District of Columbia universities will be closed today in honor of President George W. Bush’s inauguration. Georgetown University declared the 55th Presidential Inauguration Day a holiday, canceling classes and authorizing special leave for University employees.
“The decision to close the University was made last fall, with the hope that it will help limit congestion in the D.C. Metro area,” explained University Director of Media Relations Laura Cavender.
American University, Catholic University, Gallaudet University, George Washington University and the University of the District of Columbia also decided to close in celebration of what Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has called “the most visible manifestation of our democracy.”
In a Jan. 11 press release, the U.S. Secret Service and other federal agencies unveiled an extensive outline of safety precautions for D.C. on its first post-September 11 Inauguration Day. According to a Jan. 12 Washington Post article, 6,000 law enforcement officers and 7,000 U.S. troops will monitor the 100 square blocks shut down to vehicle traffic for the event. The ceremony will take place outside the U.S. Capitol building.
Yesterday, Georgetown’s McDonough Gymnasium served as the site for the swearing-in of 2,000 police officers recruited from around the country to assist in security. To facilitate security procedures for inauguration events, the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority will close the Smithsonian, Archives-Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter and Mount Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center stations during part of the day. Manhole covers have been sealed, traffic lights removed and Metro station bathrooms closed. Over 200,000 guests will occupy the Capitol lawn and the eastern end of the National Mall.
Despite what CNN.com calls “the tightest security in inaugural history,” Bush protestors and supporters alike plan to demonstrate their opinions toward the re-elected Bush administration.
Yesterday, Georgetown University Peace Action, a group dedicated to increasing student awareness of peace and non-violence issues at home and abroad, protested Bush’s re-election in Red Square.
Today, George Washington University Democrats plan to join Georgetown’s College Democrats in the “Turn Your Back on Bush” campaign, a nonviolent action that draws supporters nationwide. Because buttons and large posters are prohibited during the events, TYOB participants will simply turn their backs as the Bush motorcade passes.
Michele Parvensky (CAS ‘07) joined GU Peace Action to protest Bush’s policies.
She echoed the interest expressed by many students, for whom the 2005 inauguration will be the only one they will have the opportunity to attend during their four years at Georgetown.
“I want to be involved,” she said. “It’s important that people know it’s not just Bush supporters in the crowd.”
College Democrat Campus Activities Liaison Pete Solecki (CAS ‘07) plans to be less vocal.
“I don’t personally feel extremely compelled to go out and shout or throw things on Thursday,” he said. “For me, the day is more of a somber, mournful occasion, like watching a disaster unfold. You see something terrible happening but you are powerless to stop it.”
President Bush’s nephew, Pierce Bush (CAS ‘08), has a full inauguration itinerary. He will hit all the “big stuff,” he said, and he looks forward to appearing tonight on Larry King Live via satellite from the Texas-Wyoming Ball at the D.C. Convention Center.
