ELECTION 2008 EDITION

PROPOSITION 4 PROPOSITION 8 NEVADA STANFORD VOTES

ABORTION NOTIFICATION SAME-SEX MARRIAGE 130 STANFORD STUDENTS THE DAILY SURVEYS THE GCC
FAILING PASSING CAMPAIGNED EXIT POLLS
SEE PAGE 2 FRONT PAGE SEE PAGE 3 BACK PAGE

WEDNESDAY
The Stanford Daily An Independent Publication
www.stanforddaily.com Volume 234
November 5, 2008 Issue 34

‘CHANGE HAS COME’

Barack Obama elected first African-American president
By THEO MILONOPOULOS
SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A makeshift bonfire broke out in the

Main Quad on Tuesday night as Stanford
students celebrated the election of Sen.
Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as the first African-
American president of the United States.
Red plastic cups were thrust high into the
air as students celebrated the landslide
Electoral College victory of the son of a
Kenyan father and Kansas mother who rose
from an unconventional upbringing to the
national spotlight after being elected to the
Senate just two years before.
Obama’s calls for change mobilized hun-
dreds of thousands of college students and
generated one of the highest turnouts of
young voters in the nation’s history.
This heightened awareness was in no
short supply at Stanford, where early elec-
tion returns from the East Coast made it dif-
ficult for students to concentrate during
afternoon classes and threatened to pre-
empt some of the celebrations planned for
later in the evening.
But even as national polls pointed
towards a decisive victory for Obama, stu-
dents’ enthusiasm could not be dampened
by the possibility of a predetermined out-
come. Cheers erupted at the CoHo as sever-
al hundred students attending a campus-
wide Election Night party watched swing
state after swing state fall into Obama’s col-
umn.
“This is a historical moment,” said Tolu
Olorunnipa MA ‘09.
Reactions were markedly subdued at a
small, off-campus gathering of conserva-
tives, many of whom had been supporting
the candidacy of Obama’s opponent, Sen.
John McCain (R-Ariz.).
“I’ve pretty much expected [the election] The Associated Press
to go for Obama,” said Nathan Barnett ‘12 Illinois Senator Barack Obama won a landslide victory over Arizona Senator John McCain on Tuesday to become the 44th president of the
while watching results come in at a restau- United States of America. Obama will now be expected to move quickly and may soon name key officials in his administration.
rant on University Ave. “I held onto a little
hope, but the news has kind of made me a an hour before the polls closed in California.
little less optimistic.” “I don’t remember being excited about a ELECTION ‘08
president. Now I can be.”
Acknowledging that he “was never the
‘Never the likeliest candidate’
Obama’s victory marked the culmination
of a nearly two-year election cycle that wit-
nessed a long-fought primary battle, record-
likeliest candidate,” Obama attributed his
success to the growth of a grassroots cam-
paign that built on small donations and a
message of change that appealed to a
Stanford
breaking fundraising efforts and a series of
historical milestones that shattered race and
gender barriers in the contest for the
nation’s highest office.
diverse cross-section of the American elec-
torate.
“It grew from the young people who
rejected the myth of their generation’s apa-
vote goes
to Obama
“If there is anyone out there who still thy, who left their homes and their families
doubts that America is a place where all for jobs that offered little pay and less
things are possible, who still wonders if the sleep,” Obama said. “It drew strength from
dream of our founders is alive in our time, the not-so-young people who braved the bit-
who still questions the power of our democ- ter cold and scorching heat to knock on
racy, tonight is your answer,” Obama told an doors of perfect strangers, and from the mil- 90 percent at GCC choose
estimated 125,000 people in Chicago. lions of Americans who volunteered and
The election night extravaganza at the
CoHo, sponsored by many of the
organized and proved that more than two
centuries later a government of the people,
Obama, says exit poll
University’s major political student groups, by the people and for the people has not
was the largest of a number of election- perished from the Earth.” By JAMES HOHMANN
watching gatherings taking place on and off SENIOR STAFF WRITER
campus. At Branner Hall, close to 50 fresh-
men — many of whom voted in their first ‘A Journey of Self-Discovery’ Reflecting an overwhelming
presidential election — clustered around a One of these volunteers was Elizabeth desire for change, President-elect
projection screen in the dorm’s lounge to D’Aunno ‘09, political co-director and chief Barack Obama received nearly 90
watch the results filter in. financial officer of the Stanford Democrats, SAMMY ABUSRUR/The Stanford Daily percent of the votes cast at
“I’m just excited to have a president that Students celebrated Barack Obama’s presidential victory by lighting a bonfire in the Main Quad Stanford’s main polling place
I can believe in,” said Ross Darwin ‘12 about Please see OBAMA, page 2 Tuesday, according to exit polling
last night. Revelers joined in chants of “Obama!” and sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.” conducted by The Daily.
Election officials reported that,
from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., roughly 1,000

Proposition 8 likely to pass;students to protest ballots were cast at the Graduate

By DEVIN BANERJEE
and AN LE NGUYEN
This article was reported by An Le Nguyen
and written by Devin Banerjee.
The $70-million campaign to overturn
California’s Proposition 8 quickly lost trac-
tion Tuesday night as poll results showed
California voters leaning toward overturning
same-sex marriage in the state. As of press
time, 52 percent of voters favored passage of
the proposition, with 89 percent of precincts
reporting.
During the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s
election, much of the Stanford community
lashed out against Prop. 8. If passed, the
proposition would amend the Golden State’s
Constitution to “eliminate the right of same-
sex couples to marry in California.”
“It’s such an unjust, immoral proposition
that threatens to take away people’s rights
and the love that people share,” said Amanda
Gelender ‘10, founder of the Stanford Theatre
Activist Mobilization Project (STAMP). “I’m
disgusted by the proponents of this initiative,
and I felt propelled to do something.”
Both gay and straight members of the
community gathered at the LGBT
Community Resource Center on Tuesday
night to watch the election returns.
“It’s great to get people together,” said
fourth-year medical student Mitch Lunn,
“especially when people share the same inter-
ests and beliefs on issues.”
“Students are really focused on being
here,” Gelender added. “We’re kind of shar-
ing this really intimate moment together.”
Please see PROPS, page 8
Community Center (GCC). In 147
anonymous surveys, distributed
throughout the day to a random
sample primarily composed of stu-
dents, voters also expressed strong
opposition to Proposition 8, the
measure to ban same-sex marriage,
and Proposition 4, which would
require doctors to notify the parents
of a minor seeking an abortion.
In line with support for Obama’s
candidacy, 89 percent of those sur-
Please see POLL, page 8

Index Opinions/4 • Sports/6 • Classifieds/7 Recycle Me

2 N Wednesday, November 5, 2008 The Stanford Daily

ELECTION ‘08

Triumphant Obama turns to challenges

By TERRENCE HUNT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — His name
etched in history as America’s first
black president, Barack Obama
turned from the jubilation of victory
to the sobering challenge of leading
a nation worried about economic cri-
sis, two unfinished wars and global
uncertainty.
“The road ahead will be long. Our
climb will be steep,” Obama cau-
tioned.
Young and charismatic but with
little experience on the national
level, Obama smashed through
racial barriers and easily defeated
Republican John McCain to become
the first African-American destined
to sit in the Oval Office, America’s
44th president. He was the first
Democrat to receive more than 50
percent of the popular vote since
Jimmy Carter in 1976.
“It’s been a long time coming, but
tonight, because of what we did on
this date in this election at this defin-
ing moment, change has come to
America,” Obama told a victory rally
of 125,000 people jammed into
Chicago’s Grant Park.
Obama scored an Electoral
College landslide that redrew
America’s political map. He won
states that reliably voted Republican
in presidential elections, like Indiana
and Virginia, which hadn’t supported
the Democratic candidate in 44
years. Ohio and Florida, key to
Bush’s twin victories, also went for
Obama, as did Pennsylvania, which
McCain had deemed crucial for his
election hopes.
With just 76 days until the inaugu-
ration, Obama is expected to move
quickly to begin assembling a White
House staff and selecting Cabinet
nominees.
Campaign officials said Illinois
Rep. Rahm Emanuel was the front-
runner to be Obama’s chief of staff.
The advisers spoke on a condition of
anonymity because the announce-
ment had not yet been made.
Democrats expanded their
majority in both houses of Congress.
In the Senate, Democrats ousted
Republicans Elizabeth Dole of
North Carolina and John Sununu of
New Hampshire and captured seats
held by retiring GOP senators in
Virginia, New Mexico and Colorado.
Still, the GOP blocked a complete
rout, holding the Kentucky seat of
Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell and a Mississippi seat
once held by Trent Lott — two top
Democratic targets.
In the House, with fewer than a
dozen races still undecided,
Democrats captured Republican-
held seats in the Northeast, South
and West and were on a path to pick
up as many as 20 seats.
When Obama and running mate
Joe Biden take their oath of office on
Jan. 20, Democrats will control both
the White House and Congress for
the first time since 1994.
“It is not a mandate for a party or
ideology but a mandate for change,”
said Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid of Nevada.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of
California said: “Tonight the
American people have called for a
new direction. They have called for
change in America.”
After the longest and costliest
campaign in U.S. history, Obama was
propelled to victory by voters dis-
mayed by eight years of George W.
Bush’s presidency and deeply anx-
ious about rising unemployment and
home foreclosures and a battered
stock market that has erased tril-
lions of dollars of savings for
Americans.
Six in 10 voters picked the econ-
omy as the most important issue fac-
ing the nation in an Associated Press
exit poll. None of the other top
issues — energy, Iraq, terrorism and
health care — was selected by more
than one in 10. Obama has promised
to cut taxes for most Americans, get
the United States out of Iraq and
expand health care, including
mandatory coverage for children.
Obama acknowledged that
repairing the economy and dealing
with problems at home and overseas
will not happen quickly. “We may
not get there in one year or even in
one term,” he said. “But, America, I
have never been more hopeful than I
am tonight that we will get there. I
promise you, we as a people will get
there.”
McCain conceded defeat shortly
after 11 p.m. EST, telling supporters
outside the Arizona Biltmore Hotel,
“The American people have spoken,
and they have spoken clearly.”
“This is an historic election, and
I recognize the special significance
it has for African-Americans and
the special pride that must be theirs
tonight,” McCain said. “These are
difficult times for our country. And
I pledge to him tonight to do all in
my power to help him lead us
through the many challenges we
face.”
Obama faces a staggering list of
problems, and he mentioned some of
them in his victory speech. “Even as
we celebrate tonight, we know the
challenges that tomorrow will bring
are the greatest of our lifetime —
two wars, a planet in peril, the worst
financial crisis in a century.” He
spoke of parents who worry about
paying their mortgages and medical
bills.
“There will be setbacks and false
starts,” Obama said. “There are
many who won’t agree with every
decision or policy I make as presi-
dent. And we know the government
can’t solve every problem.”
The son of a Kenyan father and a
white mother from Kansas, the 47-
year-old Obama has had a startlingly
rapid rise, from lawyer and commu-
nity organizer to state legislator and
U.S. senator, now just four years into
his first term. He is the first senator
elected to the White House since
John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Bush called Obama with congrat-
ulations at 11:12 p.m. EST. “I prom-
ise to make this a smooth transition,”
the president said. “You are about to
go on one of the great journeys of
life. Congratulations and go enjoy
yourself.” He invited Obama and his
Students in Roble’s lounge jump to their feet as CNN projects Illinois
Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Obama
decisively defeated Arizona Senator John McCain in an historic election.
family to visit the White House soon.
Bush planned to make a state-
ment about the election at midmorn-
ing Wednesday in the Rose Garden.
With most U.S. precincts tallied,
the popular vote was 51.9 percent for
Obama and 46.8 percent for
McCain. But the count in the
Electoral College was lopsided in
Obama’s favor over McCain — 349
to 147 as of early Wednesday, with
three states still to be decided. Those
were North Carolina, Georgia and
Missouri.
Obama won California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
the District of Columbia, Florida,
Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
Virginia, Vermont, Washington and
Wisconsin.
McCain had Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana,
Nebraska, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, South Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
West Virginia and Wyoming. He also
MASARU OKA/The Stanford Daily
won at least 3 of Nebraska’s five
electoral votes, with the other two in
doubt.
Almost six in 10 women support-
ed Obama nationwide, while men
leaned his way by a narrow margin,
according to interviews with voters.
Just over half of whites supported
McCain, giving him a slim advantage
in a group that Bush carried over-
whelmingly in 2004.
The results of the AP survey were
based on a preliminary partial sam-
ple of nearly 10,000 voters in
Election Day polls and in telephone
interviews over the past week for
early voters.
In terms of turnout, America
voted in record numbers. It looks
like 136.6 million Americans will
have voted for president this elec-
tion, based on 88 percent of the
country’s precincts tallied and pro-
jections for absentee ballots, said
Michael McDonald of George
Mason University. Using his meth-
ods, that would give 2008 a 64.1 per-
cent turnout rate.
“That would be the highest
turnout rate that we’ve seen since
1908,” which was 65.7 percent,
McDonald said early Wednesday.

