StC News
Learning About Inauguration Day With a Hopeful Eye to the Future
Eighth graders in Jon Piper’s US history class discuss the significance of Inauguration Day.
Today is Inauguration Day, and eighth grade boys in Jon Piper’s US History class this morning held a lively group discussion about voting, presidential elections and the significance of past inaugural events.
Students learned about George Washington’s 135-word speech (the shortest in United States history), that only two presidents have not been sworn in on the Bible (John Quincy Adams and Theodore Roosevelt) and the significance of certain inaugural traditions.
The class also discussed how this year’s presidential inauguration in Washington D.C. is unique. In-person attendance numbers are significantly limited, event security is heightened, the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue has been canceled and Kamala Harris will be sworn in as the first woman vice president in United States history.
Some students recognized that this year’s inauguration will be different from previous years, but hoped for a ceremony that inspired optimism and cooperation. "I want to see President-elect Biden make a speech that unites the country,” said Ben S. “He has the opportunity to get a lot done, and I think today should be the start of that."
Wally J. '25 hoped to see the same spirit of national unity that he had often heard of but been too young to experience. “I remember seeing video footage of the first Mets game after 9/11 or the Cubs game when Sammy Sosa ran around the field with an American flag,” said Wally. "I want to be able to wake up tomorrow and feel like I heard a good speech from Biden. There needs to be a message that gets us headed in a direction together as one whole country, as a family."
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