With the ushering in of America's 44th president, Barack Obama, “change” has been on everybody’s mind.  Change in policy, domestic and abroad, change in our lifestyles to reduce our carbon footprint… But as soon as I got to Washington D.C, it was obvious what kind of change was going on there…the kind that jingles and folds. I had my first vendor sighting in D.C only a few minutes after getting off the Chinatown bus from New York.  There was a mass of people in front of a metro station on 5th street. Read more...

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As my brother, my mother, and I were watching President Obama’s Inaugural address at home on TV, it really started to sink in how our country is changing. Seeing such a diverse crowd of people at the Inauguration made me feel that things are changing and that, as a nation, we all hope for better times. Read more...

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In L.A., there were many celebrations after the inauguration of our country's 44th President, from the expensive red-carpet balls attended by A-list celebrities and highbrow milliners, to house parties. 
In downtown Los Angeles, the parties where many, but of course being the social(ist) butterfly that I am, I attended a unique celebration hosted by a local activist who embodied the mission of what our President’s campaign spoke about when it referred to change and adopting a new sense of patriotism and responsibility for our nation.       Read more...

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For the most part, I have never been a person who got tightly wound up in politics unless there was an issue being discussed of much needed importance (education, wages, health care, etc.). The entire 2006-2008 election process was about the time I finally hit the breaking point and turned over a new leaf in relation to politics. I was a child when George W. Bush came into office, and over the last eight years I have observed things that were once good go bad and then disappear all together. Read more...

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As early as 7:00am, people began to trickle into the courtyard of L.A. LIVE to witness the Presidential Inauguration on the facility’s monumental screens. Everyone from families and coworkers to students and seniors rubbed shoulders awaiting the swearing in of President Barack Hussein Obama. Councilwoman Jan Perry hosted this public event free of charge.

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Youth Radio's King Anyi found a group of folks so HAPPY to be in DC, they had to sing.. so of course he joined in!

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Learning about instantaneous slope and related rates at 8 a.m. is not the most exhilarating thing, but I didn’t resent having math first period that much until this whole inauguration business started happening.

At first our school wasn’t going to do anything about the inauguration, and teachers just seemed to ignore it. But yesterday our principal made an announcement on the intercom that first period would be extended on Tuesday, January 20th to have time to watch the ceremony.
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By: Joshua Raifman
After the election, I was completely energized by Obama’s presidential win. Deep inside though, I did not yet register Obama as our future president because he was still our president-elect.  What further prevented me from acknowledging Obama as our future president, and not just President-Elect, was that I was fearful harm could thwart Obama’s chance of him being sworn in. Read more...

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As I was gearing up for my trip to witness the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama, I couldn’t help but notice the surreal feeling lingering over me.  Was I really going to D.C for a presidential inauguration? Yes. Why?  I really didn’t know. All I knew was, I had to be there. Read more...

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