Wednesday, April 30, the night of the Associated Students, Inc. elections. The polls closed at 8 p.m., and hundreds of students – election candidates, their supporters, and spectators – drink the night away in the University Union Hive, waiting in anticipation for election results, while cheering on the Kings game.

9:05 p.m.: Flowing beer, whirling noisemakers, pounding bongo drums and resounding conch shells drown out the game for listeners around the jam-packed restaurant, filled way over capacity. Sacramento State probably hadn’t seen such a buzz since last year’s elections.

The dominating Unity slate and its supporters with their matching blue shirts congregate around one side of the Hive, while clusters of supporters from opposing slate Vision are scattered about the room.

Props were given to those who paid their dues to the school.

“Eric Guerra, soon to be a lame duck!” someone said to our current ASI president.

ASI alums from times past, who’ve moved on to bigger and better things, stopped by to cheer on the new blood.

Kevin Greene, former Chief of Staff for the 2001-2002 year, now works for an environmental lobbying group downtown.

Artemio Pimentel, ASI president from 2001 to 2002 and current chair of the California State Students Association, now plans to run for a position on the Woodland city council.

Even Jason Bryant, ASI president from 2000 to 2001, who now works as a campaign consultant for Republican Assemblyman Guy Houston of the 15th district, showed up for another election show, as he always does.

“It wasn’t too long ago I was the one being thrown in the fountain,” Bryant said later that evening. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

ASI is a microcosm of politics in the real world: There are the wheelers and dealers, the movers and shakers, the idealists and the pragmatists. And in this power struggle, it’s the fittest who will survive.

Yet politics isn’t the cause of all this hoopla. There’s something that draws this band of students together, something stronger than political ambition. It’s what makes people come to ASI, stay at ASI, and the people who’ve left, come back for more.

Friend and candidate for Director of Health and Human Services, Van Nguyen, came up to a reporter, looking beat. “I was buzzed earlier, and now I’m tired,” Nguyen said. She notices the reporter scribbling on a notepad and asks, “Are you writing this down?!”

Other unnamed and intoxicated ASI members, seeing the notebook, avoid the reporter all night.

10:30 p.m.: The crowd shuffled out of the Hive during the fourth quarter of the Kings game, regrouping in the Redwood room for the official election results. Darn, had to be during the game.

“Unity! Unity! U-N-I-T-Y!” the named slate chants, clapping and stomping and shouting.

Vision waves their flags, dancing to pounding bongo drums. “Go Vision! Go Vision!” they chant in rebuttal.

Pimentel gives underdog presidential candidate Brandon Kline a noogie, then a hug.

There’s a sense of camaraderie among this bunch not seen much elsewhere on this commuter campus. There’s a bond among friends and an understanding between political enemies that this is the nature of the game. Despite the competition, they have fun.

Eric Guerra walks up to the mike on the platform, announcing, “Anyone consuming alcohol must take it back to the Hive.”

“Boo!” the crowd jeers.

10:42 p.m.: Announcement time.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, students of Sac State…” Guerra starts.

More boos from the impatient peanut gallery.

After Guerra offers some words of wisdom and commends the ASI presidential candidates, he announces the results of the referendums, then the new ASI Board of Directors.

Unity first cheered and chanted when one of their own, Jessica Owens, won the Director of Undeclared position.

Then Vision returned the same applause and rants when their candidate Francisco Gonzalez was elected for Post-Baccalaureate Director.

As Guerra read down the list of different elected candidates, the chants of Unity grew louder as the slate took the Board by storm, while Vision’s chants weakened until Luke Wood, their candidate, was announced as Vice President of Finance.

The politics. The rivalries. Triumph and tragedy.

The room pulsates with energy as the crowd becomes restless with anticipation for the results of the presidential candidates.

Gee, if they’d only have this zeal throughout the rest of the year when they’re in office.

11:05 p.m.: “Is…Peter Ucovich.”

Unity screams and cheers for joy. Peter gets swarmed from all sides, and is lifted up out of the crowd. Hamada, on the other side of the room, doesn’t look crushed, smiling as he’s given hugs by friends.

Once Ucovich’s feet hit the ground, he sprints toward the fountain in the Quad for the traditional winning dunk.

11:06 p.m.: Peter Ucovich and Unity slate jump in fountain. Hornet reporters and photographers waiting in the cold outside record the moment.

“What are you going to do now?” Ucovich is asked while still standing in the fountain.

“I’m gonna…go to sleep. I’ve had two months of no sleep…after we rest, then back to work,” he says.

Good call.

Let’s hope that all of the elected don’t forget their mission to the students while they’re in office, and only remember when election time rolls around.

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