Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Special Inauguration Edition

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Cartoon by Dan Johnson

Here are the articles from the North Park Special Inaugural Edition of the Press:









Ignorance is Ignorance by Nyenemo P. Sanguma

It is always better to know as opposed to not knowing at all. If we are ignorant by choice, or simply ignorant, we alienate ourselves from what is out there and by doing so, lead ourselves to potential danger. That danger does not necessarily mean physical, but rather embarrassment, lack of knowledge, and a limited world view.

It is embarrassing to see some college students choosing not to read newspapers, page through the World Atlas, or turn on the local news channel for at least thirty minutes to know what is going on around them. Instead, most North Park students choose to spend their time on facebook, playing video games, or getting lost watching Lost every Thursday night.

I was very discouraged when I asked few of our North Park students about their take on Gaza and got the answer, “Who is Gaza?”, or “What is Gaza?”, or “I don’t know what is going on there.” It was funny but sad when I told some North Park students that I am from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and got this reaction, “Oh, that’s in Jamaica, right?”, or some asked, “Where is that?”, or “What island is that?” It is beneath the dignity of a college student who goes to school in Chicago, IL and when I asked their opinion on the scandals surrounding Illinois’ Governor Rod Blagojevich, they responded, “What did he do?”, and eventually said, “I don’t know.”

What some of these college students ignore is that there has been an ongoing military conflict between Palestine and Israel for the past few weeks, resulting in hundreds of deaths in Gaza. And what some college students don’t know about my native country D.R. Congo is, it’s the third largest African nation, and has suffered from numerous civil wars, making it the deadliest conflict since World War II. What some college students should know about Governor Blagojevich is he has been accused by the FBI for corruption, for supposedly selling President Elect Barack Obama’s senate seat to the highest bidding candidate.
It is important to know what is going on around us, because when we do we understand the world that we are living in, and therefore better positioned to make positive changes. If we don’t know what or where Gaza is, how can we act on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? And what does it say about our understanding of the world and our involvement in it if we don’t know the geographical location of a vast territory such as the D.R. Congo. If we don’t pay attention to what is going on locally in Illinois regarding Mr. Blagojevich’s suspicious activities, what does it say about our individual responsibility? It is always better to know because it widens our views, which then leads us to make the right changes.

Students should reawaken their desire to know, and develop their curiosity far beyond what is just required of them in class. Beyond only knowing what’s going to be on the quiz in Joel Willitts’ Intro to Bible class or the midterm examination in Joseph Alulis’ Comparative Politics class. North Park’s motto says, “Preparing students for a life of significance and service.” I am certain that North Park means what it says, and am sure that our professors and faculty are preparing students for that life of, “Significance and service.” It is students who fail to inform themselves beyond their classes and thus limit their ability to make a difference once they leave college.

Letter from the Editor by Mike Zielinski

As I am sure you have already noticed, this is a special inauguration issue. It is special not only because it covers the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama, but because the North Park Press had the fortunate opportunity to be in D.C. during the historic event.

Cramming into two North Park vans the Saturday before the Inauguration, the North Park Press left for D.C. accompanied by several members of the Student Association. After an agonizing fourteen hours in the vans, we arrived at the Church of the Redeemer in Bowie, Maryland, which would serve as our home base for the next four days. On behalf of the Press, I would like to express my thanks to Pastor Paul Meador, Wendi Paterno, and the members of Redeemer for their fervent hospitality and blessings.

Sunday brought us to the Washington Memorial, where we joined thousands to listen to speeches and musical performances by celebrities and artists such U2, Stevie Wonder, and Beyonce. Surely many of you were watching the concert from your dorms and apartments and know what a unique group of individuals gathered to usher in the inauguration. Following the concert, we were able to view the Lincoln, WWII and Vietnam Memorials. After traversing D.C., we returned exhausted to the Redeemer, as we did every night for the next few days, tired though excited for the events that would ensue the following day.

