George W. Bush ushered in his second presidential term declaring "the best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world" at his second inaugural address Thursday.
Bush broadly outlined his goals for the next four years, calling attention to policies that attempt to "end tyranny."
"The President struck a conciliatory tone and made me think what an amazing and unique country we’re blessed to live in," said Guy Benson, a Medill sophomore who attended the inauguration.
Benson and five other Northwestern friends joined a crowd of more than 100,000 at the inauguration.
The six NU students were part of an eclectic crowd, Weinberg sophomore Cary Steklof said.
"Certain people were really pro-Bush but from where we were standing it seemed like 15 to 20 percent of the people there were protesters," Steklof said. "It was really a microcosm of democracy."
Steklof said the protesters appeared peaceful though there were a few arrests. He noted that security was tight.
At NU’s Evanston Campus, the College Republicans did not hold any special events to celebrate the inauguration.
"We feel the inauguration in Washington speaks for itself," said Henry M. Bowles III, president of the College Republicans and a Daily columnist.
The largest inauguration-related event at NU actually was an "Alternative Inauguration" organized by individual students.
About 60 students gathered in Owen L. Coon Forum to listen to speakers give ideas for a progressive alternative to the Bush administration’s policies.
While speakers bemoaned Bush’s re-election, Lars Johnson, one of the Alternative Inauguration organizers said the purpose of the event was not to protest Bush’s re-inauguration but to articulate the liberal and progressive ideals for the future.
"We’re not here tonight to focus on President Bush," said Johnson, a Weinberg sophomore. "We wanted to give people a chance to talk about progressive politics. There’s this fear of offending people. We have to be willing to piss people off."
History lecturer Lane Fenrich spoke at the event and said it’s important for Democrats to practice "positive" politics.
"The Right has worked very hard convincing us we don’t have power, but that’s not true," he said.
Speakers described how to get involved in government and advance liberal causes. They also read poetry and discussed issues like reproductive rights, activism and local elections.
Lily Trienens, who is working on NU student involvement in upcoming aldermanic election, noted that students need to work locally to make a change and that the election is a good way to start.
"When Howard Dean was here he said the place to take back the country was at the local level," said Trienens, a Weinberg sophomore. "And we have that opportunity with the local election."
Ben Snyder, vice president of College Republicans, said he had mixed feelings about the Alternative Inauguration.
"I think there’s merit to the idea of liberals coming together to articulate a platform and figure out what to do," said Snyder, a Weinberg junior. "But George W. Bush is everybody’s president, just like John Kerry would have been everyone’s president had he won. I guess I was just hoping we could move on."
Reach Diana Scholl at [email protected].