Continued from front page

OBAMA|Campus reacts to win

who stopped out of Stanford last fall to cam-
paign for Obama in Iowa. She worked on a
team responsible for planning and executing
the senator’s appearances in Iowa in
advance of the state’s primary caucuses,
which ultimately gave Obama an early lead
on the path to his party’s nomination.
Although her family had been living in
Iowa, D’Aunno described her campaign
work as “a journey of self-discovery.” By
bringing her in contact with residents of
other parts of the state, D’Aunno said the
campaign gave her an education in Iowa’s
politics that paralleled the same learning
curve Obama met as he canvassed the state.
“For me, it was the most formative expe-
rience of my life,” she said.
D’Aunno spent the early hours of
Election Night at the CoHo, where a stand-
ing-room-only crowd was served free
nachos and beer while watching election
returns on four screens. The traditionally
low-key atmosphere of the campus coffee
house was decked out with shimmering red
and blue streamers. Face masks of the candi-
dates and election-themed coloring books
were on hand for those who sought a break
from watching election coverage.
“It’s been outstanding so far,” said Eric
Showen ‘09, chair of Stanford in
Government (SIG), one of the co-sponsors
of the event. “It’s exceeded my expectations.
People seem to be excited regardless of their
political affiliation.”
The party, which was co-sponsored by the
ASSU, Stanford in Washington and the
Stanford Democrats, was billed as a non-
partisan event. But the crowd overwhelm-
ingly supported Obama’s candidacy, often
counting down the seconds to network pro-
jections and cheering for each state decided
in Obama’s favor. States that went red were
Lines at the Graduate Community Center (GCC) stretched to an hour and a half when polls opened in the morning, but eased later
in the day. A Daily exit poll showed that the vast majority of voters were satisfied with polling conditions at the GCC.
usually met by jeers from those assembled.
“I’m more of an Obama guy, but I like
both candidates,” said Will Young ‘09, who
attended the CoHo party. “So when people
here boo McCain whenever he wins a state,
I don’t join in. He doesn’t deserve that.”
‘Another Spectrum’
The increasingly rowdy atmosphere at
the CoHo contrasted with a smaller, quieter
gathering of conservative students watching
the election results on a small television at
Round Table Pizza in Palo Alto.
Organizers said the event, co-hosted by
The Stanford Review and the Stanford
College Republicans, was designed to pro-
vide attendees a comfortable environment
to view the results regardless of their politi-
cal leanings.
“The gathering was supposed to be a sort
of place where people could come and meet
together, to feel they can express whatever
their views are,” said Irina Oberman ‘09,
president of the Stanford College
Republicans. “People don’t want to argue
with their friends over political problems
sometimes. It doesn’t have to be in your
face.”
Many conservatives suggested that
Stanford is an overwhelmingly liberal cam-
pus and that it can often be difficult to pres-
ent alternative viewpoints. They viewed the
off-campus gathering as a place to voice
their own views in a more accepting atmos-
phere.
“It’s really offering another spectrum,”
Thomas Stilson ‘09. “Here you can be
amongst . . . like-minded supporters without
feeling like an outcast.”
Garrett Taylor ‘12 said he thought the
CoHo party would not provide the same
atmosphere since some of the co-sponsors
Students at Ujamaa react to incoming election results. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois swiftly picked up Electoral College votes to defeat
Sen. John McCain of Arizona in a landslide victory. Both campaigns had been in action for at least 18 months, culminating on Tuesday.
seemed liberal leaning.
But Cameron Bell ‘09, one of the lead
organizers of the CoHo event, told The
Daily on Sunday that they had reached out
to conservative student groups on campus to
help organize the CoHo event.
“We reached out to The Review, the
Stanford Conservative Society and the
College Republicans, but there was not so
much interest there,” said Bell, SIG’s vice
chair of operations.
ISAAC GATENO/The Stanford Daily
A race beyond race?
The historical significance of the first
African-American man elected as com-
mander-in-chief was not lost on Stanford stu-
dents across campus.
“It says a lot that less than half a century
ago, there were laws that prevented African-
Americans the use of even the same bath-
rooms as white Americans,” Olorunnipa, the
graduate student at the CoHo, said.
“This is huge for all African Americans,
minorities or anybody else who has ever
been discriminated against before or now,”
he added.
Some suggested that Obama’s appeal
transcended racial lines. Colleen Okyere ‘11
said she felt race had faded as an issue in the
election as more people voted for candidates
because of the substance of their ideas, not
the color of their skin.
“As an African-American woman, that
makes me very happy,” Okyere said.
But others, like Tajah Tubbs ‘12, a resident
in Ujamaa, suggested that some may be too
quick to assume that Obama’s election
would overcome racial inequalities.
“It’s good, but there’s still progress to be
made,” Tubbs said.
Much of the same could be said for
women seeking higher office. Although the
2008 election saw the first competitive
female presidential candidate in Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and the first
female vice-presidential candidate on a
Republican ticket, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin,
the West Wing remained out of a woman’s
grasp.
James Barton ‘09 supported Clinton dur-
ing the hard-fought Democratic primaries
and felt that although Obama shared some
of Hillary’s views, the victory was bitter-
sweet.
“Hillary was the first politician I had a
true connection to,” Barton said. “Her defeat
was crushing for me. I’m excited that Obama
won, but Hillary would have been better.”
SAMMY ABUSRUR/The Stanford Daily
‘Tomorrow’
Early returns from the East Coast inter-
rupted lecture halls full of students eagerly
anticipating the results. In a Hewlett lecture
hall, students and even teaching assistants
frequently checked their laptops throughout
a two-hour review session, breaking into
chatter as those leading the review session
switched between slides and election updates.
Some of the University’s biggest political
junkies, however, weren’t on campus.
About 25 students at Stanford in
Washington crowded around a lounge televi-
sion to watch the returns, eating donkey- and
elephant-shaped cookies and coloring in
electoral maps as network news channels
made their projections. Joining them were
life-sized cutouts of the candidates.
Back on campus, enthusiasm for Obama’s
victory swelled into a kind of pandemonium
in the Main Quad as celebrants — reminis-
cent of the revelry following Stanford foot-
ball’s upset victory over Southern California
last year — set a pile of newspapers and
nearby branches ablaze in front of Memorial
Church. The flames grew into a sizeable bon-
fire before being neutralized by firefighters
who responded to the scene.
For many, the real celebrations would
start once Obama entered the Oval Office.
“There are so many problems right now,
and they’re not going to be different tomor-
row,” Allison Fink ‘12 said. “But for the first
time in eight years, there’s a chance that it’s
going to be better.”
Daily staffers James Hohmann, Devin
Banerjee, Nikhil Joshi, Josh Alvarez, Mike
Ding, Elliot Jin, Julia Brownell, Sam
Coggeshall, Marisa Landicho, Ryan Mac,
Christine McFadden, Jenny Rempel, Emma
Trotter and Jess Wertheim contributed to this
report. Ali Guio and Jessie Knight con-
tributed to this report from Washington.
Contact Theo Milonopoulos at milonot@stan-
ford.edu.
The Stanford Daily Wednesday, November 5, 2008 N 3

