Year 12 student and Class of 2009 Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar, Christopher Weinberg, was fortunate to attend the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States earlier this year. Christopher intends to study politics or international affairs next year. Here are the experiences he wanted to share, the moment that will define a generation…
Christopher Weinberg at the Inauguration of Barack Obama, Washington, D.C., USA
Class of 2009 Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholar
“The Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States was a moment that may well define our generation. Whilst most people witnessed the momentous event on TV or on the internet in the following days, I was immensely privileged to be there in the National Mall, a participant in history.
After attending the Global Young Leaders Conference last year, I was invited back to attend the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference, held in Washington D.C. over five days, from the 17th to the 21st of January. The conference was immense to say the least. There were around 14,000 attendees – of whom the vast majority were Americans – so it was exciting in itself to be the lone Australian in the crowd. Apart from attending the Inauguration, there were many entertaining and inspirational speakers.
The two keynote speakers for the conference were two great American public servants – Colin Powell and Al Gore. The lessons they imparted to us were simple, yet moving. They kept reminding us that whilst we were witnesses to history in the making, when we returned home, we couldn’t just stand still and not act.
In between these great speeches, I was fortunate enough to travel into Washington with other conference attendees, to be a part of the buzz in the lead-up to the Inauguration. From the fantastic concert taking place outside the Lincoln Memorial, to hundreds of street vendors selling all-sorts of Obama memorabilia throughout the city, the atmosphere was electric. On our third day, the last before Inauguration Day, the conference group was fortunate to attend the Newseum, devoted to the field of journalism.
And then came the morning of January 20th, 2009, a day for the history books. After getting up at 5:30am and heading into the city, we were loaded off our buses at about 7:30am. By that time, the crowd was moving en masse towards the National Mall. A few friends and I sought refuge from the freezing temperatures for an hour in the Museum of the American-Indian as the Conference had special access to all of the Smithsonian’s museums. At about 9:30, our group ventured out from the museum and made our way as close to the Capitol as we could.
After finding an opening through a metal gate, we pushed our way through to get a fantastic spot, just in front of the Reflecting Pool. As it ticked past 10:30 and the ceremony was about to begin, many dignitaries entered to cheering from the crowd. The crowd waited with baited breath for midday, the atmosphere was growing more electric. Even though it was incredibly cold people weren’t thinking about it; rather they were embracing the feeling of the event. Strangers began talking to each other and I was even interviewed by a Massachusetts newspaper for my foreign perspective on the moment.
Finally, the ceremony began. After some speeches, Joe Bidentook his Oath of Office to become Vice President. And then came the moment. Barack Obama took the Presidential Oath and became America’s 44th President. The moment Chief Justice John Roberts congratulated the new President, the crowd exploded in joy. The new President’s speech was magnificent, a display of strength and compassion for the whole world to see. I felt immensely proud and privileged to be there.
That evening, as a final celebration, the Conference organised an Inaugural Ball for participants in a Smithsonian aviation museum. Returning home to Australia the following day, it was a source of great pride to be one of few Australians to have attended a historical moment for the United States and the world.
It was an awe-inspiring moment for the world and it will certainly have a prominent place in my mind for many years to come.”
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