(June 11, 2010)– It swept through the hallways, infecting students one by one. It crawled through classroom door crevices, sparking debates between students and teachers. Obama fever had come. Whether a Barack Obama fan or not, most students were caught up in the excitement of the upcoming election. “It felt like something new in politics,” said senior Argisht Karapetyan, who heard of Obama when Obama was campaigning in the primaries against Hilary Clinton. “I wasn’t really impressed until I saw one of his speeches at a rally,” Karapetyan said. “But his speaking skills really won me over.” Karapetyan soon became a big fan of Obama, and although not yet able to vote, he urged many of his friends to get their voices heard. Leading up to the election, several teachers also assigned work to keep the students informed about the election. “The elections were a big part of my junior year because we did a lot of projects and had discussions [about the elections] in Mr. Doom’s class,” said senior Narineh Khanbabaei. Karapetyan was so interested in the elections, however, that he kept track of the elections voluntarily. “I’d watch CNN day and night,” Karapetyan said. As the day of the election results grew nearer, the anticipation grew as well. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” Karapetyan said. “My family was in the living room switching channels back and forth to get the most updated polls.” When Obama was finally announced the winner, Karapetyan remembers jumping up and shouting. He particularly remembers the speech Obama gave after his victory and how it reflected a new beginning.”It’s a new day,” Karpaetyan said. “That was the feeling you got after the victory and speech.” Because there was so much anticipation before the election, students had varying expectations for Obama during his presidency. “I didn’t expect a lot because the country was in a big mess,” Karapetyan said. “But I hoped that he would work on same major issues and get important work done while in office.” Khanbabaei was more concerned about the war. “I expected him to end the war sooner,” Khanbabaei said. The presidential election of junior year impacted students one way or another. Some learned a great deal about the candidates, while others learned about themselves. “A lot of people would ask why I was so enthusiastic,” Karapetyan said. “But that’s the whole purpose of being American—having different views and thoughts on issues, and being able to have them heard.”