From the National Mall to Russell Sage residence hall, Dartmouth's international students watched President Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday, questioning the extent to which the new president will bring positive change to the United States, both domestically and internationally.
Tilde Andersen '09 and Anine Hagemann '09, transfer students from the University of Copenhagen, traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the swearing-in and watch the inaugural address.
"Obama's speech showed that he's dedicated to greater citizenship," Hagemann said, referring to her desire for Americans to increase their community service efforts. "It will be great if Americans focus on public service."
The two exchange students, who volunteered to write letters to American troops and assemble care packages while in the nation's capital, said they hoped students would broaden their worldview beyond the "Dartmouth bubble."
"Being out in the real world puts things into perspective," Anderson said. "You don't just hear about a bad economy, you actually meet people who have lost their jobs."
Many international students said their interest in the inauguration stemmed from influence they believe Obama will have within the international community.
Robert Moss '12, a native of Ecuador, said he is optimistic about Obama's ability to "change things around the world."
Hagemann agreed, noting that changes in American policy can have worldwide ramifications.
"Your president has a huge impact on the foreign policies of other countries," she said. "Your president is the president of the world, in many ways."
Moss said students were visibly excited during an inauguration watch party held in Collis Common Ground.
"When people cheered, they cheered really loud," he said. "But when it was time to get quiet, they got quiet instantly."
It was this silence that surprised Sebastian Prieto '12, an international student from Peru. Prieto said he is not accustomed to his American friends sitting in serious silence around the television.
"[My friends] are usually really loud," Prieto said. "Any time I said something during the inauguration though, they all yelled at me to be quiet."
Many of the international students contrasted their inauguration day experiences with the level of political involvement in their home countries. Prieto said the large number of Americans who traveled to the capital impressed him.
"My friends back home have asked, 'Can you imagine going to the center of Lima to celebrate a new president?'" he said. "I can't even imagine driving 10 minutes to see an inauguration."
The Latin American students who were interviewed pointed to Obama's ability to inspire young people as the source of the increased student engagement.
"The national pride I saw yesterday was something I have never seen before," Prieto said.
While Hagemann said she saw such attitudes at the inauguration, she has her doubts about changes at Dartmouth.
"Dartmouth kids are well-off, or just so preoccupied with living out their idea of freedom, which is getting drunk and having fun," she said.
