Shortly after the clock struck noon, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the nation’s 44th president before millions of viewers in Washington, D.C., and even more watching on television across the nation.
Though it seemed like another ordinary school day at UCLA, hundreds of students, faculty and staff amassed at various locations throughout campus to catch a glimpse of the ceremony.
At the Cooperage in Ackerman Union, more than 150 people waited patiently in the early morning as they watched the inauguration on the new, large-screen television installed last quarter.
Coffee in hand, some sat quietly with their eyes fixed on the screen up front, while some stood to the sides shuffling their feet as they made room for latecomers.
It was a diverse group of people: a mixture of students who had just finished class, some who had decided to catch the ceremony a few minutes before class and staff who were on break from work.
Some sported Obama T-shirts dating back to the primary season when Sen. Hillary Clinton and Obama were head-to-head in the race for the Democratic party’s nomination. Others wore their work uniforms.
While little noise was made during the opening of the ceremony, the room burst into applause when Obama’s arrival at the National Mall was announced. The noise quieted down for a moment when Vice President Joseph Biden took the oath of office, though the applause started up once more when the announcer on television said that Obama was officially the new president at noon. According to the Constitution, the new president’s term begins at the stroke of noon, even if the president-elect has not yet been sworn in.
When he went on stage to take the oath of office, he initially fumbled over his words as he was sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. over the Bible. The Bible, held by Obama’s wife, Michelle, was the same one used by Abraham Lincoln in his first inauguration.
The president spoke for roughly 20 minutes about the many struggles the United States faces and the work that needs to be done to bring the nation back to prosperity.
“Today, I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met,” Obama said.
For some who watched his speech on television, the moment was a snapshot of history they were glad to have witnessed. Cammille Santos, a third-year international development studies student, said that having the university host an event on campus provided a convenient way for her to participate in the historic moment.
“It allows us to be a part of history, even when we’re at school,” she said.
“It was really amazing to be in this room full of people who support Barack Obama and … I just felt really good in here. It was really good energy and you could feel the excitement in the room,” she added.
For others, the moment proved to be a signal of the changing dynamics across America.
“I think it’s change not only in Washington but in the world because, of course, he’s the first black president. … This is signifying that we’re breaking down barriers that were put up before, and it’s just like, you know, anything is possible,” said Dayo Akinyemi, a third-year physiological science student.
That excitement for change in Washington resonated throughout the room during various pauses in Obama’s speech.
“I think that the entire Barack Obama speech was really meaningful to me and really resonated to me,” Santos said. She added that Obama manages to give hope to people and that the inauguration made her even more excited for what is to come.
For more than one bystander, the inaugural ceremony brought tears to their eyes. For Claire Chik, a graduate student in applied linguistics, the reality of having a black president made her tear up during Obama’s speech.
“I am glad I came because of the energy all of the people in the Cooperage,” she said. “I would prefer to be in D.C., but this is a good substitute. I feel absolutely great. … The color of his skin has not gotten in the way of him being elected.”
With reports by Julienne Lauler, Bruin contributor.