As students gathered all over campus to watch the results, the Institute of Politics brought a wide spectrum of Harvard undergraduates together for a watch party led by C. M. “Trey” Grayson ’94, the director of the IOP.
Rachel B. Bervell ’13 remarked that the election had a unifying effect on the student body. “It’s really interesting to see everyone together,” she said. “You don’t see this often.”
During the party, Grayson phoned David Axelrod, a senior Obama adviser, and broadcasted the call at the forum.
“This is a close race. We’ve prepared for a close race,” Axelrod said, speaking before Obama’s victory was secured. He said the early election returns encouraged the Obama campaign.
Following news of the election result, patriotically hued balloons dropped from the forum ceiling onto students who shouted, “Four more years!”
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In Adams House, where students camped out in the dining hall to do homework and snack on popcorn as they watched the CNN returns on a screen above their heads, David F. Sackstein ’14 said, “I’m very excited and very relieved. As always, I’m proud to be an American.”
But others were lukewarm about the electoral evening.
“I can’t wait for all the political statuses on Facebook to end,” said Forrest K. Neill ’15.
The celebration in the Yard was lackluster in comparison to the raucous eruption of joy that followed the president’s victory in 2008.
As the political hubbub dies down, Richard Parker, a lecturer at the Kennedy School, discussed the aftermath of the campaign and looked back on Obama’s first term.
Obama “came into office looking like he would be one of the three major transitional presidents of the last 100 years, along with Reagan and Roosevelt,” Parker said. Yet the President failed to move the country toward a full economic recovery, he continued.
Freed of the burden of a looming reelection campaign, Obama now faces the challenge of crafting a legacy over the next four years.
“It’s up for grabs,” Parker said.
—Staff writer Laura K. Reston can be reached at laurareston@college.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Gina K. Hackett can be reached at ghackett@college.harvard.edu.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
CORRECTION: Nov. 8
An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the wording of a quotation by Harvard College Democrats President Adan Acevedo ’13. He said that President Barack Obama had received a resounding endorsement to fight for the middle class, not that the middle class had received an endorsement to fight.