I finished my column this morning and am currently working on a story about Obama's economic plan. The city seemed less crowded today, at least in downtown. Anita and Jordan went out to the airport, where it sounds like that's where all the people are. Today is even colder than yesterday!
We're all hoping to finish early tonight so we can eat real food for the first time all week and maybe enjoy the town a bit. Any recommendations? I'd love to show them Old Ebbitt Grill, but I'm afraid it will be way too crowded tonight.
- Ashley
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Readjusting
Ashley and I are trying to find some place to work. Its not going very well. Everywhere is so noisy or crowded. We came all the way downtown to work and now are having to go back towards Capitol Hill, which is kind of throwing our schedule off. Things are less crowded, but still crowded enough to be stressful. So glad Ashley knows her way around this place.
Tonight my hope is to finish early and then eat some real food. Been living off of McDonalds, Cheese Its and fruit loops.
--Sommer
Tonight my hope is to finish early and then eat some real food. Been living off of McDonalds, Cheese Its and fruit loops.
--Sommer
still cold!
My entire body aches. Yesterday took more of a toll on me than I realized!
To my fellow Lariateers who are here with me-- I know yesterday was stressful, but we did what we came to do, and I'm proud of us all! You guys are great and I look forward to the rest of the week.
Today should be less hectic than the past two have been. Last night we were all frantically working on multiple stories, plus I had my column due. I have a story for today, but I also plan on trying to find something else interesting to cover here as well. On my way to lunch with the gang. Still cold.
I'm looking forward to being able to experience more of D.C. with less of the inauguration insanity. While it was exhilarating, I must admit that it made me a little biased toward the city. Seems like everyone's always rush rush rushing around somewhere, and even if you aren't, you feel like you should be. Oh, and if you're going to stand on the escalator instead of walk, you better stay on the right side!
I also look forward to being able to go sightseeing at some point. There's so much history here. This city definitely makes you feel alive. Cold, but alive all the same.
--Sommer
To my fellow Lariateers who are here with me-- I know yesterday was stressful, but we did what we came to do, and I'm proud of us all! You guys are great and I look forward to the rest of the week.
Today should be less hectic than the past two have been. Last night we were all frantically working on multiple stories, plus I had my column due. I have a story for today, but I also plan on trying to find something else interesting to cover here as well. On my way to lunch with the gang. Still cold.
I'm looking forward to being able to experience more of D.C. with less of the inauguration insanity. While it was exhilarating, I must admit that it made me a little biased toward the city. Seems like everyone's always rush rush rushing around somewhere, and even if you aren't, you feel like you should be. Oh, and if you're going to stand on the escalator instead of walk, you better stay on the right side!
I also look forward to being able to go sightseeing at some point. There's so much history here. This city definitely makes you feel alive. Cold, but alive all the same.
--Sommer
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Curse you, winter weather
Being in D.C. for the inauguration today was great, don't get me wrong. But I fear that my longstanding memory of this historic day will be tarnished by my discomfort.
I can't feel my toes, I thought to myself. What if it's frostbite? My hands aren't much better--how will I jot down quotes?
My Dad called right after the ceremony let out. I was practically in tears because my toes were making it so I couldn't walk briskly (it was like they didn't work. And to think that before today I privately questioned if they served a purpose.)
Naturally, it's supposed to be in the 50s Thursday and Friday.
I'm still not totally sure how we managed to work today under such brutal conditions (and roadblocks. See Sommer and Ashley's stories of the travesties they faced today. At least all that happened to me was I stood in line and practically froze to death, all to not have a spectacular view).
I didn't end up losing any toes, so it was worth it. To say I was at the inauguration of our country's first Africa-American President runs chills up my spine. What an exciting chapter in our nation's history.
Maybe it would have been worth it even if I had lost a toe or two.
-Anita
I can't feel my toes, I thought to myself. What if it's frostbite? My hands aren't much better--how will I jot down quotes?
My Dad called right after the ceremony let out. I was practically in tears because my toes were making it so I couldn't walk briskly (it was like they didn't work. And to think that before today I privately questioned if they served a purpose.)
Naturally, it's supposed to be in the 50s Thursday and Friday.
I'm still not totally sure how we managed to work today under such brutal conditions (and roadblocks. See Sommer and Ashley's stories of the travesties they faced today. At least all that happened to me was I stood in line and practically froze to death, all to not have a spectacular view).
I didn't end up losing any toes, so it was worth it. To say I was at the inauguration of our country's first Africa-American President runs chills up my spine. What an exciting chapter in our nation's history.
Maybe it would have been worth it even if I had lost a toe or two.
-Anita
Pensive Ramblings
BIG thanks to the crew back in the Lariat newsroom! Thanks for working late and dealing with our scattered communication. Can’t wait to see the PDF!
