Yesterday, a blustery snow day that I spent entirely indoors, I watched history and progress coincide. I watched the presidential inauguration from the awkward bustling of the burgeoning crowd to the final waves of Obama and his wife to the former head of state and his first lady. No detail of the ceremony escaped me as I sat transfixed at my television screen. Of all the emotions I experienced that morning, the most dominant was admiration. Admiration for Obama's courage in taking a nation in such turmoil, admiration for his loyal, headstrong wife, admiration for his fatherhood, and admiration for my nation's wise choice. But most of all, admiration that I finally had a president who reminded me of Dad. Not just because of his brown skin and love for his two daughters, something my father and he have in common, but because of his character and his honor. My father is my human hero, and now my president is a close second. My memories of the ceremony will last forever. I will draw upon these memories as encouragement to perform at my best in every aspect of my life. And now, as a black community, we have no excuse not to pursue the dreams imposed on our hearts. I watched the inauguration on my television in my dorm room, but even if I had not been home, I would have found a way. From cellphones, to laptops, to Ipods, there is always something. There are certain things that you don't want to miss, and there are some things that you simply CAN'T miss. Watching President Obama solemnly swear upon THE Lincoln Bible (He is the first president to do so since Lincoln!) was the latter.