Before George W. Bush takes the oath of office on Saturday, tens of thousands of Americans will descend on the capital to celebrate, protest or simply to gawk.

Several lucky Harvard Republicans will be on hand for the festivities, volunteering behind the scenes and hoping to snag coveted ball tickets.

"It's the culmination of something we've worked so hard for," says Heather A. Woodruff '03, co-chair of Harvard Students for Bush. "It's a piece of history that you may get to see only once in your lifetime."

But many others will be staying in Cambridge to attend to a more prosaic concern: finals. Several students who says they would have liked to make the trip to Washington will be staying in Cambridge to attend to their exams--even students in Government 1540, "The American Presidency," whose test begins 15 minutes after the start of the Inaugural Parade.

Those who will be attending, however, say they are extremely excited to witness the transition of power back to Republican hands.

Woodruff will take part in advance work throughout the three days.

"I feel personally invested in this," she says of the election. "The Harvard Students for Bush were there in New Hampshire for the primaries. We volunteered throughout the spring and fall. We were at the convention for the nomination speech. We supported him outside the first debate and then we stayed up all night waiting for the returns and we had a chance to celebrate--and celebrate again."

Kerla G. Moore '01, who has tickets for the inauguration ceremony, says she voted for Bush in what was the first presidential election that she was able to vote in.

"I thought it would be interesting to see the results," she says.

But Woodruff adds neither Harvard Students for Bush nor the Harvard Republican Club are planning a group excursion. Several members have made their own plans; others will be stuck in Cambridge for exams, particularly for "Presidency."

The course, taught by GOP heavyweight Roger B. Porter, IBM professor of business and government at the Kennedy School of Government, held its midterm exam on Election Day. Porter has worked with the Bush transition team.

"The course will be remembered if for no other reason than for those two dates," Porter jokes.

"I don't know if it is fate or coincidence or what," says Ian T. McClure '01, who is taking the class.

The fortunate few who will be attending the inaugural gala will be entertained by celebrities like Drew Carey, Marie Osmond, Rick Schroeder and Meat Loaf, who will act as celebrity emcees at some of the eight official balls. Visiting students will have to scramble for tickets, since Republican dignitaries and contributors will get top priority--tickets sold for $125, though scalping will drive prices much higher.

The celebration officially begins tomorrow with an opening ceremony that will include, among other things, a performance by pop star Ricky Martin.

The three days will be packed with a variety of high-priced ticketed luncheons and public events, including a Hispanic Presidential Inaugural Gala and a youth concert starring performers like Destiny's Child, 98 Degrees and Jessica Simpson.

The goal, says Inaugural Committee spokesperson Michelle M. Stember, is to promote an image of unity and inclusiveness.

But the weekend will probably also feature protests, which are expected to be much larger than in previous years, especially in light of Bush's nomination of staunchly conservative former Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft as attorney general.

Edward B. Childs, an Adams House cook and official in the Dining Hall Workers Union Local 26, says at least five Harvard dining hall workers will go to the inauguration to protest.

"People all have different reasons for going, but we're all united," Childs says. "Our union is made up mostly of immigrants. Bush's attacks against immigrants are taken very seriously.

"A lot of issues are bringing people together as one."

Although they will not be coordinating a Harvard protest group--also because of finals--the Progressive Student Labor Movement circulated an e-mail message with travel information and details on anti-Bush events.

Stember says that the committee is not concerned about disruption, though.

"It is their right to protest," she says. "However, we do not believe that they represent mainstream America."

But many Harvard students say they're not thrilled about the prospect of the George W. era.

"It's so sad," says Navlyn Wang '04. "I don't want to think of Bush as my next president."

Jordan M. VanLare '04, also a liberal, says he has a different mindset.

"I think that we should support the new president as a nation so that we can move forward as a nation," VanLare says. "While I wasn't a proponent of Bush during the past couple months, I'll certainly support his administration the next four years."

Marcie B. Bianco '02, president of the Harvard College Democrats, says that she won't be able to watch but will probably catch highlights of the inauguration on the news.

"I want to see Ricky Martin performing," she quips.