Middle school students watch Obama inauguration on TV
by Angie Asam, Staff Writer
Every presidential inauguration is an historic event, but none more historic than the 44th Presidential Inauguration as the first African-American president took the oath of office Tuesday at noon.
Barack Obama made history Tuesday as he took his oath of office in front of the nation he now presides over. On a day following Martin Luther King, Jr. day, a day set aside in America to honor a man who fought, for this kind of equality in a time when people were less open minded, and died fighting for his cause, the inauguration seems even more special.
?My fellow citizens. I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition,? began Obama?s speech.
Students in the Rogers City middle school took time out of their regular class work to watch the event live, for some a very moving and worthwhile experience.
Mrs. Bruder had her sixth-grade English class working on a project but had them stop working as Obama took his oath of office. Many students were very engaged in the historic event.
?When I was in high school Mr. Barrett was our government teacher. When he was asked if we would ever see a female or minority president he said ?I won?t live to see it and I doubt anyone born before 1960 will?. I was born in 1953, he was wrong, but this is something I didn?t ever think I would see,? said Bruder.
Erin Herrington?s brother, Steven Pauly who is active in the United States Navy was at the historic inauguration, something that made the experience extra special to her. Most of these students were very young the last time a president took the oath of office and this was their first experience watching history.
?It was really cool to watch Obama speak. It is going to be weird getting used to having a black president but hopefully he will make some changes,? said Herrington. Fellow sixth-grader Kayla Fleury echoed the comments of her classmate, ?It was neat to watch the inauguration because none of the other presidents have been black besides Obama and it is marking a big change for America.?
Standing in the hallways at Rogers City High School the echo of televisions blaring the inauguration could be heard coming from many classrooms. High school students were on lunch break when the inauguration took place but many teachers stayed over the lunch break in their classrooms watching history take place.
Mr. Barsen?s eighth-grade social studies class was another class watching the event and soaking it all in. ?It was very interesting. I am very interested in seeing what Obama is going to do. Hopefully we will see change like he says, maybe the economy will pick up and we can see some of the large companies booming again. It would have been fun to be at the inauguration,? said eighth grade student Dylan Ciarkowski.
Marquis Griffin, another eighth-grade student provides a different perspective on the historic event as he is an African-American. ?I feel like things are going to be different. Hopefully President Obama can be good for all Americans. He can do a lot for America, some people think he could do much more, but we have to remember that he is only the president; maybe he alone doesn?t have the power to build up the economy. But he is going to make a difference for all the people in America regardless of skin color, ancestry, religious beliefs ? he will help everyone,? said Griffin.
The words of Barack Obama echoed through the hallways of RCHS, ?Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.?
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans. That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met,? said Obama who has promised change and looks to be the change America needs.
The inauguration of the 44th President of the United States will likely be something these middle school students will remember forever, much the same way as we remember other historical events, the September 11 terrorist attacks, the assassination of JFK and now, the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States of America.