Hundreds of dazzled citizens gaze up at the large white dome, straining to see the historic event take place. The inauguration of a new president serves as a landmark event: the leader of the free world is being inaugurated in front of our entire nation, the peaceful exchange of power occurring before the people. Many of us could not even fathom at what it must be like to witness such a tremendous event in person. However, there is one person in the Jesuit community who can attest to viewing the event up close.
A longtime social studies teacher and politics enthusiast, Mr. Asche, was invited to the inauguration ceremony of President Donald Trump on January 20th, 2017. He left Wednesday, January 18th and returned Sunday, January 22nd, and Asche truly experienced the full celebration of the new President’s inauguration during his brief stay.
Before even leaving for the trip, Mr. Asche talked with The Roundup about his agenda for the trip. He attended several amazing events during his five day stay in the nation’s capitol. However, due to tight security, “you have to have very specific tickets for each of the events that you are going to attend,” according to Asche. First, he and his wife attended the National Disabled Veterans Luncheon on Thursday, January 19th. Asche later 
commented on going to a “concert that [he] had tickets to, called the Make America Great Again concert.” Taking place on the historic steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Asche truly appreciated the “great venue” for an event like that. Next, on that same Thursday night, Asche “[had] tickets to the Texas Inaugural Ball which is known as the Texas Black Tie and Boots Ball.” On Friday, Mr. Asche attended the big event, the inauguration itself. He and his wife would later attend both the inaugural parade and the inaugural ball. Experiencing this large of an event for the first time in his life, Asche was ecstatic to be attending a significant historical event, and to be participating in something historical such as the inauguration.
Upon his return, Asche was stunned at the monumental experience of being at the inauguration. He explained that “the inauguration was amazing,” as well as being “th
e most patriotic and American thing” he has ever partaken in. Asche said, “sitting there and watching the power in the country peacefully change hands in about a thirty-second span of time made [him] feel extremely proud of the country that [he] lives in.” Passionately patriotic, Asche described his view of the inauguration as “an amazing scene, all the people filling up the entire mall, where it didn’t seem like there was any place for anybody to stand, and they [were] all supportive, and they [were] all excited, and it was an incredible environment.” Out of his entire trip, Asche outstandingly favored the inauguration, explaining “without a doubt, [the inauguration] was the highlight” of his experience in Washington. Asche went on to illustrate the scene of the inauguration, talking about the “thousands of people sitting [there].” Contrary to the mainstream media, when he turned around and looked behind himself, “there was the reflecting pool,” and behind the reflecting pool was what Asche described as “a sea of people” covering the mall. Asche said that “the enthusiasm that was there was amazing,” and it was “one of the most incredible experiences” he had ever been to.
Mr. Asche’s trip to the nation’s capitol was the trip of a lifetime: he experienced the sights and events that many people can only dream about, being present for an event that will go down in the history books.
