Students head to D.C., witness inauguration

An estimated three to five million visitors, including 16 Doane students, will witness the historic inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama at our nation’s capital on Jan. 20, 2009.

In place of the typical on-campus interterm course, the students, led by journalism professor David Swartzlander, will stay in Washington D.C. for two weeks to experience the inauguration firsthand, as well as other scheduled activities. Though the trip is designed to be fun, its focus is helping students develop their journalistic skills and learn about professional reporting.

The political atmosphere surrounding Washington D.C. was one that that attracted students to the course.

“So much of our nation’s politics takes place in Washington D.C. and I wanted to be a part of this historic event,” senior Brent Friedeman said.

Students will work directly with local newspapers and a radio station during the stay. They will report live to KLIN radio station in Lincoln about the events. The Crete News plans to publish some of the pieces students write and the Omaha World Herald will run short stories written by each student in its Community section on Jan. 24.

In preparation, students will visit several museums and memorials across the city. Each day will be packed with sightseeing with locations such as the Pentagon, the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol Building are a few destinations. Since most of the students are journalism majors, other stops will include the Newseum, a tour of CBS Washington and Journopalooza, a rock concert performed by journalists.

The class will also have a chance to meet with Sen. Ben Nelson.

Freshman journalism major Shalene Weyers said she looked forward to the meeting with Nelson.

“It will be interesting to meet with him to get his take on current world issues and the upcoming inauguration,” she said.

For most of these students, it may be their one opportunity to attend a Presidential Inauguration and it will certainly be their only chance to witness the first black president’s inaugural address. They will likely dedicate longer hours to this course than they would have on other courses back on campus, but the historical significance is enough motivation for them to take on the extra responsibilities.