Students in U.K.herald Obama win

NADIA MUFTI/The Stanford Daily
130 students from Stanford headed to Nevada this past weekend in a
last-minute effort to swing the state to Senator Barack Obama. The Illinois
senator won Nevada on Tuesday, picking up five Electoral College votes.
By ERIC MESSINGER
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In a historic election, even those Americans
across the Atlantic trained an eye toward
Tuesday’s results.
On Election Night at the Stanford House in
Oxford — 3,000 miles from the U.S. and 5,400
miles from the Stanford campus — students con-
gregated around television sets to learn the out-
come of the 2008 presidential election. Many had
voted absentee and were anxious to learn the
results in their home states.
Stanford students in the U.K. quickly learned
that Americans were not the only ones interested
Oxford students, the enthusiasm of international
students toward the American political process
was clear.
“Normally, people would consider politicians to
be very similar,” said classics student Thomas
Corcoran, who organized an election viewing party
for Corpus Christi College. “This time, they acted
different, and it felt like it meant something.”
Like many of their American counterparts,
British students favored Democratic nominee
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Numerous students
sported Obama T-shirts, while McCain supporters
stayed under the radar.
“The first time I noticed Obama was in 2005,
in a YouTube clip of the 2004 keynote,” said John
joyed.
“I’m excited to see the kind of enthusiasm and
support I see because of Barack Obama,” said
Francesca Mazzola ‘10.
“Barack Obama has just overcome barriers for
people of all differences,” added Ansaf Kareem
‘10. “He has, like never before, given hope to peo-
ple who had never before had hope within them.”
By being in the United Kingdom, students at
the Stanford House noted an increased aware-
ness of their place within the international com-
munity, and the impressions they imparted while
abroad.
“You realize, when people hear your voice,
that they immediately judge you,” said Matthew

Student volunteers in the election results. Many Oxford colleges and

even clubs hosted events that were soon crowded
by waves of British attendees.
Two Stanford-associated colleges, Magdalen
Beresford, an Oxford law student. “A phenome-
non was the only proper way to describe the gen-
tleman.”
When the returns favoring Obama came in,
Lucky ‘10. “Sometimes, you’re emblematic, not
because of who you are, but because you are
American.”

descend on Nevada
and Corpus Christi, drew large crowds. Among Stanford students at the Oxford house were over- Contact Eric Messinger at messinger@stanford.edu.

of Obama supporters contagious,

Stanford sends 130; and bathed in the tide of support for
their candidate.
Biden says thanks “There [is] something in the air
that’s really different this year than
By KAMIL DADA anything I have felt,” Kaspick said.
DESK EDITOR There were also a number of
cases in which the students felt they
LAS VEGAS — Calls of “OBAA- made a big difference individually.
MAAA” could be heard resonating “People are generally happy to
throughout the nigtt in many Las see you,” said Chris Anelli ‘09. “This
Vegas suburbs on Election Day, as a one guy was unbelievable. When we
veritable army of volunteers, includ- started talking about what this cam-
ing 130 Stanford students, cam- paign meant, he invited us in and
paigned for the Democratic candi- offered us chicken, onions and pota-
date. toes on his barbeque. We ate and
Students spoke of how, when uni- talked about how politics connected
fied in support of Obama, they felt people to each other.”
that they could really make a differ- Albada agreed and referred to
ence — and the presidential ticket the case of a 79-year-old female
they helped to elect agreed. Democrat who had a long record of
“Thanks to young voters, this voting for the Democratic Party.
election has been a success,” said “She told us that she wasn’t vot-
Vice President-elect Joe Biden in a ing because she couldn’t make it to
phone interview with The Daily. the polling station because her hus-
Biden spoke about the role of band had died and she couldn’t
young adults in the 2008 election drive,” Albada said. “We were
season at 8:17 p.m. PST last night, shocked and arranged a ride for her.
just 17 minutes after the major news There is such good infrastructure
networks called the election in present [in the campaign], that we
Obama’s favor. wrote it on our sheet, and then
But despite being coronated by someone picked her up and took her
the media minutes before the inter- to the voting station later.”
view, Biden was cautious to declare But not all of the students’ cam-
victory. paigning was well-received by
“I am confident, but will not com- Nevada voters.
ment on the outcome yet,” he said. “People are generally frustrated
“We need to wait until all the results with us,” Albada said. “Especially
are in.” the number of times we come back
Most of all, Biden lauded the day after day with fliers, door hang-
efforts of the volunteers. ers and other [campaign materials].
“Obama’s troops out on the field Some people threatened us by say-
ing that they were no longer going Courtesy of TAYLOR YOUNG
have had a tremendous impact upon
this election,” he said. Students in Washington, D.C. react to news that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will be the 44th president of the United States. Obama handily defeat-
Some 70 out of Stanford’s 130 Please see NEVADA, page 5 ed Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) after more than 18 months of campaigning.
“troops” headed to Las Vegas, while
the rest went to Reno. They drove
for up to 12 hours to reach Nevada
on Saturday morning, and often
woke up at 4 a.m. to begin cam-
paign-related work. By 6:30 a.m.,
they started to put out door hangers
that reminded people to vote. By 9
a.m., they were knocking on doors,
reminding people of their voting
rights and the importance of voting.
Sam Kaspick ‘10, who coordinat-
ed the canvassing activities of the
majority of Stanford students in Las
Vegas, explained the importance of
campaigning in Nevada.
“Nevada is the closest swing state
to campus,” he said. “It is also a lot
of fun to be in a place where the race
is so close, and you can really feel
that you’re going to make a differ-
ence in the state.”
Kaspick also pointed out that he
would be campaigning regardless of
who the candidate was.
“I’m a Democrat and believe in
Democratic values,” he said. “So
even if it was Clinton, I would still
be out here helping, no matter what.
But Obama [is] special. I guarantee
that if it was one of the other candi-
dates, the volunteer group wouldn’t
be as big. He inspired us.”
Others students drew inspiration
directly from Obama.
“If Clinton were the candidate, I
would not be here,” said Michael
Albada ‘11. “I am here because I
believe in Obama. I think he is a
political messiah. He is the man our
generation needs.”
While there were many Obama
supporters on the streets, there was
a notable lack of Republicans can-
vassing in Las Vegas. Students
reported they had come across very
few Republican campaigners over
the four days that they were in Las
Vegas.
The president of the Stanford
College Republicans, Irina
Oberman ‘09, said she was not aware
of any Stanford Republicans visiting
Las Vegas to campaign.
Campaign experiences
Despite the end result, students
reported mixed feelings with cam-
paigning on the trip. While there
were many overwhelmingly positive
experiences, the campaigners did
also run into several roadblocks. Courtesy of Arnav Moudgil
Students found the positive spirit Stanford students in Australia celebrate the election of Barack Obama to the presidency, despite being thousands of miles away. Many of those abroad this quarter mailed in absentee ballots.
4 N Wednesday, November 5, 2008 The Stanford Daily

OPINIONS
E DITORIAL The Stanford Daily
Established 1892 AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER Incorporated 1973

Continue your activism past Board of Directors

Christian Torres
President, Editor in Chief
Managing Editors

Devin Banerjee
Managing Editor of News
Masaru Oka
Managing Editor of Photo
Tonight’s Desk Editors
Nikhil Joshi
News Editor

Election Day In Ho Lee

Chief Operating Officer
Someary Chhim
Vice President of Advertising
Denis Griffin
Managing Editor of Sports
Emma Trotter
Managing Editor of Features
Cristina Bautista
Head Graphics Editor
Paul Yun
Head Copy Editor
Wyndam Makowsky
Sports Editor
Charlie Olson
Copy Editor
Andrea Fuller Stephanie Werner Jaclyn Tandler
Kelley Fong, Marissa Miller
he ballots have been cast in unprece- sity to reflect on how this recent surge of

