Author: Lisa Kraege
On Jan. 20, the Occidental community watched the inauguration of Barack Obama ’83. Obama became the 44th President of the United States as students, faculty and staff watched from Keck Theater. Obama, who defeated Senator John McCain by a margin of 192 electoral votes, was sworn into office as the first African-American President.
“I tried to watch the inauguration from Keck,” Jennifer Lara (sophomore) said. “But I got there at eight and the lines to get in stretched all the way to Norris.”
Lara watched inauguration from the Tiger Cooler, which she said was filled to capacity.
More than a dozen local news stations, including KTLA, were present to interview students and faculty.
Students received t-shirts with Obama’s image and commemorative buttons on a first-come-first-served basis.
The 400-seat Keck Theater was decorated with American flags and a “Barack Obama ’83” banner.
Students, staff and faculty also convened to watch the inauguration in Johnson 200.
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