Students find ways to watch inauguration

By David Ugarte

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

For some KU students, Tuesday’s class was just another day from the syllabus. Yet for a number of others, instructors opted to clear the class schedule in order to televise the inauguration of Barack Obama, the nation’s 44th president.

Stephen Ilardi, associate professor of psychology, said he decided to show the inauguration in his psychology class of more than 300 students because of its historical magnitude. The class before Ilardi’s was canceled, allowing Ilardi to invite his students to come in early to watch the entire inauguration.

“I am careful not to push my political opinion on my class,” Ilardi said, “but I do think it’s important to see historical events and understand them.”

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“In the end he turned into something better for the country. It’s a new chapter in America.”

Joshua Brown, Longmont, Colo., senior, watched the inauguration in his psychology class. Brown said being African-American made him proud to see Obama become president. He said he was unsure about Obama at the beginning of the election but ended up voting for him.

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Photo by Mariam Saifan

“In the end he turned into something better for the country,” Brown said. “It’s a new chapter in America.”

The KU Honors Program watched the inauguration at the Nunemaker Center on its large TV, welcoming students to stop by to watch the ceremony on their way to or from classes. The center was able to accommodate students because technology added since the presidential inauguration following the 2004 election. Sandra Wick, associate director of the Honors Program, said she wanted to watch the inauguration for its significance.

“I think all of us as staff and faculty here are very interested in it,” Wick said.

Celebrations were held throughout Lawrence for the inauguration as well, including a show at the Granada on Tuesday night. Granada Marketing Director Jake Hiersteiner, a KU graduate from Kansas City, Kan., said the bar would broadcast video of President Obama’s inauguration speech, followed by performances from four local bands.

“We got together with Lawrence.com, Mixtape Soundlab and MoveOn.org to have an event,” Hiersteiner said, “because we all feel it is a cause for celebration,”

— — Edited by Chris Horn

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