High school student surprised with ticket to Obama inauguration
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PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland high school senior was shocked Friday to learn that she has a VIP ticket to President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
De’Ontria Mcferson had no idea that her summer internship with the Multnomah County Government would result in such an honor.
“I’ve never had somebody pay this much attention to me,” said the Parkrose High School senior.
The surprise came during the school’s annual Snowball Assembly.
“This is a big deal,” said Parkrose Principal Jared Freeman. “This is really huge.”
Multnomah County Commissioner Loretta Smith delivered the message in person to her summer intern.
“I wanna know if you’ll accompany me to the oath of office ceremony for President Barack Obama!” She said, followed by cheers from the student body.
De’Ontria will be seated behind the president as he’s sworn in on Jan. 21. She’ll also attend the Inaugural Ball, and an event with First Lady Michelle Obama where she’ll put together care packages for military families.
“I know this is an experience of a lifetime, but let me tell you – you’re gonna be working, girlfriend,” said Smith.
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer couldn’t be there in person, but appeared in a video message during the assembly.
“When Commissioner Smith called me and suggested I give one of my special tickets for the ceremony to a very deserving person, I was pleased to help,” he said.
The Portland non-profit agency Work Systems Incorporated is paying for De’Ontria’s airfare and hotel.
“I’m so proud of her. It’s so good,” said De’Ontria’s mother, Leslie Hubbard. “She’s gonna get to meet the first lady. I’m jealous!”
De’Ontria said her internship made her a better, more focused student. She said she can’t imagine what this experience will be like.
“I don’t know. I’m still shocked,” she said.
Our hand-out President handing out tickets. Just think if this girl gave Obama millions of $ she'd get a vip seat at the non-event.
 @TimBurr so true but I wish I could have been there.
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@Fed up Fed If the repubs really want to regain any semblance of relevance, they are going to need to change their packaging.They are going to need to find a way to make their core "principles" and "culture"-- that is, racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, greed,mendacity, hypocrisy, intransigence, paranoia, fear, hatred, insanity, ignorance, and stupidity--more appealing and desirable to a majority of Americans.
 @Fed up Fed  @TimBurr It's win-win, really. According to Romney's son (Trigger or Tassel or whatever his name is) - you know, the one who ran Romney's campaign and threatened to punch Obama in the face because had had the audacity to debate his father at a...debate...ahem. Anyway, he recently stated that his daddy didn't want to be President anyway so...win-win, right?
 @Fed up Fed  @tigress Absolutely. At least Mittens will be warm and inside instead of braving the cold weather outdoors getting all inaugurated and stuff. Silver linings.
 @TimBurr Gee...ya think? Wonder where Mittens would have seated all of his million dollar donors if he'd won. Oh well, that's moot because Obama kicked his arse!
I went to Parkrose before they built the new school.....the old school was a total Sh*! hole but the neighborhood was nice. Â Went back to visit....the new school was nice but the neighborhood was a total Sh*! hole! Â Now I know why my parents sold and moved out!
OH BOY and good for her!! I dreamed that I had an accident while riding my horse and landed on my ass. Nothing like riding a horse in pouring down rain - saddles in the rain are an accident just waiting to happen...
I thought this was gonna be on tv also. Why fly someone there?
 @jpk I don't think there are words simple or small enough to explain this to you.
Whatever you say, T!
They had to "hand out" tickets to get people to go?
how fitting
If what you are trying to say is that it is wonderful that this young lady is being recognized and rewarded for her selfless volunteer work, then I agree with you 100%.
That IS what you were meaning to say, wasn't it?
Attn wingnuts: Â Your guy lost, get used to it.
@gahgahgah  Its good to see you've mastered  your clueless leaders approach to reaching across the isle
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 @kramr Know what takes all the fun out of a joke? When you have to explain it. Maybe you're just not that funny?
@noneofyourbizzness   did you happen to notice the :) at the end of the sentence....... for those with half a clue realize that its something said in jest.... i.e. meant to be funny.... sheeesh, its seems no one on the left has a sense of humor.....
