Terrier alumni discuss the tumult and changes before, during, and after the presidential inauguration 

The last four years in our nation’s capital have been filled with their ups and downs… and a fair amount of tweeting. A new era has begun and things will continue on under a new presidential administration, as they have since our founding. The past month has held an insurrection of the people’s house, followed by a nationwide moment of bipartisan unity, and a rolling back of many of the former president’s actions with a series of executive orders made by newly-minted President Joe Biden.

What does all of this look like to your average DC resident? When speaking with Wofford alum EC Wheatley ‘20, she admitted that she anticipates, “lower tensions…but there are a lot of visitors in the city which can cause the mood to completely shift”. 

This influx of tourists and potential political activists may cause more anxiety than normal after the demonstration that was intended to stop the count of the Electoral College votes just a few short weeks ago.

Wheatley also stated that she can, “definitely still feel the remains of the events that occurred on Jan. 6, 2020. I had a friend in town recently and wasn’t able to show her our beautiful monuments because they were blocked off for security reasons”.

The Biden Administration has come in with a bold and ambitious agenda in the name of unity and progress, bringing a sense of “relief” Wheatley says, that has been so hard to find during the current COVID-19 pandemic. 

Wheatley closed with noting that Washington DC, while it can be a “hub for political demonstrations” she has the utmost confidence that it will “continue to be an incredible tourist destination”.