On Monday, the Press went their separate ways, each drawn to a different element of the historic city. Several of us went to view Manifest Hope:DC, a gallery devoted to politically-influenced artists displaying their beautiful contemporary and graphic art. Others visited the Smithsonian, International Spy Museum and various other landmarks in the area.

While the events on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 will forever remain distinct in the minds of the sojourners who assembled in D.C., for each person it will be for a different reason, a different memory of why it was important. Personally, I am amazed that this was the 44th time that the highest seat of power in the United States has passed peacefully from one hand to another. In other countries, power is attained through violence or strife, but not in the U.S. Two million people stood silent Tuesday afternoon as the President’s voice left his mouth, entered the loudspeakers and echoed of the buildings of downtown D.C. For those that watched it on television, it was inspiring. For those that were there, it was breathtaking.

Our trek back to Chicago began early Wednesday morning. We crowded into the vans, tired and smelly, having not showered since the beginning of our voyage. This issue is the product of that voyage, a culmination of young voices inspired by the promise of change. The initial idea for the trip was to provide the staff with the opportunity to experience the inauguration like a professional press team. As evident by this special edition, the plan was a success.

A New Media by Cat Mungcal

In addition to the major American and international newspapers and televisions stations, countless independent publications (including your very own) made the journey to DC; but they were not the only ones writing about the Inauguration. Now, thanks to Web 2.0 tools: texting, blogs, Youtube, and social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter, it is now easier than ever to share news stories or write (or record) and share commentary on current events.

Major stations like CNN and FOX are beginning to harness this new wave of interaction not only by starting their own pages on Facebook and Myspace and asking viewers to comment on stories; but actually using them as sources. When unarmed, 22 year old, Oscar Grant was shot and killed by a police officer on New Year’s Day at a busy train station in Oakland, California; there were at least 10 different recordings that were uploaded to Youtube. Within days, these recordings gathered thousands of views, and major stations have used them in their news segments. For Al Jazeera English (AJE), Web 2.0 has become its doorway into the American radar. During the 9/11 attacks, Osama Bin Laden sent his videos to the Al Jazeera Arabic news station to be broadcasted, which has created a lot of resistance against the English channel; but instead of retreating, AJE has built up not only its website but its Youtube channel and has created a Twitter page so “Followers” can receive headlines in real-time. One station, Current TV, allows viewers to control all televised content through Viewer Created Content that is voted on by website visitors. During the Presidential Debates, they utilized Twitter, a micro-blogging site that allowed viewers to make their own commentary on what they saw and heard.

While there have always been questions about who is actually unbiased in their depiction of the news, this new media raises a new kind of questions: questions that are actually about us as viewers. Will we develop a healthy level of post-modernism that admits this writer, this blog, this video segment, speaks from his or her own experiences and therefore cannot be the definitive source on this issue? Because Web 2.0 requires entire stories to be chopped up into sound bites and headlines, will we admit to our own finite minds and cultivate a discipline that seeks to know and understand a few issues deeply, or will we be simply collecting things to “fact drop” on the Green Space or in between classes in Carlson? The power of this new media can be harnessed; the question is how will you use it?

Manifest Hope IN:DC by Marcus Simmons

Few, if any, American presidents have inspired entire artistic movements, but Manifest Hope:DC is evidence of the critical part art plays in generating and influencing social energy in today’s modern political arena. The art exhibition opened on January 17th, offering more than seventy well-known and not-so-well-known artists a chance to present their political minds to thousands of tourists and Washingtonians in the days leading up to the Inauguration of America’s 44th president, Barack H. Obama. Hundreds of national and international representations of Obama, and what his campaign is believed to stand for, covered the walls of two floors in the building. There were stained glass pieces, paintings, posters, sculptures, statues, and video focused on themes of voting, healthcare reform, worker’s rights and a green economy.

