By Toma Lynn Smith

Demetrius and Rudy met Muhammad Ali, Ashley Judd, Evander Holyfield, Larry King, Governor Steve Beshear, Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao in less than 48 hours.
The two were invited by University of Louisville President Dr. James R. Ramsey to attend both the Bluegrass Ball and the Inauguration of 44th United States President Barack Obama with blue tickets they had received from Congressman John Yarmuth.
“I never in my life saw so much security, so many people coming and going,” said Demetrius Gray, Association of Black Students President. While staying at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, he saw Oprah Winfrey. “She had to have 20 security guards [with her].”
Gray and his temporary roommate, Student Government Association President Rudy Spencer woke up at 6 a.m., Tues., Jan. 20 thinking they would have enough time to get into the gates of the Inauguration.
Crowded, cold, and excited, they witnessed history, almost.
According to Gray, security had closed the gates because the metal detector stopped working due to a non-functioning generator. Gray compared it to having a ticket to see your favorite artist. “[You know] the concert hasn’t been cancelled, but you can’t get in,” he said.
“We saw the crowd getting angry, said Gray.  “[We were] four or five rows from the entrance, they started shutting the door,” said Spencer. “I thought there was going to be a riot…It wasn’t necessarily a negative thing, it was a frustration thing. People had been there since 4 a.m.”
They were able to view a huge TV screen several feet away and listen to Obama’s speech through others’ hand-held radios. Gray said what people saw on TV was inaccurate.

“They didn’t show you along the side streets that were beside the Mall.”  There were probably over 2 million people there, he added.
“I was in one of the huddles listening to Barack Obama’s words,” said Spencer. “You had people from all across the world, that didn’t know each other at all. People from China, people from Australia, people from London [and] people from Kansas, all across the world were together in one place, sharing the same moment.”
Before this historic day, Gray and Spencer did some sightseeing, and some sights were  vendors selling all the “Obamabilia.”  They had Obama flip flops, hand sanitizer, the audacity of soa, and pajamas.  “If this doesn’t stimulate the economy, I don’t know what will,” said Gray.
Dressed in a Ralph Lauren tuxedo with a silver bow tie and cummerbund, Gray attended the inaugural Bluegrass Ball, the evening before the Inauguration.  There he and Spencer met a slew of celebrities.  The ball included the Bourbon Trail, which featured Kentucky spirits. State grown bison was served at dinner.
In addition to President Ramsey and his wife being there, executive vice president and university Provost Shirley Willihnganz joined the festivities. “Rudy was my date,” said Gray.
“The whole experience was a very incredible experience, both professionally and personally,” said Ramsey.