Okay, now for a brief reflection.
If I could describe today in one word, it would be: I don’t know.
As in, I don’t know how to describe today in one word. There were too many unfamiliar emotions and unusual experiences--such as feeling like an ant. Being nearly 5’11”, that’s a comparison I don’t typically make. But when you’re treading along as one among a million at the bottom of an enormous hill with all the higher-ups looking down, it starts to make sense. You realize there are a lot of people in this world, and that you are absolutely nobody.
When a million people brave the biting winds and chilling air for hours and hours to catch a glimpse of you from a mile away, then you are somebody. You’re actually way more than somebody at the point. You’re a person with a unique responsibility to remember that almost an entire world is counting on your decisions. And the swearing-in ceremony today, with its grand prestige and massiveness, certainly exemplified such a task.
But there also were some other important people on that stage—Congressmen and women and Supreme Court justices. They too hold great power and play instrumental roles in our government. They too should bear the burden of the bad times and the praise of the good times. And I couldn’t help but think that while Obama does have some big issues to deal with soon, so do they.
We often wonder how Obama will handle this or how he will do that, but there’s other people in the cast of this sitcom. President Bush had sub-freezing approval ratings this year, but during the summer, the approval ratings of Congress hovered around 10 percent, which wasn’t nearly reported as much as the president’s dismal standing. While it’s much easier to focus on one person than a body of legislators, we should nonetheless avoid being out of touch with what the rest of government is doing—both the good and bad.
Apologies for digressing from an ant metaphor to an opinion. Perhaps my brain is still thawing.
- Ashley
Okay, now for a brief reflection.
If I could describe today in one word, it would be: I don’t know.
As in, I don’t know how to describe today in one word. There were too many unfamiliar emotions and unusual experiences--such as feeling like an ant. Being nearly 5’11”, that’s a comparison I don’t typically make. But when you’re treading along as one among a million at the bottom of an enormous hill with all the higher-ups looking down, it starts to make sense. You realize there are a lot of people in this world, and that you are absolutely nobody.
When a million people brave the biting winds and chilling air for hours and hours to catch a glimpse of you from a mile away, then you are somebody. You’re actually way more than somebody at the point. You’re a person with a unique responsibility to remember that almost an entire world is counting on your decisions. And the swearing-in ceremony today, with its grand prestige and massiveness, certainly exemplified such a task.
But there also were some other important people on that stage—Congressmen and women and Supreme Court justices. They too hold great power and play instrumental roles in our government. They too should bear the burden of the bad times and the praise of the good times. And I couldn’t help but think that while Obama does have some big issues to deal with soon, so do they.
We often wonder how Obama will handle this or how he will do that, but there’s other people in the cast of this sitcom. President Bush had sub-freezing approval ratings this year, but during the summer, the approval ratings of Congress hovered around 10 percent, which wasn’t nearly reported as much as the president’s dismal standing. While it’s much easier to focus on one person than a body of legislators, we should nonetheless avoid being out of touch with what the rest of government is doing—both the good and bad.
Apologies for digressing from an ant metaphor to an opinion. Perhaps my brain is still thawing.
- Ashley
Exhaustion has hit
More about the adventures of my day. The energy was electrifying as I stood in line for entrance. I honestly have NEVER seen so many people in one area. It was very overwhelming... when there are people lined up in every direction as far as you can see and it's not even 30 degrees outside, you know that you're a part of something huge. The whole city was literally buzzing with anticipation. I headed out at about 7:30 a.m. to the spot where I was supposed to enter the inaugural site. Turns out, the so-called press passes Anita and I got were not only for the press (oh, the deception); hundreds of other people were going through the same entrance as we were. You could just give up on the concept of personal space. We stood in line in the same spot for literally an hour, then moved inch by inch by inch. I did meet a woman here from Africa for the ceremony though. She made me realize that as big of a celebration as we're making this inauguration here, in her country it's even bigger.
"This marks a new time for my people as well," she told me. "The Americans have given my country hope by electing Barack. It is like a dream to us."
There were absolutely no police officers directing my group where to go, and 30 minutes before the ceremony was to start, we all discovered we'd been in the wrong place ALL morning, and that now it was too late to get in line. And they'd closed the Mall so we couldn't go there. Though I must point out that in the beginning of the whole process, we were all told that we were in the right spot. By this point I couldn't feel my face, my fingers, or my toes. For a brief moment I seriously thought I might have frostbite.
So for awhile, I didn't think I was going to get in to the ceremony. The crowds went absolutely insane. I went into panic mode. I didn't know where Ashley and Anita were, so all of these terrifying thoughts were running through my head about having to run an AP story about the inauguration because none of us could hear, or our fingers being too frozen to write, or the crowds rushing the stage at the Capitol in anger and getting trampled. I thought the people who just camped out on the Mall and had no tickets at all were going to be able to have a better view than me. The irony of the situation was almost enough to make me laugh. Then I remembered the 3 hours I stood in line.
