From 5 a.m. to beyond midnight, the College Republicans made the most of Inauguration Day.
Ashley Wall, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, attended inaugural concerts Tuesday and Wednesday, the swearing-in, the parade and a ball. Her Thursday began with a walk to the Metro station at 5 a.m. because the AU shuttle wasn't running.
On a day when temperatures hovered around 25 degrees, Wall said the chill didn't faze her.
"It was a bit cold, but I am from New England, so I can take the cold," said Wall, from Massachusetts.
AU shuttles still weren't running when a handful of College Republicans set out with President Mike Inganamort at 7 a.m. They packed into the crowded Metro and headed downtown to wait in line for hours to get through security checkpoints. Also waiting in line were groups of protesters chanting and holding signs.
"I'm glad they're exercising their constitutional rights, but I'm a little disappointed that they can't celebrate the institution of the presidency," said Lauren Cooper, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Around 10 a.m. they finally found their places in the yellow and gold sections to watch the swearing-in ceremony. For those in the gold section with standing-room tickets, it was the beginning of hours standing in the cold. But for some, the inability to feel hands or feet didn't ruin their enthusiasm.
"I'm very excited to be out here," said Joy Downey, a senior in SPA. "I think the first time I got shivers down my back is looking at the Capitol. ... It just really catches you in the moment."
While members of Congress and other notable people were seated on the Capitol Building, singers entertained the crowd with patriotic ballads, including "Let the Eagle Soar," written by outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft.
Some in the crowd booed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who ran against George W. Bush on the Democratic ticket last year. Former Democratic President Bill Clinton elicited a similar response. The College Republicans did not participate.
When the president, vice president and their families emerged and took their seats, the crowd roared with applause, squeals and screams.
Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert administered the oath of office to Vice President Dick Cheney at 11:50 a.m. Despite recent illness, Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist administered the oath to Bush at noon.
The College Republicans said they were impressed with the speech Bush gave after his swearing-in.
"I really enjoyed the speech. I felt it was very incorporative of all the religions," said Kim Hudson, a sophomore in the School of International Service. "I also enjoyed how he talked of freedom ... that when people rise up, America will be there for them, and I think that's a really great point to make."
Cooper said the speech provided a framework for the next four years.
"I thought it clearly outlined all his beliefs about policy in a nutshell. ... Often I've heard that the second speech of a president is not as good as the first one, but this was at least as good as the first one," she said.
As they left the gold section after the speech, the College Republicans saw groups of protesters with signs that read, "God hates America," "Thank God for 9/11" and "Thank God for the tsunami."
Hudson said the signs were "disgusting."
"I don't know who would ever think of that," she said.
Some of the College Republicans ended their day after the swearing-in. Others continued to their spots along the parade route, a 1.7-mile stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue. In addition to the presidential motorcade, the parade included more than 11,000 participants, including 15 floats and more than 80 military and civilian marching units.
After a visit to the office of New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett for a breakfast of about 20 people, Inganamort and a fellow College Republican walked to 13th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue to watch the parade.
They found themselves near a group of protesters from A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), who demonstrated in a way that Inganamort described as "disturbing, really."
Protesters shouted vulgarities, including swear words and explicit descriptions of sexual acts in the presence of children, and broke down a few sections of fence. The police moved to contain them and were hit with snowballs and spit from some protesters.
Inganamort said he was offended when some protesters shouted at a veteran of the Iraq war.
"It was shameful," he said. "They were there just to try to get on TV and ... try to be some sort of martyr for the left wing."
After the parade, some College Republicans set off for the nine official inaugural balls. Wall, whose day began at 5 a.m., wasn't too tired to party at the Freedom Ball in Union Station.
"I enjoyed mingling with all the people. They really enjoyed hearing I was a Republican from Massachusetts," she said. By chance she happened to see a friend from Louisiana whom she hadn't seen in years.
"Small world!" she said. "He remembered me because of my Boston accent, and he being one of the only Louisiana boys I ever met, I remembered him as well."
Cooper, who volunteered to escort press at the same ball, got to work and have fun at the same time, she said.
"After I was done with [my job], they just let me and the other volunteers hear the president and vice president and enjoy the night," Cooper said.
Bush, Cheney and their wives made stops at all the official balls Thursday night to speak and share a dance onstage.
Besides famous politicians, Cooper saw well-known members of the media, including television broadcast reporters Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn.
Protesters outside the ball provided little distraction for Lauren Cooper.
"I didn't really get fazed by the protesters chanting 'Alberto Abu Ghraib Gonzales' and 'Stop the Celebration - Army Occupation,' " she said. "The protesters chased some people down, but the security people arrested them for assault, I think. The volunteers doing transportation had to basically escort most of the guests because of the protesters."
For Cooper, the ball was a memorable experience.
"The whole thing has just blown me away. I never thought that I would ever be at an inaugural ball," she said. "I mean, when I was younger, I never thought that I would live in D.C. and be able to do something like this."
Wall also said she feels lucky to be in the District during an inauguration.
"I feel so blessed to be here ... with all these events a Metro stop away," she said. "It's being part of history. I may not be in Washington in four more years ... [and] I wanted to make this an unforgettable week"
