Texans make a date with history for Obama's inauguration
Twenty-one Southern Methodist University students will travel to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, when Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States, for a regular inaugural trip for communications and journalism students.
By JESSICA MEYERS
The Dallas Morning News
Strathwell Johnson moves almost as slowly as he speaks, but the 90-year-old Texan plans to be in Washington when Barack Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States.
College student Anthony Broderick booked his flight on election night, knowing he may have to forgo some meals while he's there.
Robert Gregory's ignoring death threats to organize a bus caravan from Austin.
They join throngs of Texans planning to sacrifice paychecks, mooch off relatives and navigate capital chaos come Jan. 20.
More than 3 million people are expected to descend on Washington for the highest-attended inauguration in history . . .
Twenty-one Southern Methodist University students will be in town on a regular inaugural trip for communications and journalism students.
SMU professor Rita Kirk has led three other inaugural trips but said this one is different.
"Not only is this the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth and the first African-American president, it's a unique rhetorical moment," she said. "You have a president that has all these unique characteristics and can contextualize to the world what it means."
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