As George W. Bush was inaugurated president on Saturday, some Harvard affiliates traveled to Washington D.C. to protest or cheer, while more watched the proceedings from the comfort of their dorms.

Three Harvard University Dining Services workers went to Washington to protest against Bush's stances on issues, primarily immigration.

Edward B. Childs, a chef in Adams House who was among the protesters, said it took three hours for the workers to pass through security checkpoints, but they were rewarded with a prime location on Pennsylvania Avenue.

"We were right across from the dignitaries stand," he said. "It was just great...We were very effective in getting our point across." Edwards said more Dining Services employees intended to go, but some decided against it because they felt threatened by the increased police presence at the celebration this year.

One lucky Harvard student, Shankar Duraiswamy '02, attended the inauguration with less partisan goals in mind, after winning a trip to the inauguration through the Institute of Politics (IOP) after guessing the final electoral count within one vote.

"I'm a Democrat so I would have rather been seeing Al Gore sworn in," Duraiswamy said. "But it was definitely a spectacle."

He said that he did not feel out of place as a Democrat, but that he disapproved of spectators' booing when First Lady Hillary Clinton was announced.

"I thought it was inappropriate," he said.