Wed, Nov 25 2009
|
|
Published January 20, 2009 02:40 pm -  1:41 p.m. Students, faculty gather at MSSU for inauguration‘I’m happy to see this day.’ By Susan Redden sredden@joplinglobe.com For Annetta St. Clair, a Democrat and long-time political science professor at Missouri Southern State University, the inauguration of Barack Obama was a “two-tissue” event. St. Clair joined hundreds of students, faculty and others to watch the ceremony in Corley Auditorium in Webster Hall Tuesday on a big-screen television. The auditorium was all but filled by the time Obama stepped to the podium, and most of the crowd appeared to be students and faculty. Samantha Rusk, a freshman education major from Carthage, arrived early and said she wanted to be there to watch the nation’s first African-American president take office. Rusk voted for Obama but her friend Jessica Hursh, a freshman biology major voted for John McCain. “I liked them both, and I’m happy to see this day,” she said. Jason Kilptrick, an African-American who teaches Spanish at MSSU, said he never thought he would see a day when an African-American would be elected to the highest office in the country. “I’m not talking bad about America; I just never thought I’d see it,” said Kilpatrick, age 37. Galen Rea, a sophomore Spanish major from Webb City, nodded in agreement during several parts of Obama’s speech and said he was glad the new president emphasized that it will take the efforts of all Americans to meet the challenges of the day. “People put the responsibility on politics, but the true success of the nation depends on the individual discipline of each citizen,” he said. “There has to be individual excellence before we can have excellence on the grand scale.” Rea said he supported Obama, though a registration mix-up prevented him from voting. “I also support him as a professed Christian, but I’m bothered by his support for abortion rights,” he said. Seeing Obama take office “makes me feel like I can hang up my flag again,” said Holly Fogerty, an English professor at the university. 
![comment on this story](http://community.cnhi.com/eve/ubb.x?a=dl&f=55410432
&x_id=local_story_020144035.html&x_subject=<img+src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/new.gif"+border=0>++1:41+p.m.++Students,+faculty+gather+at+MSSU+for+inauguration&x_link=http://www.joplinglobe.com/presidential_transition/local_story_020144035.html)
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Presidential Transition section
|
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Inaguration slide show w/ Inauguration Day slide show
 |
 |
: Special Offer For New Subscribers
:
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
|
Published by Newspaper Holding, Inc. 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. 
|
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |
![Add a comment on this story](http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/zope/add_comment.php?section_id=presidential_transition&story_id=local_story_020144035.html&headline=<img src="http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/new.gif" border=0> 1:41 p.m. Students, faculty gather at MSSU for inauguration&portal_url=http://www.joplinglobe.com&portal=joplinglobe){kind=link}