President Barack Obama’s inauguration at the footsteps of the Capitol will be attended by hundreds of thousands of spectators, media crews, and bodyguards. However, in the crowds this year will be another group: a select amount of SMU students from the journalism and corporate communications and public affairs departments will also be in attendance.
The event was put together and led by Rita Kirk from the CCPA department. Kirk serves as an adviser to the CCPA program, a research professor, and a teacher of several classes. In fact, one of the requirements for going on the event is registering for a certain class taught by Kirk: Presidential Rhetoric.
“The main point of Presidential Rhetoric is to understand the transition of power,” said Kirk. “Our country is one of the few with a transition of power after every four or eight years. We argue and debate, but we still come together when it is all over.”
Other requirements include filling out an application and an interview with Kirk. The interview helps to understand the student’s purpose for going on the trip, as well as their motivation to learn and their seriousness about politics. There will be 21 students – 17 CCPA and four journalism students – making the trip with Kirk.
SMU has attended the inauguration of the past two presidents before Obama – in 1996 with Bill Clinton and in 2000 and 2004 with George W. Bush. While the program is traditionally a CCPA excursion, Kirk said that Carolyn Barta, a professor in the journalism department, plays a big part in the inaugural trip. It is thanks to Barta that journalism students are allowed to go on the trip without having to register for the Presidential Rhetoric course.
“Professor Barta has played a big part in the course of this event,” said Kirk. “It is because of her cooperation with the CCPA department that it is such a success.”
The group will be in D.C. from Jan. 17 until Jan. 22. While there, they’ll have the chance to meet famous senators and house representatives, make connections, and learn the pathway to success from SMU alumni in the area. However, their main purpose for the trip is tied into the class they have to take.
“Connections are secondary,” Kirk said. “We will go specifically to observe these historic moments and to witness the transition of power.”
Kirk is trying to obtain tickets to attend the inaugural moment, but the government has yet to issue a single ticket to congressmen and representatives. In order to get tickets, citizens have to put their names on the waiting list of their state’s senators. However, the students will be attending the pre-inaugural Black Boots and Tie Ball on Monday, Jan. 19, 2009. There will be a table set up where students can meet and chat with the alumni that attend the event.
The group will visit the Museum of News, located on the main quad. The students will get the chance to see all the new advancements in journalism, especially the new aspects that were used during the campaign.
Lizzie Brubaker, an SMU journalism major who is one of the four journalism students attending, can’t wait to go to D.C.
“I’ve always loved politics,” Brubaker said. “I remember going with my mom to the polls when I was 3 years old and helping her push the button to choose the next president.”
Brubaker is not new to politics. While living at home in Denver over summer break, she worked for the Mayor’s office at the Democratic National Convention. She’s been a supporter for Obama from the beginning.
“The significance of this inauguration is that it shows how far we’ve come as a society, but it also shows how much farther we still have to go,” said Brubaker. “I mean, take his acceptance speech for example. He had to stand behind two sheets of bulletproof glass for his protection.”
In her eyes, people need to lower their expectation of Obama and have more realistic hopes. Kirk agrees.
“I think the biggest question is how is Obama going to manage the expectations of the people who elected him,” said Kirk. “The problems we are facing cannot be solved overnight. I’m very interested to see what he does.”
