Today marks the beginning of a new era as Barack Obama becomes the 44th president and the first African-American president of the United States of America. His inauguration comes one day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which to some, has a symbolic meaning in itself.

It’s symbolic in the sense that Dr. King envisioned the day that it would be possible for an African-American to be president and now that is happening, said Bertrand Simpson, College of Law director of admissions and financial aid.

“Dr. King did a lot for our county, not just for African Americans,” Simpson said. “Barack Obama also intends to do a lot for our country, not just African-Americans.”

Simpson, who also attended Obama’s acceptance speech after his presidential win in Grant Park, has high hopes for the incoming president including ending the wars overseas, dealing with the current economic situation and restoring our standing as a nation among the community of nations.

“I hope he will turn out to be one of the greatest presidents of the modern era,” Simpson said.

Associate athletics director Monique Bernoudy also hopes that the Obamas will be successful and that he and his family will find a balance between their personal and professional lives.

“I would hope that everyone can understand that everything can’t change overnight, because we didn’t get here overnight,” Bernoudy said.

While working in the graduate school for business at the University of Chicago, Bernoudy actually worked on a student development committee with Michelle Obama for about a year and a half.

“I remember one of the first times I met her,” Bernoudy said. “She was friendly, outspoken in terms of student development issues and very willing to be a collaborator and team player with the goal of student success, community success.”

At the time, Barack was a popular law professor there among the students, Bernoudy said.

“I just think it’s an exciting time for our country that we would elect our top official based on his credentials and not allow his ethnicity to be a deterrent,” Bernoudy said.

Working as the DeKalb County Democrat’s executive committee chair since 2000, Eileen Dubin also has worked with the Obamas when Barack ran for a variety of positions and attended different functions over the years.

Dubin said many people still remember in 2004 when Barack spoke at a DeKalb County Democrat event in Hopkins Park, the weekend after he was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

“I have high hopes that he will change our economic situation and do a great deal with health care and education,” Dubin said, who is currently in Washington D.C. attending his inauguration along with other members of her organization.