Obama officially sworn in for Second Term

President Obama took the official oath for his second term of presidency in the Blue Room of the White House today. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office as First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia looked on.

Although it is not constitutionally required, Obama ended his oath of office with “So help me God,” a tradition that George Washington reportedly began by adding the phrase during his first inaugural oath. A CNN article noted that several non-religious groups have argued that this phrase goes against the secular nature of the United States, but the Supreme Court rejected to hear a case regarding this issue two years ago.

The Constitution requires all presidents to take office on January 20, but President Obama will be repeating the oath again tomorrow in front of the public outside the U.S. Capitol. The African-American president’s public inauguration will take place on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a perfect symbol for the advancement of racial equality since the Civil Rights Movement.

A president's second inauguration is never as attention-grabbing as their first; nevertheless, more than 800,000 people are expected to gather in Washington D.C.’s National Mall for the inauguration and the parade, which features a U.S. Marine Band and children on unicycles. Not to be forgotten are the Presidential Inauguration Balls—some highlights will include a 3 to 4 feet tall cake adorned with a presidential seal and performances by a wide range of celebrities, from Stevie Wonder to Katy Perry.

As for the highly anticipated inauguration speech, many speculate that President Obama will focus on the unity of the country that is currently plagued with increased political polarization and heated partisan debates in Congress.

Tomorrow’s swearing-in ceremony will take place at 8:30 AM (PST) and the Inaugural Parade at 11:35 AM.