And the winner is….

“Have you voted yet?” “Where is your ‘I voted’ sticker?”  Everywhere you turned at William and Mary on November 4th someone was checking in on your voting status.  Unfortunately for me, no one sends absentee voters an “I voted” sticker.  We are the unappreciated voting body.  It’s ok though, because I got to vote!  I am a member of the unlucky year that missed being able to vote in the last election by mere months!  As a result, for this election, my class pulled out all the stops on election madness.  Throughout the day, there were crowds of people standing under the “bubbles” in Swem where you can hear the TV to check in on election results, people were talking between classes about which outcome would force them to move to Canada… professors and students alike were caught up in the election pandemonium!

The unfortunate reality of election day, however, is that there isn’t really anything to see on the endless newscasts until the polls start closing.  As a result, it was a good thing that I had a midterm and a presentation to keep me busy on election day or I probably would have been driven stir crazy by CNN and their exit polls.  The day was certainly hustle and bustle.  Students recently gained the right to vote in Williamsburg so the student assembly ran shuttles to and from voting locations; people were stationed outside the UC and Swem to make sure students had done their part; and, as the day wore down, people began gathering for their respective election parties around campus and at the delis.  Where was I for this historic election?  Sitting at home, studying Business Law while watching CNN on mute.  An unfortunate reality of being a William and Mary student is that the world doesn’t come to a screaching halt because you want to see America elect its first African-American president.  That’s ok, though, because I saw it happening, while studying with my roommate–probably one of those experiences in my life that I will never forget!  So whether by the end of the night you were crying with tears of joy or sorrow, America has a new President, and there is no doubt in my mind that William and Mary students played a role in that election!