January 20, 2009 is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.  My roommates and I left the hotel at 4am and got to the Capital around 5:45.   The metro was so crowded to the point you could not even move your arms.  We were among the 995,000 people on the metro that day, headed to the National Mall.  Once we finally arrived at our stop, we waited in line for over two hours with our silver tickets secured in Jenn’s bag.  We were prepared for the weather and ready to witness this historic event.  As we entered the gate, we showed our tickets and had to walk through a long line of policeman.  Then we went to another line of security, opening our coats and going through medal detectors.  Once we went through, we ran an attempt to get close to the retaining fence.  The sun was rising and excitement filled the Mall.  

          We were directly behind the small reflecting pool and had a great view of the Capitol.  As our section filled up, the plastic retaining fence began to tear.  Soon people tore it down and ran into the handicap section.  I felt that security should have stepped in and stopped this from happening to prevent any injuries.  As I looked all around me I thought of how lucky we were to be able to witness the remarkable event.

          Over 2 million people filled the National Mall, waiting for Obama to be sworn in.  I could see tears streaming down the faces of those around me.  His speech was somber as well as moving.  He gave a great deal of hope to the American people, making  it an unforgettable day in the nation’s Capitol.  Once the inauguration ceremony was over, we went on the frozen reflecting pool in front of us, skating our way to the other side.   The Inauguration was a spectacular event that I feel privileged to be a part of.  My time in Washington, DC has been such a memorable experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. 

     Today was Martin Luther King, Jr. day.   We were able to catch up on sleep this morning and order room service for breakfast.  We left the hotel around noon to pick up our Inauguration tickets at Congressman Higgin’s office.  The line to go in the building seemed never ending but Jenn was very patient and waited for hours while we went to the Air and Space Museum.  Thanks Jenn!  The museum was my least favorite of the Smithsonians, partially due to the massive crowd.  

    After the museum, we went to dinner with the whole group and made it back to our hotel early.  Tomorrow is the day we have been waiting for this whole trip and are getting to bed early.  We plan on leaving the hotel at 4am…so goodnight!

        Today, a few of us left the hotel around 7:30am in an attempt to beat the crowd to The Mall.  All of us appeared a little on the heavier side today, as a result of wearing a good portion of our wordrobes in order to stay warm.   We met a nice couple from Arizona who traveled all this way for the concert as well as the Inauguration.  Once we arrived near The Mall we were on the lookout for a good breakfast place.  We stumbled upon The Waffle Shop, across from Ford’s Theatre.  It was a small diner that was the only place opened so early on a Sunday morning.  The diner was packed with policemen, making all of us feel very safe.  I thought the food was excellent and if I get a chance, will return in future visits to DC.

      The concert was very impressive with over 400,000 people in attendance.  We managed to scope out a pretty good spot next to the Reflective Pool, with room for us to move around for the most part.  We were  there for five hours before the concert even began but were entertained by the number of people flocking to this remarkable event.  My favorite performers were Garth Brooks and U2. Obama seemed to really enjoy the show and so did everyone in the crowd, despite the cold temperatures.  

       Tonight everyone from Bonaventure ate together in the restaurant on the top floor of our hotel.  The food was great and restaurant has a gorgeous view of the city.  Tonight we are getting to bed early after a great day on The Mall.

           Today we went to the Newseum, a very impressive museum of news and journalism.  It was a frigid, cold and bitter morning, so before walking for blocks to the museum,  we warmed up in the nearest Starbucks.   As we entered the Newseum,   I was informed that Anderson Cooper was there filming on the rooftop.  Yesterday we went to a 3D movie and today we upgraded to a 4D movie about the history of journalism.  It was quite the experience, involving water being splashed on us as well as the sensation of mice crawling up our legs.  

         Some of the  Newseum’s exhibits we explored included the News Corporation News Gallery, 9/11 Gallery, Today’s Front Page Gallery, Berlin Wall Gallery, Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery, and the First Dogs Gallery.   The Front Page Gallery was very interesting displaying today’s newspaper from countries around the world, as well as cities across the United States.  This gallery really showed America’s immense impact on the rest of the world, with almost every newspaper having an article on Obama’s upcoming inauguration.  The Greenspun Terrace on Pennsylvania Avenue was my favorite place in the Newseum.  The only entrance is a door right after the Today’s Front Page Gallery.  Here, you are able to get a great view of the Capitol Building, as well as the rest of the city.  We could see Secret Service setting up on the rooftop of the Canadian Embassy, right next door for the Inauguration.  

         Tomorrow we are leaving at 7am in an attempt to get a good spot for the concert on The Mall.  The concert is between 2 and 9pm, with celebrities such as Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Usher, Denzel Washington, Jamie Fox, Tiger Woods, as well as many others scheduled to appear.

         Today was the last morning session at the UDC.  Our Bonaventure group went to the National Museum of American History.  The Presidential exhibit was a favorite of mine, Obama already been included on the wall of Presidents.  The Inaugural Ball Dresses exhibit was fascinating, displaying the intricate gowns worn by our nations former first ladies.  A couple of us then went to the National Museum of Natural History.  This Smithsonian was very impressive, with its Dinosaur and Diamond exhibits being my favorites.  In the Diamond exhibit, we were able to view the famous Hope Diamond.  We then went to the IMAX theatre in the museum and viewed Deep Sea 3D, with Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet as the narrators.  This was very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend taking full advantage of all the National Museum of Natural History has to offer.

