Alumni Attend Inauguration Celebration

Brad Middleton '08 and Leah Heister '08 in front of the capitol, above, and Lincoln Memorial, below, during the inauguration of President Barack Obama on January 20.

On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th U.S. President. The event was witnessed by well over one million attendees in chilly Washington D.C. -- including Knox alumni who shared their photos and experiences of the historic event.

From Brad Middleton '08:

"Inauguration weekend was a ton of fun. Leah Heister '08, who now lives in New York City, came down for the weekend, and we hit all the festitivities. I was able to get two tickets to the inauguration and was glad to have someone to enjoy the special weekend with.

"On Sunday we went down to the big concert at the Lincoln Memorial. We didn't get there until around half an hour before it started, but somehow managed to squeeze our way through the crowd to get an up-close view. We were about a fourth of the way back along the reflecting pool with an unobstructed view. There were all kinds of big names there -- Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, U2, John Mellencamp, Beyonce, Shakira, Sheryl Crow, Mary J. Blige, Josh Groban, John Legend, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, and others. It was one big party with everyone singing and dancing along.

"On Monday we wandered around downtown and enjoyed the inauguration atmosphere. The sites and streets were filled with people. Everyone was happy and optimistic. There was a general upbeat mood downtown. Everyone was there for the same reason, creating an exciting buzz in the air. I couldn't believe all the Obama trinkets and souvenirs. Lining every street and sidewalk were carts, vans, and people selling 'stuff'. It seemed like every block had two or three 'official' inauguration stores. You could literally buy anything you could think of with Obama's name/face on it, some in good taste, some not.

"We visited the east and west fronts of the Capitol and scouted out our path for the next day. We saw where MSNBC was set up filming on the mall. We saw Keith Olberman and met the governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, as he was leaving an interview.

"On Tuesday, Leah and I left my apartment at 4 a.m. to get to the Metro. What is normally a half-hour to 40-minute commute took over an hour-and-a-half. Even at 4 a.m. the Metro was full. When we got downtown to our stop, we couldn't even get off the train because the platform was so packed. Being a little claustrophobic, it wasn't too fun. Finally, we got out of the Metro after about a half hour and then found our way to what looked like a line to get in the gate. We waited until a little before 9, and they opened our ticket gate. We were some of the lucky ones because the section filled up fast and a lot of people with the same tickets as us were turned away. We ended up a few hundred feet behind the Capitol reflecting pool -- dead center. After about an hour of standing, people in front of us and to the side of us started rushing forward. They had rushed the barricades and were streaming forward right up against the reflecting pool -- we went with or else we would have been trampled! After that, we were on the top step of the reflecting pool so we could see over everyone and were still dead center -- a perfect view! It couldn't have gotten any better.

"After waiting another hour or so, they started announcing people as they walked onto the platform and showing people on the jumbo screens. It was interesting to hear the different reactions certain officials received from the crowd. Some received great ovations, like Ted Kennedy. When he walked out, and they showed him on the screen, the whole mall started chanting 'Teddy, Teddy, Teddy!' Others did not receive such positive responses.

"The ceremony itself was very moving. Every once in awhile ,I would look around and remind myself where I was and what I was witnessing. It was amazing to hear the words of the new President echo throughout that historic space in downtown Washington, D.C. Even though you were just one of millions that day, people's individual reactions were very personal. Some wept, some cheered, some threw their arms up, others hugged or kissed total strangers, and you may have been able to set a Guiness record for most high fives in one place.

"After it was over, we were sort of trapped in the crowd, so we followed the lead of others and hopped the barricade onto the Capitol reflecting pool -- which was frozen solid. It was sort of fun -- by the time we got out there, there were dozens of people on it. It was a very surreal experience. As Leah said, it was like a movie. We were just kind of ice-skating around. When we got to the other side the former President's helicopter took off and flew over the Capitol, taking him out of the city. Everyone waved goodbye.

"Getting out of the city that day was a true test of one's patience. But it was all ok. We had just witnessed history, and nothing could ruin that day."

Julia Strehlow '07 and Dana Jenkins '07 by the capitol, above, and at a restaurant after the ceremony with Zoe Berman '07, Wes Roodhouse '07, and Mike Boettcher '05.

From Julia Strehlow '07:

"We spent three days in D.C. and had an amazing time. Every person we met was excited to talk to us about where we were from and what our inauguration 'story' was. The atmosphere was full of love and excitement, and it really felt like we were a part of something special. On Inauguration morning, we got to the Mall at about 7 a.m. It was so cold that we almost left to find a warm inside location to watch the event on a T.V. Once the music and the speakers started, we were glad that we stayed.

"It was a phenomenal experience to say the least. When Obama came to Knox to speak in 2005, I had the privilege of meeting him and getting his autograph because I was an usher at Commencement. Meeting him at Knox, as well as currently living in Chicago, made my experience in D.C. even more special because I felt a personal connection to what was taking place."

From Larry Lindley '61:

"My wife, Donna, and I were fortunate to get tickets from my congressperson's office. We arrived on Sunday at my nephew's house in southern Maryland, where we would stay. The next day we took the Metro into Washington to pick up our tickets. Even at 10:00 a.m., the Metro was quite busy. Our first awareness of the size of the crowd came when we saw the lines at the congressional office buildings for ticket pick-up. After an hour wait, we were able to obtain ours. Vendors were everywhere, selling shirts, jackets, buttons, and more.

"On Tuesday, we left the house at 4:15 a.m., thinking we were plenty early for the trip into Washington. We weren't. After a half-hour drive on the freeway, traffic ground to a halt at the exit ramp to the Metro station. Another hour-and-a-half in the traffic jam, and we finally got parked at the station. That gave us the opportunity to get into the line at the station to get on the train, which proved to be another hour's wait. We made the best of the time chatting with other people in line. When we did get on the train, it was, of course, absolutely full, and what had been a half-hour ride downtown on Monday turned into twice that.

"By 9:30, we had gotten out of the subway station and went in search of the line for our ticketed area. Our tickets were silver, for the farthest away of the ticketed sections. Instead of a line, we found a street packed with a crowd all holding their tickets and trying to get in. As we inched our way forward, rumors began flying that the silver area was full and no one else was being admitted. Undaunted (well, somewhat daunted) we bypassed the crowd and discovered another area of security checks for the silver area which was not busy at all. Upon entering the area, we discovered it to be not full but rather sparsely populated. We were easily able to get to the front of the section. Although we were still so far away that the people in the ceremony on the Capital steps looked like specks, we could hear quite well over speakers and could see the proceedings on a large screen that was set up.

"Overall, it was an amazing experience. In spite of waiting in lines, standing packed in crowds, and the cold weather, the atmosphere was festive, the people cheerful and friendly, and throughout there was a feeling of hope and optimism not evident for a long time."