Successful Black Women of Michigan State University were the main organizers of a watch party in Erickson Hall, which also featured the Black Student Alliance, MSU National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, MSU Asian Pacific American Student Organization, The W.E.B. Du Bois Society and more student organizations.

The event began at 6 p.m. with students arriving as the night went on. The general attitude among students varied from cautious optimism to an air of unease and anxiety for the future.

Missy Chola, the internal president for Successful Black Women and organizer, said that as students of color, the goal of this event was to create a safe space for their community to watch the election.

Being on campus, Chola said “there's a weird feeling in the air."

"We wanted to be able to give our community a space with lots of comfort food, lots of good energy," Chola said. "Just a good vibe, that was the most important part."

Either with board games, music or dancing, Chola said she wanted the event to bring people together as a community and provide space to take care of each other.

As an international student, Chola said she is nervous.

"A lot is at risk in this election," she said. "I'm scared for my friends. I'm scared for the family I have in the United States, so I'm really praying."

Because of how tight this election is expected to be, Chola said she hopes to see a projected winner by tomorrow morning. 

In the coming days and weeks after election day, Chola believes the atmosphere on campus will be heavily affected. 

"We are at a (predominantly white institution) and in this election it's a big battle for marginalized communities," she said. "So either outcome, to be perfectly honest, is going to have a very large impact on the communities on this campus."

International relations sophomore Demetrius Tyson said although he was not part of any student organizations at the watch party, he attended because it was an event hosted by a Black organization for Black students to watch this election.

"I think it's really imperative Black students to be together during this particular election," Tyson said.

Tyson said he’s terrified about the impacts on both his life and other Americans depending on which candidate is elected.

For Tyson, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris represents the average American, he said.

"It's just so empowering to see that a Black woman (could be the) first female president," he said.

On the other hand, Tyson said Republican candidate Donald Trump is a national embarrassment who may potentially destroy the nation’s current democracy.

Tyson also said the idea of a nationwide abortion ban is radical and outrageous. 

If Trump wins, it will not be pretty, he said.

"This is a pretty liberal campus," Tyson said. "What I remember under Trump's administration is how confident conservatives felt to voice their bigotry and hatred, which is one of the things that I also fear as a Black person on campus."

Sarah Seo, a supply chain management senior with the Korean Student Association, said she thinks there is a higher chance of Harris winning because she appeals to undecided voters.

"I think she's been very good with young voter turnout," she said. "With what I've seen she appeals to a much greater audience."

 As a senior, Seo is looking for full-time employment but said she is withholding decisions due to the election. A lot of this has to do with international business, as she said profitability will be drastically different depending on who wins. 

"I think the economy will stay pretty similar if Kamala wins, but be very different if Trump wins," Seo said. "My roommate interviewed for an alcohol beverage company, and she said that with the tariffs and the taxes implemented on alcohol she won't go into the alcohol industry if Trump wins, which is something that I never thought of."

MSU College Democrats watch party 

Later in the night, the MSU College Democrats hosted a watch party in Wonders Hall.

"I'm really happy with all the work that we've done," President Liam Richichi said. "We've laid it all on the table, did our dorm storming, phone banking, tabling across campus for this whole election cycle."

Richichi said the group members have already voted, and the watch party was an event to appreciate their hard work.

As a whole, Richichi said he is feeling good about the election. 

"We're going to be eyeing the State House, Congress, Senate, the local elections as well (such as) the propositions, school board, those kinds of things, because those will really have a direct impact on our day to day lives just as much as the president," he said.

If Trump wins, Richichi said he believes the Democratic Party will have to reanalyze strategy. He believes the MSU College Democrats have done everything to their best ability on campus.

"It won't be a question of, did we do enough?" he said. "It'll be a question of, did the DNC and did the Democratic Party do enough? It would be a matter of looking internally within the party and seeing, you know, how do we proceed going forward."

Michigan state Rep. Julie Brixie briefly attended the event, passing out awards to students for their work during the election cycle. 

She also assured students that the Harris campaign should not be nervous. 

MSU College Democrats Vice President Laticia Martinez said the watch party was both a social and educational event. 

"If people don't understand how the Senate works, we can explain that to them," Martinez said. "If people don't understand why certain states are turning certain colors at certain times, why ballots aren't getting counted until later, we can explain that to them too."

This is a stressful time for Martinez as well. She said she has friends who are in the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants and people of color who may be negatively impacted by the outcome of the election.

From her work at the College Democrats, Martinez said she believes Harris will win.

She also hopes the climate around campus will not change regardless of the outcome of the election.

"We all have a voice, we all should use it when it comes to using your vote," she said. "I genuinely do want everyone to feel safe on campus."

If Trump does win, Martinez doesn’t want her volunteers to become discouraged and feel as if they did not do enough. 

"But I really do believe that we have the numbers," she said. "We had the groundwork, we were very much ready for this. So I don't see that as an outcome."

If Harris wins, Martinez said the College Democrats will celebrate.

"We've put in a lot of work. It's been really difficult," she said. "We've been telling our members, 'we're almost to the finish line.'"