T Kelley Fong Opinions Editor Photo Editor

dented amounts. The votes have been
tallied, and a new president has been
elected to lead this nation for the next four
years. Senators have been ousted, new gov-
ernors have emerged and a wide array of
states, including California, have weighed on
a variety of consequential ballot initiatives
that will be discussed for years to come. On
the whole,this election has been momentous
in terms of time, dollars and significance.
Stanford University can look with pride
and satisfaction on its contributions to this
tremendous election season. The campaigns
of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John
McCain included among its advisors a num-
ber of distinguished Stanford faculty.
Droves of students volunteered for cam-
paigns, making phone calls, canvassing
neighborhoods, hosting on campus debates
and traveling to battleground states to regis-
ter voters and rally support. Of particular
note, the opponents of California Proposi-
tion 8, the measure that sought to overturn
gay marriage in the Golden State, whipped
the campus into a frenzy with their purple T-
shirts and phonebank operation, which was
largest in the state and held in spite of the
driving rain last Saturday.
Regardless of who you donated money
to, what cause you rallied around or what
candidate you fervently supported, the edi-
torial board lauds the tireless efforts of all
Stanford students who were impassioned
enough to vigorously participate in this un-
precedented exercise of American democ-
racy.You defied the notion that Stanford is a
politically apathetic campus.
We are now left with a great dilemma:
how to effectively engage Stanford students,
and the rest of the country, now that the elec-
tion is over. It is incumbent upon this univer-
Unsigned editorials in the space above represent the views of The Stanford Daily's editorial board and do not
necessarily reflect the opinions of the Daily staff. The editorial board is comprised of three former Daily
staffers, three at-large student members and the editorial board chair. Any signed columns and contributions
are the views of their respective writers and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire editorial board.
To contact the editorial board for an issue to be considered, or to submit an op-ed, please email
editorial@daily.stanford.edu.
L IKE
campus activism can be effectively translat-
ed into something more than a quadrennial
phenomenon.
Both the McCain and Obama campaigns
have inspired a generation of new voters,
both on the campus and across the nation.
Huge swaths of Americans, heretofore apa-
thetic towards elections, have been incorpo-
rated into the body politic.
Particularly when our country faces un-
precedented challenges both at home and
abroad, one of the most basic responsibilities
we have is to stay informed and abreast of
the continual developments that will shape
and define our next president’s term in of-
fice. Keeping our elected leaders responsible
to us, their constituents, will be vital in ensur-
ing that the United States climbs out of the
Bush administration’s ruins.
The Constitution enshrines both the
rights of political majorities and minorities,
and especially if your candidate did not fare
as well as hoped, petition the government,
stage rallies for certain causes or work to ed-
ucate your peers about an issue. In the past
week, we have seen a large spike in the num-
ber of op-ed submissions to The Daily from
both sides of the aisle. The election is over,
but the troubles facing our society are no
less real, and we hope that students continue
to discuss how to solve them.
We leave it up to the student leaders who
led these political movements to keep advo-
cating for their causes. We hope that those
students not involved are now inspired by
their peers, who looked beyond their own
success and thought about the success of our
nation and our world. Just because Nov. 4 is
now a memory, albeit a recent and extraor-
dinarily emotional one, that does not mean
our fight is finished.
A R OCK
Michael Londgren
Theodore Glasser
Robert Michitarian
Glenn Frankel
Contacting The Daily: Section editors can be reached at (650) 725-2100 from 3 to 10 p.m. The Advertising Department can be reached at (650) 723-2555 ext. 401, and the
Classified Advertising Department can be reached at (650) 723-2555 during normal business hours.
Cheers to global warming, part two
eet “the future of adult entertain-
M ment,” the Svedka_Grl — extraor-
dinaire and cover girl for Svedka
vodka. Completely computer-generated
(with no clothes written into her code), she’s
definitely not your ordinary model.
But this is definitely not your ordinary
vodka ad campaign, either.
With its ubiquitous exposure in magazines
and subway stops everywhere, the Svedka
vodka campaign is possibly one of the most
sophisticated alcohol ad campaigns in the
market. Part of this sophistication comes
from the talent that constantly fuels creativi-
ty into the campaign — a team of 16 writers
whose sole task is to come up with 16 differ-
ent scenarios of life in 2033, the year from
which the Svedka_Grl comes.
The campaign offers a complex and
multi-layered form of satire. First there is
the Svedka_Grl herself, whose enormous
breasts, childbearing hips and non-existent
waist makes her an exaggerated and inhu-
man version of the “ideal” female body.
(Think “I-Robot” meets porn-star Barbie).
Along with her description as “the future of
adult entertainment,” the look of the Sved-
ka_Grl alone serves as a merciless parody of
the way in which unrealistic body images
have changed our concept of “sexy” to “un-
real.”
Then there is the Svedka_Grl’s functional
purpose in the campaign. Aside from the
satire inherent in her looks, she is also the
mouthpiece of the campaign writers — the
fortuneteller dripping in irony who dishes
Staff Development Directors
Andrea Fuller
Editorial Board Chair
Kelsey Mesher, Mae Ryan
Intermission Editors
T HE A D A NALYST
Sandy
Nader
tinctly sobering effect. When all is said and
done, behind the thin veil of irony, her mes-
sages inevitably cause us to think about the
more unpleasant facts about our reality
today.
Having already tackled some of the more
controversial social issues, it was only a mat-
ter of time until the Svedka writers put in
their two cents about global warming. In that
particular ad, the Svedka_Grl looks over her
shoulder at the consumer with an unreadable
gaze, her hands on her hips in a sexually sug-
gestive pose. Next to her, “Do your part to
help end global warming. Add more ice” is
printed in clear, unapologetic font.
Last week, I criticized Absolut for the
“add more ice” line because I felt it perpetu-
ated a retrogressive worldview. This week, I
am going to commend Svedka for the exact
same line, simply because it is used in a com-
pletely different context.
Instead of endeavoring to represent an
ideal, as in the Absolut ad, the Svedka_Grl
represents an extrapolation of our current re-
ality. And since her messages routinely sati-
rize the shortcomings of our world today, one
Becca del Monte & Cristina Bautista
Graphics Editor
don’t think that interpretation is consistent
with the tone and purpose of the Svedka
campaign. Svedka ads tend to hold the mirror
up to consumers and make them face their
own degenerate cultural trends. So rather
than sending us the message that global
warming is a matter worthy of flippancy, this
ad does exactly the opposite — it subtly
mocks us for thinking we could ever be flip-
pant about it in the first place.
Where does this flippancy come from? As
surprising as it may seem to some, an over-
whelming majority of people are still reluc-
tant to recognize that we are facing a global
environmental crisis — to the point where
they cannot even fathom making any serious
effort to combat it. In some people’s minds,
“add more ice” is just an imaginary solution
to an imaginary problem.Their outlook is un-
derstandable, though not exactly justifiable.
After all, global warming probably hasn’t yet
directly affected them much at all — no won-
der it seems unreal.
But here’s the rub: This particular prob-
lem isn’t imaginary, and it will affect every-
one sooner or later (even people who can af-
ford to drink Svedka vodka). What if we
don’t take any action in the next few years to
reduce our impact on climate change? By
2033, “add more ice” might really be all we
can do — add more ice to our vodka sours
and toast to the death of the Earth that we
know and love.
Want to prevent that scenario? Then start
envisioning our planet 25 years from now,
with your life figured into it. Start thinking

Sex, death and out wry social commentary to consumers

everywhere. In one ad, for example, she urges
consumers from 2033 to “make your next tro-
bike helmets
phy wife 100 percent titanium,” while in an-
other, she claims that in 2033 “gay men still
prefer Svedka over sex with women.” Yet
while her outlook can amuse us present-
dwellers by offering scenarios that some-
e all know that wearing a helmet
thing is certain — we can’t take what we see
at face value.
If we were to interpret this ad at face
about the future, and what you can do now to
ensure that your quality of life will be just as
good. Start taking measures to help the plan-
value, we would probably conclude that it
et today . . . while we can still even presume
does not take global warming seriously at all. to laugh about it.
It seems to mock the gravity of climate
change with the quip about adding more ice, Think you’d be a better model for the Svedka
which is only made worse by the over-the-top campaign than the Svedka_Grl? Email your

W while biking can save your life, or, at

least, we should. Bike accidents hap-
pen approximately 30 times more often than
times seem outlandish, it can also have a dis- nature of the Svedka_Grl’s appearance. But I reason why to Sandy at slnader@stanford.edu.