Upon entering the gallery, guests were greeted by a group of enthusiastic hostesses and handed a variety of commemorative postcards, magazines and buttons. Free sports drinks flowed while a duo of disc jockeys mixed up a most appropriate combination of politically charged rock and soul tunes from the past and present. The Washington gallery and several organizations, including MoveOne.org, VoteLatino, and the Service Employees International Union, worked with a variety of artists across the nation to, “mark this monumental achievement in our nation’s history and [encourage] artists and activists to maintain the momentum to bring about true change in the United States” (manifesthope.com).

Justin Hampton’s painting garnered the attention of camera crews and newspaper reporters as guests lined the walls of the gallery to get pictures by his and some other artist’s pieces. When asked why he chose to paint what he did, the young painter’s response was quick and straight off the cuff. “Why not!”

Laughing, the young artist from Portland, Oregon began to tell his story. “You know this election definitely motivated me early on and I had this idea in my head for a while and I finally got the time.” Obama’s campaign motivated Hampton to create a screen print in support of the campaign which he began promoting. “A portion of the profits from this print went to the campaign’s final push over the last weekend before the election to help get the vote out,” says Hampton.

Once-presidential-hopeful John McCain also had a little something to do with motivating Hampton’s most recent project. “In the 2008 Presidential Debate, Senator John McCain capped off a night of dismissive behavior toward his opponent by referring to Senator Barack Obama, not by name or title, but simply… 'That One.’ John McCain used the term in a contemptuous sense: I use it in a total admiration and respect,” he explains. “There is a little bit of a tie-in for me personally. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were both assassinated the year I was born and so in 2008, 40 yrs. later, for me, it has a certain meaning to it. We are now at this point where we have an African-American president. It’s kind of like full circle for me, like my own little triumph, but it’s just an amazing thing to be a part of.”

“I’ve always been very politically minded and I come from a family of very liberal folks and I’ve been doing stuff for a while,” the artist explains. What started out as a small screen print was later acclaimed by Yosi Sergent, the publicist for the man whose “Hope” print is becoming one of the most famous pieces of American campaign art, Shepard Fairey. “I had to bust my hump for about two weeks to get it done. Just barely got it done in time but I did it and it’s definitely a piece of pride for me,” Hampton says.

It may come as a surprise to many that Hampton has only done a handful of paintings. “…the majority of what I do is actually rock posters, screeprints. I’ve done some magazine work for Rollingstone. I’ve been doing artwork – screen prints and working for magazines for about fifteen years – paintings since 2000 off and on. I’m about to get more seriously into it – this is like a real good launching point right here. The response has been good.”

As stated in the Manifest Hope:DC vision, “Art plays a pivotal role in creating cultural momentum.” The art exhibition was an effort to highlight this truth, bringing attention to a host of artists and disc jockeys that banded together to “amplify and motivate the grassroots movement that carried President-Elect Barack Obama to victory” (manifesthope.com).

Fireside Chat by Hannah Flint

The atmosphere in D.C. was electric. The opportunity to see the power of politics and the hope it can inspire in people to come together for the good of our country was truly incredible. The monuments and architecture of D.C. was beautiful and it was incredible to walk where some of the most influential people in the United States pass everyday, driving in their bulletproof Mercedes or mingling with the public at Starbucks. The whole experience made me stop and reflect on my role as Student Body President.

“America is now open for business” was one reporter’s paraphrase of Obama’s inauguration speech. My role as president is to connect Student Association with the greater student body, the administration, the community… to let people know that we are “open for business.” Like national politics, what we do here in Student Association has the power to polarize people or bring them together. Student Association must embrace all the contradictions of the students here at North Park in order to find the common themes- education, success, lives of significance and service.


Election excitement does not need to end with Obama’s Inauguration. Student Association is hosting a “Meet the Candidates” event to allow you to question and quiz the students running for next year’s Student Association President and Vice-President. Join us on Wednesday, January 28th from 6 – 7 pm in Java Haus.

