Well, would you look at that… it’s been four years since Donald Trump’s inauguration. Hasn’t the time just flown by!
Not really.
Our Nation has seen monumental change in the last four years everywhere, from civil rights, to foreign policy, to the COVID-19 pandemic. To many, Joe Biden’s inauguration symbolized a vast change from the Trump administration.
Whatever your feelings about the new Presidential administration, you must admit: this year’s inauguration was certainly a sight to behold. The most anticipated acts of the day included President Biden’s speech, Amanda Gorman’s recitation of “The Hill We Climb,” Lady Gaga’s rendition of The National Anthem, and the reveal of Demi Lovato’s new haircut (just kidding).
Here at the Chronicle, we reached out to several students to better understand their thoughts on the Inauguration ceremony held on January 20th. For the purposes of this article, all students will remain anonymous; they will be referred to as “Student One”, “Student Two”, and so on.
The consensus among all students was generally positive. It appears as if they all genuinely enjoyed the ceremony and its grandeur, and appreciated its ability to incorporate serious messages with positivity. Student One loved Amanda Gorman’s poem, calling it “beautiful” and “amazing.” They also thought that “the music and the production value were all fantastic…” and weren’t they ever! President Biden’s inauguration was followed by the Celebrating America special, which was hosted by the one and only, Tom Hanks. The special featured some of the Nation’s most talented musical artists, including Justin Timberlake, John Legend, and Katy Perry. Despite this ceremony’s appeal, Student Two expressed more interest in President Biden’s attendees than the musical artists, stating “I did not watch the Inauguration too intently, but I have been thoroughly enjoying the Bernie Sanders memes.” Touché!
While the students generally enjoyed the ceremony and special, some of them expressed reservations and worries about the new presidential administration. Student Three has high hopes for this administration, particularly the potential canceling of student loan debt. However, they state “if we have a great President who can get the stuff that we want done that’s really exciting to see, but you know, you always have to like think about it and ask like is it actually going to happen?” Overall, they have “mixed feelings” about the new Presidential administration, citing their general anxiety over whether the plans that they support will be carried out. Conversely, Student One acknowledged that although the current Presidential administration is not as “progressive” as the other candidates that they supported for the presidency, they are hopeful for this administration’s future.
The majority of students acknowledged that a new Presidential administration was unlikely to greatly change the whole of America’s issues. However, multiple students mentioned their hope for the Presidency to combat issues like climate change, COVID-19 testing, and more. Student Two stated “I hope to see at least a noticeable improvement in rates of homelessness and poverty. I know Biden’s all for affordable housing, so I’m hoping more families and people will be off the streets during his term.”
Irrespective of your personal political opinions, we all must wish the new administration luck and hope that our nation’s future is at least a little brighter than the present.