          Once we got back to our hotel, a couple of us decided to remain in the area for dinner.  We stubbled upon a small restaurant named Santa Fe Cafe after all our other options were too long of a wait.  The service was pretty good however the food was not the best.  While in the process of paying the bill, we received a phone call from my roommates informing us that my room was completely flooded.  We rushed back to the hotel, only to witness our room drenched with an awful sewage odor.       

         The hotel’s management informed us that the same pluming problem happened a year or two ago.  So now we have a much better room with an amazing view looking out onto the city.   Saturday we will be attending the Newseum and hopefully the evening will go more smoothly.

   On Thursday, a couple of us were fortunate enough to receive senate gallery tickets, allowing us to watch a session of Congress.  It was a great experience being able to witness Biden and Clinton’s farewell speech.  I really enjoyed listening to Biden as he spoke about his first experience on the senate floor.  His first time to Washington, D.C. was when he was twenty-one visiting a friend at Georgetown.  He visited the Capitol and soon found himself entering the Senate floor.  As he entered, he went right up to the Vice President’s chair and sat in it. Today, this would not be possible due to increased security. Ironically, that will soon be his seat.

     We witnessed Senators Clinton, Biden, Kerry, McCain, Schumer, Liberman, and many others.  We also witnessed Burris being sworn in, replacing Obama’s seat.  His whole family was sitting on the opposite side of the gallery, witnessing this remarkable event.  

     Soon we met up with the rest of the Bonaventure group and took and official tour of the Capitol.   It was interesting seeing workers set up for the upcoming inaugural events.  After the tour we went to dinner at McFadden’s Restaurant  near George Washington University.  After dinner, we attended an event with Mark Russell as the speaker.  He was very entertaining and mentioned Buffalo a couple of times.  

     Friday, we will attend the National Museum of American History.

    Today was a very good day.  We began our morning at UDC with Steve Bell discussing the importance of getting information from a variety of creditable sources.  There are so many sources of news today, that people often only go where they get their own opinions reinforced.  Dana Perino, the White House Press Secretary was one of the speakers on C-SPAN  today.  There was a particular question she received from one of the students regarding September 11, 2001 that I thought she could have handled a lot better.  In her response she stated, “well maybe you don’t remember what it was like after 9/11,” shocking the student audience.  Her remark was very offensive to many members of the student audience and I feel that she underestimated the impact the event had on the nation as a whole. 

    Ted Koppel, former host of ABC News Nightline, was another guest speaker.  He stressed that journalism is about accuracy, objectiviity, and quality.  He discussed how journalists often help point out humanitarian disasters which can result in action, often saving lives.  

      Later on we went to the Embassy of Algeria.  It was quite impressive getting to sit in a large conference room and have the opportunity to ask Abdallah Balli, the Ambassador of Algeria questions.  I have to say that I never thought I would be able to sit next to the Ambassador of Algeria.  He was very intelligent and discussed relations with Algeria and the United States.  He also discussed how he feels the rest of the world is excited to see Obama come into office.  Although, the main reason is see President Bush out of the White House.  After he answered all our questions he was happy to take pictures with everyone.

     Afterwards, we took the metro back to the hotel, only to change into more comfortable clothes.  It was time to attend the Syracuse vs. Georgetown game.  We somehow managed to get excellent seats by the student section.  John McCain also had excellent seats. It was a disappointing game seeing Syracuse lose, however a great experience.  We met recent Bona Alumni at the game, who were now living in the D.C. area. It is always a great day running into Bonaventure people, especially in a place miles away from home.

        Today was another busy day in Washington, D.C.  As we arrived at the Washington Center, after our daily visit to Starbucks, we had to wait in the lobby for C-SPAN to finish setting up.  Everyone was eager to get the best seat possible, hoping to get a chance to show their face on television.  Brett Baur was one of the guests and answered several of the students questions.  The opportunity to be the live audience on C-SPAN with Brian Lamb and ask questions is one that we will all remember.

        Brian Lamb interviewed Tom Wheeler, part of the  Obama Transition Team as well as Carol Wheeler, the Obama Irish America Outreach Coordinator.  Carol Wheeler is originally from Iowa and discussed their role in the Obama Campaign.  They touched on the topic of education and the importance of investing more money in order to nourish the minds of future leaders.  

        After the morning seminar, we went to Union Station for lunch.  We then walked in front of the White House, where the parade will travel.  There were several workers preparing for the large event, however we were still able to go up to the White House and take pictures.  Our reception at the Chamber of Commerce this evening was very interesting.  Bob Schiefer, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent, was the speaker.  I was impressed with his presentation, however, very disappointed in some of the participants lack of respect of a world lead and notable journalist.

     I arrived in D.C. yesterday around 3pm after a 51/2 hour car ride.  I was looking forward to this trip for several months now and was eager to finally arrive  and meet with everyone from Bonaventure.  It is a great opportunity to be  part of this program and an honor to be able to attend the Inauguration of Obama.  

      Today was officially the first day of our program .  We woke up around 6am and took the metro to the Washington Center.  When we arrived, we met for icebreakers with the other 700+ students in the Presidential Inauguration Seminar from universities around the country.  Steve Bell, distinguished anchor from Good Morning America was our first speaker.   He quickly captured the audience’s attention discussing Obama’s relationship with the media.  Dana Bash, Senior Congressional Correspondent from CNN, discussed her role in following the campaign.  

       After listening to the speakers, we took a bus tour of Washington, D.C. stopping at the monuments.  These included the Lincoln Memorial, The Vietnam and Korean Memorials, The WWII Memorial, The Jefferson Memorial, and The FDR Memorial.    After the tour we went out to dinner at the Dublinar, which had excellent food.  Tomorrow is another early morning at the Washington Center with several speakers, including Special Agent O’Connor.