At the Inauguration

Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Grunert Carson High School senior Jeremy Grunert visits Washington D.C. during the presidential inauguration Jan. 20.

Photo Courtesy of Jeremy Grunert Carson High School senior Jeremy Grunert visits Washington D.C. during the presidential inauguration Jan. 20.

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As President Bush stepped out of his big black limousine, I stood on my toes with a camera in one hand and a camcorder in the other, trying my hardest to see what was happening. I was on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, the exact location where Bush left his motorcade and walked to the White House. I was, interestingly, excited in spite of myself ....

I had spent the last four days participating in the Presidential Youth Leadership Conference, a program that gave young people from across the country the chance to come to Washington D.C. and learn about politics. There were two main activities at the PYLC: site visits and simulations. The simulation was constructed to show the inner workings of a presidential election. Conference participants were divided into two equal groups - representing two major political parties. Each party held a caucus to choose a candidate to run for president. The candidates then ran an election campaign, and the winner took power in a mock inauguration.

The PYLC also gave me an opportunity to visit many of the historic sites in our nation's capital. I was able to see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, as well as the Vietnam, Korean, and World War II memorials. I strode through Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place of thousands of our nation's heroes. Towering over the city, the Washington Monument was an ever-present part of my trip.

Simulations and site visits aside, the main purpose of the conference was to allow young people a chance to experience a presidential inauguration. The inaugural activities kicked off on Tues., January 18, and what better way to capture the attention of several hundred teenagers than a concert? The inaugural concert started at 5 p.m. and featured such artists as Fuel, 3 Doors Down and Hillary Duff.

The real festivities began on Thursday morning, when I stood on the Washington Mall waiting for the swearing in ceremony to start. As I watched, a pageant of famous politicians took their seats on the Capitol rotunda: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, George H.W. Bush, John McCain ... All of the big names of politics were there! After Bush was sworn in, I moved to my prime parade-watching spot and got my first up-close glimpse of a United States president. It was an experience which I will never forget.

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