As the senator from Illinois had done many times before, he approached a podium where people waited for his words. He nodded his head in thanks and raised his hand to silence the cheers of his own name. But on this day, Barack Obama addressed the nation for the first time as its commander in chief.More than a million people packed the two-mile stretch between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial on Tuesday to hear Obama’s inaugural address and watch the first African-American president take the oath of office. There, on the National Mall, Obama became the 44th president of the United States of America.”On this day we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord,” Obama said.As people waited for the inauguration to begin, Ryan Orgera, a University doctoral student who was in Washington, D.C. for the ceremony, said the atmosphere had an air of “complete and utter happiness.”Melissa Guidry, political science and accounting sophomore, watched Obama’s speech on a JumboTron screen from the National Mall. “It was freezing and more crowded than you could believe, but it was still the best experience ever,” Guidry said. Sarah Isaacs, mass communication freshman, watched the ceremony with Guidry from the mall.”It was absolutely phenomenal,” she said.Kevin Brown, political science senior and the campaign field director for Louisiana during the general election, sat in the north standing area, directly northeast of where Obama gave his address. During the election, Brown worked with several states to start voter networks for Obama. Brown said the entire speech was inspirational, and it was a “tremendous experience.””Being there for a firsthand account of the event was a unique experience and made it resonate deeper for me,” Brown said.Slightly after noon, Chief Justice John Roberts swore Obama into office. Although Roberts made a small blunder while giving the oath, Obama caught the mistake, and it was recovered quickly and seamlessly.Expectations were extremely high for Obama’s speech because Obama had been an eloquent speaker in the past, according to Kirby Goidel, mass communication professor. Goidel said it was a very good speech, but he didn’t think it was necessarily his best speech.”The inauguration is symbolically very important for America,” Goidel said. Guidry said people around her were crying and cheering as Obama gave his address. In his address, Obama talked about the problems the country faces, speaking of the war, the economy, health care, the education system and the energy crisis.”Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” Obama said. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.”As Obama addressed these problems, he made clear he plans to keep the U.S. strong during his time in office and will strive to bring these problems to an end.”At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents,” Obama said.Ellis Sandoz, political science professor, said he is anxious to see if the promises Obama made during his campaign will be made a reality. “You can’t transform the world with a magic wand, as the more ardent supporters of Obama imagine,” Sandoz said.  ——Contact Nichole Oden at [email protected]