NATCHEZ — On Tuesday, all eyes were on Washington as President Barack Obama took over the highest office in the land.

While millions crowded the nation’s capital, a handful of Natchez residents were right there in the middle of it all.

“It was a beautiful moment,” Natchez Alderwoman Joyce Arceneaux-Mathis said. “It was a part of history and we were there for it.”

In addition to Mathis, a small junket of Cathedral Students, City Attorney Everett Sanders and former Natchez Mayor Phillip West also made the trip.

Cami Willard, 15, and the rest of Cathedral’s students made the trip as part of the Presidential Youth Inaugural Committee.

“It was amazing,” Willard said. “It was awesome to see so many people all cheering for the same person.”

Willard also said she was surprised to see many people representing a vast array of ethnicities all in support of one person.

“I really don’t know how to explain it,” she said.

Willard said while she was surprised to see so many people in agreement for one person, she was also shocked by the actual number of people there.

Willard estimated there were 2.5 million in attendance.

And to keep watch over the situation, there was no shortage of armed police.

“They were everywhere you looked,” she said.

Willard even said it was commonplace to see snipers on nearly every rooftop.

Willard’s younger sister Sarah Beth, 13, was also at the inauguration.

She said she was especially excited to be able to witness the history as the first black president took office.

“I won’t forget that,” she said.

Maddie Kirkwood, 15, said she was also amazed by the crowds and ended up in a baseball field, near the capital, watching the whole thing on an enormous screen.

“It was amazing just to have the chance to be there,” she said.

Elly Smith, 15, said while most of the Cathedral students weren’t able to stay together for the entire day, it was still a great experience.

“It was kind of hard to believe,” she said. “And it was cold, but it was a once in a lifetime thing.”

But Mathis said neither the cold nor the crowds could dampen the mood of the event.

Mathis said despite long lines to get to any venue to watch the event, the people were all there for the same thing and didn’t seem to mind the cold temperatures and long waits.

Mathis said her favorite part of the entire event was Obama’s speech.

“He said ‘We can endure this,’” she said. “And we can, we’ll be OK.”