Celebration reins for IU College Democrats

Tuesday morning started at 3:30 for senior Anna Strand.

Strand, the President of IU College Democrats, woke up, took a shower and went to the local Obama headquarters office, where she directed more than 100 volunteers throughout the day.  

Strand started working on the Obama campaign about two years ago, when the new president-elect first announced his candidacy, and she said the experience has been indescribable.   

“It’s been the better part of two years of my life,” she said. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve been a part of.”

Volunteers in the College Democrats made countless phone calls to assure people had the information they needed to get out and vote, Strand said. In addition, the group had people at all the local polling places to make sure the voters were helped in any way needed.  

As lines of students and members of the Bloomington community got longer, volunteers handed out water and magazines and kept people company before they cast their votes.  

Volunteers were so absorbed in doing their best to get people to vote that they didn’t even make plans for a celebration until a few hours before the polls closed.  

Senior Rose Byrne, president of the IU Students for Barack Obama, said the group didn’t do this intentionally, but she said she wanted to make sure the organization was doing everything it could to ensure they would hear a victory speech Tuesday night.  

Both Strand and Byrne – along with about 100 of their closest friends who have contributed long hours to the campaign – gathered at Opie Taylor’s restaurant in downtown Bloomington to watch the results.  

Strand said she has become emotional during the last few days and has cried repeatedly about an experience she said she will never forget.  

“The amount of joy and stress with the campaign is unbelievable,” she said. “I’ve formed a special bond with the people I have worked with.”  

A large group of Obama supporters gathered in the Indiana Memorial Union to celebrate the end of the campaign and the success of their candidate.  

Junior Adam Mendelevitz said he would be very excited if Obama won the election.

“Maybe I’ll get excited enough to do a little break dancing,” he said.  

When the election was called for Obama, supporters erupted after a long time waiting for the results.  

“We’ve been waiting for this for a really long time,” said junior Abby Wickens. “The fact that is has happened, and it’s a reality is really exciting.”

Wickens, a member of Delta Gamma, said her sorority has been working hard to get people to register to vote.  

One of Wickens’ close friends, junior Becca Murrow, said she, too, believes the future is exciting with an Obama presidency.  

“It goes beyond the election and who the candidates are and all the drama that goes on with the election,” she said. “Now it’s really about that state of our country and the future of it.”