coitus on campus, and yet, the vast majority of

us refuse to wear helmets to protect the brains
that got us here.Why? Because somehow,tak-
ing protective measures to safeguard what
makes us, well, us — is uncool.
“And coolness,” argues the Fonz, “leads to
sex.” Now, I have absolutely no idea if he actu-
ally said that (given that “Happy Days” ended
seven years before I first remember televi-
sion’s sweet, sweet embrace), but even if he
didn’t say those words precisely, he basically
proved the mantra every day of his fictional
life.
Unfortunately, though, I am not the Fonz.
At Stanford, I have been in two respectable
bike accidents;My freshman year,I was biking
at night when a kid pedaled headfirst into me
(I had stopped by then), permanently damag-
ing both of our bikes. The whole thing hap-
pened in front of my PHE,who laughed at me.
The second time was a fantastic spill where
I hit a bump wrong, my chain fell off, my bike
flipped over,the Jamba Juice I was holding ex-
ploded in my hand, and I landed in front of
hundreds of people covered in blood, oil and
32 ounces of Peanut Butter Mood.The biggest
tragedy? No one was holding a camera.
I have also had friends get hit by cars, and
one who was mauled by a collapsing fence.For
products designed simply to stay upright,
fences are alarmingly poor at it.
Really, between Stanford’s constant con-
struction, less-than-ideally designed bike
paths, and its rushing, sleep-deprived bikers,
accidents are a very real threat. And bicycle
helmets, though funky-looking and made of
foam, are probably about the best way, aside
from not biking, to prevent seriously debilitat-
ing injury in the event of a collision.
But here’s the problem:Bike helmets make
people look more nerdy on an already very
nerdy campus, and when it comes to impress-
ing the opposite sex, that’s probably the last
thing most of us need.
Before writing this column,I ran a bunch of
statistically significant tests using “regres-
sions,” “logarithms” and “imagination,” and I
realized that the likelihood of death or injury is
pretty decently correlated with the chance of
sex.Think of stereotypical chess nerds — they
have a very low risk of death (not counting any
stereotypical bullies out there), but they also
have a low risk of sex.
After the debacle that was last week’s col-
Kevin
Webb
umn, I feel it necessary to point out here that
This is a stereotype. Chess nerds are perfectly
capable of incurring ricks and getting tail,
should they so desire. So please, please, please
don’t send me dozens of angry emails.
Now,at the other extreme,we have football
players, rock stars and pirates, all of whom
have a higher risk of death or bizarre injury,
but who, I assume, get significantly higher
amounts of play.
Again, this is a stereotype. I am sure there
are football players,rock stars and pirates who
have made the decision to remain chaste,and I
am happy for them. Please don’t send me
angry emails.
I should point out, though, that there were
exceptions to my thorough study.James Bond,
for example, has a zero percent risk of death
and a 100 percent chance of sex.John McCain,
on the other hand, has a 22 percent chance of
sex and an 87 percent risk of death.
John McCain is a proud American and,
even though he may not be president, he has
worked hard to serve our country and de-
serves our utmost respect.
Now, the study did bring into focus the hel-
met issue. If not wearing a helmet means high-
er risk, which in turn means higher chance of
sex, people, who I will assume are concerned
about their own sex appeal (not everyone is,
nor should they be), will continue to not wear
their helmets.
As such, I have devised two brilliant ways
to put the “elme” back in “helmet,” assuming
that “elme” means “sexy.”
Idea No. 1: Make not wearing a helmet un-
bearably repulsive. Let’s try an exercise!
Picture someone you consider absurdly,
mind-blowingly gorgeous.At this time,I would
like to remind readers that, yes, there is a pic-
ture of me at the top of this column. Now, pic-
ture that same person in a coma.Is sex the first
thing you think of when you think of them in-
capacitated? Before you say anything out
loud, please make sure your answer is “no.”
Please see KEVIN, page 5
O P-E D
An old dream
actualized
Approximately 45 years ago, Martin Luther King,
Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, with the
highest hopes that some day his dream could be actu-
alized. On Nov. 4, the dream came to fruition with the
election of the first African-American president,
Barack Obama. Over 200 years of inequality and dis-
crimination against African Americans in the forms of
lynchings, white-only signs and institutionalized racism
all seemed to melt away with the flash of life-altering
words across television sets worldwide: Barack Obama
Elected President. King’s dream has been 45 long years
in the making. Finally, it has come true.
Within only two minutes of hearing the news, my
phone began to ring off the hook. My most heartwarm-
ing phone call came from one ocean and one continent
away in Sierra Leone. My dear friend Dabo came in,
through heavy static, saying, “Re, Re, hello . . . Re?
This is Dabo. I am listening live. Obama! Congratula-
tions.”
“Congratulations to all of us,” I said before we lost
contact.
With the receipt of his call,it dawned on me just how
meaningful this historic moment was for the entire
African Diaspora. For the first time in a very long time,
we are united, proud, strong. In the face of the Social
Darwinist notion that Blacks are lesser, impoverished,
beneath and “othered,” we stand.This moment is truly
Write to us.
historic for all of us.
History has been made, not just for the African-
We want to hear from you.
American community, but also for every existing un-
derdog and for the nation as a whole. What has oc-
curred this night was enough to beckon the tears of
SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TO
grown men, to summon the attention and support of EIC@DAILY.STANFORD.EDU
the international community and to renew the long-de- AND SEND OP-EDS TO
parted faith and hope of myself, a young African-
American woman budding into adulthood. EDITORIAL@DAILY.STANFORD.EDU
The history has been made. The change has come.
The dream has been actualized.
Onward.
RE PHILLIPS ‘10
The Stanford Daily
DAILY POLL
VINCENT CHEN/The Stanford Daily
A voter waits in line on Tuesday at the Graduate
Community Center (GCC). No major problems were
reported at Stanford’s sole polling place on campus.
NEVADA
Continued from page 3
to vote or that they would vote for
McCain because they were annoyed
with the campaigners. However,
those people are so few and so far
between that is it worth it to get the
information out.”
He added that students also had
to deal with abusive language and
insults from the public.
“Several people cursed at us,”
Albada said. “After the rally [with
Michelle Obama on Monday], we
were out dancing in the street and
throwing fliers around when some
people drove past us screaming, ‘I’m
never voting for a black guy!’ and
shouted [profanities at] us.”
Students also faced the issue of
gated compounds and had to resort
to guerilla tactics to spread their
message.
“Some of the addresses we
receive from the campaign are in
gated communities,” Kaspick said.
“They give us the addresses anyway
and we have to figure out a way how
to get in there. We sometimes have
to climb over walls or fences.”
Many commented on the tight-
knit cohesion that quickly devel-
oped between students.
“Just walking around and meet-
ing a lot of new people has been
really exciting,” said Nicholas
Rosellini ‘12. “Before this trip, I did-
n’t know that many other Stanford
Democrats, and now I know many.”
Students also reported meeting
their peers from UC-Berkeley while
out campaigning and pointed out
that they put their usual rivalry
aside for the sake of the campaign.
“This is one of the few times
we’re friendly with them,” Kaspick
said. “We jest at each other now and
then, but we’re pretty friendly. We
are all here for the same reason.”
Strong support
Ashwin Mudaliar ‘09, president
of the Stanford Democrats,
remarked on how there was an
KEVIN
Continued from page 4
And if I have to tell you, perma-
nent brain damage is about as sexual-
ly appealing as Rainn Wilson in a leo-
tard. (Rainn Wilson is a beautiful
human being whose body should be
celebrated). Now, Stanford, just make
everyone go through this simple
mental exercise and biking helmet-
less will seem totally not hot.
Problem solved!
Idea No. 2: Make wearing helmets
literally the sexiest thing a person can
possibly do at Stanford. Here’s how:
First, find all of the attractive girls
on campus (this will be easy because
they’re the ones who avoid eye con-
tact with me).
Next, pay/convince them all to
wear helmets (bonus points for biki-
nis, if we really want to beat a dead
horse with the sex thing, which we
definitely should. For safety).
Finally, pay/convince them to only
date guys who wear helmets (it isn’t
morally corrupt if we’re saving
lives!).
Problem solved — and awesome-
ly, I might add.
I suppose that this attractive girl
policy could cause more accidents for
easily distracted bikers, but hey, that’s
just another reason to wear a helmet.
Get on it, Stanford.
Contact Kevin Webb at ktwebb “at”
stanford.edu.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 N 5
“Thanks to
young voters,
this election has
been a success.”
— JOE BIDEN,
Vice President elect
incredible number of students will-
ing to volunteer in the days leading
up to the election.
“I receive emails every day from
people asking how to get involved,”
Mudaliar said. “Sending so many
students to Nevada has been the
capstone of all our efforts this year.
People read about the election and
make phone calls, but really there is
nothing more satisfying that actual-
ly getting in the field.”
Sarahi Constantine ‘11, president
of the Students for Barack Obama
Stanford Chapter, noted that not all
students who wanted to go to cam-
paign were able to make the trip.
“I have heard of a lot of people
who weren’t able to go,” she said.
“Some students needed to leave
earlier because of midterms. Other
students have to miss their
midterms altogether. In classes that
drop the lowest midterm grade, I
know many students who have
opted to take the zero.”
In fact, many students were con-
cerned that spending time canvass-
ing would have academic conse-
quences.
“I felt like this was a once in a
lifetime chance and something that
was very important to me,” Kaspick
said. “School became a second pri-
ority. My GPA will probably drop
after this quarter, but hopefully I
can make up for it in the quarters to
come.”
STUDENT GOV’T
Senate talks advocacy
on day of election
By MARISA LANDICHO
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Undergraduate Senate was
once again confronted with its advo-
cacy policy in an abbreviated meeting
last night. The Graduate Student
Council (GSC) questioned the
Senate’s expansion into political
issues, specifically the recent resolu-
tion to go against California
Proposition 8, which was passed by
voters yesterday.
“A third of the graduate popula-
tion are international and there might
be repercussions for students whose
home countries are not so free,” said
Deputy Chair Shelley Gao ‘11,
reporting from the GSC. “In fact, [the
students] might be prosecuted.”
Currently, the GSC is looking into
international law, California law and
the ASSU Constitution to assess
these possibilities. The council did not
want its support to be included with
future ASSU resolutions passed on
political topics.
The other main issue discussed last
night was the lack of parties held on
campus due to increased restrictions
by the University. Senator Zachary
Voter fraud monitoring
While Stanford students primari-
ly went door-to-door campaigning
in Las Vegas, Constantine said that
some Stanford Law students were
helping monitor the election sta-
tions for fraud in Reno.
“They have [a] legal background
and so participate in voter protec-
tion in the campaign,” she said. “If
there are any issues with voting and
someone feels that the process is not
running smoothly, then they can
take action immediately.”
Perry Rosenstein, ‘07, new media
director for the Obama campaign in
Nevada explained that people could
also utilize the Internet to report
voter fraud.
“I would check periodically if
there were any complaints reported
on the Web site and then forwarded
them on to the voter protection
team,” he said. “There weren’t a lot
of problems at all.”
Reactions
Once the election results started
streaming in on national television
stations, many students began to
celebrate right away. Andrea
Romero ‘09 was reduced to tears
upon hearing that Obama was pro-
jected to win in Virginia.
“I am elated,” she said. “This is
the proudest day of my human life.
I feel so proud of our nation. I am
floored by democracy.”
Bethany Woolman ‘09 added
that the American Dream was still
alive.
“It really goes to show that any-
one can accomplish anything in this
country,” she said. “This is the best
thing that has happened to our coun-
try. Racially, this is the biggest
advance that has happened in histo-
ry.”
But Vice President-elect Biden
wasn’t celebrating yet. Instead, he
insisted that young people continue
their activism.
“I don’t want young voters to be
complacent, however,” Biden said
to The Daily. “They need to keep
on fighting for positive change.”
Contact Kamil Dada at kamild@stan-
ford.edu.
Johnson ‘10 argued that because it
has been harder for houses on the
Row to host parties, students have
been partying instead at their own
dorms and private residences.
“When there is nothing going on,
I’ve talked to a number of RAs, and
their kids have been drinking a lot
more and pre-gaming,” Johnson said.
“At least for my freshmen, there
have been a lot more parties in the
dorms.”
Johnson said he was circulating a
petition on the Row to make it easi-
er for houses to throw parties. If
more parties were scheduled, stu-
dents, especially freshman, would
have another outlet on weekends
and would not consume as much
alcohol, Johnson argued.
After 20 minutes, the meeting was
concluded and the senators hurried to
watch the incoming election results.
“In case you weren’t aware, polls
close in 36 minutes,” announced
Senator Yvorn “Doc” Aswad-
Thomas ‘11, as the senators streamed
out the door.
Contact Marisa Landicho at landi-
cho@stanford.edu.
6 N Wednesday, November 5, 2008 The Stanford Daily

