“Oh my God.â€
Those were the first words an emotional Nadine Mompremier said when she heard the announcement on CNN that Sen. Barack Obama was declared the president-elect of the United States.
Mompremier, president of Temple Student Government, was among the 200-plus crowd that gathered at the Election Day viewing party hosted by TSG in the Student Center.
“It’s great to see so many students interested. One of the best things about this country is that we can shape our future,” said Farzad Firoz, vice president of services for TSG.
Mompremier said she was thrilled the event was a success.
“I think it’s exciting,” she said. “I’m excited people showed up because they are excited about their vote.”
Free food, music and board games entertained students throughout the night. Many in attendance were Obama supporters, and they cheered or booed at every result.
Tom DiNardo, a sophomore sculpture major, said he was worried about the possibility of voter fraud.
“I keep having visions of Florida 2004 all over again,” he said.
Students anticipated the 11 p.m. projection for California, Oregon and Washington. The crowd gathered around the projection screen, and as soon as it announced Obama won all three, people began crying and jumping up and down. Some were speechless about what they saw.
“I’m really excited, especially as a black female to finally see someone as president who is a minority,” said Kylie Patterson, a junior political science major. “This is the first time my pick was chosen for president. I can’t be more proud of America.”
Senior communications major Matu Threatt put his amazement into words after hearing Obama was the president-elect.
“Just shock and awe. I couldn’t believe this could happen,” he said. “It is history before our eyes.”
“Our generation has a story to tell. We can tell our kids we put a black man in the White House. We understand it,” said Adjwoa Acheampong, a senior psychology major. “We stood line for two hours. It’s unreal. It’s unbelievable. This is the dream.”
Anthony Myers can be reached at anthony.myers0001@temple.edu.
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