2008 Woodie Awards
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Tuesday night, the junior construction management major climbed on top of his friend's Jeep Wrangler, began dancing and lit the celebratory stogie in honor of the election of Sen. Barack Obama, the 44th president-elect of the United States.
Amid chants of "O-bam-a," tears, hugs, dancing and screaming, ISU students celebrated in front of Mills Hall.
Sullivan said the crowd could be described with one word: "pandemonium."
"It's been a long time comin'," he said.
"I was excited as hell because a Republican is no longer in office and really a change will be brought about," said Allison Rankin, a freshman business major. "We won't have the same Cabinet or same people telling us how the government should run because it was going straight to hell."
The news came sooner than expected for some students.
"I started screaming and I left the library," said Stephanie Jake, a junior elementary education major. "I was studying, but I was excited that we all came together to celebrate."
Jake said she intended to continue the celebration by staying up and possibly skipping some classes.
"I was at the Obama headquarters for the past 48 hours," said Junius Jones, a freshman political science major. "I expected it to go on until later, but I did expect him to win."
Jones said he was glad he spent so much time campaigning and supporting Obama.
"It was worth it," Jones said.
Jones also commented on the general apathy the campus seemed to have on the days leading up to the election.
"When it came to it they knew they had the opportunity so they took it and they got it," Jones said.
Jones stopped in mid-sentence as the crowd around him started chanting "Obama," and joined in.
"I love it," Jones said. "I'm just going to continue to be happy. I've cried tonight, I've laughed hysterically. I know the passion he has, and I'm just going to enjoy it."
Kim Johnson, a freshman interior design major, said she was in the African American Cultural Center when the media networks projected Obama as the winner.
"We were screaming," she said. "I called my mom and my sister. This is history."
Jeremy Pratt, a freshman English education major and a first-time voter, said the scene was awesome.
"I've never seen anything like this," he said of the crowd.
Signs hovered above the crowd, people stood on cars and danced on the sidewalk in celebration.
"I was on my way into Rhoads," said Ahnya Alstott, a sophomore English education major. "I voted for Obama and I wanted him to win. I knew he was going to win by a landslide, I just didn't know it would be so soon."
Tamaja Watson, a freshman pre-dentistry major, said she was not paying attention to the elections until her roommate told her the news.
"We started jumping on our beds and knocking on everybody's doors," Watson said. "Now we're partying."
However, there was a more somber tone to the evening. Cedric Craig, a senior sociology major, made a black Jeep Wrangler his platform as he spoke to the crowd around him.
Craig subdued the crowd for only a couple minutes, asking them to bow their heads for a simple prayer.
"We ask you, Lord, to bless this man and keep him safe," Craig said.
As soon Craig finished the prayer, the crowd said, "Amen," in unison, then resumed the exclamations, singing and dancing.
"Don't make this for nothing," Craig said. "We got what we wanted, now we have to do something about it."
Now that the election is over, however, ISU students have high expectations for the president-elect.
Sullivan said he wants Obama to live up to his promises.
"[I'd like to see him] do what he says he's gonna do," he said.
Ebony White, a sophomore nursing major and Obama campaign volunteer, said she wanted Obama to work on the economy and reduce the cost of college.
Johnson agreed.
"I want to see lower tuition," she said. "That's what's killing me right now."
She said she wants to see the economy get better, but realized that change can be a gradual process.
"Nothing is going to happen overnight," White said. "But it's the start of a new beginning."
The news came sooner
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