UCHS Students Return from Inauguration Trip

It's been a whirlwind weekend for the 26 University City High School students who were privileged to witness the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The contingent was featured on CNN Saturday. Don Lemon interviewed the students in the CNN piece.

Carl Sechrist, one of the UCHS students, told the St. Louis Post-Distpatch that the crowd was “completely overwhelming.”

“I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect it. They said the crowd would be ‘crushing,’” he told the Post. “But I didn’t appreciate it until I got there.”

The tickets to the inauguration for the students and eight staff members are courtesy of Sen. Claire McCaskill's office. The entire cost of the trip, estimated at near $30,000, is being covered through donations.

Donations to cover the costs of the airfare, hotel stay, meals and other expenses came from Herff Jones, Dynamic Vending, Pi Pizzeria, Leo and Kay Drey and anonymous donors.

See Principal Michael Maclin and UCHS students discuss the trip on KSDK.

For more on this story:

• UCHS Students Will Be on CNN Today
• UCHS Students Ready for Inauguration Trip
• Community Effort Is Sending UCHS Students to Inauguration