Das Kapital Hill by Ben Van Loon

For this year's Inauguration, North Park's University Ministries helped sponsor a bus trip out to D.C. for some lucky students to view the historical event. I was going to go with UMin, but redacted my admission at the last minute (losing $50 in the process). There were a few reasons for this: I don't like buses, I don't like people, and I received a jury summons. For security reasons, the bus wouldn't have been allowed near the inaugural site, and I would have been stuck taking public transportation along with three-to-four million other wet, cold, and complaining Proud-To-Be-An-Americans. Furthermore, I would have been out at least $85, assuming that I didn't buy any food before or during the trip. So I ask: what is the one thing that all of us have in common, besides the love of our new President? Our love of Money.

Here are some numbers: It is estimated that an Inauguration ceremony costs about 150 million dollars to organize. Tickets for the swear-in ceremony cost at least $725 each. A ticket for the inaugural ball costs at least $1,300. A ticket for the Illinois State Society inaugural ball costs at least $445. D.C. Metrorail tickets cost between $1.65 and $4.50. The average national price for a gallon of gas as of January 12th is around $1.78. A quarter-water costs only 25 cents! And you can get two packs of mini powdered donuts for a dollar! Holy cojones!

Some people opposed to new presidential cabinets will protest these seemingly gross inaugural expenditures. They will say that the money could be used for better things, like education or healthcare. However, most of the money comes from private sources, and the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) lists these at their website (http://www.pic2009.org/page/content/donors/). Some of the private donations are as low as $250 dollars, and are (listed) as high as $50,000. Tom Eley's January 8th article from the World Socialist Website (wsws.org) unearths some interesting facts regarding the PIC's appropriation of funds. Elrey says "One hundred and eighty-nine donors have raised or "bundled" 87 percent, or $21.6 million, of the total [funds raised so far]."

Obama, to intimate Elrey's sentiment, has attempted to maintain the image of himself as being different or new. He has barred donations from corporations or organizations, and reduced the donation limit to only $50,000, rather than the $250,000 donation limit Bush employed. However, a few donors appear twice on the list - not because they have anything to gain from such magnanimity, but rather, they are simply that charitable and kind-hearted. This is what makes Obama's election so different. There were no lies, no money passed under tables (cf: Blagojevich), and no bad politics. He won because he is a good guy. As the proverb goes, good guys finish first. Experience repeatedly proves the truth of this.

Obama not only represents change, but also the end of the WASParchy that has dominated Capital Hill since America's inception. There are no more rich white guys calling the shots. America likes Obama because he has endured, and is the result of progress that is the tumult of American history. Genuine politicians are so rarely rewarded, and with Obama you get what you see. Though, if you have between ten to fifty thousand extra dollars, you can see even more. (I thought I had $85, but I didn't even have that.) If I were rich, I'd be charitable too. That way I wouldn't have to deal with people, use the Metrorail, or stand in the cold with three million of my closest friends. Next time there's change, I'll make sure I have fifty-thousand-worth. Jury duty - gets you every time.

Manifest Hope? by Eric Turner

While in Washington, I stopped by “Manifest Hope”, which featured various pop-art works portraying President Barack Obama: Obama as a family man, as a common worker, as a civil rights icon, as Superman, as Lincoln reincarnate, as a peacemaker, and a variety of other wide-ranging manifestations. While realizing that the art was sensationalized, I was still interested to see how different people view Obama’s presidency.

One group’s advertisement thanked Obama for being a defender of traditional marriage, while another group’s advertisement stated that they stood alongside Obama for gay marriage rights. Depending on what advertisement you were reading, you’d be lead to believe Obama was everything from an anti-abortion activist who would close the border to Mexico to a human rights crusader who would finally bring peace and prosperity to Africa.

Why all the different, even contradictory, interpretations of Obama’s presidency and his agenda? Whether deliberate or intentional, Obama’s campaign, which focused on optimism and a general idea of changing the way the country is run, has given a number of groups and individuals the idea that their agendas, desires, and long-lasting problems may finally be coming to an end. A gay-rights group may believe that hope and change will finally bring the rights they want, even if Obama has explicitly stated his opposition to same-sex marriage. A factory worker who has lost his job to overseas competition may believe that hope and change will enable his factory to reopen, even though Obama hasn’t come out against such competition. A Palestinian rights group may believe that hope and change will lead to an upheaval of the country’s status quo and result in more sympathy and support for Palestinians, even though Obama’s solutions for Palestine are still vague.

