South Side Story

The Obama symbol is cut on Max Lloyd's head.

Max Lloyd is feeling good about his future. Despite the difficult economic times, not to mention AP tests coming up, it’s a wonder how the seventeen-year-old junior can stay so positive. The reason behind Lloyd’s blissful state of being is the recent election of the now president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, and Lloyd’s attendance of Obama’s presidential inauguration.

“I just felt really accomplished and relieved that he was elected,” Lloyd said.

This feeling of accomplishment comes from Lloyd’s many contributions to the Obama campaign.

“I skipped school on election day to volunteer at Obama headquarters,” Lloyd said.

Not only did he volunteer, but Lloyd even dressed up as Obama for Halloween. Lloyd said he was proud to stand in the cold and very crowded Washington D.C. for the inauguration.

“This is something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I was an eyewitness, or an ear witness rather, to history,” Lloyd said.

However, not all of the students that went with the South trip are as pro-Obama as Max Lloyd.

“When we signed up for the trip, McCain and Palin still had a chance of winning,” sophomore Carl J. Bartenstein explained.

After experiencing the inauguration in person, Bartenstein said that he is still trying to stay hopeful for the future, even though his candidate wasn’t elected.

“I hope he does a good job, but I still disagree with his stance on certain issues,” Bartenstein said.

Though Lloyd and Bartenstein may disagree on the politics of the inauguration, one thing that they agreed on was the speech president Obama made, with Lloyd calling it “refreshing,” while Bartenstein referring to it as “thoughtful.” Stephanie Seward said she was truly inspired by both the speech and the inauguration was administrative chaperone.

“It was a really significant event to be a part of. His speech was uplifting and positive, and the feeling in the crowd during the inauguration was emotional as well as excited,” Seward said.

While the arguments of politics will inevitably continue to divide Democrats and Republicans, one thing that united the differently opinionated minds of some select students from South High and two million other people was knowing that they were becoming a part of history.