 @Fed up Fed Bahahaha!! Awesome, Fed.Â
@kramr Romney's views on today's social issues such as abortion, gay rights, immigration, the poor and the elderly do not coincide with the views of the voters including some Republicans.The Republican party has steadily moved toward the fringe, not only in candidates (Mourdock, Akin, Bachmann), but in supporters. Whether conscientiously or not, the party has drawn racists, bigots, religious nuts, and those who use religion to justify anti-social, intolerant behavior.There are some comments that just can't be taken back or spun away. Romney's comment that 47 percent of Americans see themselves as victims who will never take personal responsibility or care for their lives was, to put it mildly, appalling. He repeated the line about "caring for the 100 percent" after that, but it rang hollow and untrue.Lastly,I let my animals ride inside the car.
kramr; is it beyond your capabilites to think and write a sentence without inane, stupid and immature remarks? You come across as some kid in the sixth grade throwing a temper tantrum because you didn't get your way. Your comments have no validity, no reason, no backing and no common sense. And 'IMHO'? There is NOTHING humble about anything you say!
@Fed up Fed  I stand corrected. I was going off information a few days after the election. At that time the totals were....
2012 OBAMA -- 59,651,236 ROMNEY -- 57,028,531
2008 OBAMA -- 69,456,897 MCCAIN -- 59,934,814
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 @noneofyourbizzness Installed
@noneofyourbizzness  B HO's victory was NOT a "sound" defeat of Mittens. In fact fewer people voted for Bronco Bamma this time around than voted for McOldfart last time around.
IMHO, what sunk Mittens wasn't his comment on the 47%..... it was the fact that he said he wanted to put EVERY single American back to work :)
Re-elected
@kramr America .... these United States, and a majority of the people soundly, loudly and very publicly rejected the right's policies by reflecting the President.What amazed me about the election was the sheer arrogance and insistence that the right wingers were going to send the President packing.Too bad the Republican Party was hijacked by the far right with their backwards social policies.Now after a rebuke by the women voters,congress is back pushing the rape issue and proposing personhood bills.I for one am looking forward to the inauguration.
@Fed up Fed Â
 it tastes like sheet..... after the last election. Everyone in America is on their knees  whereing a blue stained dress.
Yep, Bronco Bamma is our clueless leader for another four years where 8% unemployment is the norm and he will leave office north of TWENTY trillion in the hole.
Ya, as a countrty we are on the winning end of that equation....NOT.
C'mon, people, put your political preferences away for a few minutes... Â This young woman is being rewarded for her hard work and presumably for a good attitude, etc... qualities that we all wish MORE of today's young people would demonstrate..! Â Â This reward is obviously something that means something to her... so even if it isn't something that we would choose for ourselves, how about just being happy for her..? Â Â
Congratulations, your hard work has paid off, I hope you have a wonderful time.
She gots the golden ticket to see the Wonka in Chief. A true blessing!
I'm so happy for her! Being able to sit behind the President (any President) while he takes the oath of office is a experience that she will be able to tell her grandchildren about one day.She seems like a bright young woman who deserves this honor.
Some may dis her on recieving this, but at least she was WORKING and that says alot.
Some of you idiots on here are such insensitive and ignorant beings that you should be the poster children for how far down our civilization has come. This young lady, through hard work and energy has been given an honor. Whether you care for the man or not, he is the president. Mouthing off the way you do sounds like a bunch of sour grapes...one, for not having been smart enough in your school years to have gotten an opportunity like this, and two, for belonging to an obviously rancid political party who has increasingly looked worse over the last few years. Grow up.
Sure looks like profiling to me. Â If obama wasn't involved it would be and someone would pay dearly.
She looks like a bright, honest young person. Good for her for getting to do something she finds enriching, and best of luck to her.
Wonder who is picking up the tab for this little presidential press junket... my guess is the 53%Â of us....
 @kramr maybe
@kramr If you knew how to read its in the story, so it won't be out of your 47%
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 @Fed up Fed  @kramr Kramr: Owned much? Poor boo-boo.
Come on kramr, read the story. And for you sour attitude , she did receive this for "working" as an intern at mult. co. comm. so you can rest now, YOUR hard earned money , not one drop, is going to help this youmg woman have an experience of a lifetime ! But your money is going to subsidize big oil, big agg and big pharma !