While the ‘hope and change’ theme was tremendously successful in Obama’s campaign, it now presents pressure and problems for the new administration. While optimism runs high now, Obama’s administration will need to deliver actual results lest they be seen as running a smoke-and-mirrors campaign with the general public. But what is Obama to do when, like seen above, two contesting groups of people both believe he is on their side?

This is likely to be an issue that follows Obama throughout his presidency: when so many people have bought into the idea that Obama will change the country and the world to their liking, a large number of people are bound to be disappointed. In another four years, assuming Obama is up for reelection, it is doubtful that we will see such instances of people projecting their own views onto Obama, as we will have a better understanding of where his administration stands on certain issues.

This is not to say that people are wrong or stupid for believing this way, or to say Obama is wrong for encouraging such views: in a country with a struggling economy that has had a negative view of it’s president for at least 3 years, people cannot be blamed for hoping for better times ahead, and both Obama and John McCain included hope and change in their campaign rhetoric. It’s merely a look at this highly unusual case of a president that has a 70% approval rating before stepping into the Oval Office, a figure many people believe to be the savior to the issues facing them, someone who has started to be mentioned in the same sentences as great Americans like Martin Luther King and Abraham Lincoln before he takes the Oath of Office. The pressures facing Obama are great, and only time will tell if he can live up to these lofty standards.

The City was Electric by Christine Wahlskog

In high school I had a teacher named Mr. Holmberg for social studies. He taught us about places and events around the world, many of which he had traveled to and experienced. He was one of the teachers who influenced me in my decision to go into education, and ever since I have wanted to have similar experiences that I can utilize in a classroom someday. This week I was able to travel to Washington D.C. and be present at the Inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama. The city was electric. Every person was excited to be there and the crowds were buzzing about the change that he is going to bring to our nation. Someday I am going to teach my students about January 20th, 2009 and what an important day it was in our history. When I look back at that day I am not going to remember the crowded trains or the freezing cold weather or the fact that I had to stand for seven hours; I am going to remember that I was there when history was made. I’ll remember the tears on the faces of the people in the crowd, the little kids on their parents shoulders waving American flags, the bedazzled Obama hats and the crowds chanting in unison “Yes we can!” and “O-ba-ma!” I will show my students pictures of me in front of the capitol and the ticket that proclaimed I was cordially invited to view the inauguration. I was a part of history. We all were. Two million of us were fortunate enough to be present in D.C. to witness it firsthand. And of all those people, who did I run into just outside the Capitol? Mr. Holmberg. Looks like now we’ll have a similar experience to teach our future students about.

The Bush Legacy and Obama's Future by Andrew Cohen

The identity of this American nation was forged quite inconspicuously with a single shot “heard round the world.” Similarly, the future of America as a democratic nation rested on the fate of the D-day invasion into Normandy. This last Tuesday welcomed a new chapter in the great yet oppressive history of the United States of America. The string that tied all three of these unprecedented events together was the valiant efforts of those martyrs who fought for the ideal and promise of freedom.

To fully comprehend this historic inauguration of the first African American to the Presidential office, I will retrace the legacy left by former President George W. Bush and how he will affect President Obama’s future. Head of the Politics and Government Department Joe Alulis stated, “for better or worse President Bush demonstrated the willingness and capacity of the U.S. to use force unilaterally and proactively in the face of perceived threats in defense both of this nation and of the liberal world order represented by institutions like the UN and WTO, which the U.S. took the lead in founding.” That positive outlook of former President Bush is matched by the ferocity of anti-President Bush protesters.

