Nishan Patel will be spending a week rubbing elbows with some of the biggest names in the United States at one of the biggest events in American history. But unlike most students, Patel has an all-access pass to exclusive inauguration events.

For the next week, he will be in the company of politicians and professors from around the world during a monumental time, attending events most students do not have access to.

Patel’s journey to Washington, D.C., began eight months ago in April, when he was invited by the Syracuse chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) to attend the University Presidential Inaugural Conference, a program for high-achieving students that provides exclusive access to inaugural events.

As an inaugural scholar, Patel has a ticket to the inaugural swearing-in of Barack Obama, America’s 44th president, tomorrow. He will also be able to attend the public inaugural parade.

‘The opportunity to hear Obama in person is such an honor,’ said Patel, ‘And the opportunity to just go out there and meet politicians and other people from all over the country is great.’

More than 4 million people are expected to attend Barack Obama’s inauguration Tuesday afternoon, potentially making it the most-viewed presidential inauguration in United States history.

‘I knew it was going to be a big deal no matter what, but I didn’t even know who had won the election when I got the e-mail saying I had been chosen to go,’ Patel said.

Patel’s trip is sponsored by the University Presidential Inaugural Conference (UPIC), which is an event that gives students the opportunity to take part in the inauguration.

In addition to having a seat at the swearing-in ceremony and standing on the sidelines of the parade, Patel will also have the opportunity to attend the inaugural ball.

Other events include keynote addresses from various political speakers, including Sen. John Edwards, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore and political pundit James Carville. The students can also participate in panel discussions on topics such as foreign affairs and environmental issues. Students can watch and participate in debates as well.

Patel joined NSCS during his freshman year at SU after the Syracuse chapter recognized him as ranking in the top 20 percent of his class. Through e-mails, NSCS invites its members to participate in many events, and Patel says the e-mail for the inauguration seemed unexceptional at first.

‘A couple people from NSCS didn’t even read the e-mail (for the UPIC) properly and thought it was just an NSCS update. I’m so glad I paid attention that day,’ Patel said. The e-mails were sent before the presidential campaigns were in full swing, and Patel didn’t know who would win when he accepted the invitation. Once he discovered that Obama would be president and that he was invited to exclusive inauguration events, Patel said he couldn’t wait to go. However, this trip comes at a price. The UPIC Web site lists the cost of the trip at just less than $3,000. While the conference offers many fundraising tips and has a scholarship program for students who could not pay the fee, Patel says he did have to spend money to attend the events.

‘I just paid for it,’ Patel said. ‘But with everything that they have planned, I know it will be worth it.’

NSCS representative Robert Healey said Patel joined a total of 900 NSCS members on Saturday in Washington for the five-day UPIC.

Junior Michael Tran also went to Washington with UPIC to celebrate the inauguration of the 44th President, except that he got the opportunity through a seminar he participated in during high school, not through NSCS.

Tran said that while so far he is enjoying himself in the nation’s capital and feels honored to be a part of history, not all the students on the trip seem to share the same enthusiasm.

He said that several of the events didn’t go exactly as planned due to the high number of students that are a part of UPIC. The total number of students in UPIC is around 5,000. ‘There are a lot of lines for buses and for the different events. A lot of people aren’t happy about that,’ Tran said. ‘Also, some kids thought that we would be guaranteed tickets to the inauguration but were not. The whole thing seems to be confusing.’

Tran said he and his roommate for the trip, a student from St. Francis College in New York City, are planning on waking up at 3 a.m. tomorrow to head to the National Mall, in hopes of getting a good seat for the swearing-in.

‘I mean, before I came here, I told my roommates back at school that I was going to be meeting Obama, but it seems like that’s not happening. But whatever, at least I got to come down here and be a part of it all,’ Tran said. Kelly Outram contributed to this article. ampaye@syr.edu kaoutram@syr.edu

Published on January 19, 2009 at 12:00 pm