BOCA RATON– Fifteen Lynn University students will travel to Washington D.C. Jan. 14 – 21 to observe the re-inauguration of the nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama.
The trip marks the conclusion of the 400 level January Term (J-Term) course, “Witness to History: The 2013 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C.” taught by Sindee Kerker, associate professor of criminal justice in Lynn’s College of Liberal Education.
Kerker, who made a similar trip to D.C. to observe Obama’s inauguration four years ago, will accompany the students. J.J. Dawson, president of Lynn’s Democratic Club and Eric Gooden, Obama’s stand-in for the third and final presidential debate held on campus Oct. 22, are among the 15 students attending.
“The students are more engaged this year since Lynn hosted the third presidential debate,” said Kerker. “They volunteered for the debate, enrolled in debate related courses and many assisted political campaigns and participated in rallies.”
As required by the United States Constitution, Obama’s swearing-in ceremony is normally held on Jan. 20. Because Jan. 20 falls on a Sunday this year, the outdoor ceremony will fall on Monday, Jan. 21 – which also happens to be Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Prior to the inauguration, students will participate in pre-inauguration activities and explore the nation’s capital via a variety of tours to monuments and memorials, the U.S. Supreme Court and the White House, among other landmarks.
In addition to the opportunity to witness history, students in Kerker’s class will be required to demonstrate their learning outcomes though a variety of written assignments and oral presentations. Among other tasks, students will be required to keep a daily journal in addition to read the book, Memo to a New President by Dr. Michael Genovese, which addresses the strengths and weaknesses of presidential leadership in theUnited States.
Before the class departs for D.C. on Jan. 14, students will meet on campus to discuss the media’s impact on the political process, the results of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections and the importance of the president’s relationship with other political branches of the U.S. government, among other topics.