Inauguration Tradition Continues at Episcopal

On Friday, January 20th, the Episcopal High School community observed the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States.
Some 350 students and their faculty chaperones travelled by bus to the National Mall to watch President Donald Trump take the oath of office and deliver his inaugural address. In keeping with EHS tradition, students of every political persuasion bore witness to the peaceful transition of presidential power, a pillar of American democracy.
 
“Faculty chaperones who attended the event were provided with ​detailed training, and both faculty and students received a safety briefing that outlined standards and practices in the event of civil unrest or other incidents,” said Jeremy Goldstein, Director of the Washington Program.
 
Parents with prevailing safety concerns were permitted to choose an alternative option for their children, and the 100 or so students who did not travel to the Mall spent the morning of the inauguration engaging with seniors at Goodwin House retirement home in Alexandria.
 
“With both options, we made sure that the EHS tradition of engaging with the inauguration on a deeper level remained a key part of the student experience,” said Mr. Goldstein.
 
The students, who had watched John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address prior to the visit, talked with the residents about their memories of inaugurations and presidents past, their personal and professional experiences living in and around D.C., and their worries about and hopes for the future. Following their time at Goodwin House, the students watched the inauguration from the auditorium at Northern Virginia Community College.
 
“The U.S. has been a global leader in celebrating a peaceful exchange of power from one party to the next since George Washington's inspired decision not to run for a third term,” said Head of School Charley Stillwell. “This day for Episcopal is meant to celebrate our democratic process, rather than to support a particular winning candidate or party. I hope we will be able to continue to attend the event in future years, but we will also always keep the safety and security of our students front and center in our minds.”

Once both groups had returned to campus, the entire student body came together in Callaway Chapel for a period of reflection led by Head Chaplain Betsy Gonzales. Episcopal’s choir offered a hymn, while senior monitors Alexander Block and Salina Tsegei shared readings that spoke to their hopes and dreams for themselves and for their peers. Reverend Gonzales also asked students and adults alike to turn to their neighbor and share something they learned about themselves, either through their participation in the MLK Day workshops that occurred earlier that week, or through their experience of inauguration day.

“Our students came away from the day with a much more complete sense of what the inauguration entails and what it means to the democratic process,” said Mr. Stillwell.
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