Over 400 students gathered in the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center as the 44th president of the United States, Barrack Obama was sworn into office.
    Political Science Professor Lee Ballestero, who gave a brief introduction before the ceremony began, felt that the inauguration acted as more than just an official ceremony.
    “I think that for a lot of college students, this is the first election that they were old enough to really pay attention to, that they were old enough to vote in,” said Ballestero. “So it has a lot of significance for that reason.”
    The inauguration ceremony was projected onto the main stage in the PAC, with the seats filled to capacity by both students and faculty.
    The ceremony consisted of a musical piece orchestrated by John Williams and an invocation by Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren, and when President Obama was sworn in, the Moorpark audience stood and applauded.
    Theatre Technician Mickey Howell, who usually works behind the scenes to maintain the equipment, came out to see the ceremony.
    “It was incredible,” said Howell. “They (the students) really wanted to hear what he had to say.”
    David Wilder, a 19-year-old History major, was excited by the inauguration and yet still maintained what he believed to be a healthy amount of skepticism.
    “It’s going to be interesting to see if he (Obama) really pulls through,” said Wilder. “I see a lot of things from the 60’s, looking back. Obama is the new hope, just like JFK.”