It seems so rare in our country nowadays when we can find a handful of people around us to agree on the same thing, let alone an estimated 1 million people.
This was exactly the case for myself and 50 other Otterbein students who attended the second inauguration of President Barack Obama on Monday, Jan. 21.
As we left the Campus Center early Sunday morning, we all had just about enough energy to board the bus in hopes of a relatively decent sleep during the eight hour ride ahead of us.
The bus ride over was silent, many of us trying to cope with being crammed within two feet of one another, while also trying to coordinate bathroom and food breaks.
When we arrived in the affluent city to our new home for the next few days at Georgetown University, it seemed as if the town did not even know that yet another historic event would take place the following day.
Georgetown’s campus and its surroundings were a ghost town to say the least, as people seemed to be taking Sunday as “a day of rest,” a little too literally.
Off in the distance I could see the Washington Monument. Just to its north stood Capitol Hill, across the reflecting pool stood the Lincoln Memorial.
The day picked up and people began to flood these historic landmarks, lining up outside places such as the White House gates, hoping to catch a glimpse for a decent shot to post on Instagram.
The day did not disappoint either, as a group of friends and I headed to the National Mall outside across from Capitol Hill, in hopes of securing a front row spot near CNN headquarters.
Sure enough we did, as the front row was wide open for us to stand and exchange waves with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.
Around 11:30 a.m., the National Mall and its surrounding streets were filled to capacity, as Americans, and even a few British citizens that I noticed, filed in to be a part of this historic day.
From celebrities to cabinet members, VIP guests were introduced and escorted into their seats high above on Capitol Hill.
House speaker Jon Boehner finally got the inauguration going with an opening speech, while President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden awaited their public swearing-in ceremony.
As Obama was sworn in, the crowd erupted in jubilation, as the realization of this being his last term kicked in.
Obama’s speech was of course encouraging to the American public, as he reinforced his promises made during campaign season, while also adding the presidential cliche of the idea that there is a lot of work to still be done.
Following the speeches were class acts performed by American music icons James Taylor, Kelly Clarkson and Beyonce. As I stood on Capitol Hill taking in the sights one more time, I came to a realization. Despite all of the negativity toward certain policies and governmental decisions, no matter who is in office as leader of our country, we always have a peaceful exchange of power each new term.
On the way back to campus, all of us seemed to be re-energized by the historic events we had just witnessed, and the new friendships we had developed.
This of course led to a bus ride home that seemed as if it took double the amount of time than our arrival, but in the end, it was well worth it.
To experience an event like this was not only a once in a lifetime experience, but it was also an event that can be summed up in one word. America.
