Biloxi High School Students Head to The Inauguration

A group of Biloxi high schools students will be part of the millions expected to descend on Washington, D.C. to see Barack Obama sworn into office. MPB’s Phoebe Judge reports,

It’s a few days before the inauguration, and Biloxi high school history teacher Todd Boucher is giving last minute instructions to the 20 students who will make the trip to Washington D.C. to see Barack Obama sworn in as President. Todd Boucher,

“I hope they just absorb the moment because this is going to be something that is going to be in the textbooks. This is going to something that they are going to study when they get to college, they are going to study it when they are working with their children, when their children are in high school. And just to have the opportunity to say I was there, I think is a great opportunity for the students.”

Senior Kendall Gregory, is one of the twenty going on the trip, and he says he’s ready to be witness to history being made,

“I’m very excited, I’m excited about the opportunity to see history. It’s a once in a lifetime thing, it will never happen again, well you’ll never see the first black President obviously again, so it’s a great opportunity.”

It’s not just the students who are excited about the opportunity though, three teachers will accompany the students to D.C. And for history teacher DeBorah Holliday, the historical significance is great.

“Because I look at my family, particularly my mom and my aunt who probably thought they would never witness such an event. And for them I am living this for them, this excitement of going on this trip and being able to witness something that they thought would never happen in their lifetime.”

For many of the students going, like Alexis Boucher, this was the first year they had the opportunity to choose who would be the next president,

”This year we were able to vote for the first time so it was pretty cool to be able to have that responsibility to vote for a president. I really want to go because it showed that look what I did, I helped vote and this is a president who is going to take control of the country with what are opinions are, and I just want to be able to see that in action and be able to witness it.”

But it isn’t who you voted for that matters, say geometry teacher Sally Griggs who will be going along on the trip,

“At the very beginning some of the students asked, well how do you know if the guy you are going to vote for is elected that you want to go. I said well you know it doesn’t really matter who I picked, because by the time it happens, whoever is elected is my president. And I want to support them and have a good time.”

Lori Moser is at the meeting finding out the last minute details for her son’s trip. She says she is excited about what her son is going to be experiencing, but it’s a little bittersweet,

“I’m very jealous, we would all be going if we could.”

So she’s made him promise to document the trip well, so he can tell everyone all about it when he returns. For MPB News, I’m Phoebe Judge in Gulfport.