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It was through tears, screams and complete elation that Kinesiology sophomore Carolyn McCloud processed the realization that the nation elected a black president.

Speechless, she dropped to her knees in the midst of hundreds of students gathered on the Diag just after 11 p.m. last night, and prayed to God, grateful that Barack Obama was elected the next president of the United States.

While she knelt, students erupted in deafening chants of “Yes we did!” and “Obama!” which soared in volume over chaotic cheers, screams and tears.

Shortly after Obama gave his acceptance speech near midnight, a band of percussionists, a saxophonist and a tag-a-long didgeridoo player headed to the Diag playing a jazz version of the National Anthem. The hundreds already gathered at the center of campus circled the band.

Students continued to pour into the Diag from all directions, a few waving large American Flags. A handful of University police monitored the crowd, including one car parked on a path between the Diag and West Hall. The crowd remained peaceful, yet rowdy as police watched.

A group of students formed a drumline on the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, while hundreds of students alternated chants of “Go-bama!” and “Yes we can!” to the beat.

After receiving text messages, a group of students encouraged those gathered to go to the streets. Students were asking each other for a destination but no one seemed to know — or care where the crowd was heading. Some headed to Michigan Stadium, others to the intersection of State Street and Liberty Street.

One group marched to the steps of the Michigan Union, clogging State Street and chanting, “It’s great to see an Obama victory.” A portion of the crowd walked along toward the home of University President Mary Sue Coleman and called for her to make a speech. She never emerged and the group soon moved eastward on South University Avenue.

The crowds and celebrations, though numerous and disparate, only grew through the evening as national results came in.

As of 4 a.m., Obama had won 338 electoral votes, well above the 270 needed to secure the presidency. Republican nominee John McCain clinched 163 votes.

In the crucial fight for swing states, Obama nearly swept Republican nominee McCain, though not by substantial margins in individual states. Obama took Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia. As of 4 a.m., North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana were too close to call.

Students cheered well into the early morning hours, celebrating the Democratic candidate’s decisive victory.

“I feel this is the greatest moment of our lives,” said LSA sophomore Rose Balzer. “There’s no doubt about that.”

While students rejoiced in the streets, singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and choruses of “The Victors,” results trickled in from Ann Arbor precincts, showing a 14-percent increase from the number of people who cast ballots at student dominated polling places of 2004.

Eighty-three percent of voters at 14 student-heavy Ann Arbor precincts supported Obama.

Obama, whose victory in the Electoral College entered landslide territory, began the race two years ago as the underdog. He had to defeat the favored Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York to win the Democratic Party’s nomination. In doing so, he defied historical precedent to become the first black man to earn a major party’s nod.

The Democratic nominee once again defied political paradigm in his campaign strategy.