Locust Grove Students To Attend Inauguration

By Craig Day, News On 6

LOCUST GROVE, OK -- A group of Locust Grove Middle School students will be a part of the excitement when Barak Obama becomes our nation's 44th president.

The students will leave in a few days for Washington to attend Barak Obama's inauguration.

"Everybody's talking about it, all day, every day," said Aaron Conway who is in 8th grade.

"We've been counting down the days for more than a year now. Every day we say just so many more days until we get to go," said Sandy Pierce, a Locust Grove Middle School teacher.

About four dozen 7th, 8th and 9th graders, plus teachers and sponsors, have actually planned this trip for well over a year.

"I'm real excited. I've never been to Washington before," said Conway.

"We were either going to have the oldest President ever, the first Black President ever, the first woman ever, maybe the first woman Vice President ever. It was going to be historic, regardless, and we wanted to be there for that moment," said Pierce.

Besides Obama's inauguration, the students will get to see many other sites in our nation's capital.

"I want to see the Vietnam Memorial, because my grandpa was in Vietnam and the Washington Monument is really big for me," said Conway.

"I'm looking forward to see the Arlington Cemetery, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," said Michaela Ragsdale, 8th Grader.

Each student is paying their own way. It will cost $1,100 for the five day, four night trip.

While they are in Washington, the students will each keep a journal to write about their experiences. In the short term it's an assignment, but it's hoped in the long term that journal will turn into a family keepsake because they will witness history.

For now, the students are going over their itinerary, and some last minute details as they get ready for a field trip of a lifetime.

"I feel very, very privileged to be going," said Ragsdale.