SPORTS
FROSH FOOT FORWARD Denis
Griffin
Rants and Raves

BY NATE ADAMS
Show
L
ike many other freshman, rookie midfielder Teresa
Noyola has spent her first fall quarter at the Farm ex-
ploring classes, making friends, and adjusting to din-
ing hall food. In her spare time, though, the Palo Alto
native has been busy ripping apart Division I defens-
Harbaugh
es and supporting one of the most prolific offenses in the NCAA.
Noyola’s soccer career had humble beginnings, but it didn’t
take her long to be recognized for her talent. She first began play-
ing at age seven, for an American Youth Soccer Organization
team named “The Purple Penguins.”
the money
As a Penguin, ironically enough, Noyola’s skills took flight. t was tempting to make this a
She stuck with soccer, and some time later, joined the Mountain
View-Los Altos (MVLA) Mercury, where she played champi-
onship-caliber soccer for several years alongside current Stan-
ford classmate Lindsay Taylor, and played an incredible six sea-
I sports-in-politics column, or
maybe a politics-in-sports piece.
After all, with all the bright reds and
blues, shifting electoral college
sons with US national teams and development programs. At scores and constant media coverage
barely 17, she was the youngest person to ever play for America’s and color commentary, it seems that
Under-20 team. American politics in the media shifts
She credits her time with these teams for much of her growth ever closer to being a Red Sox-Yan-
and success as a player. kees, Michigan-Ohio State or USC-
“Playing for the national team gave me invaluable experience Notre Dame style grudge match.
and prepared me well for college soccer,” Noyola said. “I loved Which nation are you a part of?
traveling around the world to places like Japan, Brazil, France, Show your colors and cheer along.
and Argentina. And playing with Lindsay Taylor, as many others It’s even more tempting when a
would agree, is a treat. Her nose for the goal is amazing, and our pair of Bay Area sports icons (ok,
years of playing together are definitely showing on the field.” one icon and one villain) makes
As a senior at Palo Alto High School, Noyola had many op- their voices heard on one of the most
tions for her future. She was the three-time MVP and captain of controversial state propositions in
her soccer team, had amassed a record amount of athletic and ac- recent years. And let’s just say that
ademic scholarships and would eventually be named the Jeff Kent’s reported $1500 donated
Gatorade National Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year. In short, she to the Yes On 8 campaign and Steve
could have gone almost anywhere. So how did she wind up on the Young’s quiet support for the count-
Farm? er campaign (he did not openly op-
“Growing up in Palo Alto, I always loved Stanford. But the pose the proposition, but his wife did
close location to home was pretty irrelevant in my decision,” she and loudly) only further reinforce
said. “No other school that I looked at matched Stanford’s aca- my already existing opinions of both
demic and athletic balance.” of them as a Giants and 49ers fan.
To say that the decision is working out well for Noyola would But frankly, I have to say I’m not
be putting it mildly.The Cardinal freshman was named the Pacif- really a fan of the collision between
ic-10 Conference’s player of the week in the first full weekend of the sporting and political worlds. So
the season, when she scored three goals against Navy and No. 15 I wasn’t too eager to go that direc-
Boston College. She has started every game for the Cardinal, tion myself, and was about as happy
scored three game-winners, and has the only penalty-kick goal of as a Stanford fan could be today to
Stanford’s season. read rumors that football coach Jim
Noyola says she loves soccer for its “balance of structure and Harbaugh could be a prominent
creativity.” Previously named to the Nike Premier 50 Most Cre- candidate for the soon to be vacant
ative Player list, she certainly hasn’t had trouble expressing her Oakland Raiders head coaching job
creativity this season: Noyola leads the midfielders in assists (9) after the season. Which is to say I
and shots (39), and has been a direct part of 15 Stanford goals, six was miserable, but not quite to the
of which were her own. point of making myself sick.
Her teammates are certainly glad to have her on their side. Tim Kawakami, a prominent Bay
“T has a huge offensive impact in the midfield,” junior mid- Area sports columnist for the San
fielder Kristin Stannard said. She makes unselfish runs all over Jose Mercury News, wrote in his
the place, just to open other players up. Our opponents have lots blog yesterday that Harbaugh is
of difficulty marking her, and we often hear them yelling at each very likely to be offered the Raiders’
other, trying to figure out marking. She’s scored lots of goals and job after interim coach Tom Cable is
also made some crucial assists so far this year.” presumably fired at the end of the
With the regular season now winding to a close, Noyola con- season. Citing a source within the
tinues to contribute and remains focused on capitalizing on a Raiders organization, who, Kawaka-
great year for the Cardinal, whose first loss came just last week- mi wrote, “has been very reliable in
end at UCLA. the past,” was adamant that Raiders
“Amazing is the only way I can describe our season. Our suc- owner Al Davis loved Harbaugh,
cess has come from everyone executing their individual role on and that the only question would be
the field, but also from an intangible common desire to win above whether the Cardinal coach would
all else,” she said. “We had a bad game against UCLA, but feel similarly towards accepting a
showed resilience in notching a big win against USC.We came off position with the Raiders.
the weekend as a better team, and I am confident in our position Of course, on the surface, this is
heading into postseason. Our goal remains the same as in the be- all speculation. This is just one
ginning of the season...national championship.” writer, citing recent information
Noyola and the Cardinal will end their regular season at Cal from an unnamed source. But it rais-
this Saturday, where a win will keep their hopes of a Pac-10 cham- es an issue with the Stanford pro-
JEFF KEACHER/The Stanford Daily
pionship over UCLA alive. gram that has been lurking in the
Freshman Teresa Noyola has been a star since her first day on the Farm and is a key member of a dynamic rookie class that is
background for years — long before
Contact Nate Adams at nbadams@stanford.edu. helping keep the Cardinal in Pac-10 championship contention. Noyola leads Stanford midfielders in both assists and shots. Harbaugh’s reign as coach, even
began.
The essential problem with build-
MEN’S WATER POLO ing a successful Cardinal program
has always been that if the Universi-
ty finds a good football coach, he in-

Stanford takes on two top-10 opponents

Cardinal faces MPSF
foes on the road
By KENAN JIANG
STAFF WRITER
The No. 2 Stanford men’s water
polo will hit the road to play two,
tough ranked opponents this week-
end: No. 5 Pepperdine on Saturday,
and No. 8 UC-Santa Barbara on
Sunday. These two contests will
count for Mountain Pacific Sports
Federation tournament points, and
are key to the Cardinal’s quest to
make the MPSF top four at the end
of the season.
“We will prepare by watching
film and walking through tendencies
that they have shown,” freshman
Peter Sefton said. “We go into every
game with the mindset that the
game is very important and we have
to play at a high level.”
The top two teams in MPSF will
receive an automatic berth in the
NCAA men’s water polo champi-
onships while the other two teams
are selected based on wild card.
Every year, the two top teams in the
MPSF essentially play for the cham-
pionship as the conference has had
the four best teams in the nation
each year in UCLA, USC, Cal and
Stanford. This season, No. 4 UCLA
has lost to Stanford twice including a
12-2 rout in mid-October. The Car-
dinal has also beaten No. 3 Cal this
year in a thrilling, triple overtime
victory at the NorCal Tournament in
September.
The Cardinal is 20-2 overall and
4-0 in MPSF play. Sunday’s 19-7 vic-
tory over Santa Clara marked Stan-
ford’s sixth straight win, and gave
the Cardinal its first 20 win season
since 2005, where it went 20-7.
Offensively, Stanford is led by
junior Janson Wigo who has put up
an incredible 43 goals and averages
1.95 goals per game. Janson is close-
ly followed by his brother Drac, who
has put up an impressive 39 goals on
the season — they are the number
five and number eight leading goal
scorers in the MPSF, respectively.
MPSF rankings also essentially
amount to rankings for the best
water polo teams around the nation.
Stanford’s offensive depth is il-
lustrated by the presence of multiple
scorers in each game. In any regular
contest, Stanford usually has be-
tween five and seven different play-
ers each contributing offensively.
Thanks, in part, to its offensive
depth, Stanford is currently second
in the nation in goals scored per
game with 12.14, while USC is No. 1
with 12. 40.
On the defensive side, junior cap-
tain Jimmie Sandman is ninth in the
nation for goal attempts saved per
game with 7.28. Stanford’s defense is
number two nationally for total
goals allowed per game at 4.82 goals
per game — again, only the Trojans
top the Cardinal with 4.45 goals al-
lowed per game.
UC-Santa Barbara has the top
The Cardinal has a difficult weekend ahead of it, with two games on consecutive days against highly ranked
Pepperdine and UC-Santa Barbara. The games are integral to Stanford’s hopes of high placement in the MPSF.
goal scorer in the nation in Milos
Golic, who averages 3.15 goals per
game and leads the MPSF with 63
goals scored. The Gauchos have a
pair of goalkeepers splitting time in
Fraser Bunn and Michael Robinson,
who have made 100 and 96 saves re-
spectively on the season. UCSB is
number five in the nation in goals
per game with 10.50 while its de-
fense is somewhat more suspect
with 9.40 goals allowed per game.
“We need to play great team de-
fense, as always,” Sefton said. “Also,
we will have to come into the game
with a great mental attitude and
PAUL ZAICH/The Stanford Daily
ready to battle.”
Stanford’s trip against Pepper-
dine will be much tougher as the
Waves will feature stars JP Mac-
Donnell and Grant Miller who both
average 1.95 goals per game, with 39
Please see WATER POLO, page 7
evitably moves on to greener pas-
tures. It happened with Bill Walsh, it
happened with Denny Green, it hap-
pened with Tyrone Willingham and
there’s no reason to think it won’t
eventually happen to Harbaugh,
too. Unless, that is, Stanford wises up
fast.
You see, we’ve all heard the argu-
ments and in a way, they’re right.
There’s no way a football coach is
more important to the overall health
of an academic institution than a
university president, so why should
he be paid more? This essentially
limits the amount of money the Uni-
versity has been willing to pay its
coaches over the years, meaning that
eventually they all decide to just
take the money and go somewhere
else.
The problem with that line of
thinking though, is that it complete-
ly ignores the reason college coach-
es in the big money sports (football
and men’s basketball) need to be
paid more — because they are
everywhere else.And you know why
that is? Because they bring in
money.
It’s simple economics really.
Good coaches build good football
programs. Good football programs
can rake in cash by the boatloads.
Therefore, other universities, seeing
the opportunity to rake in said cash,
offer good football coaches a por-
tion of the tremendous riches they
expect them to bring in. Stanford,
meanwhile, sits back and wonders
why it can’t fill a glorious new stadi-
um that took millions of dollars to
build.
The solution isn’t hard to grasp.
Please see GRIFFIN, page 7
The Stanford Daily Wednesday, November 5, 2008 N 7

GRIFFIN
Continued from page 6
SENIOR STANDOUTS
Stanford needs to take a long look in
the mirror and realize that the
BY JACOB JOHNSON
money it would need to spend to
keep a solid young coach like Har-

baugh in house is a pittance com-
pared to the benefit it stands to gain
by his presence and continued work.
Whether Harbaugh decides to con-
sign himself to a coaching fate worse
than death in Oakland or not, even-
tually a richer offer will come along.
And when that happens, Stan-
ford needs to ante up, for the first
time in far too long.
Denis Grifin can only contribute $19,
or he won’t have any heat for the win-
ter. Kick in some more coin at dj-
griff@stanford.edu.
T
“We think Evan and TJ fit the definition of former walk-on as a
The Stanford men’s soccer team ‘medical hardship,’” he said. “Having those two “workaholic” and a
hates to lose. And head coach Bret back would be a big help.” “self-made player.” The
Simon just might hate it more than With or without the leadership of Morgan head coach gave Mont-
anyone. In 29 years of collegiate and Novak, the team must replace the rest of its gomery perhaps the
coaching, Simon has only produced graduating seniors. That will be no small task, biggest compliment of
a handful of losing seasons; unfortunately, three given that Stanford will graduate eight seniors all: “Nobody works
of them have come over the last six years. this year — not including the two redshirt appli- harder than him.”
“I haven’t had too many of them,” Simon cants. Simon hopes that the incoming freshman But Simon stressed
said.“We enter every game and season with high class will help to compensate for the loss of a big that it wasn’t just the on-
expectations.” and talented senior class. field contributions from
This year, the Cardinal squad has fallen short “We have a number of guys with national ex- his seniors that would
of those expectations. After dropping both con- perience coming in [next year],” he said. Al- be missed.Redshirt sen-
tests on last weekend’s Southern California road though the team cannot announce its class of ior Enrique Allen is a
trip, the team is 3-10-2 overall. 2013 until signing day in February, Simon ap- “wonderful person and
“We’re all disappointed,” Simon said. But he pears confident that next year’s freshmen will be a team leader,” Simon
emphasized that all is not lost — despite its able to contribute right away — especially on of- said. “[Allen] got a
mediocre record, the team has made significant fense. chance to play this year,

