Local teens experience history firsthand
North and South Brunswick students attend inauguration of President Barack Obama
BY JENNIFER AMATO & MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writers

Brittany Gordon (r) attended the inauguration of President Obama last week as part of the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference.

Although they were not old enough to vote in the most recent election, several local students were able to participate in the political environment surrounding the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Katy and Nicole Golvala and Brittany Gordon, from North Brunswick Township High School, and South Brunswick High School graduates J.P. Crowley, Andrew Monteiro and Dana Mandell all took part in the historic ceremony last week.

The North Brunswick students visited Washington, D.C., last week as part of the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference. In addition to being present at the swearing in ceremony, the girls attended guest lectures by Pulitzer Prize author Doris Kearns Goodwin, television journalist Lisa Ling, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu and former Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore.

Katy Golvala, 18, and her sister Nicole, 15, were initially nominated to join the leadership conference program in middle school, never realizing they would one day actually attend an inauguration.

"It was an honor to see [Obama] sworn in," said Katy Golvala, who turned 18 a month after the election. "I feel Barack Obama is my generation's John F. Kennedy, and I don't think I've ever experienced a leader who has inspired me before."

During the inauguration, Katy Golvala said that her group was "pretty far" away from the main stage but that the "energy was so great — everybody was so happy to be there. I think that was the most important part of it."

Nicole Golvala said, "When Obama was speaking, everyone was really peaceful, but when he said something really inspiring, everyone would go wild. … I think he is so inspirational and he is inspiring the idea of change, and I think that will happen."

Initially, the girls left on Jan. 17 and drove to D.C. with their parents and then joined a group of 24 other students from across the country. The group would hold meetings in the morning, travel to the University of Maryland for the guest speakers during the day and then discuss their experiences during the drive back to D.C., all before attending the opening musical concert held in Obama's honor on Jan. 18.

Katy Golvala said because her parents are from Colombia and India, she has traveled a lot, but that she was even more inspired to get involved. She said Obama spoke about his interest in the world, not just in America, and how being an American citizen is being a world citizen.

Therefore, she plans to continue a mission she started with a friend last year to donate clothing and money to children around the world. She already personally delivered clothing to India and school supplies to Tanzania this past summer.

"I think [Obama] is going to be great for this country, and I hope the excitement he sparked will continue during his four years in office," Katy Golvala said. "[Obama] definitely made it seem like America is moving into a new era."

Nicole Golvala said that although she is still young, she felt it was important to be part of history so she could tell her children and grandchildren about her experience.

"The only way you can get interested is if you jump-start yourself," she said. "It felt like I had a little part of it even though I'm too young to vote."

Gordon, 15, traveled separately to Washington, one of 15,000 students on 360 buses attending the youth inaugural conference. She said since joining in sixth grade after being nominated by her math teacher, she has visitedD. C. and Boston with the group, and was then invited to this year's ceremony.

"I really got to be a part of history. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I will never forget," she said.

Gordon said she was inspired by the speeches by Gore, because she used to be in an environmental club and in Girl Scouts, and by Lisa Ling, because she wants to travel the world and help people. She also enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Potomac River where "there was lots of security, but it was a lot of fun."

On the morning of the inauguration, Gordon said her group boarded the bus at 5 a.m., arrived at 6 a.m., stayed inside a museum for a few hours and then went outside about three hours before the ceremony started. She said that being with 1.8 million people "was beyond words" and that "as soon as Obama started saying his speech, tears came to my eyes. … He showed me how much he is interested in the people."

Although Gordon said the atmosphere was "very crowded" and "chaotic," she said that everyone spoke to one another and became friends or acquaintances.

"We were all there for the same reason — we were really united," she said.

After the swearing-in, the students walked two miles to a nearby baseball stadium for lunch, and then went back to the hotel to prepare for a very formal inaugural ball where Daughtry performed.

Besides "making lifelong friends," Gordon said the trip to Washington had a profound effect on her future because she has found a new interest in life.

"When I actually got to see what [Obama] had to say, it really sparked my interest in politics. I never thought I would be [interested] in politics until I heard him speaking there," she said.

From nearby South Brunswick, three township high school graduates marched in the inaugural parade.

J.P. Crowley plays the baritone, Andrew Monteiro the cymbals, and Dana Mandell the mellophone, and they all marched with the Cadets, a nationally competitive nine-time world champion drum and bugle corps group based out of Allentown, Pa.

Monteiro, 19, attends New York University; Crowley, 20, goes to The College of New Jersey. Dana Mandell, 20, studies music education at the University of Massachusetts.

Mandell said that although she has been to Washington, D.C., before, she has never been to an event like the inauguration.

"I don't think we've ever played for anyone as high up as the president of the United States before," Mandell said. "It's a completely different crowd. First of all, there were a lot more people. Also, we usually play for drum corps fans, but to have the people clapping for us on the streets of Washington, D.C., was a completely different experience. … It was really cool to be a part of this inauguration, because it was so special."

Tracey Crowley, J.P.'s mother, said the inauguration came at a time when the group is marking its 75th anniversary. The event in the nation's capital kicked off their season well, since they will go to camp in May and start competing in June.

"It came as a surprise to the Cadets," Tracey Crowley said. "They're a drum corps group, and they compete all summer. It put a spin on their year."

J.P. Crowley often volunteers to help the South Brunswick High School marching band because he is studying music education in New Jersey. He also supports his 15-yearold brother, Zachary, who recently marched as a trombonist in the Rose Parade at the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day.

Marty Mandell, Dana Mandell's father, said the Cadets are a Division 1 drum and bugle corps group. He said he watched his daughter rehearse with them for the inauguration in Woodstown before the group went to Washington.

"She thought it was really great," Marty Mandell said. "It was a big thrill to march for the president and it was extremely difficult. It was extremely cold for a very long time."

The Cadets rehearse for the entire summer, Marty Mandell said, and they compete on the road several times per week during the season. He said his daughter also marches with the UMass Minuteman Marching Band, which has marched for the Canadian Football League championship in Toronto and plans to march for the New Year's Day parade in Dublin, Ireland, next year.

"I couldn't be more proud,"" Marty Mandell said. "Her experience with marching music is really going a long way to preparing her for life, the Cadets in particular. I think once you march [in a] competitive bugle corps, everything else in life is easy."