Whether you voted for McCain, Obama, Nader, or no one, last night’s election results were undeniably, historically monumental. Not only have the Democrats reclaimed the White House after many (many, many) years, but for the first time ever our president is not a white Christian man – unbelievable! It’s about time.

At exactly 11:00 p.m., the obviously-blue California polls closed and Barack Obama was officially elected the 44th president of the United States. Final results showed that he won by a landslide, claimed 349 electoral votes to McCain’s 173.

Right about then is when the marches started – and unlike some West Philadelphia riots, this one was a proud, epic celebration. People ran out to Locust Walk (some, like myself, with nothing but a BlackBerry and flip-flops) and began to go nuts. Penn students and Philadelphians alike started marching around campus, screaming, cheering, dancing, and just basically going completely insane (there was even a drum band. And balloons!).

The crowd began to pick up momentum and walked down to College Green, where word got out that everyone was marching down to City Hall on 16th and Arch St. Though I had my doubts, we actually made it down there, where everyone continued to shout and sing – there were plenty of tears in the group as well. Cab drivers whizzed by honking, and people were leaning out of their car windows high-fiving the mob and cheering.

As corny as it sounds, it was truly an amazing moment of nationalism and unity, where strangers were able to smile at each other and connect in a way that can only come about due to instances of extreme grief or extreme joy. Luckily, last night provided the latter.