2/7/2009

Post-Inauguration - Alaina Fields (from blogs.studlife.com)

For the past four days, I can describe my experience as nothing other than a trance! I have been to DC before but never for such an auspicious ocassion. I mean, the internship I had there was amazing but it was by no mean a ceiling shattering momentus event. From the moment we arrived in DC there was an aura of pride I had not yet had the pleasure of being a part of. And though we were exhausted from the journey, I was filled with excitement throughout my entire stay. Now, that I have returned back to the reality [St. Louis, school and early mornings on the metrolink] I can reflect upon my experience.

Filled with the same joy and anticipation of a child on christmas eve, I was unable to will myself to sleep, for MY “Santa” Barack Obama, was coming to the White House to be inducted and I was determined to be amongst the massing cheering him on. We woke up at 4 am, well…I did anyway, and with each layer of clothing found myself that much closer to being in the presence of greatness. During the car ride in, to our metro station the inspirational stylings of India.Arie played in the background and as I was driving I had to supress my urge to scream and spaz out over what we were about to witness.

The metro station was PACKED! Chants of Obama and mumblings of what exactly the hold up was swirled around me. Once hearded through the metro station gates like sheep we ran up the steps to meet the train and were of course packed in on the way to our respective stops. By 6 am, we were well on our way to the capitol, or as close as we could get. Once we emerged from our station [judiciary square for all that know DC] the crowd was magnificent. Every nook and crany was filled with bundle up people, rocking back in anticipation and to keep warm. There was a particularly enthusiastic young lady where we decided to stand who insisted the crowd join her in a song and dance, and we complied singing we shall overcome, we are the world, and random pop songs that weren’t particularly poignant to this moment in history, but entertaining nontheless.

After being funeled into the security and strip searched [not really, that woulda been crazy right? but for it to have been so cold, unbuttoning my jacket kinda felt like I was stripping] we were one step closer and with about 3 hours to spare, we decided to make our treck to the national mall to stake our claim on a small plot of land for our viewing pleasure. Of course, with everything on serious lock down as it was, we had to walk to the ends of the earth to gain access to very specified entry points. We finally made it to our spot in the mall minutes before the basketball style line-up of dignitaries were called and either cheered or booed down the stairs. From the time Sasha and Malia were introduced, the crowed never ceased in its excited hoops and hollers. Once the actual ceremony begun, the collective silence, except at the appropriate moments was profound. As he was sworn in tears began to swell in my eyes, I’m only 22 years old and I never thought I’d see a Black man sworn into the presidency, I could only imagine the emotions my elders were then experiencing. Obama’s speech was inspiring, and I was proud, to be there, to hear it, to experience the moment, to feel his presence, to look upon the sea of faces and see hope, progress, change. The benediction too, was amazing in my eyes, to be in the presence of great civil rights activists like the Reverend Joseph Lowery is unbelievable. We stayed amongst the crowd with the excitment, just standing and reflecting until the pain from the cold began to stab into our sides like daggers and then felt it was time to move. We walked across the nationall mall, now covered in newspaper, hot coco cups, towels, blankets, hats, scarves and gloves with a silent pride and an excitement so intense it worked its way back around to calm. We stayed in the district, mostly because we were quarrantined to that area until after the parade, but also to be amongst the masses from every age, background and creed to be a part of something big for as long as we could manage. It was a moment I will forever relive. A moment I will never forget. An experience that in reflecting upon will always send a tear down my cheek. We have come so far. But we’ve got so far to go.

Even in driving back to St. Louis, we began to hear the scrutiny and disdain for President Obama and it was to be expected. Excellence does not often go unconfronted. But with the support of the 2 million Americans in DC there to see him and the million others who couldn’t make it, change will come, change has to come. And just as President Obama must get to work, so must I…

I will once more place my hand over my heart to sing the National Anthem!

