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Special Invitation

Rachel Powers shares her experience

Special Invitation

Rachel Powers in Washington, D.C



February 2009

Six months before the 2009 inauguration, I was invited to attend through the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. The country did not know who was going to be elected. All that was certain was the event would be historical. Either the first female vice president would be sworn in or the first African-American president would take the oath. With financial help from my parents, I was able to sign up to attend. This was likely a once in a lifetime experience, and I needed to seize the opportunity.

Politically, I knew which candidate I wanted to win. But for the purpose of the trip I decided that I would just be happy to see history written. I didn’t know how happy until I actually saw it.

I arrived in Washington, D.C. with 5,000 other scholars the Saturday before the inauguration. Through the conference I was able to listen to many political pundits, including Luke Russert, Colin Powell, Al Gore, Mary Matalin and James Carville. Our hotel held a press conference with Joe Biden that my roommate was fortunate enough to attend.

On Sunday evening, the scholars were shuttled to the National Mall to watch the inaugural concert. I had never seen so many people in my life. The largest crowd I had ever seen previous to that moment was at the Iowa State Fair. And this didn’t even touch it. We were pressed right up against each other. When we walked we made a human chain for fear that we would lose each other.

For the concert we were between the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument. Giant screens were placed around the mall, and we were lucky enough to see one. It was estimated that somewhere between 500,000 and 800,000 people attended the opening celebration. Here is where the English language fails me. There are no words to describe the atmosphere. Every time President Barack Obama was shown on the screen, the crowd would erupt in cheers. It was purely electric.

That same intensity was present during the actual inauguration. It took us four and a half hours to finally reach the mall but it was worth it. Surrounded by 1.8 million people, we were privileged to be by a giant screen with a sound system that worked. Some students had left the hotel at 3 a.m. and ended up not seeing or hearing anything.

That night, we attended a gala at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Even though the scholars were only with each other for four days, we bonded over the trip. For many of us it was our first conference and our first visit to Washington, D.C. It was also the first inauguration that we had ever seen because before we were always in school. It was an amazing experience and it will be rooted in our minds and hearts forever.



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