By Senior Producer/Editor Jacqueline Fernandez (With Technical Assistance from Jonathan Mena)
Today (Monday, January 19) — Jonathan Mena and I got a call from our colleague Luis Mostacero that there might be a chance for us to get press credentials to attend the Inauguration of Barack Obama. The challenged: Jonathan and I had to dash through congested, convoluted Washington D.C. traffic to make it to the Russell Senate Office Building in 30 minutes– or else!
Picture below by Jacqueline Fernandez
We skipped breakfast, set up the GPS, and made every yellow light. When we arrived in front of the building, we jumped out of the car and ran as fast as we could through the blistering cold.
We desperately tried to find the entrance into the building and maneuvered our way through the staff entrance. We ran to the third floor, passing Richard Nixon’s former Senate office, and arrived just in time to be the last ones in line.
We waited an hour or so until everyone got their extra credentials. After the interrogation and credibility check from the U.S. Secret Service we were granted press credentials.
So later today Jonathan and I will be reporting from the Capitol of the United States of America as Barack Obama is sworn in to be our first African-American President.
The coveted 2009 Inauguration Press Pass:
Tags: 2009 Presidential Inauguration, Hunter College, Jacqueline Fernandez, journalism education, Student Journalism, The WORD