WATER POLO
Continued from page 6
goals and 37 goals scored on the sea-
son respectively. Pepperdine’s scor-
ers are ranked sixth in the nation
and will also be aided by Adam
Hewko, the 11th top scorer in the
nation with 33 goals. The Waves’
Matt McDonnell is 17th on the same
leaderboard with 26 goals, and Clay-
ton Snyder is 23rd nationally with 23
goals. Pepperdine’s dynamic offense
is ranked fourth in the nation over-
all in goals scored per game with
10.90, and their defense also only al-
lows 7.10 goals per game, which
points to a tough challenge for the
Card.
The Cardinal is slated to open
play at 12 p.m. in Malibu and Santa
Barbara, Calif. on Saturday and
Sunday, respectively.
Contact Kenan Jiang at kenanj@stan-
ford.edu.
progress.
“We also know that we’re playing well,”
Simon continued. “We’re just a piece or two
away.”
Stanford will look to its younger players to fill
in those missing pieces.Coach Simon specifically
called on the class of 2011 to contribute next
year.
“This year’s sophomore class is a big,talented
class,” Simon said, adding that they need to grow
from being “important pieces” to the “heart and
soul of the team.”Although the class of 2010 will
provide strong leadership next season, Simon
wants his underclassmen to start to “develop as
leaders of the team.”
The Cardinal hopes that it will also retain the
services of two of this year’s seniors for the 2009
season. TJ Novak suffered a hamstring injury in
the 66th minute against Drake on Sept. 21, and
has been unable to play since. Redshirt senior
Evan Morgan will have surgery in about a week
to correct a torn knee ligament suffered early in
the season. Both have applied to the NCAA for
an extra year of eligibility because of medical
hardship.
Although being granted a medical redshirt is
by no means a guarantee, Simon thinks that his
players will be able to come back for one more
year of soccer on the Farm.
“That’s been the focus since I’ve been here, and he hasn’t let go.
getting top attacking players,” he said. He’s one of those guys
Even with a superstar recruiting class, Simon you really root for.”
will miss his seniors. Goalie Josh Nesbit is
“We ended up with 10 after starting with six another player who has
or seven [in the class of ‘09]”, said Simon, refer- made huge contribu-
ring to the additions to the class via a walk-on, a tions as a team leader,
transfer and injuries that resulted in medical red- despite limited minutes.
shirts for other players. “I’m really fond of this Nesbit has been a back-
group — they make my job fun.” up for his entire colle-
Ryan Imamura transferred to Stanford from giate career. Still, Simon
Cornell after his freshman year.The redshirt sen- heaped on the praise:
ior suffered his share of injuries during his years “Josh is just awe-
on the Farm, but “last year he really blossomed,” some,” he said. “He is
Simon said. “I think he’s the best center-mid in one of the favorite peo-
the conference. He’s the core of our defense. I’m ple I’ve coached in 29
really proud of him.” years. Everyday he
JEFF KEACHER/The Stanford Daily
Another standout senior is defender Tim comes out with a good
Jones.A four-year starter, Simon describes Jones attitude and leads the Stanford has suffered through a difficult 2008 season, but through the
as “talented,” an “exciting player” and “fun to team.” leadership of its senior class, feels prepared to face new challenges in
coach.”Jones’ has utilized his blazing speed as an One of the Cardinal’s 2009 as the Cardinal looks to improve in all aspects of the game.
attacking defender. main goals next year will
“[Defenders] who can help the attack” are be to improve its offensive production. Simon “I’m sure [the team] won’t look exactly the
valuable and rare, Simon said — especially for a expects to make some changes to Stanford’s sys- same [next year],” he added. “But I don’t antici-
Stanford squad that has struggled to score goals. tem, but they will be relatively minor adjust- pate any dramatic changes.”
Jones’ quickness and playmaking ability at out- ments.The personnel on the team will determine Except, the Cardinal hopes, a lot more goals
side back will definitely be missed. the style of play, Simon said. and wins.
Another starter Simon praised was redshirt “The system that fits the players is ultimately
senior Tom Montgomery. Simon describes the the best system.” Contact Jacob Johnson at twoj@stanford.edu.

HOW TO PLACE AN AD BY PHONE

Call 650-723-2555 Ext. 517

CLASSIFIEDS
Call (650) 723-2555 ext. 517 for
display and contract rates
*Please allow for 3 business days from the
when you purchased your ad to when it
appears in the paper
BY FAX
Call 650-725-1329
Please include Credit Card # and Exp. Date
E-MAIL
classies@daily.stanford.edu
ON THE WEB
Click on “Buy Classified Ads” at
http://www.stanforddaily.com

$675,000 Carol (650-543-1184)

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Teacher Needed In Korea.GOOD PAY
CHILDCARE
Experienced babysitter wanted!
Nr campus. Call Rox: 6099155663
DONORS WANTED
$$ SPERM DONORS NEEDED $$
Earn up to $100/donation. Healthy
MEN, wanted for California
Cryobank’s sperm donor
program. APPLY ONLINE:
www.spermbank.com
EXCEPTIONAL EGG DONORS NEEDED
$8000-$15000 for qualified
committed applicants. All
ethnicities needed. Special need
for Jewish, Asian, East Indian
donors. Close personal support
by exper, 6 time donor. Dawn@
858-391-8393 Complete info
@www.FertilityAlternatives.com/
eggdonors
FOR SALE
Peninsula Real - Los Altos.
New luxury single-level condos &
townhomes w/ large private
backyards. 1 - 3 bedrooms,
spanning from approx 787 – 1,800
sq. ft. Priced from $498,880.
Premier Peninsula location.
Walk to shopping & restaurants.
4388 El Camino Real & Los Altos
Ave. Open daily 11-6 (closed Thu)
650.947.3338. PeninsulaReal.com
Downtown Palo Alto 2 bd/2 ba
condo. Near Stanford & CalTrain.
www.101alma501.com
26ft ‘89 Ford Tioga RV. Sleeps 5
$9500 Joanne: 650-726-1844
HELP WANTED
IT Consultant or Administrator
Tech Savvy & Great Communication
Skills a Must
For a Silicon Valley Startup
From $35 per hour
E-mail Staff Aces: jobs@staffaces.com
SOFTWARE PROGRAMMERS WANT-
ED! HTML, PHP, Java, Flash or Perl for
dynamic fast growing Silicon Valley
startup. From $45 per hour contractual
or for permanent placement. Email your
resume to jobs@staffaces.com
Dance instructors wanted at
School of Medicine. Will train.
Call Dr. Azevedo: 650-736-8626
Weekend desk clerk wanted for Hotel
California. Will train. Call Pete: 322-7666
Do you play an instrument, sing,
or dance? Share your talent at
an int’l potluck dinner @ Bechtel on
Sun, 11/9 bet 7-8:30 pm: 6507401743 /
anniemo@att.net
HOUSING
Bd w/ pvt bath, Los Altos area.
$850/mo + utilities. Non-smoker,
quiet / clean. Call 650-964-2447
SERVICES
Dr. Kim's Dental Office in Palo
Alto: Examinations + Cleaning
Only $49 For appt: 650-326-0118
http://www.drkim.vpweb.com
SUBJECTS WANTED
Make up to $20/hour! The GSB
Behavioral Lab is looking for
participants for online and
in-person studies. Register:
http://sgsb.sona-systems.com
Participants Needed: 18-25 y/o
women. Concerned about body
image? Going thru breakup?
Trouble w roommates? Can’t
focus? Stanford resrchers study-
ing benefits of coping skills
program. Call 723-8193 or
vickiec@stanford.edu. Questions
about research? Call toll free:
1-866-680-2906.
TUTORING
All academics, flexible p/t
$25-35/hr, by Stanford-call Jean
Day 941-4350 eve/wkend 493-5512.
Tutor of English as a Second
Language offers 1-to-1 lessons.
815-9715; hopkinsonj@care2.com
Woodside High afterschool tutors
needed, T-Th 4-6 hrs @ approx.
$100/wkContactwhs.tutoring@live.com
WANTED TUTOR, Geometry $30/hr
for son, 13. Call 650-856-7473
Classies Work!

Sudoku Generated with the OpenSky Sudoku Generator

TODAY’S RATING: Easy

INSTRUCTIONS
Sudoku is a crossword puzzle with num-
bers. The grid is 9 x 9, and the puzzler must
fill in all the empty squares so that the num-
bers 1-9 appear only once in every row,
column and 3 x 3 box.

