On an evening that began with raucous cheers for the candidates at the Institute of Politics (IOP), hundreds of students waited nervously into the early morning for a result that never came.
At about 1 a.m., the crowd was told to disperse and the once highly charged ARCO Forum event fizzled as students trickled home.
Throughout the evening, the atmosphere alternated between nervous tension and jubilant celebration. The largely Democratic crowd cheered wildly with each state that went for Vice President Al Gore '69.
Victories for Texas Gov. George W. Bush were greeted with less enthusiasm.
Not even a smoking popcorn machine, which caused a fire alarm and a brief evacuation of the building early in the evening, could break the spirit of the crowd.
"I am more amused than anything," Jacob S. Weinstein said of the evacuation. "It's a chance to get some fresh air."
Even as people waited outside on the sidewalk, someone heard on the radio that Gore had won Pennsylvania. The crowd erupted with applause.
But partisan ties aside, students said they came to the IOP's election night event to hear the different opinions and partake in the festivity.
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