Nearly two million people are expected to be in Washington, D.C. today for Barack Obama's inauguration.
Winsome Chunnu, assistant director for Ohio University's Multicultural Center, will be one of them.
Chunnu said she is traveling to the inauguration to witness a once-in-a-lifetime event.
It's a historic event and it's (symbolic) to me
the black community and the U.S. I feel like I want to be part of this occasion and experience it first hand Chunnu said.
Travis Boyce, a doctoral student in cultural studies, will be joining Chunnu on her trip.
I feel that the March on Washington was (a historic) moment for the baby boomers he said. For our generation
the Obama administration will be comparable to that.
For the many OU students who aren't going to the inauguration, Baker University Center will be showing the broadcast of the ceremony in the second floor lounge, the Front Room and in the Baker Theatre, said Chad Barnhardt, assistant director of Baker Center.
The broadcast will be turned on at 11 a.m. when the ceremony begins and will play throughout the day. Students can come and go as they please and light refreshments will be provided, Barnhardt said.
Alden Library will also be showing the ceremony in Alden 319 and on the plasma TVs throughout the building with closed captioning, said Wanda Weinberg, head of the reference and instruction department.
Amy Hutchinson, a sophomore studying accounting, said she plans to watch the inauguration because she is interested to see what Obama plans to do with his administration.
Although she has class during the ceremony, Jessica Hurtt, a senior studying journalism, said she hopes she can watch it still.
This is the first election I've been politically aware for
Hurtt said. Outside of all the pomp and circumstance
seeing his first speech (would be interesting).
Besides the historic significance of swearing in the first black president, this ceremony is particularly important to Americans because of the economic and social problems facing the country, said Ken Heineman, a history professor at OU's Lancaster campus who has studied the presidency.
Heineman compared this inauguration to the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
The mass media have been involved in trying to frame this as a historic moment and a time of crisis and a time of change. It's similar to what was in the air when Reagan became president
Heineman said.
Obama's inaugural address will be important for setting the tone of his administration and establishing a few catch phrases, Heineman said.
Colette McLemore, assistant director of multicultural programming at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, decided to go to the inauguration the day after Election Day.
McLemore and her 5-year-old daughter traveled to D.C. on a bus tour sponsored by Travel World, a travel agency in Ironton, Ohio, owned by OU.
The tour was offered to anyone on the Athens campus as well as OU's branch campuses, said Tina Canter, manager at Travel World. The tour cost between $319 and $489. All 112 seats on the tour were sold out, Canter said.
It's going to be one of the biggest inaugurations ever
Canter said. We've never seen anything like it.
People who are traveling to the inauguration should be prepared for huge crowds and need to stay aware of their surroundings, Heineman said.
Anybody who is going better know where the bathrooms are
he added. It's going to be a mad house.
City Councilman Elahu Gosney said he and his wife are staying with friends for the ceremony.
Their hosts told them to bring food with them because grocery stores are expected to be picked over, he added.
But despite the large crowds, Gosney said he is excited to be in Washington for the ceremony.
I think it will help in terms of motivation and give me a sense that there are good things happening all across the country and this is really a time to come together and find creative solutions
Gosney said.
McLemore said she wants her daughter to see the accomplishments of the Obama family and be able to witness history.
I saw the civil rights movement on TV; I just want to be able to say I was there
she said. Hopefully
