The mood in the Marvin Center

It’s shortly past 3 in the morning, and the natives are getting restless. The jovial, buzzed crowds who accompanied their SA candidate friends are long gone, and even the tabulation room has been cleared out to a certain extent…evidently it was a fire hazard to have 70+ people in a windowless Marvin Center room. Even stripped down to only the ‘essentials’ - candidates, one rep from their campaigns, the media, and other people who arbitrarily decided to stay. It is hot and crowded, and the room smell of sweat and reeks of frustration. “Behave yourselves,” Chairman of the JEC Morgan Corr warns us before leading the rest of the vote-counters into the next room to make their official tabulations. We just watched each paper ballot for President and EVP be counted by hand - Nicole Capp and Andrew Cooper led significantly, but this mostly reflected the Law School and did not reflect any electronic ballots.

The candidates are handling things differently. At least one is drunk, tired, and grumpy. Others have resorted to singing and chanting. Some are ecstatic, though even their eyes are bloodshot. Others are silent and calm - some because they will probably be winners, others because they are almost in tears. I hope Brand Kroeger doesn’t mind that I include that he’s leading us in song…Though several others have taken up the torch, and WRGW’s anchors are standing in a circle, broadcasting live with their speakers on for us to hear.

And we’ve just been scolded again for the noise.

It’s now 3:40 a.m. One of the more relaxed candidates says to me ‘this is getting a bit ridiculous.’ I can’t say I disagree.