Inauguration history: He'll be there
Seth Robertson will experience the event of a lifetime when he travels to Washington, D.C., next week to witness the pageantry and ceremony of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States.
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By virtue of his previous participation in four Congressional Youth Leadership Council programs, Seth was eligible to receive a scholarship to attend the inauguration as a participant in the University Presidential Inaugural Conference Jan. 17-23.“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity,” said Seth, a sophomore accounting and computer information systems major from Burton, Ohio. “We’ll have VIP status, so hopefully I’ll be close enough to see and take some good pictures. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.”
Seth has always had an interest in politics, nurtured by his attendance at the CYLC programs, three of which were in Washington, D.C. So it won’t be his first excursion to the nation’s capital. As part of the inauguration celebration, Seth also will have the opportunity to hear keynote speeches from Gen. Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore and Lance Armstrong.
As part of the inauguration event, participating students will have private access to the Smithsonian Museum. They will witness the inauguration pomp and circumstance, the oath of office and Obama’s inaugural address, and view the inaugural parade as the new president and vice president make their way from the Capitol Building down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.
To cap off the evening, Seth will attend the exclusive Black Tie Gala Inaugural Ball.
He says he’s looking forward to being there “first hand to experience history in the making.” While he supported Obama for president, he understands the significance of the inauguration and said he would have wanted to attend, regardless of who won the election. He plans to keep a journal and take lots of pictures. “This is definitely something I’m not going to forget.”
While tuition, lodging and most meals are covered by his UPIC scholarship, Seth still has to raise about $1,700 for his travel expenses.
Posted on Jan. 13, 2009