Despite my pounding headache right now, I just had a moment of clarity that I want to share with you all.

The Inauguration of our 44th president is on tomorrow, and frankly I can’t remember anyone ever really caring about this ceremonial aspect of an election. Until this year.

And, wow, do they care.

D.C is “poppin’ off,” as the kids say. People have been partying all week, and will continue all week. What seems like the entire world is flocking to DC and my campus is on security lock-down, since GW is only 4 blocks from the White House. A huge, free concert with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Beyonce to Bono was held on the National Mall on yesterday to celebrate. There are legit balls, as in Cinderella balls, to honor this man. Even the Metro tickets have Obama on them. Signs, posters, and more port-o-potties than you can fathom are popping up all over the city. This is big.

It is all strangely reminiscent of the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy accidentally crushes the Wicked Witch with her house, and all the little munchkins are crazy happy. Ding, Dong, the witch is dead Bush is gone! Read More »

Knowing just what to expect out of possibly the most important weekend of my life thus far (at least politically speaking), is like knowing what you’re getting for Christmas as a kid, how many times lightning will strike over Nebraska next year, or how much money you’ll lose or gain by January 2010 because of the deepening recession or reversal thereof.

It’s totally unpredictable.

Here’s what I do know:

For the first time in my life, my generation is thoroughly excited by not just a presidential candidate, but the president elect. We could all be dead wrong, but from the way things are looking, Barack Obama’s election into office will turn over new leaves for our country that haven’t been turned over in…at least eight years.

I grew up hearing stories about political union in a generation and, sure, we aren’t all in agreement about the change that Obama may or may not make. But so many of us are excited that, for once, I feel like a part of something that I am proud to be a part of.

So I’m on a bus heading to Washington DC from New York. Already, the 60-some people on board are buzzing – all revved up and ready to explode for their weekend in DC. While the inauguration itself is the event we’re all going down to experience and witness, the weekend of celebration before should be one for the books. Even the bars are allowed to stay open until 4am this weekend. (I know that means nothing to you, New Yorkers, so I say to you: imagine an event so big that New York bars were allowed to stay open until 6am.) Read More »