My brief time in Washington DC rediscovered this bipolar outlook of former President Bush. There were protesters that stated, “Arrest [President] Bush for his crimes against humanity…give him what he deserves” (indicating the middle finger.) However there were also signs on churches that thanked former President Bush for protecting unborn fetuses.

Weighing in on President Bush’s legacy was Director of Middle Eastern Studies Don Wagner stating, “The previous 8 years of the Bush Administration have brought us two unfinished wars (Iraq and Afghanistan), considerable deceit in leading our nation into the Iraq war, and a civil war waiting to happen in Pakistan. The early display of arrogance by the President and the 'go at it alone' policy have left the U.S. image in the world at its lowest level in my lifetime… Here at home we are left with the worst financial situation since the Great Depression and we may not have hit bottom yet. My guess is that most Americans would say that in terms of their personal finances, the U.S. image abroad, and overall quality of life, that as a nation and personally we are in a far worse condition today than we were eight years ago. It may take us a decade or two to climb out of the Bush legacy, ranking it as one of the most disastrous administrations in U.S. history.”

What is odd and mostly ironic was that when former President Bush campaigned for presidency, he was known for his aggressive domestic agenda. Yet after 9/11, the majority of his domestic dreams soon went by the wayside, due to the consuming efforts of two global wars. President Obama being recognized as “the president to fix domestic problems” makes the irony contemporary, when ties in Iraq and Afghanistan need to be latched down, Israel continues to massacre Palestinians, and our neighbor to the south is looking more and more unstable, President Obama will inevitably break from his domestic problems to bolster a humanitarian foreign policy agenda. What is even more difficult to conceive is that that list of nations didn’t even include the usual players of North Korea, Cuba, Russia, and China.
What did happen to that domestic agenda proposed by President Bush? Susan Page of the USA Today stated, “His signature No Child Left Behind education bill? Overshadowed. Individual investment accounts in Social Security? Beaten back. Tax simplification? Shelved. The 'compassionate conservative' he described in 2000? Replaced by a wartime president arguing the need to stay the course in a conflict that has lasted longer and cost more than most Americans imagined when it began.”

“They [the American citizen] were expecting to move on to a bunch of other things in the second term like Social Security reform and the ‘ownership society,’ but all that has been pushed aside because of Iraq,” says political scientist Steven Schier, author of High Risk and Big Ambition: The Presidency of George W. Bush. “It's the whale in the bathtub for the administration.”

“War kills reform,” says Robert Dallek, an LBJ biographer and author of Hail to the Chief: The Making and Unmaking of American Presidents. “It consumes the energy of the administration, the public, the press. This is what the focus is on.” In the final days of President Bush’s administration, he showed unprecedented transparency stating in his farewell address, “As the years passed, most Americans were able to return to life much as it had been before 9/11 -- but I never did. Every morning, I received a briefing on the threats to our nation. And I vowed to do everything in my power to keep us safe.” Continuing an oft-stated theme of his administration, the president added, “There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results. America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil.”

Is it possible to reconcile the Bush legacy? With both sides pointing their partisan fingers at one another, that seems like a far off fantasy. What will be paramount in moving forward is understanding the past, but not dwelling upon it. Liberals will point to the Iraq war as the epitome of an imperial presidency, whereas republicans will point to the same war as a justified war against terrorism, and one that most liberals voted for too. These points of tension will continue to delay attempts at true bipartisanship, unless both sides come to the table not for themselves, but for the people they represent.

Former President Bush continued the mood of bipartisanship as he succeeded his power during the inauguration. “In a tradition dating back to our founding, the presidency will pass to a successor chosen by you, the American people,” he said. “Standing on the steps of the Capitol will be a man whose story reflects the enduring promise of our land. This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation. And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife Michelle and their two beautiful girls.”

