A trip of a lifetime--Laney librarian attends inauguration
Amela Alijagic
Issue date: 2/12/09 Last update: 2/13/09 at 10:26 PM PST
Section: News
People all over the world watched the inauguration of Barack Obama on their T.V. sets, and a lucky 2 million got to witness the event live as it was happening in Washington D.C. Andrew Skinner-Demps, a Library Technician at Laney College was a part of the 2 million who got to witness the inauguration live.
After election night, Skinner decided to try his luck and requested four tickets to the Inauguration. He was encouraged by his pastor to write to California Senator, Dianne Feinstein. When he requested the tickets, he had no idea that a month later he would be receiving tickets to the inauguration. The process of his request was very simple. He went to the U.S. Senate website, and in a short and simple e-mail he requested four tickets. He didn't think his chances were good, but even the smallest chances were enough motivation to try. It was an opportunity he could not pass up.
Late in December 2008, while he was working at the library he found a message on his phone. It was Feinstein's representative telling him that he won two tickets to the inauguration of Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009. Shock and disbelief hit him first. Then as the reality of the moment reached him, he tried to keep calm and quiet, reminding himself that he was in fact in a library.
As for millions people worldwide, January 20 would be historical phenomena for Skinner. When Skinner returned he said, "I don't have large enough words to express the enormity and the spirit of the occasion." He used words such as happy, amazing and profound to describe the event. And despite the bone chilling temperatures that accompanied Inauguration week, Skinners said that his expectations were beyond exceeded.
For Skinner and for many people nationwide and worldwide, the inauguration of President Obama is and will remain a defining moment in history. Skinner describes it as a, "completion of a family circle…it closes wounds from the past." The inauguration of Obama means a lot of different things for a lot of people. But for many African-Americans, such as Skinner, the election of a black president is tangible proof of progress. It shows that all the struggles and sacrifices of African-Americans, civil rights leaders and all those who stood for equality and freedom were not futile.
And although Skinner tells me he does not have words large enough to describe the event, I think we can all begin to understand what the Inauguration means to him and to all of us. For us and for future generations to come, the significance of the inauguration of Barack Obama will live on. It will live on in memories, in textbooks, in photographs, it'll be spread all over the internet, but most importantly it will live on in the actions of people like Skinner.
In a way no words are necessary to describe the Inauguration. The hope that inspires action speaks clearly for itself. The hope that brought millions of people together in freezing temperatures; the hope that makes foreigners, who once despised everything American, cheer with genuine joy; the hope that brings people of all colors and creeds together; that hope does not need words, it speaks for itself.
After election night, Skinner decided to try his luck and requested four tickets to the Inauguration. He was encouraged by his pastor to write to California Senator, Dianne Feinstein. When he requested the tickets, he had no idea that a month later he would be receiving tickets to the inauguration. The process of his request was very simple. He went to the U.S. Senate website, and in a short and simple e-mail he requested four tickets. He didn't think his chances were good, but even the smallest chances were enough motivation to try. It was an opportunity he could not pass up.
Late in December 2008, while he was working at the library he found a message on his phone. It was Feinstein's representative telling him that he won two tickets to the inauguration of Barack Obama, on January 20, 2009. Shock and disbelief hit him first. Then as the reality of the moment reached him, he tried to keep calm and quiet, reminding himself that he was in fact in a library.
As for millions people worldwide, January 20 would be historical phenomena for Skinner. When Skinner returned he said, "I don't have large enough words to express the enormity and the spirit of the occasion." He used words such as happy, amazing and profound to describe the event. And despite the bone chilling temperatures that accompanied Inauguration week, Skinners said that his expectations were beyond exceeded.
For Skinner and for many people nationwide and worldwide, the inauguration of President Obama is and will remain a defining moment in history. Skinner describes it as a, "completion of a family circle…it closes wounds from the past." The inauguration of Obama means a lot of different things for a lot of people. But for many African-Americans, such as Skinner, the election of a black president is tangible proof of progress. It shows that all the struggles and sacrifices of African-Americans, civil rights leaders and all those who stood for equality and freedom were not futile.
And although Skinner tells me he does not have words large enough to describe the event, I think we can all begin to understand what the Inauguration means to him and to all of us. For us and for future generations to come, the significance of the inauguration of Barack Obama will live on. It will live on in memories, in textbooks, in photographs, it'll be spread all over the internet, but most importantly it will live on in the actions of people like Skinner.
In a way no words are necessary to describe the Inauguration. The hope that inspires action speaks clearly for itself. The hope that brought millions of people together in freezing temperatures; the hope that makes foreigners, who once despised everything American, cheer with genuine joy; the hope that brings people of all colors and creeds together; that hope does not need words, it speaks for itself.
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Senor Quixote
posted 5/20/09 @ 11:57 AM PST
Unfortunately, Obama was elected as commander in chief largest and greatest gang of theives in world history, the federal government of the United State of America. (Continued…)
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