Staff Writer 

 Michelle Munger, 17, missed four midterm exams last week. Rather than joining her fellow students in the halls of Cape Elizabeth High School, she was playing hooky with 15,000 other participants during the Congressional Youth Leadership Council (CYLC). The national organization coordinates seminars for students sponsored a five-day Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference in Washington D.C. 

“Everybody understood, especially my government teacher,” she said.

While her classmates were taking tests and writing essays, Munger joined more than a million Americans who descended on the city to witness the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44^th Commander In Chief and first  black president in U.S. history.

“It was insane,” she said. “There were vendors selling Obama stickers, T-shirts, watches and bags. You name it, they had it.”

It wasn’t the first time Munger had been to Washington D.C.; in 2007 she was first nominated to participate in the CYLC and attended a 10-day National Youth Leaders Conference where she said she learned “about politics, government and how to deal with people.” 

Munger’s perspective ranges beyond country borders, however; in 2008, she left America for the first time for the Global Young Leaders Conference in the Czech Republic, a country she said was “rich” with culture. Munger said she enjoyed overcoming language barriers and juggling different currencies during the 13-day conference.

“It was an adventure,” she said.

Munger’s latest adventure began Jan. 17 – four days before Obama’s inauguration – with a flight from the Portland Jetport to Reagan International in Washington D.C., which she said was much more crowded than her first visit to the city. After getting settled in to her hotel room, Munger said she and other CYLC students traveled to the University of Maryland for a lecture series with former Secretary of State Colin Powell, former Vice President Al Gore and Archbishop Desmond Tutu among other political speakers.

“Colin Powell was so cool,” she said. “He was a five-star general, you wouldn’t think he would be laid back but he wasn’t military at all. He told stories about being in New York and called hot dogs ‘dirty water dogs.’”

Munger said Tutu encouraged his young audience to make a difference despite their age. 

“Even though we’re young we can still do things,” she said. “He said ‘You do have a responsibility.’”

Al Gore’s lecture was more predictable than others, Munger said. 

“He promised he wouldn’t talk about the environment,” she said. “It lasted about 10 minutes.”

All of the speakers mentioned the historic importance of Obama’s inauguration, Munger said. 

“Desmond Tutu and Colin Powell were very happy,” she said. “[Tutu] said it was great for change.”

In addition to the lecture series, Munger said Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference participants had special access to museums that were otherwise closed to the public. 

“There was no line to see the Hope Diamond,” she said. “It was just us.”

Perhaps the best part of Munger’s inauguration trip was reconnecting with friends she had met during previous conferences, some from as far away as South Africa, she said. 

“That’s the really great thing about these programs,” she said. “You get to know people you wouldn’t have otherwise ever met.”

When Munger and her friends finally gathered at the mall for the inauguration, she said the large crowd helped beat the chilly temperatures. 

“It was cold, but come on, you get two million people all packed together and it warms up a little,” she said with a laugh.

Munger said she was surprised to see many families in the crowd, some with small children. Although they could see one of the many “jumbo-tron” screens, she said it was entertaining just to observe the crowd. Rather than trying to get a better vantage point, she and some friends hoisted one member of their group above their heads to take pictures. Munger, having translated some of Obama’s earlier speeches in her French class, said Obama’s first presidential speech was longer than she had expected. She said a particularly awkward moment was when the crowd booed Obama’s mention of former President George W. Bush.

“They were even booing his dad,” she said. “Neither were all that bad of presidents if you look just at their presidency. You have to separate the emotion from the facts: you can’t just say ‘Bush was a horrible president,’ you have to ask the question, ‘Why?’”

By the end of Obama’s address, Munger said some were cheering and others were crying, a reaction she said was a little over-exuberant.” 

“It was way hyped up,” she said. “I was expecting something more powerful.”

In her studies, Munger said she has learned to appreciate politicians based on their actions, and isn’t sure what to expect of Obama just yet.

“Look at [Franklin Roosevelt], he did a lot in his first 100 days as president,” she said. “Obama’s being judged on things he hasn’t actually done yet. It’s easy to talk, harder to act. I’m saving my judgment of him as a president until I see him get something done.”

For now, Munger is busy catching up on her sleep and her schoolwork but she said her inauguration trip will not be the end of her travels. She said she recently applied to Maine Maritime Academy with the hopes of becoming an engineer in the merchant marines. 

“I’m good at French, I would love to live in France for a while,” she said.