-Alana Fields

Posted at 1:30 PM by Robin Hattori | Category: WU Students at the Presidential Inauguration | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

Some Thank Yous - Andrew Flick (from blogs.studlife.com)

The opportunity to travel to our nation’s capital for the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th president was a project that began in October of 2008 (and, yes we did get a little ahead of ourselves…).

Alana Fields and I set out with the goal of chartering a bus to DC and bringing 40 WU students who wouldn’t be able to get there on their own. In the end, we were only able to raise enough funds for five students.

A failure? Not at all.

Attempting to provide this opportunity for WU students has been a lesson in community organizing taken from the pages of B. Obama’s handbook. We set out with an inspired goal, worked to achieve it, and in the end saw some measure of success.

I’m glad we set out to do this, and none of it would be possible without the generous support of the Gephardt Institute, Dr. Randall Calvert and the American Culture Studies department, Mixed, and countless other campus entities and student groups that came together to help make this happen.

-Andy

Posted at 1:29 PM by Robin Hattori | Category: WU Students at the Presidential Inauguration | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)

The Day for Which We've All Been Waiting... - Andrew Flick (from blogs.studlife.com)

has finally come. Inauguration Day. Tuesday, January 22, 2009. The Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as our the 44th president of these United States.

Incredible.

We woke up at 6:00am with excited looks of anticipation. This anticipation soon turned to a shade of regret as we stepped into the cold and windy darkness of our nation’s capital. Is this something we wanted to do? Did we really want to brave the cold and crowds for 8 hours when we could easily brew some hot beverages and enjoy the Inauguration on the futon that had become our makeshift bed?

Yes. As soon as we walked out of the apartment where we were staying, we saw people coming from every part of the city, all walking in the same direction. At 6am I never expected to see as many people as we saw. From every direction people were coming and joining the growing trek towards the Capitol.

We stopped at a hot dog stand for a quick, nutritious breakfast and purchased a $10 disposable camera to capture the sights of the day. (I haven’t mentioned it until now, because it pains me to talk about it. The reason we had to buy a camera is because I left mine in my car that was parked in Maryland. Typical of me, but nonetheless disappointing.)

We were greeted at the gates near the Washington monument not by police officers or the ubiquitous United States military, but by tens of volunteers all clad in red hats embroidered with the words “Inauguration Volunteer Corp.” We wondered what kind of incentive the Transition could have possibly provided these people, but we then realized that for these volunteers the reward was simply the inauguration of the man they had spent 2 years working to elect. It reminded us of how special this moment is for all Americans, but especially so for those like myself who had worked on his behalf during the campaign .

There were seven jumbo trons set up between the Capitol and the Washington monument. We parked ourselves at the fifth one back from the Capitol because we had a good view of both the jumbo tron and the Inaugural platform. After introducing ourselves to a group of friends sitting in our area, these former Peace Corp volunteers shared with us some hot tea and an extra blanket they weren’t using. Everyone was so respectful, friendly and excited.

After a replay of the “We Are One” concert, they began playing live footage of the arrivals of the former presidents, congressmen, governors, and celebrities like Jay-Z and Beyonce. (Jay-Z had a ridiculous hat…) By far the best part of this live footage was Malia and Sasha as they walked through the halls of Congress towards the platform.

Well, not quite the best. To be sure, the best part was seeing our next president place his hand on Lincoln’s Bible and flub recite the oath of the office of the presidency of the United States.

The crowd went wild. For some, it had been a long two years. For others, it had been a long eight years. And for still others, for those proud McCain supporters who showed up that morning on the National Mall with their McCain t-shirts, the inauguration of our first black president was a momentous occasion that overshadowed any bitter, partisan feelings.

I could have easily stayed in St. Louis to watch all of this on the screens in the DUC. I could have easily stayed in the warmth of our apartment in Georgetown to watch the events on TV. But to be in the thick of things, to be able to tell my kids that I witnessed such an historic event, was priceless.

-Andy Flick

Posted at 1:28 PM by Robin Hattori | Category: WU Students at the Presidential Inauguration | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (0)