Sean Quirk
Work Leads UCSD Student
to President Obama’s Inauguration

My fingers might have been numb, my feet might have felt frozen, but I was incredibly excited. On the morning of Jan. 20, 2009, I stood in line with thousands of Americans outside the National Mall to watch the inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama. The line for my entry gate alone extended a full mile, wrapping around the high rises of downtown Washington,D.C. and down into the Third Street Tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel, I stood in line with fellow UC San Diego student Arthur Cheung to gain entrance to the Mall and witness an unforgettable moment in American history.

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This weekend has been an absolute whirlwind.  Living in the District, it has been amazing to see so many people from all over the country gathered for a common purpose and with a sense of excitement, patriotism and, honestly, hope.  We were there to witness history.

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I spent the greater part of the inauguration weekend huddled in my apartment, avoiding the cold and resenting the crowds. In the days leading up to the historic event, Washington D.C. turned completely upside-down. As temperatures hit their lowest points in over a decade, droves of tourists arrived to completely overwhelm the metro system and fill every restaurant and bar to capacity.

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