By Jasmine Bussey

Duncanville HighSchool

Panther Prints

Managing Editor

       Change.That was what was ingrained in my head when I thought of Barack Obama.  He was truly the embodiment of change;change to the stereotype of long line of middle-aged white males who run forpresident; change in the minds of all people who are more racially aware andhopefully change to the current system of government. 

Which is whyI was excited about the CloseUp trip to Washington, D.C.  I was going to get to see the firstBlack man be sworn into office. 

Theexcitement didn't really hit until the trip was about a week away.  When I first signed up for the trip, Ijust wanted to go to Washington to experience the city at the center of ourpolitical history and the source of our national government.  Though getting to go to Inaugurationwas an added bonus and sweetened the deal.  I had never even watched an Inauguration before.  Until about a year ago, I didn't evenknow what one was. 

That week Ispent in Washington was completely and absolutely amazing between all thememorials, museums, and the experiences of Capitol Hill with the Supreme Court,Library of Congress and of course the Capitol itself. 

However Inaugurationday was one definitely of the highlights.

That morningwas brutal. I went to bed at 12:30 AM and woke up at 3 AM. I rushed to thepacked bus so I could make it to where Obama was speaking at. I knew there werethousands there already at four in the morning  just to see this event but I was going to be in the crowdtoo.  As we stood out in the cold,people started singing songs like "Lean on Me" and our nationalanthem. Darius even managed to start the crowd singing the theme song from theJefferson's "Moving on Up."

TheInauguration started and we watched Bush, his Cabinet, the House, the Senate,and the new Cabinet take their seats up front. It was about an hour and a halfbefore we finally saw Obama make his appearance at the Capitol.

Everyone wasyelling, jumping up and down, and waving their flags as Obama prepared to givehis speech. As we stood there, I looked around and saw all eyes glued to him. Ithink everyone at that moment was holding their breath and we all exhaled whenhe finished. Relieved, proud and inspired by the history that was just made andhopeful by Obama's message.

Obama made meso proud to be standing there.  Itdidn't matter that I couldn't see him up close or that I was freezing my buttoff.  Seeing him get sworn in as hiswife held the Lincoln bible on the jumbo-tron was enough.  Knowing that he was there, so close tome, closer than we probably ever would be again, made me an exultant andtriumphant feeling.

Seeing thesparkle in his eyes as he was sworn in and the pride and hope he showed on inhis face as he gave his speech made me realize that none of waiting or the coldmattered.   I realized all ofus were there for Obama.  We werethere supporting this person that none of us in the crowd knew personally. Webelieved in him and we were putting all of our faith in him as our newpresident.

After he was finally sworn in, I said "President BarackObama" just to see how it sounded. I couldn't believe it finally happened after what seemed like a longelection process and three months as our president-elect.  He was finally Barack Obama: ThePresident of the United States of America.