History was changed on January 20, 2009 when Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th president of the United States. Barack Obama is also the first part African American president to ever be elected.

Over two million people came to witness history happen at the inauguration. In fact, so many people were recording, taking pictures of, talking and texting that Washington and the surrounding areas lost service during the celebration.

During his inauguration, there were several guest appearances who spoke, sang, and played, to celebrate the triumph of this historic event. Among those who were there, Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowry spoke about past times, and Aretha Franklin sang the national anthem in a time much different than that of Martin Luther King Jr., who foresaw a day when America put their prejudices behind and united under one flag, under peace, as Lowry said.

The two mile strip from the White House to the Lincoln Memorial was packed, along with thousands gathering around televisions in mall windows, the security had to be increased to several police snipers who sat atop each building and watched for trouble.

No matter how secure and planned, however, there was still room for error during the inauguration. When George W. Bush walked on stage with the rest of his family, the crowed booed and had to be shushed to continue the ceremony. And before Obama’s speech, during the inaugural oath, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. stumbled over the opening words of the oath…Obama following suit, and repeating the oath as Roberts read it to him; incorrectly.

Obama later took is inaugural oath a second time, Wednesday night, when Roberts stated the oath correctly, so that Obama could repeat it; also correctly.

This history-shaking spectacle was not only witnessed by millions in person, but by tens of millions on T.V. and on the internet, live. CHS tuned in to a live feed of the inauguration, and students and teachers were able to witness the entire ceremony live, just as they would have been able too if they were at home or at the mall, right there with the action.

Being able to watch the inauguration live, while it happened and not hours later, at school, was a wonderful thing to witness. Students were abuzz to get to their next class to watch what happened next, possibly their first live inauguration. Technology was used to teach about history while it happened throughout the school, and embraced as a teaching agent.

Republican and Democrat finally can put the past year’s campaign to rest, and strive forward to work together and raise our country to even further greatness, under the supervision of Obama as our president. Hope and change are the two things we have been promised… America holds her breath as she waits for the verdict.