College of Education News

Dr. Jim Halle

Professor
Department of Special Education

Although he did not attend the inauguration, Jim Halle experienced the festivities through phone calls from two of his children, Michael, 24, and Caitlin, 21. Michael had been working for the Obama campaign since June 2007, and Caitlin took this past fall semester off from the University of Iowa to assist in campaign efforts. Their phone calls brought the event close to home.

"My daughter got to the inauguration at 8 or 8:30 that morning," Halle said. "She came in on the metro because she was staying with a friend in Virginia. She said the ride normally takes 15 minutes, but that morning it took over 2 hours."

What struck her most was the unity of the diverse attendees, "Everyone in the crowd was excited," Caitlin said. "They were there for one reason, the same reason."

Halle said his children's involvement with the inauguration and campaign stemmed from meeting the Obamas in 2006. Halle's wife met now-First Lady Michelle Obama at a luncheon in Champaign, which Halle said was a primary influence on his childrens' political activism. That activism carried through to his son's assisting with inauguration planning, including bus scheduling and logistics of making sure people arrived safely to the Washington mall.

"From Michael's perspective it was not glamorous," Halle laughed. "But we talked to him on the eve of the inauguration, and he was buoyed by (the event). This has been his life for the past two years. He hopes to get a job with the current administration, but that is up in the air."

Prior to this election, Halle said he had not seen such student-wide political involvement since the Vietnam years, he said he hopes the activism continues to permeate the current generation, including his children.

Caitlin agrees, adding her hopes that people "realize that when someone speaks up and casts a vote, they really can make a difference."

With inauguration events over, Caitlin returned to school in Iowa and stopped by her parents' house on the way, sharing more than 100 photos of the event and inaugural ball held for campaign workers. The experience set a high bar for her career aspirations.

"How many people can honestly say they worked for something they believed in?" she said. "I would be lucky if I had a job in the future that I was half as passionate about."

Michael waits for word on the chance to continue his efforts with the administration, adding that the campaign has shaped his life just as much as his college studies.

"The amount of responsibility given to people at a young age was extraordinary, and it required learning skills on the job in a very sink or swim environment," Michael said. "I believe that the many young people coming from the campaign will continue to influence politics for years to come..."

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