Richard Nkansah hopes that in 20 years, a presidential candidate like Barack Obama will be not seen for his race, but for his qualifications to serve. Nkansah was one of two students from the U's Black Student Union to travel to Washington, D.C., to witness the inauguration of President Obama on Jan. 20.

U student interns joined hundreds of thousands of Americans in celebrating the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th president, but some watched and listened in different venues than they had originally planned.

In Washington D.C., U interns with the Hinckley Institute of Politics had the chance to be among those packed into hotels, buses, sidewalks and streets to see the inauguration of the country's first black president.

Today's inauguration's theme will be "A New Birth of Freedom," chosen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. It is designed to also celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday and to invoke the spirit of Lincoln into the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. appointed Jowers, a Republican, to head an ethics commission to address issues.

More than 52 percent of eligible young voters went to the polls, tying the 1992 election for the second-highest young voter turnout. 1972 had the highest percentage with 55.4 percent.

Many international Canadians in Toronto were in favor of Obama to win the American election.

Georgia is holding a run-off election between Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin today because the Nov. 4 election was too close to call. But today's election has far greater political implications than before.

Obama hopes to be the first president to use a laptop in the Oval Office and have Internet access there, aides told reporters last week.

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement estimated the 23 million mark would be the new record for the voting bracket for Americans age 18 to 29.