IBy Chris Boccia ’17

Inauguration Day is a tradition supported by hundreds of years of history. It is rooted in the revolutionary thoughts of our founders of centuries ago, ones formed on the basis of the triumph of their transcendent principles.

They were principles victorious in claiming our independence, and they are principles still held in the fabric of American democracy on January 20, 2017. That we as a country would elect a leader every four years, that we as a people would collectively orchestrate a turnover of mass proportion to the effect of millions overjoyed and as many discontent, was a thought steeped in the ideal of self-government so ahead of its time that the status quo stood aghast.

But 240 years, 57 presidential elections, and 53 inaugurations later, we barely blink. In the United States of America, we the people continue to lead more than we realize. And in no more than the inauguration of a new president is that idea so demonstrably evident.

He was the 45th President of the United States at 12:00 p.m., and, on this basis, Americans must rally together in unification of the collective values which we share more than we acknowledge or admit, and we must join in hope and promise for a future that beckons ahead by many signs that indicate prosperity and continued greatness.

Perhaps Donald J. Trump, who became the 45th President of the United States at noon today, is the epitome of a government for, by, and of the people. That phrase, minted by the nation’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, takes on a new meaning today, as a man fresh into the fray of Washington politics takes the oath for the land’s highest office.

President-elect Trump will join the ranks of just 44 men, each of whom held at the very least one political office or served in the United States Army.

Trump will be the first to have done neither, and, in his first political campaign, he broke all pollster predictions, general expectation, and through a shadow of doubt and ridicule which followed him from the day he announced his candidacy for the office he sought. Yet, even still, Trump defied odds that would make historians and scholars alike hard-pressed to understand or explain. He branded a message that connected with millions, and he nudged that not-so softly spoken message into the crevices of the country that wanted to hear it most, like the steel mines in Michigan and the blue-collar suburbs of Pennsylvania.

His campaign, while subject to innumerable mishaps and overarching controversy throughout, played a large part in wedging greater division in America. In this respect, it was nothing short of remarkable – whether or not you choose to remark positively on its audacity to excite a disgruntled portion of the electorate, or to remark negatively on its cutthroat nature in politics and positions too often void of factual basis, is entirely your perspective.

Trump defied odds that would make historians and scholars alike hard-pressed to understand or explain. He branded a message that connected with millions, and he nudged that not-so-softly spoken message into the crevices of the country that wanted to hear it most, like the steel mines in Michigan and the blue-collar suburbs of Pennsylvania.

But, upon reflection of the election, we must come to an unquestionable determination: That November 8, 2016 has long passed, and the American people – on board or not – will be under the leadership of a man who wields more power than perhaps any other in the free world.

He was the 45th President of the United States at 12:00 p.m., and, on this basis, Americans must rally together in unification of the collective values which we share more than we acknowledge or admit, and we must join in hope and promise for a future that beckons ahead by many signs that indicate prosperity and continued greatness.

Today, we celebrate democracy. We celebrate its unhindered ability to keep our country running through turmoil or peace. Through justice and injustice, it acts unabated, protected by the foundations inherent in and established by its conception, like the many shepherds of its execution.

Most prominently, that is the President of the United States, a man or woman with the power to control legislative progress (he/she can either sign or veto any bill passed by Congress), mold the future of judicial system (he/she must fill the Supreme Court) with an ideological taste of his or her choice, and act with decisive impact on matters concerning national security.

Today, we celebrate democracy. We celebrate its unhindered ability to keep our country running through turmoil or peace. Through justice and injustice, it acts unabated, protected by the foundations inherent in and established by its conception, like the many shepherds of its execution.

The President is also the Commander-in-Chief, meaning he or she assumes the mantle of most consequential potential – like deploying American troops for combat. President-elect Trump’s judgment and thoughtful consideration will be tested in this area, and that may expose American life to foreign perils. We, the people who elected him, have entrusted him with this duty so significant that it merits, at times, only hope.

It’s admittedly difficult to craft a sharp opinion on a day like this one. As a new president is inaugurated, there should be no time for negative commentary or protest on personnel. Rather, today is a day to put politics aside and wholly appreciate the beauty of our political system.

With the mere utterance of 35 words scripted by the Constitution’s framers, Donald J. Trump was lifted from civilian status to that of a man with power and influence greater than the mind’s comprehension. The thought frightens some, but that’s beside the point. Today, January 20, it is reality.

At noon, a new man began to lead us. In such a transition, we witness and contribute to history – as we chose this man – and watch as the breeze of its nature, ingrained with wonderment, unpredictability and awe, whistles through the streets of Washington – and echoes through the rest of a nation united, an American people together under the leadership of our 45th president.