by Sophia Li Features editorWASHINGTO N — A man’s voice thundered through the crowd in Greenbelt Metro Station in Maryland where hundreds waited — not all othem patiently — to buy their Metro passes on Sunday evening. “I was there in ’63 or the March on Washington,” he said, “when Mar- tin Luther King, Jr. gave his ‘I have adream’ speech.” He paused. “And I’m here again to see the dream come true.” People smiled and laughed, ap- plauded and cheered. Two days later, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President othe United States. Obama’s ascent into the highestreaches onational politics was the continuation oa much longer, and larger, story. And though classes were to begin the next morning, many Brown students were in the nation’s capital, eager or a glimpse ohistory. “Denitely everyone in my parents’ generation — they just eel a sense o, like, shock,” Doug Eacho ’11 said. Obama’s inauguration, he said, held a greater signicance or people who had grown up thinking there would never be a black president. “No one ever sensed that this would happen in their lietimes,” he said. Eacho became a part othe Pres- ident’s long journey to the White House when he began to volunteeror the Obama campaign over a yearago. But much has changed since Oc- tober 2007. The need or a change in administration has become more urgent, Eacho said, with the currentstate othe economy. He added, though, “I think nowpeople’s expectations are more tem- pered.” Providence Mayor David Cicilline ’83, who was also in Washington orthe inauguration, said the oreclosure crisis, Rhode Island’s high unemploy- ment rate and the state’s large budgetdecit were “serious challenges thathave developed over the last eightyears and won’t be resolved over- night.” But some are waiting or change to come sooner. Gov. Donald Carcieri ’65 said ex- pectations or the changing adminis - tration infuenced the design oRhode News..... 1-4 Higher E..5-6 Sports...7-9 W. basketball Win some, Sports, 7 Tiny parTicLeS, big News, 3 real life conflict, played Opinions, 11 i d e Students brave crowds to see history unfold U . by MaTThew VarLey HigHered editor“Welcome to spring semesterand American history,” Ted Wid- mer, director othe John CarterBrown library, told a ull Salomon 101 Tuesday morning. “Historyis moving very much in the rightdirection today.” As President Barack Obamaprepared to take the oath ooce in Washington, D.C., students and staattended inauguration broad- casts in Salomon, Sayles Hall and the John Hay Library yesterdaymorning. In the aternoon, the cel- ebratory tone on campus shited toward refection as two acultypanels addressed domestic and oreign policy challenges acing the Obama administration. In the Salomon Center, the crowd let no doubt otheir en- thusiasm about the new president. A deaening silence ell over the crowd when then-President George Bush emerged rom the Capitol, but some applauded CNN AnchorWolBlitzer’s comment that Bush’s entrance marked the last time “Hail to the Chie” would be played orthe 43rd president. In contrast, stu- dents cheered or the day’s rstshot oObama. The crowd erupted again atnoon when Blitzer announced the ocial transer opower, which oc- curred during an ensemble music perormance or Obama. The new President received no ewer than three standing ovations rom students in Salomon: when he was rst introduced to the crowd, Economy’ s toll on U . unce rtain by Jenna STark News editorBrown’s endowment has been “impact- ed” in recent months by the poor eco- nomic climate, Provost David Kertzer’69 P’95 P’98 told The Herald in an e-mail, although the University has not announced any specics aboutthe welare oits endowment since early this all. President Ruth Simmons announced in September that the endowmenthad earned a co mparatively strong 6.3 percent return in the scal yearending in June 2008 — but since then, schools around the country have re- ported signicant losses and budgetcutbacks. “While we entered this period stronger than at any point in the Uni- versity’s history, the downturn has had S Gz , b by nicoLe FriedMan seNiors taFFwriterTwenty-ve students on the Brown/ RISD Hillel’s Taglit-Birthright trip to Israel returned to Providence Tuesday ater 10 days otravel. Missing rom their number were 15 other students who had signed up or the trip, but backed out aterwar broke out between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The three-week confict in Gaza, despite occurring in the middle owinter break and hala world away, nevertheless reached members othe Brown community in a vari- ety oways — whether they were traveling abroad or debating the confict rom home. A cease-re to the confict was announced overthe weekend, by Israel on Saturdayand Hamas on Sunday. Lindsay Babbitt ’11 canceled herplans to go on the Birthright trip ater waiting “as long as po ssible” to see ithe situation would change, she said.“I was really excited aboutit,” she said. “I was hoping things would calm down a little bit, butthey didn’t and they just kept es- calating.” She traveled to New Or- leans to build houses or a week in lieu oher Israel plans. OBAMA SWORN IN AS 44TH PRESIDENT Brian Vaner Br/ Los Aneles Times (above). Cortesy of Emily Yaffe (Riht). Barack anMichelle Obama escort the former presient anfirst lay to their helicopter. continued onpage 9 continued onpage 9 continued onpage 2 continued onpage 2 D aily Herald the Brown vol. cxliv, no. 1 | Wednesday , January 21 , 20 09 | Serving the community daily since 1891