news-record.com

GREENSBORO - This was a Barack Obama crowd - with every yell and fist pump.

"I'm trying to stay as sober as I can," joked Jacynthia Mitchell, as she waved a group of friends over at Studio B at the Broach Theater on Elm Street. "Even though I want to have faith in our system, I'm still afraid of the 'what if.'"

Although it was early and Obama and John McCain had only split the first two called states - not even battleground states - in the race for the White House, Mitchell needed to see more numbers in his column.

Then came Pennsylvania.

"That was freaking awesome," Mitchell said, getting her wish.

They gathered across the city Tuesday for watching parties, full of big-screen televisions and plenty of excitement.

Police had to block off the entrances to N.C. A&T's Stallings Ballroom as the overflow crowd inside grew by the minute.

Freshman Kristen Chambers had roused students out of bed stumping for Obama. As she waited for results inside, her "Real Aggies Vote" button on her shirt, she spoke of an empowerment she hadn't felt before.

"I just feel like I'm part of something bigger than all of us," she said as the crowd started chanting "Obama '08."

It was about much more than race, as the students at the predominantly black campus watched results.

"I think this gives us faith," Shakeda Muldrow, a senior, said of the country seemingly coming together to elect a black man. "I've got a lot of hope for the future."

Bartender J.H. Forester of Archdale spent most of Tuesday night pouring Pepsis and merlot for Democrats at Sen. Kay Hagan's election party at the Greensboro Coliseum.

But Forester wasn't an impartial observer. He cast his first ballot ever for a presidential candidate three weeks ago, he said, even though he's old enough to have voted in four previous elections.

Forester also contributed $1,000 to Obama's campaign, he said.

"I suppose with the last eight years not being so content it would be nice to feel contentment," said Forester, a registered independent.

Tonya Clinkscale of Greensboro spent much of Tuesday morning reminding her family in Youngstown, Ohio, to vote for Obama. That night she waited to learn her home state's fate as preliminary results flickered across two television screens.

When two cable news stations called the votes in favor of Obama, Clinkscale screamed and jumped up and down. She then flipped open her cell phone and called her parents, Harrie and Annie Clinkscale, back home.

"Mom, both stations," Clinkscale squealed. "Both stations says he's got Ohio. Yes! Yes! Both stations, Mom. MSNBC and Fox say Obama has won Ohio!"

Most of her family turned out for Obama, she said. Except one.

"My son voted for McCain," she said. "He's an evangelical Christian. I've really gotta call him."

On Market Street, about 100 students gathered at UNCG's Elliott University Center by 9 p.m. to watch the results on a giant television screen.

A trio of friends, all sophomores, was among the first to show up.

The young women pulled their chairs up close to the screen, leaving the more casual spectators behind them to snack and drink soda. All three had voted for Obama.

Vanessa Hunter, 19, said she'd be overwhelmed if he won the race.

"I'm going to be sobbing," said Hunter, who is African American. "When I was growing up I never thought I'd be allowed to see this," she said.

A few moments later, most of the students cheered when CNN announced that Obama was leading with 102 electoral votes.

"It's coming," said Madison Potter, 19. "It's coming soon."

Hunter stood up, leaned over and covered her face with both hands. Then she left to get her laptop, hoping to get some homework done. She wouldn't be going anywhere once Obama had 150 votes, she said.

Contact Nancy H. McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com