Five hundred forty-four miles east of Oxford, Ohio, the sky was blue, the air was cold and the crowd was more than one million strong as Barack Obama took the oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States.
It was only fitting that as he shared a message of unity, Americans across the country, including those at Miami University's campus, joined in laughter, tears, song and applause during the inaugural ceremony.
By noon, eyes were glued to TVs in the Shriver Center. Students walking by and staff members taking a break from work gathered to get a glimpse of what was going on in the capital.
By noon, the room in MacMillan Hall reserved for the inauguration watch party was overflowing. In the hallway, people were craning their necks to see the screen. Weaving between people, some found seats on the floor to get a closer look.
Thirty-three year old Oxford resident Connie Elliott sat in the front row, waving her flag and cheering on the president during his speech.
"It's historic-I never thought I'd live long enough to see this happen," she said after the ceremony. "I think he really has a good chance of making a difference."
Elliott read about the watch party on a poster she picked up at the MLK memorial event the university held the day before.
"I went to bed at 2 and woke up at 4," she said. "I couldn't sleep. I was so excited to come here and share this with everybody (in a setting where we're) not worried about race or color-we're just all coming together."
For Darryl Williamson, assistant director of diversity affairs at Miami, the watch party served as a, 'where were you when' moment.
Williamson suggested creating the event after reflecting on his experience as an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati during the 1986 Challenger explosion.
"I was coming through the student center (at UC) and all the students were gathered around the TV," he said.
In the emotion of the moment, Williamson said he realized how important it was to be able to share the experience with friends.
However, there was an obvious dichotomy in the emotion Williamson felt in his experience at UC 13 years ago versus MacMillan Hall Tuesday.
Despite the hardships America is facing, Williamson was glad Obama kept his message optimistic.
"It's a tough time for the country and I'm glad (Obama) didn't make it a somber ceremony," he said. "It's not so much about looking back, but looking forward."
Senior Rebekah Farrar stopped by the watch party between class and her shift working in the study abroad office.
She said the communal spirit of the crowd helped make the moment more moving than if she watched the inauguration by herself.
For Farrar, Obama's election has shaped her views of America.
"For a long time, I have not been patriotic. I haven't been proud to be an American," she said. "And I am finally, finally proud to be an American."
The event was hosted by the Black History Celebration Committee, Office of Diversity Affairs, led by Director Juanita Tate, and the Center for American and World Cultures, under Director Mary Jane Berman.
