Inaguration at the Tavern

Tavern

By Rebecca Friedman

Washington, D.C.-From near and far, they flooded into the nation's capital to see the swearing in of the first African-American president. What some didn't expect was they they would end up trading seats on the Mall for a plastic chair and a projector in the Tavern at American University.

Sarah Bott, an American University alumna, traveled from Oregon for the inaguration of Barack Obama. Bott, who works for the mayor's office in Portland, said she wanted "to be a witness to history." But after Bott and her family stayed up for 48 hours, arriving on the Mall at 2 a.m. when temperatures were in the teens, they ran out of steam before the big moment arrived.

The family had become, "frozen blocks of flesh and that's just not fun." Bott said. "I just don't think that catching pneumonia is going to help us move the centaury forward more quickly."

The family sought refuge at Bott's former university, ending up with a multitude of others, mostly students, in the local gathering place called the Tavern on the first floor of the Mary Graydon Center building.

"As far as I'm concerned I hit a home run," said the alumna.

The family settled in on the black plastic chairs and made themselves comfortable, taking in the warmth that the Tavern provided them. While waiting, they snacked on the food provided by the university. The family members milled in and out during the inaguration, but stayed put once Obama made an appearence. The family left only after the inaguration was over and a new president had been sworn in.

Bott was not the only visitor that had to chnage plans. Sarah Jones, a senior at Westfield High School, Ind. planned on standing on the Mall with her friend, Jessie Armstrong, an AU freshman. But they were thwarted by the daunting security measures in place, near the swearing in.

"It [security] was not organized at all," according to Jones.

"We just knew we weren't getting in at all," agreed Armstrong.

Having witnessed massive crowds and the lack of information from security personnel, the pair decided to turn back. They too ended up at the Tavern.

"This [being in the Tavern]is more enjoyable," said Jones who said she was satisfied that she made it near the Mall at all.

"I did get to experience the atmosphere," she said.

Others had planned all along to go to the Tavern, given the promise of a warm and secure place to watch the inaguration.

Holding a "Goodbye Bush" sign, the youngest person in the Tavern was Ilan Cohen, the 8-year-old son of the university's Rabbi Ken Cohen. "I counted 19 heads," said the Rabbi commenting on the number of people he had seen enter since e had stopped by. This was before the inaguration began that the Rabbi started to count.

By the end of the inaguration the Tavern had standing room only. About 60 people, sitting shoulder to shoulder, tried to make room for one another as they faced the wall-filling screen. Others walked around the perimeter of the room, biding their time until the inaguration started.

A gentle hum of conversation ceased when Obama appeared on the projection screen ready to make his entrance. As a woman on the screen mouthed "Thank you Jesus" during the opening prayer, the crowd sat in silence. As Obama was sworn into office, the whole group jumped up, cheered, and clapped their hands.

Carla Arguta, a facilities worker at American, explained the meaning of the moment. "We vote for the change. And so we hope for Obama to change the economy." Pointing to her coworker Olga Blanco," She is ready for the change."

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