OBAMA!

It was amazing and rewarding for my very first voting experience to have played a part in such a historic election. Watching the election results and seeing Obama win swing state after swing state, followed by a very eloquent victory speech and seeing the thousands of inspired faces in the crowd, was almost surreal. I won't forget the moment where I was surrounded by friends and faculty sitting around the TV screen, when the results came up that Obama had won and the room erupted into cheers, hugging, laughter, and an overall feeling of relief and joy. It's amazing how this fellow Punahou graduate, Hawaii-raised, half black and half white future president has broken so many norms and traditions - I am SO ready for change, and also so grateful that there's finally someone in the White House that fully understands Hawaii's problems and circumstances (since I'm from Hawaii myself). Although Obama has such a huge task ahead of him, and probably will not fulfill all of his promises, simply the fact that a guy like him fought so hard and made it to the White House (or should I say the Black and White House...) is admirable and inspiring in itself - this is a great moment for African Americans as well. I know that people kept saying "this election is not about race -" but those people are ignorant to turn a blind eye to all the hardships that African Americans have had to go through in order to reach equality. Finally, they have come full circle and can feel liberated and inspired. Thank you, America, for voting for such an inspiring person full of promise, and thank you Obama for stepping up to probably the most difficult job in the world right now. I'm not sure what is going to happen to our economy, or if the war in Iraq will end soon, whether I'll be able to find a job when I graduate or whether I will be able to support my kids someday- but I feel assured knowing that there is someone sitting in our country's most coveted position that I can relate to, feel inspired listening to, and perfectly embodies a true American : mixed, brought up in a number of different places, hopeful, and determined to make his country a better place.