Bonnie Meibers, Senior Staff Writer
WASHINGTON -- Droves of Americans poured into the nation's capital to attend President Donald Trump's inauguration and the Women's March the following day, many Miami students among them.
The Inside Washington and MU2DC programs sent students to witness history, as did the Government Relations Network (GRN), which was sponsored by Miami's Office of Institutional Relations. Several students also attended on their own.
Junior Emily Weber spent the summer in Washington D.C. participating in the Inside Washington program and returned to the capital this month with the MU2DC program.
"After being so tuned into the election over the summer, I loved getting to see it come to fruition," Weber said.
Representative Warren Davidson (R-OH) of Ohio's 8th district, which Miami is located in, was pleased with the crowd's reaction on Inauguration Day.
"Enthusiastic looking into the future, that's the tone here," Davidson told The Student.
Miami senior political science major Cameron Garcyk was less enthused by the crowd's energy.
"It was disturbing," Garczyk said. "It's very worrisome that [attendees] would act like that, behave like children in some regards."
Hallie Jankura, a sophomore political science major who attended the inauguration through the MU2DC program, agreed with Garcyzk.
"We are the United States, but that has been so lost in this election cycle," Jankura said.
On her way back from the inauguration, Weber was caught up in riots near K and 12th streets.
"It was a complete war zone," she said. "I get not agreeing with Trump, but I don't think breaking windows is the way to react."
Jankura expressed concern about the division she witnessed.
"I fear that protesters will spend too much time in the next few years working against Donald Trump to actually accomplish anything," Jankura said. "It's like a riptide. It's futile to try and swim directly against it; you have to swim to the side, kind of working with it, until you get out of its vices."
Students on both ends of the political spectrum said they are anxious to see what President Trump does in the days following the inauguration.
"It will be interesting to see how he approaches this," Garczyk said. "I'm not too sure what to expect, but [I'm] not too hopeful."
Weber shared his sentiments.
"I'm excited about his potential and I'm trying to be optimistic about it," she said. "But I am not optimistic about the division among American citizens."