Students attend inauguration, express hopes for coming term

When Lindsey Rietkerk introduced Michelle Obama three months ago for a speech at the University, she was working to ensure that President Barack Obama’s second inauguration would become a reality.

Rietkerk, co-founder of Tar Heels for Obama, was one of several UNC students to make the trek to Washington, D.C., on Monday to celebrate that inauguration.

“I had been working on the campaign for a year and a half, so when (Obama) won it, it was a cherry on top,” she said. “And, being so close to it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Natalie Carney, a UNC freshman, said people arrived at the National Mall as early as 3:30 a.m.

Carney said since she did not have tickets, she also arrived early to find her place on the streets crowded with attendees — as well as vendors selling T-shirts, bobble heads and magnets commemorating the event.

Rietkerk said she received tickets through a lottery system, but she was in the back of the ticketed area.

“We weren’t in the really exclusive area, but it was nice,” she said.

Celeste Cowan, a UNC junior majoring in biology, said the optimism and patriotism in the nation’s capital was contagious despite the crowds.

“It was such a happy, magical day, and I wasn’t expecting that,” Cowan said. “Everyone was so happy to be there.”

But all the pomp and circumstance did not distract the crowd from Obama’s speech.

Rietkerk said she liked the speech, but she was surprised when Obama did not emphasize the historic significance of the day.

“We thought there would have been more tie into Martin Luther King (Jr.),” she said. “I don’t think he was trying to bring up the past.”

The inauguration took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, though Obama was officially sworn in on Sunday as required by the Constitution.

Carney said she was pleased that gay rights and environmental policy were themes of Obama’s speech, adding that she hopes he will address climate change in his second term.

With the national dialogue surrounding the recent shooting in Newtown, Conn., Rietkerk said she hopes Obama works in his second term to pass gun restrictions.

But the accessibility of student loans and low interest rates also remains a priority for her and other students.

“I think that there was definitely a good response of youth voters this election, and you can’t ignore that population,” she said.

Contact the desk editor at state@dailytarheel.com.