On Jan. 20, over one million people gathered in Washington D.C. to watch former Illinois senator Barack Obama assume the position of the 44th President of the United State.

The inauguration consisted of performances, the swearing in of the President-elect and afterwards, the new president’s Inaugural Address. “It was interesting to see so many people who are so different from me, from different walks of life, who were excited about the same things, about Obama,” senior Susha Roy, who attended the inauguration, said.

On Inauguration Day, the bell at Gunn rang five minutes early after E period so that students wouldn’t miss Obama’s swearing in. “We strongly encouraged the staff to do so,” Principal Noreen Likins said. “Everybody felt that it was a different kind of inauguration. Well, it was our first African-American President. It had a different kind of a feel to it. I don’t think that we would’ve seen as much interest [if Obama had not been elected].”

A few lucky students from Gunn attended the ceremony. Senior Sasha Guttentag went to the inauguration because of her family’s enthusiastic campaigning. “The fact that it was a revolutionary inauguration made it really special to witness,” Guttentag said. “It’s the first not-white president. And it’s a big deal. It’s finally given younger people a chance to participate.” Guttentag met up with fellow friends seniors Roy and Nora Boyd in Washington D.C. According to Boyd, the decision to attend the inauguration was last minute. “We got one of the last tickets to board the plane,” Boyd said.

Guttentag, Boyd and Roy stayed in Washington D.C. for five days, visited museums, toured the city and purchased Obama merchandise from street vendors. They also attended the Inaugural Welcome Event held at the Lincoln Memorial, which featured performances by Beyoncé, Usher, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Garth Brooks and more. “The best part was when Usher and Stevie Wonder performed ‘Higher Ground’ together, and the Obama family was dancing together, which was the cutest moment of my life,” Boyd said.

And of course, there was the inauguration itself. “The biggest part was the insane amount of people,” Boyd said. “You aren’t even standing on the ground anymore. The crowd just kind of moves you along.” Roy agreed. “We took the Metro, and it took about two and a half hours to get there,” Roy said. “Usually it only takes 10 minutes. It was sort of like, ‘okay, we really need to be good friends by the end of this.’ Everyone was really fun and excited. It was fun talking to everyone.”

Although they purchased tickets for the ticketed section, Boyd reckons that they were not in the correct spot. “We actually got a very good view,” she said. “I don’t think that we were supposed to be where we were. Somebody broke a fence, and the crowd pushed us towards a new area. I’m pretty sure that that wasn’t supposed to happen.” Roy thought the crowd’s enthusiasm turned up the volume of the inauguration. “Being in that crowd, you get a very good vibe,” Roy said. “You can see the swearing in from T.V., but being in the crowd made it special.” Guttentag claimed that the inauguration ceremony as a whole was the best part of her trip. “[The main highlight was] definitely the inauguration,” Guttentag said. “My two friends next to me were crying. It was crazy. It was so packed. The excitement was tangible.”

Boyd took great pleasure in bidding farewell to former President George W. Bush. “[The best part] at the inauguration was when George Bush got on the plane to Texas,” Boyd said.

Senior Annika Christensen had a slighty different experience at the Inauguration. Christensen was invited to partake in the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference (PYLC), a Lead America program, with approximately 600 other high school students. They watched the inauguration and learned more about leadership. “I decided to take advantage of this great opportunity,” Christensen said. “Just being in D.C. with so many excited young people was an experience itself.” Senior Taylor McAdam, who also participated in the program this year, attended for a similar reason. “How could you miss it?” McAdam said. “When Obama opened his mouth to speak, it was so quiet that you could almost here a pin drop,” McAdam said.

Thousands of people with tickets were barred from entering the ticketed section. “My dad actually got shut out from the inauguration,” Christensen, whose family attended the inauguration separately, said. “He waited in line for hours, but they closed the gates for security reasons. He ended up watching from a diner.”

However, Christensen thought that attending the ceremony made it worth fighting the crowds. “[The inauguration was the best part], especially when Obama spoke about totally changing the country and the arrival of a new era,” she said. “It made me optimistic about the future and our ability to be a part of it.”

In addition to attending the inauguration, PYLC students also had Colin Powell, Desmond Tutu and Al Gore talk to their group. “We also went to an inaugural ball,” McAdam said. “[Chris] Daughtry performed at our ball.”

Though these five Gunn attendees remember differing highlights, all of them agree that the event was life-changing. “I just feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to go to the event,” McAdam said. “It would take an extraordinary event to put me in a similar situation.”