For students on campus, it was quite an election.

“It's a historic one, for our generation,” said senior Shandra Scott. If the Republicans had won, America would have had its oldest first-term president and its first female vice president. As it turned out, the Democrats won, and America will have its first African-American president.

One of the many students voting for the fist time was Shanice Borden, a sophomore. She, like Shandra, is a member of the Neo Black Society (NBS) on campus, which partnered with the College Democrats for a “Vote Early” march a week before the election.

Pro-Obama signs accompanied “March for change” and “March for the economy,” as the marchers at the Fountain encouraged other students to come vote.

The nearly 50 marchers included Zoe Gainey, a communication studies major who'd taken a semester off to work with the Democrats. Ben Warren, who is in a campaign internship class, said he'd learned a lot about grassroots politics. Freshmen Rass Kearney and Marquez Jenkins liked how the march made their voices — and views — heard more loudly.

At that same time, the College Republicans were manning a booth in Elliott University Center. “McCain/Palin” and “Country First” were atop the display, as undergraduates Stephen Barkley and Jamie Freeze worked the booth and spoke with students.

Barkley described a big event for the following evening. Two students from four political parties — Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Socialist — would debate in Graham Building, providing students a last-minute review of the parties' positions. Dr. David Holian, associate professor of political science, would moderate.

Political lectures, forums, voter registration drives and debate-watch events were among the many things offered in the weeks before the election.

The day after the election, the McIver statue in front of Jackson Library still bore a white shirt saying: “Make your voice heard. Vote.” Zim Ugochukwu, a junior, stood nearby and spoke of her work during the campaign. The media had underestimated the youth vote, the student vote, she said. That groundswell of political action had made a difference.

By Mike Harris, University Relations

Photography by Chris English, University Relations