 @sargerator Big oil.....yea the big oil that owns Al Jezeera that bought Al Gore's Current TV. Is that the big oil you're talking about sarge? I bet it is.
@Fed up Fed . """"""Um, no, it means you have thrown up lies from sources that, in order, were utterly DESTROYED by scientists on rebuttal, were found to have taken comments out of context and asserted a theory (solar flares) that was disproven, and Penn and Teller. Did you really think Penn and Teller get a seat at the table? Libertarian magicians who literally know nothing about science get to chime in as though they've the knowledge and experience to even talk about it? Now that's just sad""""""""
Just havin a little fun at your expense.... I know your over inflated ego of yourself wouldn't leave that commeent alone LOL.
all I said about the P & T vid is that its entertaining...... you being a pompus blowhard chose to make a mountain out of mole hill. carry on
 @kramr  @Fed That's my other point kramr. He always tries to twist words and go off on some other tangent and he's the type that always has to get the last word in. He's sad and pathetic.
@Fed up Fed  """" Naw, I'm done with you."""""
That really means  I have no logical comeback to the vid........
@Fed up Fed  """" You do know that half of Fox News is owned by a Saudi, right? And that NewsCorp CEO Rupert Murdoch owns half of an Arab station that routinely airs anti-American programming? You wingnuts are literally all ginned up by a mega-corporation that's trying to keep its competitor out of the market, and you don't even know it because you're so dumb. The hypocrisy, it is delicious."""""
WTF does this have to do with fat albert selling his network for less money to Al Jezerra than to an American for MORE money. The conversation is not about any other network. its about the judgement of fat albert.
Â
@Fed up Fed     """""""Debunked with literally 5 seconds of Googling. """"""
There wasn't jack sheet debunked by the opinion of an "environment correspondent "Â
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@Fed up Fed   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v4Q9Wv10Ho
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very entertaining.....
@Fed up Fed   Â
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtevF4B4RtQ
 @Fed up Fed Thank you for proving my point.
 @Fed up Fed  @kramr Kramr....no sense arguing with this tool. He's the type that always twists things around and has to have the last word, whether he's right or wrong.
@Fed up Fed   """""And since 98% of all CLIMATE SCIENTISTS have confirmed the veracity of the science Al Gore was decidedly not "scamming us all on,""""""""
Â
This post proves beyond any doubt that you and fat albert have sheet for brains. Gores hockey stick graph and most everything else from his fraudumentary has been soundly disproven.Â
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zOXmJ4jd-8
Â
Long vid, but it shreds Gores premis for man made global warming.Â
 Other than Gore saying Bull sheet to the idea of global warming caused by sun spots..... he has put forth absolutely NO evidence to disprove it.
Â
 @Fed up Fed  @scoreboard  @kramr Regardless of whether I'm an expert or not, Al Gore is a hypocrite and he just jumped on the global warming band wagon for his own benefit. His actions of selling his Current TV to Al Jezeera (owned by big oil) proves it.
 @Fed up Fed  @kramr You're totally missing my point about Al Gore. Al Gore is one who is scamming us all on the global warming "problem" and then he goes and sells his Current TV to a Al Jezeera, which is owned by big oil, the biggest contributor to the supposed global warming problem. This just proves that Gore is nothing but a hypocrite and that he was just using the global warming hype for his own personal gain.
@tigress @scoreboard @sargerator  Ya, its mind effing that Albert I can't pass up a buffet Gore would rather sell his network to Al Jazerra for less money than to a American for more. Yes that just shows how F'd in the head Gore is.......
 @scoreboard  @sargerator LOL...Gore selling to Al Jazerra is totally mind-effing you conservatives.. It's hilarious to see you react!
 @kramr ~  Do you mean the whole inauguration event, or just for Miss McFerson's expenses to go there for the ceremony..?  If you mean her expenses, according to the story, it's being funded by a Portland non-profit called Work Systems, Inc...
@margay1 yes her and thats great (I stand corrected)....... hope she's not flying Southwest, that could get a little awkward.
 @kramr Prove it.
@tigress  """""" Prove it."""""
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You really need to look up the definition of what a guess means......