Mariner student Will Kucharik wins bet on Trump

A year ago, Mariner Middle student Will Kucharik bet his teacher that Donald Trump would win the U.S. presidential election. On Friday, teacher James Hayes paid up.

“Last year I made a bet with a student that if Donald Trump won, I'd take him to the inauguration,” Hayes said.

Hayes made good on his promise and secured five tickets to the inauguration from Delaware Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat.

Waking up at 2 a.m. and leaving Delaware by 4 a.m., Hayes, Will – now an eighth-grader – and seventh-graders Eryn Cain, Dylan Roberts and Tyller Maltbie, made the trip to Washington, D.C., Jan. 20 for the inauguration of the 45^th president of the United States.

“We had a good mix of students,” Hayes said. “Not everyone was on the Trump train, but it was civil. We celebrated the peaceful transfer of power, and we celebrated democracy.”

The group arrived in the city at the crack of dawn, and soaked in the surroundings from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Tyller. “It was crazy to be there.”

Eryn said it was fun, even though a security guard confiscated her backpack at the security checkpoint. “I didn't know what to expect,” she said.

A group dressed all in black and chanting 'Hail Satan' was definitely an eye-opener, she said.

“There was about 10 of them banging on a drum and chanting,” said Dylan.

Not far from the drumming was a Water is Life group protesting a pipeline in North Dakota. “They were burning sage, which made it hard to breathe,” Dylan said.

None of the students would repeat what animal rights protesters were chanting, only that it was profane.

Most of the time was spent on their feet, but the group sat when they could. A deck of cards brought by Eryn was a lifesaver, Hayes said.

When the official proceedings began, they were about a mile away from Trump's swearing-in, but they heard his speech loud and clear.

“I like the way he talks,” Will said. “He's loud and commanding. He's a good leader, and he's brutally honest.”

Tyller said his speech was short and to the point. “As long as he keeps his promises, I think everything will be all right,” she said.

But Dylan wasn't too sure about Trump's cavalier attitude.

“I err on the side of caution,” said Dylan. “But there may be more wars.”

Growing up on the West Coast, Hayes said he didn't have the opportunity to attend a presidential inauguration when he was young, and he enjoyed spending the day with his students teaching them about the democratic process.

“I always knew whoever won, I was going,” he said.