By Annie Belfield

The history midterms scheduled for the morning of Jan. 20 have been pushed back one hour and fifteen minutes to enable students and faculty to watch President-Elect Barack Obama’s inaugural address.

The proposal was passed by the joint Middle School and Upper School Faculty Advisory Committee after being presented by Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts.

The History Department is planning to put televisions at various locations around campus for students and teachers to watch the inauguration live, Katherine Holmes-Chuba, the head of the upper school history department, said.

“I hope that students are able to take one hour to watch an historic event like this,” Huybrechts said. “I think we’ll all remember it.”

The proposal was originally suggested by several members of the Upper School History Department, according to Huybrechts.

“I’m really glad that I’ll be able to watch the inauguration as it happens,” Daria Gaut ’09 said. “I would feel weird taking a history midterm on past events while such a big piece of history is happening outside.”

Gaut is not worried about losing concentration before the midterm. She thinks that the later start time for the exam will give her more time to relax and to do some last minute studying before the test.

Upper school history teacher Nini Halkett also does not believe that pushing back the midterm will distract students from concentrating on the test.

It is a special inauguration given that Obama will be the first African American president, Halkett said.

“If anything, it will be good to relax before the exam instead of cramming,” Halkett said. “You can get some perspective on life by watching something so momentous.”

“Obviously you can Tivo it and they’ll be broadcasting it all evening but while it’s happening, I think it’s very special,” Huybrechts said. “You shouldn’t be studying in that last hour.”