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PRINCETON: Foreign students react to inauguration

By Fred Tuccillo, Managing Editor
   When President Barack Obama addressed the world beyond America during his inaugural address, his vast foreign audience included one small group among the 200 people watching at the Princeton Public Library on Tuesday.
   Five women, from China, Germany, Poland and Turkey, had come to the library viewing with Linda Sipprelle, of Princeton, who is active with the Friends of the International Center. Her five guests are among the foreign students, spouses and family members of foreign students who meet there twice a week to improve their English in group conversation.
   ”I’m so excited to see the history and I am a part of it now,” said Gozde G. Ucar, 27, of Turkey, after seeing and hearing the inaugural address. “I watched it and I heard it and I will have something to say in the future. In my country, they’re all sort of waiting for Obama. They’re happy. . . we believe that generally, Obama is going to change the reputation of America nowadays. . . not the same as in the past. Actually it shows America is the country that whatever, whoever you are. . . you have chance. . . America gives you to use your chance. . . something can be changed if you really want to. And so it’s a good message to the world and to my country too, I think. It’s already started to change their minds.”
   Jing Tao, 24, of China, also predicted that people in her country would appreciate Tuesday’s inauguration as “history” because President Obama is the first African-American to hold the office. “I’m very lucky today to hear the inaugural address from Obama,” she said. “And it’s wonderful. I think it’s a new beginning and America will have a new future.”
   As Heike Reinhart, 35, of Germany watched events unfold on the big screen at the library, she said, “I got a text message from one of my German friends. And he also watched it on television and he said, oh, Germany is also looking and it’s very exciting. . . The most surprising thing for me was that Obama was very human — he was close to the people.” Helge Wellhoefer, 54, also from Germany, said: “With Obama it feels like there is hope that really something will change, not only for American people, but. . . for European people — they hope also it will change something in the international politics.”
   Viewing the television coverage from Washington with special satisfaction was Aneta Malecka, 36, of Poland, who had actually participated in the Obama campaign, helping other canvassers communicate with residents of Trenton’s Polish-speaking community. “So it was great to see it right now,” she said, “especially that also I put some effort into this election. . . I had very nice feedback. . . and it was a great experience for me.”
Gathered in the Princeton Public Library, where they viewed the Obama inauguration are, from left: Jin Tao of China, Heiki Reinhart of Germany, Aneta Malecka of Poland, Gozde G. Ucar of Turkey and Helga Wellhoefer of Germany. Staff photo by Fred Tuccillo