Students gathered in Collins Court early Tuesday morning for a viewing party of the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
Representatives from the undergraduate student government, Bruin Democrats and the Community Programs Office hosted the viewing party, which began at 8 a.m. and ran until a little after 10 a.m.
The event had a great turnout with over 100 students, some even sitting on the floor, said Homaira Hosseini, president of the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
“We had to host an inauguration viewing party because we thought it would be great for students to get together during this historic moment and build a community,” she said. “It showed that students really do care about this.”
Hosseini added that a lot of students approached her about whether or not there would be a place to watch the event and she felt it was necessary to provide a space for them.
Shortly after the inauguration, Hosseini gave a speech about the importance of getting involved in the community and on the state of the economy.
She said she felt that when President Obama said, “We can no longer afford to ignore the community around us,” that it was very relevant to UCLA.
“I think that spoke volumes to UCLA because I feel like UCLA is not just a college institution. We are well-renowned and we have a community in need in Los Angeles. I think that can definitely be accomplished,” she said.