Issue date: 1/21/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Battalion Admin [Click to enlarge]

WASHINGTON, D.C. - More than 1 million braved the cold Tuesday to secure a spot along the National Mall as Barack Obama was sworn in as the nation's first black president.

Spectators began arriving before dawn amid the below-freezing weather. The inaugural committee recommended public transportation, and the Metro Transit rides were a hot commodity as Obama supporters watched crowded trains pass them by. Passengers on board complained of claustrophobia and ordered passengers near the door not to let anyone else board.

When spectators arrived on Capitol Hill, they stood huddled in cattle-like lines until the security gates opened. Some areas, including those that were ticketed, had reported two to four hour wait times. A lady wearing an Obama T-shirt and holding her coveted ticket said she waited four hours and never made it inside.

But despite the wait times and large turnout, the enthusiasm was high and spectators kept spirits up by chanting for the then-President-elect and waving flags and signs of support.

Texas State Rep. Solomon P. Ortizz, Jr., Class of 1999, said the atmosphere made the wait worthwhile.

"It was amazing, what got me choked up was a lot of the folks around me, especially some of the older folks, were crying and had tears in their eyes," he said.

Ortiz Jr. said younger people who didn't live through the 60s had a different reaction to the momentous day and that it was rewarding to see the effect on the older generation.

"We see it just as change for America but some of these other folks see it as a life-changing experience and that's what got me," he said.

Spectators ranged from all ages and backgrounds, but the atmosphere was one of unity and one of hope. Members of a group of more than 60 who drove together from Georgia offered a scarf to a young woman cradling a crying infant in line.

Ortiz Jr. was able to share the experience with his father, U.S. Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz, who said the event had a personal meaning. Ortiz, the child of a Mexican migrant family, was born in Robstown, Texas. Ortiz's father died when he was 16, forcing him to drop out of school and join the Army to help pay family bills. Ortiz received his GED while in the Army and returned to South Texas to begin his political career as Nueces County Constable and, later, a U.S. congressman.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools