Local teen attends Obama inauguration

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

Aurora Longstreth is over-the-top excited — and exhausted.

The 2012 Van Wert High School graduate and freshman at the University of Toledo recently returned from a trip that she says overwhelmed her — in a good way. Longstreth, daughter of Doug and Marybeth Longstreth of Van Wert, recently arrived home from Washington, D.C., where she watched President Barack Obama’s Inauguration.

She’s proud that somewhere mixed in with all the pomp and circumstance surrounding Monday’s ceremony was a little slice of Van Wert, Ohio. “I knew I would never have the chance again, and I really wanted to just be a small part of such a historical event,” Longstreth said.

The excitement actually began on the plane to Washington when Longstreth realized she was in the presence of musical greatness.

“I honestly could not believe it,” she said of the surprise guest on the plane. “I’m such a huge fan of Stevie Wonder, and he was sitting right there.”

Longstreth quickly snapped a picture with her phone to capture the once-in-a-lifetime moment. “I just went for it. I knew I wouldn’t have the opportunity again,” she said. “I didn’t want to be rude, so I just kind of snuck my phone out and took a quick picture.”

After landing in D.C., Longstreth met her cousin, who had previously worked on the Democratic National Convention Committee, and together the girls toured the nation’s capital amidst heavy security and massive crowds. “I honestly could not believe all the people,” she said. “There were just so many people you could hardly move anywhere.”

On the day of the Inauguration, the women made their way down to the Capitol Building at approximately 5:30 a.m. and anxiously awaited the arrival of the President. “When we could see the motorcade coming, I just started thinking ‘this is really happening. I am really here witnessing this.’ It was just so surreal. From where we were standing, we had a straight shot of the Capitol Building and could see pretty much everything.”

Longstreth was equally impressed with the President’s speech, and said she felt moved when Obama addressed equal rights for everyone. “That was so nice to hear,” she said. “I just think it’s so awesome we have a president who cares about everyone, no matter what their sexual preference is. It really shows how far society has come.”

Despite the deafening roar of the crowd at times, Longstreth said it surprised her how quiet the crowd became when the president began speaking. “I think everybody was just kind of taken up in the moment. Especially on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to hear our nation’s first African-American president speaking … it was just so overwhelming to me and I actually got pretty emotional about it.”

And like a true teenager, Longstreth was blown away by the day’s performers, which included James Taylor, Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson.

“It was just such an experience for me, and it’s something I can always say I was a part of,” Longstreth said of her experience. “It really didn’t matter what party you belonged to, it seemed everyone was just in the same mindset that this is a president we support and care about. It was so nice to see everyone becoming united and hoping the best for the future.”

Longstreth hopes that future includes positive change in the country, and equal rights and opportunities for everyone. “I support him, and I support his ideas,” she said of President Obama. “I really don’t affiliate with any political party, but I think he needs everyone’s support right now so we can get our country back on track.”