Obama Inauguration was first person experience for some Rossview High students

By Turner McCullough Jr. | February 17, 2009 |

Timothy Wisdom, Christina Bechard, Michael Oliver

The difference between watching the Inauguration of President Barack Obama on TV and actually being in Washington D.C. for that historic event was not lost on several Rossview High School students. Witnessing history firsthand and discovering the wonders of our nation’s capital held special awe and meaning for local students participating in the WorldStrides Educational Student Travel Program.

While some CMCSS students missed out on witnessing history in the making in real time, for several Rossview High School seniors, January 20th will always stand out as a momentous day in their lives. While the inauguration caps the culmination of a two year journey through our national presidency election process, it also marked the culmination of thirteen months of planning, budgeting and sacrifice for students of Rossview Coach Russell Mang’s History and Advanced Placement Government classes.

Three students met with this writer and spoke about their experiences and impressions about their Inauguration Trip. While their trip covered a four day stay, the presidential inauguration was the highpoint of the experience. Timothy Wisdom, Christina Bechard and Michael Oliver spoke of their time in our nation’s capital during the January 20th inauguration. WorldStrides did extend the invitation to attend and acted as the sponsor for the group,making arrangements for all accommodations and travel, however, the expenses of the trip were totally borne by the students and their families. No funds came from the school system. Even the chaperons had to cover their own expenses.

Starting in January of last year, Coach Mang began coordinating information and contact from WorldStrides, a national student educational travel firm that sets up travel opportunities to various American sites. Students were given the details of attending Washington D.C. for the presidential inauguration and the opportunity to sign up for the Inauguration trip. They and their families made the commitment to meet the expenses of the trip and participate in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At that time, there was no way who would be taking the oath of office, but being present to witness the swearing-in of a United States President is not an everyday thing. Part-time jobs and funds raisers were held to meet the financial obligations imposed by this extravaganza.

The first impression they all agreed upon was that Washington was COLD! Yet the weather became a background annoyance to the wonders of the day as they made their way to their scheduled attractions and observances.

The sheer vastness of the gathered mass of humanity impressed the students. The Mall was literally a sea of humanity from across the globe. The one common factor the students all agreed on was the overwhelming display of courtesy and kindness everyone extended to each other. There seemed to be a universal desire to ensure that everyone was able to observe this historic event, even if that meant rendering assistance to a stranger. On that day, in our nation’s capital, there were no strangers, just fellow travelers seeking to observe history.

For the Rossview students, their four day sojourn held many exciting sights. Even  for Michael, who was no stranger to D.C., the trip was special. They agreed they were glad they got to do the ‘Washington, D.C. tourist’ thing. Along with viewing our nation’s capitol from the top of the Washington Monument, witnessing the sea of humanity gathered for the inauguration, they also took in the U. S. Capital Building itself, touring the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate chambers; the White House, The Iwo Jima Memorial, The Vietnam Memorial, aka ‘The Wall’; Arlington Cemetery and its vast fields of solemn, silent white crosses, the Holocaust Museum and three halls of the Smithsonian Museum Complex. Because of inauguration preparations, they didn’t get to tour The Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. They did experience the Metro Transit System and still managed to log over twenty miles of walking in their brief stay.

The students were unaware of the local firestorm that brewed over some CMCSS students not being able to watch the inauguration in their classrooms. They didn’t learn of that until their return to Clarksville, and were sorry that the opportunity had been denied any student. When asked if any of their fellows had expressed any resentment of their good fortune, they all responded that they had only received well wishes and that several students said they were glad these students were able to be there and witness the inauguration firsthand. Those students have told them the inauguration was more personal for them now, because they knew someone had actually been there. If anything, fellow students and classmates were eager to hear of their adventure.

There is newfound interest in political science for these seasoned political observers. May their interest remain steadfast.

About Turner McCullough Jr.

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