VCU goes to D.C.

Tuesday morning at 3 a.m. 41 people who live in Richmond, mostly Virginia Commonwealth University students, climbed aboard a Hall's Tours charter bus to join two million others at the inauguration of the 44th President Barack Obama.

The trip was organized by two VCU students who wanted a chance to attend the inauguration themselves. Josh Kadrich and Kathrine Rivara both worked as volunteers for Obama's campaign over the summer. Kadrich, former regional director of Students for Barack Obama, said that the trip was “something we just needed to do.”

Students were offered the chance to pay $50 for a seat on a Hall's Tours bus that would drive them directly to the capitol. This allowed them to bypass much of the traffic because only taxis and buses were allowed to cross the bridges into the city. Participants were also able to avoid using the metro sytem that was expected to be busier than any time in its history.

They arrived in Washington D.C. at 5 a.m. And were only 10 blocks from the national mall where the ceremony was held. But because of crowds and security check points it took them three hours to travel the extensive series of detours and closed roads on foot.

This years inauguration was the largest and most expensive in history. Some estimates have attendance at the event doubling the previous record holder. That inauguration was for Lyndon Banes Johnson and had an attendance of 1.2 million. It also cost four times that of the the previous record holder President George W. Bush.

Attendees had to deal with low temperatures all day long. Sarah Drake, a senior in the theater department, observed that it felt colder when the sun came up than when they arrived at 5 a.m. The high temperature for the day was 31 degrees, and when the inauguration ceremonies began the temperature with wind chill was 14 degrees. “I was cold, but it was worth it. Don't get me wrong.”, said Drake

“This is a once in a lifetime thing, when I one day have a family I want to be able to tell them where I was when we inaugurated the first black president... like Woodstock” said Kelly Vetter, a senior in photography.”

Student's favorite part of the trip varied. Stephen Rice, a junior in business, said that his favorite was when Obama finally put his had on the bible and took the oath. “It was like the beginning of a new era for America.”

“I feel a little bad about it, but my favorite part was when they introduces Bush and a boo erupted from the audience.” Said Rivara.

“I was so happy just to get back on that nice warm bus.”, said Drake.

The question for many of the students was what happens next? Most of the trip participants had an issue which they wanted to see addressed. Rivara who is most concerned with the environment wants to see new green jobs, and Vetter wants Obama to immediately resend the executive order making it legal to hunt wolves in Wyoming.

Rivara knows that she isn't going to agree with everything that the new president does. She already disagreed with his choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation. But she feels that Obama has earned her trust by speaking openly and honestly about complex issues. “As long as he continues to treat voters with respect he will keep engaging an encouraging people like me to show up and help him get things done. Rivara said.