UH students watched as Obama and his administration began a new term.
‘Every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms,’ said President Barack Obama in his inaugural address.
Music education junior John Grimmett said Obama’s capabilities are ground for hope despite the harsh challenges facing his administration.
‘Obama’s election to office shows that the American people are ready to work with the government instead of against it,’ Grimmett said. ‘His challenge as president will not only be to mend the previous administration’s failures, but to restore America’s image as a visionary leader in the world.’
The universality of Obama as a role model is encouraging to all, not just black Americans, vocal performance senior Brittany Lovett said.
‘People who have struggled to get an education who don’t come from perfect backgrounds can (succeed). There’s a role model,’ Lovett said.
History sophomore Nicole Zimmerman said Obama’s election will be especially beneficial to the U.S. in public perception abroad, but she fears the nation is focusing on the wrong qualities.
‘Although I believe he is well qualified to be our president regardless of race, the fact that he is black will help significantly to bring different segments of society closer together and allow them to better act as one.’ Zimmerman said.
Eventually Americans will have to put celebrating aside and understand the huge challenges that may hinder this administration from meeting expectations in areas such as the economy and the cost of energy, Zimmerman said.
‘Our foreign dependence on energy by extension affects foreign policy and weakens our position in the global market,’ she said.
Obama’s policy agenda is extensive, with plans to address issues dealing with defense, education, foreign policy and healthcare. Civil rights is also a matter expected to face change, said psychology sophomore Olivia Kaufman.
‘Second to the economy, I do feel like there will be a change in civil rights, from stronger anti-discrimination laws to same-sex partnership benefits,’ Kaufman said.
Perhaps in contrast to Kaufman’s hopes, Obama invited Rev. Rick Warren of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Ca. to read the invocation at his inauguration, which has caused a backlash from GLBT groups because of Warren’s support for California’s anti-gay marriage amendment, Proposition 8.
Obama can expect to spend much of his time rebuilding bridges that were burned long ago, Lovett said, adding she knows several gay individuals who fully supported Obama and chose not to watch his inauguration because the privilege given to Warren was hurtful to the gay community.
‘While you want to keep everyone happy, you need to remember the people who put you where you are,’ Lovett said.
Obama also faces problems that were well-established long-before Bush was in the picture, said English senior Eli Reyes said.
‘We have had the same president for the past eight years and we have taken a downturn as a society. Drug problems that pre-dated President Bush, economic melt-down and the Iraq war – it all is turning on us now,’ Reyes said.
Obama may be the symbol of change, Reyes said only time will tell what his administration actually accomplishes.
‘We have to wait and see,’ he said.
