Inaugural ball at Penrose Elementary

Penrose Elementary in Southwest Philadelphia threw an Inaugural Ball for their student body this afternoon to celebrate the swearing in of their newly elected student council.

Students in grades K-12 were invited into the gymnasium to watch their officials make a pledge to take their roles seriously and to watch the student council waltz, just like at the President’s Inaugural Ball.

Penrose principal Huie Douglas III decided to throw the party to tie into the upcoming Inauguration for President Barack Obama’s second term on Monday. “The point for this was for my students to understand the importance of office, not just the dedication to service but also how prestigious and honorable it is,” said Douglas.

Eighth-grade student and class president Shiden Gebrehiwot says he plans to take his job seriously and wants to inspire his classmates to be hardworking but to also have fun. Gebrehiwot waltzed with student council member Endia Brown but found the experience nerve-wracking. “It’s none of that fast club music,” he said, “it’s slow music. So I’ll just get through it.”