Students watched the big screen in anticipation last night at the first ever Election Smackdown in the Cellar at the Student Union Memorial Center.

The event was organized to provide a place for students to get together to watch the election process, while offering discount food and entertainment, said Matt Matera, higher education graduate student and event co-organizer.

Between 50 and 150 students came in and out of the Cellar between 5:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. to watch the election results on a projector screen. Students who wore an "I voted" sticker received a 10 percent discount on Cellar food and $1 off a game of pool or ping-pong in the Game Room.

The projector screen and surrounding TVs were set to different news channels such as ABC, NBC and CBS every hour, Matera said.

"We rotated stations to avoid bias," Matera said. "We wanted to give (students) another perspective."

Later in the evening, the lights were turned down and news stations were muted at 9 p.m. for improvisational acting on the Cellar stage by UA sketch comedy troupe Comedy Corner.

The Charles Darwin Experience comedy group followed the Comedy Corner with more improvisational acting and political skits.

Sitting at tables decorated in blue and red balloons, many students said they were happy to see UA sponsor an event that could bring students together despite political differences.

"It's nice to have a place for people to gather who are interested in the election," said Jeff Stroud, pre-business freshman. "Be they crazy socialist liberals or extremely rational Bush fans."

On the opposing side, Jennifer Cook, health education sophomore, wore her homemade "Abstain from Dick and Bush" T-shirt to the event, but left at 7 p.m. because it was too hard for her to watch a media-biased opinion of the election that favored Bush as the winner hours before polls on the West Coast closed.

Cook said she was disappointed and disgusted with our country, but that events like Election Smackdown could at least offer a place where people could come together regardless of their political stance.

"People are expressing their opinions this year rather than sitting back and not doing anything, thinking it doesn't matter," Cook said. "Now I think they're seeing it really does matter."

Michelle Espino, philosophy graduate student and event co-organizer, said she also thinks students are starting to change their ideas about voting, and the university should be helping students build awareness of the world around them.

"It's an absolutely mandatory part of campus life to have this space available," Espino said.

Although Election Smackdown provided space for students to watch the election, some students said the event should have been advertised more in order to attract a larger crowd.

Steve Travis, public policy freshman, said he didn't know the event was going on and he only came to the Cellar to eat dinner. Travis said an event like Election Smackdown is a great and necessary idea, but needs more advertising to be truly successful.

"Why not watch the election? It affects everybody," Travis said. "But it's important to have a place where students can go, and this (event) definitely needs more advertising because it's really important."

Matera said advertisement for the event has been going on for the last three weeks through UA listservs, fliers and announcements on TVs in the Union.

"I think we covered our bases well, but it's definitely something to assess for the next program," Matera said.

Election Smackdown was one of many events taking place both on- and off-campus, and was meant to offer another place where students who live nearby the university could watch the election results, Matera said.

Matera said the event was planned four weeks ago and cost $50 in publicity. The Cellar, Game Room, Social Justice Leadership Center and University Activities Board sponsored the event and donated giveaways, room space and discount food.

Matera and Espino both said they were pleased with the event's outcome and hope the next generation of students provide a similar space for the 2008 presidential election.