By Madison Hunt | Staff Writer
A cold morning that cut straight through coats and turned every fingertip numb was what four Baylor Lariat journalists experienced on Jan. 20, 2009.
National Mall thrummed as crowds of a million people bunched together and as camcorders rose in unison, hoping for a glimpse of history. With flags waving, high hopes and wide smiles, the nation waited to witness the inauguration of America’s first Black president — Barack Obama.
Four Lariat journalists were charged with capturing a day that felt larger than the pages they had to fill. Today, those former Lariat writers remember the sounds and scenes as well as quotes from Obama’s 2008 victory speech.
“True strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope,” Obama said.
Former Lariat Staff Writer Sommer Dean, formerly Sommer Ingram, said her first memory is the scale of the crowd. Even at the low temperature, the excitement remained high. During that moment, Dean discovered the true meaning of becoming a journalist.
“Standing with people from all over the country and all over the world, everyone was so kind and so excited,” Dean said. “I’ve never been colder in my entire life, but it also felt like pure magic. I remember thinking, ‘This is the point of becoming a journalist.’ You get to witness history. You get to record those moments, and I absolutely loved it.”
The coverage, like the day itself, was a collage of small conversations with big resonance. Former Lariat Editor-in-Chief Anite Lloyd, formerly Anite Pere, recalled what she learned from attending the inauguration as the ability to be flexible and adapt to changing situations quickly, no matter the circumstances.
“I learned to be resourceful and ready to work from anywhere,” Lloyd said. “I also learned the hard way to come dressed for the weather because it was cold and snowy, and I was wearing the wrong shoes. Reporting the inauguration was an extraordinary opportunity for me, and I’m grateful for it.”
In the Jan. 21, 2009, print edition of The Baylor Lariat, Staff Writer Ashley Corinne Killough recalled looking on as thousands streamed in hours before sunrise to get a glimpse of president-elect Barack Obama. By midmorning, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority had closed due to an influx of riders.
“Spectators … waited as long as six hours for entrance due to limited security personnel,” the article read. “Stacked shoulder-to-shoulder, spectators crammed between federal buildings on 3rd Street from Maryland Avenue to C Street, where the view included only the dome of the Capitol building.”
A specific memory that stands out to Lloyd was a father-son duo trying to document a glimpse of Obama, even if it meant lying on top of portable toilets.
“The father unabashedly lifted up his son to sit on top of a row of portable toilets so he could get better photo,” Lloyd said. “When people behind him complained he was blocking their view, he lied down on his stomach. I think he lied there the whole inauguration, just clicking away.”
Looking back, attending the inauguration stands as one of the many meaningful experiences they had at Baylor — right alongside late nights in The Lariat newsroom and the stories that pushed them beyond campus. It was a lesson in purpose and perspective that traveled home with them and remained even decades later.
