Otterbein students and faculty react to the Biden Administration considering its unique start.
Most new administrations start out without a lot of buzz. Normally the newly elected president has an inaugural celebration and everything following is uneventful.
“For us here in the United States it’s something that we don’t think about that much because it rarely ever goes sorta haywire,” said Rachel Schwartz, a professor of political science. “This transition, this sort of peaceful turning over of power to the next president, on the bases of electoral outcomes, is always quite fragile and tentative in theory.”
Just two weeks before President Joe Biden’s inauguration, former President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capital.
"What happened on January 6th at the Capital sort of very much disrupts this idea that the United States experiences a peaceful transfer of power. Those events certainly were not peaceful they were violent,” said Schwartz.
Following was the inauguration which was full of unprecedented events. Kamala Harris was the first Black woman to be elected vice president and the first person of South Asian descent in the position, and Amanda Gorman was the youngest inaugural poet.
“[Gorman] was reading such a beautiful poem I got chills,” said Natianna Chhuom, a junior biology major and a senator in Otterbein University Student Government. Gorman went on to perform at the Super Bowl.
Trump was absent for the inauguration, which according to NPR is something that has not happened in 150 years.
“It signals what Donald Trump had been saying since even before the election. That he’s not sure he is going to accept the results,” said Schwartz.
All of these occurrences has made everyone more aware of what’s going on. “A bigger number then before of people are actually paying attention to more details on politics,” said Asa Shorak, a junior political science and global studies major.
The Biden's inauguration had a lot of different groups of people in race and culture attending the inauguration.
“I felt like it was constructed to convey a message of unity.” said Deborah Solomon, history and political science chair. “They were really actively working to embody creating a nation that was inclusive for the people that live there."