There have been comparisons of President Obama as the second Lincoln, MLK Jr, or even a Christ-like figure, yet they fail his true identity. Commenting on President Obama’s superstar status, Professor Alulis stated, “The world is painting president-elect Obama as the anti-Bush or 'unBush' and praising this image to the skies in the hopes that by flattery they may dissuade the new president from acting in any way that they perceive as harmful to their interests however short-sighted or self-serving. One may hope that president-elect Obama will be able to build on Bush's legacy by resetting the clock on U.S. relations with its allies with a greater likelihood that our allies will support us in the future when we act resolutely for the universal good.” While that may have been an overly callous outlook upon President Obama, Professor Alulis brought back to reality that Obama is merely man, and to place all hope on him is both morally wrong and intellectually worthless.

History will provide ample thoughts about the legacy left by the Bush Presidency. While many did not agree with him, he did create great laughs that many “misunderestimated” about him. The enduring question will be, how has the former president affected the view of America and will that prove to be negative for President Obama? The American Revolution, WW II, and President Obama’s inauguration tested, and will continue to test, the American resolve. Let's pray it won’t break.

Obama Condoms by Amanda Dayton

Obama condoms…what’s next?

He’s part celebrity, part politician, part sex symbol, part pioneer, and now he’s our president. As Obama worked his way up the ranks of American politics, he gained a seemingly unprecedented following. With the deafening roar of excitement that permeated Washington D.C. early last week for the Presidential Inauguration, came another new trend in American politics - Obama memorabilia.

It was anticipated that the new president would find his way onto postcards and t-shirts, but Barack has hit the mother load when it comes to merchandise.
Immediately after stepping off the escalator at any of the D.C. Metrorail stations, inaugural visitors were bombarded by hoards of street vendors looking to make it through the roughening economic times. In order to out-do the competition, each salesperson had a newer, weirder fare to sell. The list ranges from the normal Obama bedazzled hats and girly embroidered scarves to more outrageous afghans, socks, buttons, sunglasses, blinged-out belts, bags, and, oh yes, Obama condoms.

I expected this ground breaking president to be heavily commercialized, but what I didn’t anticipate was for the citizens to buy him up like Beanie Babies. People were dying to get their hands on something that they could use prove they were a part of history in the making. The myriad of merchandise was fun to see, but those who were present for the swearing-in of the first Black president will remember last Tuesday regardless of whether or not they brought home a souvenir.

Spare Change by Liana Evrard

President Barack Obama’s campaign slogan proclaimed him “the Change We Need”; however, now that he has become our 44th president, the exact nature of that “change” is up for debate. Opinions varied widely in our nation’s capital.
For Chris Richmond, who traveled to the Inauguration from Illinois, change is based in time. Obama, “represents a new generation of leadership for this country” Richmond said. In fact, Richmond’s trip to Washington embodied his personal vision of change—he brought along his fourteen-year-old son so that the two generations could bond over the ground-breaking event. Others took Obama’s slogan less seriously.
Obama-inspired advertisements covered the Washington Metrorail. The ads ranged from Ikea’s “Embrace Change” campaign to Bubbles Salons’ claim that “Change Begins Here”, as if cheap furniture or a new haircut would quickly cure this country’s ills. While the use of his words to make money may seem to cheapen Obama’s achievements, Ralph “Barak” Walker, of California, had no problem with this advertising tactic. He felt that Obama is such a purely good person that anything to do with him, even a silly advertisement, is just as good by association. “The seeds of Obama pop up everywhere”, explained Walker, “some temporary, some everlasting, but it’s good because he is good”.
Obama himself spoke directly of change in his inaugural address. He pointed out that “a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath”. Again, of the United States’ previous “indifference to suffering outside our borders”, Obama stated that “the world has changed, and we must change with it”. In contrast to the “change” written all over Washington, the rest of Obama’s speech focused primarily on things that have remained the same. “Our challenges may be new,” conceded Obama, ”but those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old”.
The emphasis on the familiar evident in Obama’s address troubled Washington resident Shashi Sherma. To Sherma, true change means that Obama will keep all of his campaign promises. “Another two years down the line they’ll actually let us see the real change”, Sherma predicted.
Only time will tell what, if anything, Obama decides to change in his new role as president, but important changes have already taken place. The election of an African-American president is obviously a significant change in and of itself. In a nation where “change” can unite, inspire, or even sell furniture, almost anything is possible.

