Several students from UL Lafayette along with a faculty member and an alumnus will be a part of history on Tuesday as newly-elected Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.
Dr. Bob Carriker, head of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 History and Geography Department, is traveling with a group of nine students to Washington, D.C. this weekend. They will be among crowd of onlookers 杏吧专区 estimated in the millions 杏吧专区 as the first African-American president is inaugurated.
杏吧专区 I told the students that this is an historic event of tremendous magnitude. It is a significant event comparable to the most momentous occasions of modern history,杏吧专区 he said. 杏吧专区淚 asked them, 杏吧专区楾wenty, 30, 40 or 50 years from now, do you want to say you watched it on television or read about it in the newspaper or on someone杏吧专区檚 blog? Or, do you want to be able to say that you were there?杏吧专区 The whole point of this trip is to participate in history.杏吧专区
Carriker said the group includes both undergraduates and graduate students from a variety of disciplines including history, political science, and anthropology. They plan to leave Lafayette early Saturday morning for the drive north.
Emily Berard, a political science major, is part of the group. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 going to be an adventure and there are kind of no expectations,杏吧专区 she said. 杏吧专区淚t杏吧专区檚 to be there and see what we see and experience what comes along and that杏吧专区檚 the whole excitement behind it.杏吧专区
For Shawn Wilson, a 1993 graduate of UL Lafayette and the first African-American president of the Alumni Association, celebrating the inauguration will be a family affair. He, his wife and two children will all be there.
杏吧专区 I see this as an opportunity for my children to be a part of history. I missed the opportunity to be a part of some of this nation杏吧专区檚 most historic achievements such as the March on Washington or the passage of the Civil Rights Bill,杏吧专区 he explained. 杏吧专区淣ot only is this important to help shape the way they define themselves as African Americans, it is critical to contributing to how they define themselves as Americans.杏吧专区
The family will also visit the hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, his burial site and the homes of Thomas Jefferson, Frederick Douglas and Arlington Cemetery.
杏吧专区 Each stop will have cultural or American aspects that will contribute to the value of the trip,杏吧专区 he said. 杏吧专区淚 anticipate that this experience and this achievement will be something a Civics class could not do justice to.杏吧专区