Inside Election Night

Academic Vice President:

Mike McGee

Mike McGee's phone rang on the way to Norris University Center. The academic vice presidential candidate answered and turned to his friends with a solemn look on his face. No one imagined he could have lost.

It took a second, but then McGee broke into a wide smile and jumped high in the air to celebrate his victory in the race for academic vice president. McGee received 61.7 percent of the votes against Usman Mian's 28.9 percent.

The new AVP ran his campaign with a "core group of four to five people," he said.

"We worked countless hours, countless nights to get it done, and now I'm ready to start," McGee said. "I will definitely sleep a long time tomorrow."

When Mian, McGee's opponent, answered his phone, the room inside the Black House, 1914 Sheridan Road, went silent.

"So wait, what exactly were the percentages?" he asked the person on the line, a member of ASG's election committee.

After hearing he received 28.9 percent, Mian's face dropped and he stretched back into his chair.

"I'm just really disappointed and confused," he said. "I thought we did a lot better."

One of Mian's campaign managers, Weinberg senior Monica Harris, said she had expected a closer race.

"I'm surprised that the student body would ignore a three-year member of the Academic Committee," Harris said. "It's going to be a big task for Mike to be in the Academic Committee since he's never been involved with it before."

McGee said he spent election day campaigning throughout campus and reminding students to vote. The entire process helped make him stronger, McGee said after winning.

"Take a leap. Take a risk," McGee said. "That's what I've learned about myself during the last couple of weeks."

Meanwhile, Weinberg junior Rodney Carew, Mian's other campaign manager, said he thought the campaign didn't do a good job getting Mian's message out to the Northwestern community.

"The people have spoken," Carew said. "And that's their final decision."

- Alexandra Finkel and Lauren Mogannam

Executive Vice President:

Vikram Karandikar

When Vikram Karandikar learned he had won the race for executive vice president, he did what a good friend would do and kept his emotions in check.

Although Karandikar was running unopposed, his friend Mike McGee had not yet heard from the ASG election commission about the outcome of the academic vice president race.

Only after McGee received the news of his victory did Karandikar let his guard down and cracked a smile.

"I'm ecstatic right now," the McCormick sophomore said. "I'm really looking forward to this new ASG exec board."

Karandikar collected 2,515 votes, or 80.9 percent.

Karandikar and McGee were walking with about 10 friends to an ASG meeting in Norris. After McGee heard of his win, the group erupted in celebration.

"The time between my call and Mike's call was probably the most excruciating thing I had to live through," Karandikar said. "I'm thrilled for the way it worked out."

Karandikar's campaign manager, Communication sophomore Alice Weinert, said Karandikar wanted to have a strong campaign even though he ran uncontested.

"If you don't have student groups behind you, it doesn't mean as much," he said. "He really wanted the support of everyone."

Karandikar said he took nothing for granted during his campaign.

"If students don't know your name, there's always a chance they won't vote for you," he said. "I've worked hard in the past, and good things have always come."

- KRISTIN ELLERTSON