From Idea to Inauguration: Jax State Students Make Impromptu Trip to Witness History

02/06/2025

By Brett Buckner 

On election night, Jax State senior Noah Morgan and friends were watching the news coverage that would soon declare Donald Trump to be the 47th President of the United States. Eventually, Morgan and fellow Jax State senior Jerry Haynes focused their conversations on the Presidential Inauguration and possibly attending the historic event in January. "We started making plans that night," said Morgan, a 23-year-old Geographic Information Systems major in his final term at Jax State. "It all just sort of came together."   

Arriving in D.C. set the tone for what the two college friends would soon witness. "The first thing I remember seeing when I walked out of Union Station was the Capitol building completely illuminated," Morgan said. "It was Haynes’ first time seeing it too. He's really into politics and how our government works, so seeing the capital building for him was a very emotional experience." 

The day before arriving in Washington, Morgan and Haynes learned that the inauguration had been moved indoors due to the blisteringly cold weather in Washington, D.C., on January 20. With temperatures expected to hover between 15 and 20 degrees, it was decided that Trump would be sworn in and deliver his inauguration address inside the Capitol Rotunda. Those like Morgan and Haynes would go to the 20,000-capacity Capital One Arena for live viewing. "It was like a big watch party," Morgan said. The traditional inaugural parade, which included marching bands and other groups proceeding down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, was also moved to the Capital One Arena. 

Morgan and Haynes woke up at 3 a.m. to leave their hotel and make it to the Capital One Arena by 4 a.m. "It was hilarious," Morgan said. "You should have seen me scrambling around trying to figure everything out. Then we were just sitting there, waiting with everyone else in line wearing our full thermal gear. It was fortunate Morgan and Haynes arrived when they did. Reports suggest that the line to get into the arena was upwards of three miles long and backed up to the National Mall. Security was understandably strict. "We saw people dumping bags and purses on the street just so they could get in," Morgan said. "It was crazy."  

After watching Donald Trump and J.D. Vance sworn in as President and vice president, respectively, the procession moved to the Capital One Arena, where Morgan and Haynes had a clear view of the events. "It's something I know I will never forget," Morgan said. "It made me - and this would've been true regardless of who was sworn in that day – prouder to be an American."  

This inauguration was unique because in addition to the traditional events, including the performance of "Hail to the Chief," the newly elected President sat down and signed seven executive orders in front of a cheering crowd. "Watching the president himself work in person was something special to watch," Morgan said. "There's not a lot of people in the world that can say that they've seen the president of the United States sign executive orders." Their day officially ended around 7 p.m. when they took the Metro back to their hotel. The next day, Morgan took his friend on a tour that included the Lincoln Memorial, the National Archive to see the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Ford's Theater. "It's a trip that I know we will never forget," Morgan said. "It's something that I'll tell my kids and grandkids about.”  

Morgan, whose father is Joseph Scott Morgan, Jax State's Distinguished Scholar of Applied Forensics at Jacksonville State University, attended the 2017 Presidential Inauguration with his parents. "They thought it would be a good opportunity for me to see how the peaceful transition of our government works," he said. "And at the time, I was homeschooled, so I was always able to take these unique opportunities." It also meant that Morgan knew how to get inauguration tickets, which required contacting Congressman Mike Roger's office. "That's essentially how it goes," Morgan said. "You contact your representative, whoever it is, and then that office responds and sends an invitation." Once approved, attendees must physically visit the congressman's office in Washington the day before the inauguration. Tickets were free. 

This inauguration was a wholly different experience than in 2017 because, this time, he was an adult. "As a kid, I couldn't appreciate the magnitude of the event I was witnessing in person," he said. "This time, seeing it was more special. This time, I'd been able to vote, to have a voice in how my government was going to be formed."