Eagle News

 

By: Maryann Batlle and Adam Sandy

Posted: 11/5/08

Two FGCU students tossed around a football in front of a winding line of voters at Summit Church in Estero.

After waiting for an hour, first-time voters Ian Rosenthal, a sophomore majoring in business management, and his roommate, Brian Jenkins, a freshman majoring in business management, got restless. They decided to take a break from politics.

The two men support Obama, which has caused some tension with their roommates, who are McCain supporters.

"We've had arguments," Rosenthal said.

For some, the two-hour wait was not an issue, but for others, it meant not voting.

Danny Kashi, a freshman majoring in communication, and Erik Jordan, a freshman majoring in environmental studies, couldn't wait because they had classes. They weren't as disappointed because they predicted their candidate, Obama, would win without them.

"I think it's going to be a landslide," Kashi said.

Kashi and Jordan drove themselves to the voting center, but not all students had a ride.

Bob M., an FGCU shuttle driver, picked up overtime on Election Day as he provided students transportation to the polls.

"We've got to get these kids out to the polls," he said, more than happy about his chance to help out the students.

Student Government and Take the Vote arranged the deal, and by Bob's tally, provided at least 42 students the opportunity to cast their ballots.

Stephanie Powers, a freshman with an undeclared major, does not have her own car, and her roommates where unable to take her to the polls. The shuttle was a great opportunity for her.

"If I didn't have it, I wouldn't vote," she said.

While only 42 students hit Summit Church to vote through the shuttle service, Tom Martin, of Take the Vote, saw larger numbers turning up on their own.

"Between 2 and 5 o'clock, I've counted 600 students in line to vote," Martin said. "At that pace, student voting could exceed 1,000 people at this location."

Peter Cerreta, a 19-year-old FGCU student, was dead last in line at around 5 o'clock, and although he was facing a two-hour plus wait, he bit the bullet.

"I don't want to miss out," he said while standing in line and studying for his computer science class.

Cerreta represents a trend of student enthusiasm in politics this election season.

"I'm an American and want to vote," said Shane Bergmark, a criminal justice major, who cast his vote for McCain. "This is historical. We've got a woman on one side, and a man of color on the other."

Kelly Roeder, a freshman majoring in marine biology, and her three friends went to the polls so they could "change the world."

Roder and her friends all casted their votes for Obama. They described the voting process as "simple and fast," but the long wait as "hot and annoying."

It wasn't either of the candidates' messages that drove Thomas E. Wigham to the polls; rather, it was a general frustration with the state of the nation.

Wigham was voting so he could "put someone not Republican in power." He described the men behind the party of the last eight years as "cavalier" and their agendas as full of "inefficiencies and lies."

Regardless of who or what brought the droves of students to the polls Tuesday night, record numbers showed up. As evening drew near, the line of voters still stretched across the parking lot of Summit Church, the voters waiting to cast their ballots for the next president of the United States.

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