By Tracey A. Reeves
Homewood

Next week, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, the first African-American to hold this office. To commemorate the occasion, the Office of News and Information asked students and faculty to reflect on this historic time. They came through with a variety of thoughts ranging from an original musical arrangement, to stories from past inaugural ceremonies, to advice for the president-elect, all of which have been compiled in a multimedia format.

Today, as we near Inauguration Day, these thoughts are introduced in Perspectives, a special online series designed to show the many ways in which members of the Johns Hopkins community think, write, speak about and interpret the important issues of our time.

For the next eight days, the university's Web site will feature these reflections on the new U.S. presidency, starting with an amusing exchange between former Johns Hopkins University President Milton S. Eisenhower and his brother, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the future 34th president of the United States.

Be sure to check www.jhu.edu daily for new installments.

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