But I ended up being able to go in, thanks to a merciful security guard. Obama is just as eloquent in person as is on TV. It absolutely blows me away. I thought about my new friend from Africa while I listened and knew that while we were separated by continents, this experience would bond us together for a lifetime. A thousand emotions were present, floating around us, within all of us. And as we stood there, half-frozen, on the lawn of the Capitol, we became a part of history.
--Sommer
"This marks a new time for my people as well," she told me. "The Americans have given my country hope by electing Barack. It is like a dream to us."
There were absolutely no police officers directing my group where to go, and 30 minutes before the ceremony was to start, we all discovered we'd been in the wrong place ALL morning, and that now it was too late to get in line. And they'd closed the Mall so we couldn't go there. Though I must point out that in the beginning of the whole process, we were all told that we were in the right spot. By this point I couldn't feel my face, my fingers, or my toes. For a brief moment I seriously thought I might have frostbite.
So for awhile, I didn't think I was going to get in to the ceremony. The crowds went absolutely insane. I went into panic mode. I didn't know where Ashley and Anita were, so all of these terrifying thoughts were running through my head about having to run an AP story about the inauguration because none of us could hear, or our fingers being too frozen to write, or the crowds rushing the stage at the Capitol in anger and getting trampled. I thought the people who just camped out on the Mall and had no tickets at all were going to be able to have a better view than me. The irony of the situation was almost enough to make me laugh. Then I remembered the 3 hours I stood in line.
But I ended up being able to go in, thanks to a merciful security guard. Obama is just as eloquent in person as is on TV. It absolutely blows me away. I thought about my new friend from Africa while I listened and knew that while we were separated by continents, this experience would bond us together for a lifetime. A thousand emotions were present, floating around us, within all of us. And as we stood there, half-frozen, on the lawn of the Capitol, we became a part of history.
--Sommer
Photos From Inauguration
An observer sheds a single tear as President Barack Obama takes the oath of office
President Barack Obama waving to the crowd along the parade route
Saluting the flag before saluting his new Commander-in-Chief for the first time.
Since landing in Washington D.C. I have gotten a total of 4 hours of sleep. But I wouldn't change it for the world. The city seems to create a feeling I've only had after overindulging in coffee. As tired as I am I still want to just go do something, see something, and become a part of something much bigger than myself. President Obama has four years to prove his worth in the office, but his worth as an inspirer is undeniable . You want to be an American. You want to love your country. You want to have hope for a brighter future again. And for many of the millions that were apart of todays events, that hope, that courage, and that love are now not just a part of ourselves, but of our country as well. Today is a wonderful day to be a citizen of the United States of America.
By the way, shout out to the other three on this trip. It has been an amazing experience and I am very happy to get to share this week with you.
_Jordan
Delayed but not derailed
The crowd stormed a barrier and we got in. Bush just came on and everyone started boo-ing. "This is happening 8 years too late," one guy said.Big cheers for Biden. Can't see the jumbotron but can hear the music much better. Still squished, can barely type.
Obama about to come on.
-Ashley
Expectations
Today has been possibly the most frustrating, yet exhilarating day. Nothing could have prepared me for this. The crowds were OK up until the very end...then the hostility broke loose. The thing that was awful was how disorganized everything was. To sum things up, I stood in line for 3 hours only to be told that I, along with hundreds of other people, were not even IN line to get into the inauguration. There were no police officers around to direct people where to go or to answer questions, much less to do any kind of crowd control. I almost didn't make it inside for the ceremony. Not to mention my feet were so frozen that I almost couldn't walk, my fingers refused to curl around the pen to write, and I was shivering uncontrollably.
After battling all of this and making it in for Obama's speech, I had to take a moment to realize that I was living a dream. Despite the 3 unnecessary hours in line, the bitter cold, and the claustrophobic-inducing crowds, the moment, this moment where suddenly none of that mattered, was everything I imagined it to be.
More later.
--Sommer
After battling all of this and making it in for Obama's speech, I had to take a moment to realize that I was living a dream. Despite the 3 unnecessary hours in line, the bitter cold, and the claustrophobic-inducing crowds, the moment, this moment where suddenly none of that mattered, was everything I imagined it to be.
More later.
--Sommer
Still in line as inauguration gears up
I am still in line, surrounded by thousands of disappointed people, all with tickets in hand. We're trying to get to our designated area between the reflecting pool and mall, but security is channeling only a few people at a time. We're standing literally shoulder to shoulder. If I were to faint right now, my body wouldn't touch the ground. There's lots of pushing and shoving. In fact, that's the only option for movement. The bands are playing now.
-Ashley
-Ashley
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
