Emerson Brooking | We'll know tonight

In just a few hours, we'll finally know the name of the next president of the United States.

That name's been a long time coming. The 2008 presidential election has spanned two years and $1.6 billion dollars. It's become a dominating presence in the national airwaves and everyday conversation, and its many twists and turns have resulted in some of the greatest electoral drama in American history.

Although I'm a proud Obama supporter, this is not a partisan piece. Election Day is not the time for political pitches. Instead, consider this column a quick look back at the events of the last two years. Regardless of who wins tonight, our demographic - and our campus in particular - will have enjoyed a front row seat to one of the most important elections in recent national memory.

As a current Penn sophomore, the election has been a constant companion. I began following the Obama campaign in early 2007, when - with college plans still in flux - I came across a YouTube video of his 2004 keynote to the Democratic Convention. During that summer, talk of the "dark horse" candidate Fred Thompson gripped the media, and Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani were anointed as the inevitable nominees of their respective parties.

When I came to Penn, I attended the September 2007 introductory meeting of UPenn for Obama. I was one of about 10 students who showed up. By December of that year, as Obama's electoral chances were looking grimmer and grimmer, there was a very real consensus that the club may not meet back in the spring. Meanwhile, when John McCain came to speak on campus in mid-November, almost everyone believed that he was doing so as a presidential "has-been." His campaign was languishing near bankruptcy, and few pundits believed he could weather the Iowa caucus intact.

Similarly, when I got a chance to meet Joe Biden outside of Smokey Joe's following the Democrats' Drexel debate, I imagined I was simply shaking the hand of an obscure - if impressive - presidential contender.

What a difference a year makes. By the time I returned to campus as a sophomore, Barack Obama and John McCain had claimed their party mantles. The "dark horse" Fred Thompson was a bad joke, Giuliani had sunk into obscurity, and Clinton had been relegated to the Democratic sidelines. Joe Biden - the man I met near the corner of 40th and Walnut - was a vice presidential candidate. At the inaugural fall 2008 meeting of UPenn for Obama, there were enough attendees to pack the Rodin rooftop lounge, with some forced to stand in the hallway outside.

With the election cycle this long, some moments just stick with you. For College junior Zac Byer, president of the College Republicans, it was hosting Sen. McCain last November: "After the 1,000-person event, the campaign e-mailed us and said that it was the largest event of McCain's campaign and that he was very appreciative of the opportunity to speak at Penn."

Meanwhile, for College junior Lauren Burdette, president of the Penn Democrats, it happened on the night of the vice presidential debate: "I was in Chicago's Midway Airport, and when I stepped off my plane, I saw literally everyone in the airport watching the debate. It was a really cool feeling, knowing that everyone was invested enough in the race to be watching it at an airport."

According to Political Communications professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson, "The most important change that has occurred in this election has been the increased mobilization and voting of those under 30." Late teenagers and 20-somethings have all invested in their own piece of the election cycle, and Penn students are no exception. We've proselytized on Locust Walk and made calls to households all around the country. We've held panels with governors and senators and hosted more than one presidential contender. We've knocked on tens of thousands of doors, distributed an avalanche of literature and asked every student if he or she is registered to vote a minimum of 20 times.

Tonight will see the conclusion of the 2008 election - and the result of a race many of us have followed our entire adult lives. So enjoy the night, and be ready for Wednesday morning - when the whole thing starts over again.

Emerson Brooking is a College sophomore from Turnerville, Georgia. His e-mail address is brooking@dailypennsylvanian.com. Southern Comfort runs on alternating Tuesdays.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.