McBama, OCain '08

Election Day is almost here...and I cannot believe it. Emory students vary in both their political ideologies AND how much politics interest them, but nearly everyone is excited for Tuesday!

Here's what I've been seeing lately:
- An "Obama Voting Party Bus" sponsored by Emory Students for Barack Obama COVERED in Obama pictures, slogans and fliers. It's been taking students to and from the polls for early voting in Georgia
- Daily postings from friends on Learnlink conferences (it's an amazingly addictive Emory-only e-mail/conference system) reminding everyone to vote and register
- E-mails and facebook status with funny election related videos. (have you seen this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX40RsSLwF4 or this: http://www.hulu.com/watch/36863/saturday-night-live-couric--palin-open#s-p4-sr-i1?)
- weekly editorials about the election in the Emory Wheel (emorywheel.com)
- predictions from Emory poli sci professors

Since this school year started, other students have been encouraging each other to vote and make informed decisions. CSAmerica, a nonpartisan political interest group, stood around campus for weeks making sure everyone who passed was registered. There's been viewing parties for all the debates, endless discussion groups with students and faculty, and fliers spread around the mail center about absentee ballots.

I'm not voting on Tuesday, since I mailed in my absentee ballot to dear 'ol Florida 2 weeks ago. But, many of my friends are seriously excited about standing in line for hours at the polls. And at 6:00 we all plan to start partying together at Rock The Results! The Student Government Assosciation and College Council are having FREE FOOD, games, raffles, music and prizes all around a big screen with the news results on our field. Hopefully most students will walk around smiling and not in tears. But we're fairly diverse in our views, so both emotions are bound to occur.

I'm just hoping to get some sleep Tuesday Night! I have a few papers due for Wednesday classes, but I'm not at all procrastinating so I can concentrate on the news.

Well, I have to go. I'm planning carpools for a free Ben & Jerry's scoop and Starbucks coffee. (Both are free for voters nationwide Tuesday!) Mmmmm. Choosing my ice cream flavor may be harder than choosing a president... (Phish Food and Half Backed have equally excellent qualities that will be great for the future of my taste buds.)