The 2013 Inauguration Ceremony and celebration captured the attention of millions on Jan. 21 as Barack Obama was sworn into his second presidential term. This highly orchestrated and prestigious event was the result of hundreds of hours of work from the Joint Congress Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. The committee, consisting of roughly 25 individuals, included an alumnus, Joe Hartunian, the youngest member of the committee by about three years.
Hartunian, a political science and economics major, and recent December graduate, has spent the past three months working as a staff assistant for the JCCIC. This committee is responsible for the planning and execution of two events, the swearing-in ceremony and the luncheon following its conclusion.
Hartunian, who interned for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration last summer, was asked by his boss to work for the JCCIC, which began planning for the Inauguration almost two years ago.
Hartunian had been toying with the idea of graduating a semester early, in December 2012, but this offer was the tipping the point.
“It definitely accelerated my decision,” Hartunian said. “I couldn’t pass it up.”
The job began on Dec. 20, creating quite a whirlwind last few days of the semester.
“I had to have a couple of my finals moved up, but I was lucky enough to work with my teachers and they accommodated me,” Hartunian said.
He took his last final on Dec. 18, packed and moved on Dec. 19 and was in the office by 8 a.m. on Dec. 20.
“One day I was in college, and the next day, in the real world,” Hartunian said.
Two distinct committees head the Inauguration celebration. The JCCIC is responsible for all inaugural activity that takes place on Capitol grounds, whereas the Presidential Inaugural Committee is responsible for the ball, parade and activities occurring off Capitol grounds.
Hartunian’s tasks centered on ticket distribution for the Inauguration Ceremony and logistical issues regarding the platform where the actual ceremony took place.
“It was a lot of problem-solving and fixing issues in complete chaos,” Hartunian said.
Each of the presidential electors from the Electoral College receives a ticket, as well as all former congressmen and congresswomen, senators and all present House and Senate representatives.
The tickets for current government representatives are distributed to the general public through their individual offices for local distribution.
The distribution required extensive security precautions and organization, and this process occupied much of Hartunian’s day-to-day time.
“I spent a lot of time the first two weeks in what we called the ‘vault,’ a locked room where all the tickets were,” Hartunian said. “The colors and the security features were all top-secret until about a week before.”
Hartunian ensured that all of the tickets were properly labeled and counted for each of the individual government offices.
In addition, he coordinated all of the electors and former members of Congress and the Senate and their ticket distribution.
The other main task that Hartunian helped with related to the platform seating for the actual Inaugural ceremony. The platform holds roughly 1600 people and each of the seats had to be individually assigned.
“We had to know who everyone was, who got to be closest to the President, who received tickets to be on the platform and how they got distributed,” Hartunian said.
As Inauguration Day got closer, the complications and the details mounted.
“The last week was really a blur,” Hartunian said. Long hours, typically from 8 a.m. to midnight or beyond, were the norm. Dinner was catered, allowing the staff to work without leaving the office.”
Eight days before the official ceremony, the committee conducted complete dress rehearsals and in the preceding two days, sound checks.
The ceremony was entirely timed-out to the minute, starting at 5 a.m., and this timeline was adjusted accordingly to updates.
On Sunday night, the day before the Inauguration, the committee was busy with last-minute platform plans and numerous staff members actually slept in the office on cots.
“Gameday,” as the Inauguration was referred to, required an early start.
Hartunian left the office at 12:30 a.m. early Monday morning, quickly grabbed a few hours of sleep, arose at 3 a.m. and was on the first Metro an hour later.
By 5 a.m., Hartunian was already out on the platform ensuring that seats were properly labeled and that individuals would be sitting in the correct areas. The day itself was “organized chaos,” according to Hartunian.
Naturally, coordinating the logistics of 1600 individuals was extremely difficult, but it did have its perks, as he helped cabinet members, former members of Senate and Congress and celebrities find their seats.
The chaotic scene, heightened by individuals who were in the wrong seats or sections, did however allow Hartunian to operate in close proximity to quite a few important people.
Hartunian was also allowed to sit on the platform in the first row of the outer seats due to his lucrative position and he was able to secure his parents a pair of tickets.
This was his favorite aspect of his job.
“It was the coolest thing, to sit down and look out and see one million people staring back at you,” Hartunian said. “It was surreal.”
He likened the feeling of being with his parents on the platform to the scene in “Rudy,” where Rudy’s father’s face is filled with admiration looking out onto the field.
“I was just sitting there, thinking about how many people were watching and how millions of people were watching on television all over the world what I helped plan,” Hartunian said. “It was incredible.”
Following the ceremony, the President was joined in Statuary Hall of the Capitol building for a luncheon, also a product of JCCIC planning.
The luncheon is exclusive to certain individuals, but this was also where Hartunian had a chance to be merely feet away from President Obama.
“It was incredible to be able to say, ‘I was right there,’” Hartunian said.
Following Obama’s luncheon, the JCCIC had their own meal with the same food, a perk that Hartunian raved about.
While he originally had given his tickets to the Inaugural Ball later that evening to his visiting parents, his boss was so exhausted that Hartunian went in her place.
The huge gala featured Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and other special appearances. But, for Hartunian, it did not compare to the ceremony or the opportunity of being so close to the President.
Exhausted, Hartunian spent the next day sleeping.
“Honestly, I had to re-watch the Presidential address because I barely remember it happening,” he admitted.
By Thursday, he was back at the University to celebrate with friends as the men’s basketball team pulled off its second consecutive upset, leading to a court-storming frenzy.
“It was a pretty solid week,” he said.
While his position ends March 1, Hartunian is excited for his future prospects and the relationships he developed while working in Washington over the past three months.
“It was honestly probably the best job I’ll ever have,” he said.
The Villanovan 