Tuesday’s Solution
8 N Wednesday, November 5, 2008 The Stanford Daily

Continued from front page

POLL|Economy is No.1 issue for voters

veyed said the country has been on the
wrong track. Ninety-six percent dis-
approved of President George W.
Bush’s performance.
After several days of rain and
inclement weather, the skies parted
for Election Day. The morning saw
the longest lines, with voters who
came at 8 a.m. waiting up to an hour
and a half. A few graduate students
grilled hotdogs and burgers for voters
leaving the polling place in the after-
noon.
Caught off guard by record
turnout in the February primary, the
Santa Clara County Registrar of
Voters prepared for long lines this
time around, sending more poll work-
ers and bringing extra equipment.
One issue arose, however, when
several students with addresses on
the Upper Row and in the Cowell
Cluster discovered that, in order to
vote, they needed to go to Escondido
Elementary School on Stanford Ave.
About 280 votes were cast at the
school during the day, mostly from
community members.
Aside from the polling place con-
fusion and the GCC running short on
provisional ballot envelopes, election
workers and most voters said they
were satisfied.
A majority of polled voters identi-
fied the economy as the most impor-
tant factor in their decision. National
security, including the wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, was most important
to 17 percent of those polled. While
13 percent of the Stanford sample
said the war in Iraq has been worth
the costs, 44 percent believed it was
“absolutely not.”
Virtually all the supporters of Sen.
John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the war
in Iraq was worth the cost. One-tenth
of those surveyed felt moral or social
issues were most important.
Four in 10 polled were voting for
the first time.
“It feels so exciting, so incredible
that this is the first election we can
vote in,” said Jenny Depierre ‘10, an
Obama supporter.
A number of provisional ballots
were cast by first-time voters who did
not receive their absentee ballots or
provide their documentation in time
for the election. Absentee voters reg-
istered to vote in other California
counties encountered difficulties
when submitting ballots.
“The assumption is that they can
drop off ballots from outside of the
county,” said Dan Gentile, an assis-
tant trainer with the county who
worked at the GCC on Tuesday.
“That’s false.”
A third of those surveyed by The
Daily said that they changed the state
they were registered in so they could
cast a ballot in the Golden State — a
choice typically motivated by a desire
to vote on the referendums.
Both of the most controversial bal-
lot initiatives were opposed by more
than three-fourths of those surveyed,
although twice as many supported the
parental notification measure (25
percent) as the marriage ban. Eight of
the 19 people who voted for
Proposition 8 also supported Obama.
Throughout the day, volunteers
waved signs urging a yes vote on
Prop. 2, a measure intended to restrict
animal cruelty, while others handed
out flyers advocating gay rights.
“People think we’re in California,
by the Bay, and so they’ll think, ‘Of
course, it won’t pass,’” said Tamika
Butler, a gay third-year law student
who rallied to oppose Prop. 8. “But
it’s still really important to vote.”
Jamila Rufaro, the election official
responsible for overseeing the opera-
tion at the GCC, said the day went
“really smoothly.” The polling places
were quieter than she had expected
during the normally busy lunch hour,
as well as the period after the end of
the workday, around 5 p.m.
“Most of the machines worked
fine,” said Rufaro, who also serves as
residence dean for Florence Moore,
Lagunita and Roble. “There was
enough room for everyone. People
seemed generally comfortable.”
Many counties report election
results precinct by precinct, but Santa
Clara County combines votes from
multiple polling places before passing
tallies to the central office. Exit polls
offer a more meaningful sense of how
voters on the Farm felt about the can-
didates and issues. Countywide, with
two-thirds of votes reported, Obama
was ahead of McCain by a margin of
40 percent — 69 to 29. Statewide,
Obama led McCain by 24 points, 61 to The Daily randomly sampled 147 vot-
37. ers at the Graduate Community Center Which of these issues was the most impor-
The Daily set out to poll every sev-
enth voter throughout the day.
(GCC) on Election Day. What follows tant factor in your vote for president?
are the results of their anonymous
Among those not included in this responses, with vote totals noted as not THE ECONOMY 51.0%
sample are students who submitted
absentee ballots, either to the
all questions were answered by
California county where they main- respondents. NATIONAL SECURITY/WAR IN IRAQ
tain residency or in their home state.
Most voters walked to the GCC, AND AFGHANISTAN 16.7%
but many came on bicycle. Who did you vote for in the presidential
HEALTH CARE 5.2%
Throughout the day, a handful of
voters parked illegally in the bike election?
lane on Escondido Dr., leaving their THE ENVIRONMENT 9.4%
flashers on as they waited. Amid the JOHN MCCAIN 9.52%
noise from a nearby construction site, MORAL/SOCIAL ISSUES 9.4%
those in line stayed relatively quiet. BARACK OBAMA 89.12%
On Super Tuesday, when the OTHER 8.3%
Democratic nomination was up for OTHER 1.36% 96 TOTAL VOTES
grabs, The Daily’s exit poll found that 147 TOTAL VOTES
75 percent of students supported
Obama. On Tuesday, all 21 percent of Are you a first-time voter?
those who said they had supported How did you vote on Proposition 8, the meas-
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in the
primary voted for Obama. ure to amend the California Constitution to YES 41.0%
McCain’s support came almost eliminate the right of same-sex couples to NO 59.0%
exclusively from white students.
Three admitted that Obama’s race marry? 144 TOTAL VOTES
made them less likely to support him.
None of the three voted for him. YES 13.0%
About one-third of respondents Did you change the state in which you are
said Obama being an African
American made them more likely to
NO 87.0% registered to vote in order to cast a ballot in
vote for him. Only 17 percent of those
146 TOTAL VOTES
California?
who gave that answer were them-
selves black. How did you vote on Proposition 4, the initia- YES 33.3%
As the sun set and the networks
called Pennsylvania for Obama, mak- tive that would require a waiting period and NO 66.7%
ing it clear he would win, students parental notification before the termination 144 TOTAL VOTES
continued to vote.
“I think that every American of a minor’s pregnancy?
should exercise their right to vote,”
said James McGillicuddy ‘09, “regard- YES 24.8% Were you satisfied with the way that the
less of the projected outcome.” Stanford polling place was operated?
Rufaro told several people they NO 75.2%
couldn’t wear Obama buttons as they 145 TOTAL VOTES YES 96.5%
waited.
“Sorry but that’s electioneering,” NO 3.5%
she said. Do you think things in this country are gen- 142 TOTAL VOTES
Daily staffers Theo Milonopoulos, erally going in the right direction or do you
Jess Wertheim, Andrew Valencia, An feel things have gotten pretty seriously off Would it be a good idea if Stanford had
Le Nguyen, Marisa Landicho,
Caroline Caselli, Alexa Merz, Kelley on the wrong track? another polling place for the next election?
Fong and Nikhil Joshi contributed to
this report. RIGHT DIRECTION 10.6% YES 73.1%
Contact James Hohmann at jho WRONG TRACK 89.4% NO 26.9%
hmann@stanford.edu. 132 TOTAL VOTES 134 TOTAL VOTES

PROPS
Continued from front page
Many students were anxious
throughout the day, unsure of what to
anticipate when early results began
rolling in during the evening hours.
“I have never been so afraid,” said
Greg, an anti-Prop. 8 organizer who
asked to keep his last name confiden-
tial for privacy reasons. “This is too
much.”
“I’ve been nervous all day,” added
A-lan Holt ‘11 on Tuesday evening.
“California is split for Prop. 8, so I’m
nervous but also hopeful.”
Several students cried while watch-
ing the returns, Gelender noted.
On the other side of the fence stood
many supporters of Prop. 8, including
Mike Bailey, a PhD candidate in eco-
nomics. Bailey only supports marriage
between a man and a woman, because
he believes marriage is an institution
meant to nurture natural children.
“Marriage is a societal institution
that teaches people what they need to
do to raise children in the world,” he
said. “I fear that the consequences
SURVEY POPULATION:
Do you approve of George Bush’s perform-
riage as a way to get personal happi- temporary defeat, a rally and March
ness — and they lose sight about the
kids. Marriage is fundamentally about
will be held today at 12:30 p.m. in
White Plaza.
ance as president? STANFORD AFFILIATION
the children it creates.” YES 4.2%
Stanford faculty members also Proposition 4 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT 62.7%
weighed in on the issue, many of whom
signed an online petition against Prop. Over the past few weeks, opposi- NO 95.8% GRADUATE STUDENT 32.8%
8 that began circulating on Oct. 28. tion to Prop. 8 has grown hand-in-hand 142 TOTAL VOTES
Larry Diamond, petition signatory with opposition to Prop. 4, which, if FACULTY 0.0%
and senior fellow at the Hoover passed, would prohibit abortion for a
Institution, called it “particularly dis- minor until 48 hours after a physician Were you a supporter of Hillary Clinton in STAFF 2.2%
turbing” that an initiative — Prop. 8 — notifies her parent. the primaries?
aimed to reverse a decision by the As of press time, 53 percent of vot- COMMUNITY MEMBER 2.2%
California Supreme Court. ers opposed the proposition, with 89 YES 25.4%
The Supreme Court approved percent of precincts reporting. 134 TOTAL VOTES
same-sex marriage in a ruling on May Amy Herbertson ‘11, publicity
NO 57.5%
15 of this year.
“Gays should have the right to
coordinator for the Women’s
Community Center, said “a lot of dia-
RACE/ETHNICITY
marry, to have their union fully recog- logue” was held at the center during DID NOT VOTE IN DEMOCRATIC
nized by the state,” Diamond told The the past few weeks. The center actively
AFRICAN AMERICAN 11.4%
Daily earlier this week. supported a no vote on Prop. 4. PRIMARIES 23.4%
Bailey noted that his differences “We hosted a debate in the center, 145 TOTAL VOTES
LATINO/HISPANIC 5.0%
with opponents of Prop. 8 are not per- and we tried to provide a space for
sonal, but stem simply from a different people to have these types of discus- ASIAN 15.0%
definition of marriage. sions,” Herbertson said. What effect did Barack Obama’s race have
WHITE 59.3%
“All of us on the ‘yes’ side have gay
friends and family whom we love,” he
Regardless of whether or not Prop.
4 passes, Herbertson pointed to Vice on your presidential vote choice? Did it make
said. “Even if it does pass, I’m not President-elect Joe Biden as a support- you more likely to support him, less likely, NATIVE AMERICAN 0.7%
going to be happy because I know how
much pain my gay friends will suffer. It
er of women’s rights, noting that he
“has a fabulous record.” or did it not make a difference. OTHER 8.6%
will be bittersweet.”
In opposition to what many “No on Contact Devin Banerjee at devin11@ MORE LIKELY 32.6% 140 TOTAL VOTES

down the line are people seeing mar- Prop. 8” supporters are viewing as stanford.edu.
LESS LIKELY 2.1% LIBERAL VS. CONSERVATIVE
NO DIFFERENCE 65.3% VERY LIBERAL 10.9%
144 TOTAL VOTES
LIBERAL 46.7%
All in all, considering the costs versus the MODERATE 33.6%
benefits to the United States, do you think
CONSERVATIVE 8.8%
the war with Iraq was worth fighting or
not? Do you feel that way strongly or VERY CONSERVATIVE 0.0%
somewhat? 137 TOTAL VOTES

ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT 1.4% PARTY REGISTRATION

WORTH IT 11.3% REPUBLICAN 9.2%
NOT WORTH IT 43.7% INDEPENDENT 28.4%
ABSOLUTELY NOT WORTH IT 43.7% DEMOCRAT 62.4%
142 TOTAL VOTES 141 TOTAL VOTES

Election Staff
CHRISTIAN TORRES AN LE NGUYEN RYAN MAC
DEVIN BANERJEE JOSH ALVAREZ CHRISTINE MCFADDEN
JAMES HOHMANN SAM COGGESHALL JENNY REMPEL
THEO MILONOPOULOS ELLIOTT JIN EMMA TROTTER
ANDY Y. LIN/The Stanford Daily NIKHIL JOSHI JULIA BROWNELL ANDREW VALENCIA
Students packed the CoHo, enjoying free nachos and beer as election returns came in. The crowd erupted each time
MIKE DING MARISA LANDICHO JESS WERTHEIM
a state was called for Obama, and students celebrated Obama’s victory by leaving to start a bonfire in the Quad.