On January 20, 2016, Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 45th president of the United States. Several news networks, such as CNN, NBC, and Fox News, broadcasted the event live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. SHS students had the opportunity to watch the inauguration in the commons during fourth period and lunch, and other students gathered around laptops in the library to do so. Some afternoon classes even tuned in to the broadcast rather than having normal lessons. Although a presidential inauguration is a historic event, students may feel uncomfortable engaging in discussions where contrasting political views are present. “I think that [the inauguration] should be played in classes,” said Sydney Behar ’19. “Even though people might not agree on who is the president, it’s a part of history that everyone should watch.” The hallways on Friday afternoon buzzed with conversation. Reactions from those who got a chance to watch ranged from fear to excitement, while some students did not have a specific opinion on the event. “Coming from someone who despises Trump, the inauguration was truly hard to watch,” admitted Olivia Breitkopf ’19. Disagreement is inevitable when our country picks a new leader, and of course, Trump’s election is not the first time this type of controversy has appeared. Despite that, we will have to wait and see where his presidency takes us within the next four years.

by Talia Schulhof