The Daily Bulletin Archive

By Michael Rizzo

Fourteen student leaders and six faculty and staff members represented Buffalo State College in Washington, D.C., on January 20 for the inauguration of the nation’s 44th president, Barack Hussein Obama. Battling subfreezing temperatures and a crowd of more than 2 million people, the group witnessed history as America’s first black president took the oath of office and ushered in what he called “a new era of responsibility.”

“This whole journey was an unforgettable experience,” said Lamar Timmons-Long, a senior elementary education major who attended the two-day, all-expense-paid road trip sponsored by the Student Life Office. “We have faith for the future, hope for the future. This election empowered me,” he said.

The students, selected for their outstanding leadership abilities, watched as the democratic process created a profound change in America’s political landscape, said Gail Wells, director of student life. Along the way, they documented their experiences in various media formats for presentation to the college and community.

“It’s confirmation that as a nation there is growth,” said Sean Terry, a 20-year-old junior public communication major. “We’re growing. We’re changing. It’s good. I’m so excited. It’s like walking into The Wizard of Oz, opening the door, and everything’s in Technicolor. I hope for that.”

The action items on Obama’s agenda include the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, a war on two fronts, and the crisis of global warming. But with the election of a president who wants all citizens, as he said in his inaugural address, to “begin again the work of remaking America,” the majority of voters see hope and change.

“With this election, I really saw a substantive change in people,” said Cliff Cawthon, a sophomore political science major and president of Students for Peace. “The climate of the nation, the climate of our community, became energized in a way in which there was a real, real hope. Seeing Barack Obama as our commander in chief will make us confront our demons and hopefully come out the better for it.”

Taking their cue from Obama’s presidential campaign, students utilized technology to share their experiences in real time. They regularly updated a Facebook page with notes, pictures, and video and audio recordings compiled through reflection, critical analysis, interviews, and journaling. A showcase of their final projects, titled “A New Dawn of American Leadership: Believing in Social Change,” will be presented at 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 2, in E. H. Butler Library 210.