EMU celebrates Obama inauguration with campus events

As more than 1 million people gathered in Washington, D.C., to watch Barack Obama be inaugurated as America's 44th president, hundreds of EMU students, faculty and staff flocked to the Student Center Grand Ballroom to be a part of the momentous occasion. Two words truly captured the vibe of this historical event: excited and hopeful.

TAKING THE OATH: A large number of Eastern Michigan University faculty, staff and students are riveted to the big TV screens as they watch Barack Obama sworn in as America's 44th president and its first-ever African- American president. In addition to the viewing in the Student Center Grand Ballroom, inauguration activities included a discussion/analysis of Obama's inauguration speech, a performance by rapper Mims and an EMU Neighborhood Ball.

"I'm pretty excited because it's the first election I voted in," said Laura Schulz, a psychology major from Canton, Mich. "I was getting goose bumps."

The Student Center Grand Ballroom was transformed for the event, which took place Jan. 20. Three large screens were placed in front of round tables. Patriotic decorations, including red, white and blue balloons and flags, added to the décor. To show their support, some students wore Obama T-shirts and pins.

The Black Student Union hosted its own viewing of the inauguration in Buell Hall, as did the College of Education in the Porter Building.

"The idea is so extreme and so different from what we've seen in the past," said Jason Promo, an electronic media and film major from Plymouth, Mich. "I think that it's going to bring hope."

When President Obama first appeared on the screens, the Student Center crowd erupted into spontaneous applause and cheers.

"It's exciting," said Heather Duncan, a sophomore majoring in biology from Canton, Mich. "Even if you're not an Obama supporter, it's an awesome thing for the country."

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