less a politician, a lot more a regular guy than the Clintons are.”
Obama encouraged Wolf and his staff, who had been working in Missouri since July, to finish the race strong, emphasizing the importance of “running through the tape,” which became a mantra in the Obama campaign in the closing weeks of the election.
Things to do in Eugene for Inauguration Day
Where to watch on campus: *EMU Fishbowl *Buzz Coffeehouse *The Break *Mills International Center Television channels broadcasting the event: Fox News Channel (starting 5:30 a.m.), KEZI (6:30 a.m.), KVAL (7 a.m.), CSPAN (7 a.m.), CNN (7 a.m.), KMTR (7:30 a.m.), CNBC (8 a.m.), MTV (9 a.m.) For afterward: *Inauguration and Peace Ball at Cozmic Pizza – Cost: $10-50, Time: 6 p.m. *Downtown Get Down Inauguration Party at Diablo’s Downtown Lounge – Cost: $1, Time: 6:30 p.m. *Sierra Club’s Inauguration Day beer social at McMenamins on East 19th Avenue – Cost: Free, Time: 7 p.m. |
Eugene residents who didn’t spend five months getting out the vote for Obama are preparing in different ways for the big event. The excitement is unprecedented, many said. The inauguration will be shown live at a variety of locations across town, from the Erb Memorial Union Fishbowl on the University campus to the movie screens at the Bijou Art Cinemas, an event that will benefit FOOD for Lane County.
Organizers said they received calls asking about the events throughout the weekend. Employees at the Bijou said they had to open up a second theater for the event and offer standing room tickets to keep up with demand. Tickets for the event were sold out by Sunday.
“There’s an enormous amount of excitement surrounding what this administration is going to bring,” said Joel Thomas, owner of Cozmic Pizza, which will show the inauguration ceremony and host a ball tonight to commemorate it.
Rather than in crowded restaurants, many Eugene residents are watching the speech in more intimate settings – living rooms, community centers and classrooms.
Graduate student Jess Rivas said he will watch the event with the fourth grade class he teaches at Meadow View School. He said taking part in a national event like the inauguration will provide his students with an opportunity to grow.
“I hope it takes them out of their own individual schema and increases it to a national or international viewpoint,” Rivas said.
As for the content of the actual address, Rivas and many others said they hope Obama’s words will be honest, rather than inspiring.
“I think he’ll say a lot of what he was saying on the campaign,” University sophomore Graham Taylor said. “He needs to be direct about the state of the nation.”
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