Westside alum and Congressman Brad Ashford (Class of 1967) touted the “Nebraska way” — nonpartisan, common sense legislation, as he would describe it — throughout his 2014 campaign to unseat former U.S. House Representative Lee Terry. Monday, Jan. 26, Ashford was ceremonially sworn into office — the Nebraska way.

In front of a crowd of supporters, politicians, press and family, Ashford, who was officially sworn in Jan. 7 in Washington, D.C., partook in the ceremonial swearing in at the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Omaha. Laurie Camp Smith, Nebraska’s chief district judge and the judge who presided over the event, explained the point of the ceremony as starting a new tradition — as the court in Omaha has not done this ceremony before — and supporting Nebraska’s politicians in a nonpartisan way, which follows the precedent set by Nebraska’s nonpartisan unicameral (the only such state legislature in the nation).

“[The ceremony is to] honor and embrace our newly-elected congressman,” Smith Camp said as she explained the nonpartisan ceremony to the supporters in attendance.

The event took place in a courtroom named after Roman Hruska, who was a U.S. senator from Nebraska in the 1960s and ‘70s. Ashford worked for Hruska as a college student at Colgate University. Smith Camp called it “fitting” that Ashford would be honored in the Hruska-named courtroom.

John Cavanaugh, a former U.S. House Representative from Nebraska’s second district, was the keynote speaker. The Democratic politician heaped praise on Ashford during his speech.

“He has taken [Nebraska’s] spirit of nonpartisanship…to Washington,” Cavanaugh said.

Highlighting Ashford’s District 66 ties, members of Westside’s choir, directed by music instructor Kyle Avery, opened and closed the ceremony in song. The choir featured seniors Rebecca Erdman, Addy Roth, Wallis Harry, Morgan Zabel, Ellie Kroeger, Kathryn Shehan, Kenneth Owens, Hosea Briggins, Connor O’Doherty, Patrick Sawyer and Logan Bell and juniors Allie Vester, Jacob Thomas and Isaac Henson. The group opened by performing “America the Beautiful” and closed with “Who Are the Brave.”

“…we felt welcomed and genuinely appreciated by not only Ashford himself, but everyone who attended the ceremony and the judge who officiated it,” Kroeger said. “It seemed like everyone was excited to listen to us.”

Following the choir’s performance of “America the Beautiful,” Camp Smith praised Westside, calling it a “fabulous school.”

During his address to the crowd, in which he thanked his supporters while continuing to tout that Nebraska nonpartisan way, Ashford thanked the Westside choir while reminiscing on his Westside days.

“Who could have imagined — it’s hard to believe — in 1967 that I would be standing in this place?” Ashford said, referring to his graduation year.

Ashford is one of two Westside alums holding one of Nebraska’s highest political offices. Read about the other, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, here.