By Max Gelber, News Correspondent

Northeastern students and faculty gathered Tuesday afternoon in the Curry Student Center indoor quad to witness Barack Obama take the oath of office, becoming the 44th President of the United States and the country’s first African American president in history.
Though a day full of joy and optimism, President Obama addressed the nation on issues at hand and noted that challenges ahead to fix them may not be so simple.
‘Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,’ Obama said. ‘They are serious, and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America:’ They will be met.’
Addressing an estimated 1.5 million Americans on the National Mall, Obama signaled the beginning of the end of certain Bush policies, namely on national security.
‘As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,’ said Obama.
Even with the harsh realities that lay ahead for Obama and the country, both economically and politically, students said they looked to this event as the right start.
‘[This] gets us back on the right path, the magnitude of our problems can’t realistically be solved in the next four years, but I hope he can get us back on the right path,’ said Emem Adjah, a senior international business major.
Rachel Mayo, a junior music and modern languages major, said she could relate to Obama’s message.
‘[It] makes things seem possible again, that everything is possible now,’ she said. ‘It struck a very personal chord with me. If you want something, you [can] get it. It was just very special for me. It’s almost a new comfort level, a new view of America.’
After the 20 minute speech, some said the issues at hand weren’t the biggest sticking point, but rather the possibility of better things to come.
‘It makes you think of the future,’ said Ash Draper, a middler biology major. ‘I didn’t expect it to be so chilling, I’m hoping that he makes the changes that he promises to make, or at least starts the changes.’
Curry wasn’t the only place on campus to watch the event. The John D. O’Bryant African-American Institute, Snell Library, EdTech Center and political science department in Meserve Hall televised the inauguration as well.