We are One- Jennie Merrill

Our generation, like all those before, defines itself with a unique pop culture; the language, technology, and celebrities that make it up. Unfortunately, we have let those celebrities represent us with egocentric behavior, misdemeanors, and materialism. The Inaugural Concert, however, proved we have something more to offer as a generation- our ability to work together. Stevie Wonder shared the stage with international star Shakira and the ever cool Usher, while Sheryl Crow, will.i.am (from the Black Eyed Peas), and jazz legend Herbie Hancock performed Bob Marley’s very apropos, One Love. The most impressive of the collaborations, however, was folk icon James Taylor joining forces with R&B’s John Legend and Country’s newcomer Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland, for his song Shower the People. This seemed to me to be the ultimate trio, because while they differed in age, race, and most importantly musical genre, when they came together to perform, it was flawless. No one was trying to outdo the other; they all seemed simply honored to be there. If this is any indication how the new administration is going to approach its time in office, with quiet confidence, humility, and every effort for boundary disintegration, we have every reason to maintain the hope Obama sold us on during his campaign.
In between performers, actors spoke about or through the words of former presidents, and introduced us to the exact size of the shoes Barack Obama is getting ready to fill. Speakers such as Jamie Foxx, Jack Black, Laura Linney, Queen Latifah, Steve Carell, Denzel Washington, and Ashley Judd went through a series of social issues that affected the American people in the past, reminding us that many of the problems are still the same. For example, the recap of Theodore Roosevelt’s vision for national land preserves clearly signals the direction the next four years will take in regards to the use of our country’s natural resources. Obama even took the stage himself and announced to the people his continued desire that we look past the obvious differences that separate us, and work together to solve the bigger issues, specifically the economy and the war.
U2 gave a great performance of the song they wrote in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., In the Name of Love, after a video montage was played of the ‘I Have a Dream' speech, an address made on the very steps we were watching: the Lincoln Memorial. Bono, in keeping with fashion, made his own speech that may have shocked the National Mall. He suggested that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream might be more than just an American dream; it is a dream for all nations in strife, which includes Palestine. The United States, a decidedly pro-Israel country, met Bono’s statement with cheers, a sign that we as a country really are ready to shed our past assumptions and partisan-ism in order to take the side of peace.
The Inaugural Concert, aptly named We Are One, was a great couple of star-studded hours, and there was a surge of excitement going through the crowd that we were a part of this history, that we were connected and equal with the same people we lift up as our celebrities. The more exciting element however is how the man we have chosen as our leader kept his message of hope, collaboration, and strength, and portrayed it through a medium we can all enjoy; music. This event not only foreshadows the next four years as innovative, but also shows that Barack Obama understands his audience. I know I personally am excited to see what his musical selections will be in January 2013.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Photos from Obama Day






Through some major awesomeness, our Editor in Chief Amanda Dayton and Photographer Expert Jonathan Nehring somehow managed to get a rooftop view of  the Inauguration today; and here are some of their photos. 





(From Right to Left: Kris, Finances; Mike, Editor in Chief; Liana, Local News; O'Neal, SA Treasury; Dan Johnson, Cartoonist; waiting for the parade)


!!!!!!! YES. THAT IS HIS FACE.

We Are One -Jennie Merrill

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Press in DC: Day 1




We have made it good and alive (and salted) to Bowie Maryland after our 15 hour road trip where Church of the Redeemer is generously loaning us their floor the first two days we're here. 
Pastor Paul made us wonderful breakfast burritos and after service today we'll be heading to  downtown DC for the Inaugural Welcome event and the concert on the Lincoln Memorial (where we'll only a mile away from Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Usher and Stevie Wonder(!!).


Mike (Editor in Chief) and Hannah (SA President) at the Ohio Gas Station that sells Wild Boar Meat
 
More to come! 

-Cat M.