After 6900 students voted over five days, Law and MBA student Bijan Ahmadian has been elected the 101st AMS president.

Beer and good spirits were overflowing in The Gallery Friday night as the results were announced. The bar was overcrowded, and several dozen people were forced to hear the results from outside.

Candidates Natalie Swift and Bijan Ahmadian waited with bated breath, surrounded by their friends, as the Elections Committee delayed announcing the results by an hour.

Swift came in second place, only 375 votes behind Ahmadian. Sean Kim and Pak Ho Leung placed third and fourth, respectively.

A disappointed Swift had tears in her eyes Friday night upon hearing the results.

“I was supported by the people that mattered,” she said on Friday, later explaining that she meant that she felt a wealth of support from her close friends and roommates. “I essentially had my family with me…I wasn’t trying to imply that there were people on campus that didn’t matter. Anyone would say their family matters more to them than anything else.”

“It is what it is,” Swift said on losing the presidency in an interview a few days later. “You know going into it that it is a possibility, so you kind of have to frame your mind to accept either result.” She added that her future plans do not include the AMS, as she plans on “catching up on schoolwork” and working on an initiative to connect students in the various natural sciences faculties together.

Leung and Kim had positive feelings about the elections. Kim said that the election was a great experience and he wanted to thank all the people who voted for and supported him, and wished Ahmadian good luck.

“In terms of future plans, I am planning on starting up a business,” Kim said. “And, of course, I will still be actively involved with UBC in a variety of aspects, especially in brand imaging and marketing.”

“I must say it was a lot of fun,” said Leung. “However, politics just isn’t my cup of tea. I plan to be a good boy and focus on my studies.”

But the night belonged to Ahmadian, who in his 11 years at UBC has been an Engineering student, fraternity member, AMS ombudsperson, student senator, Board of Governors representative and now president.

“The vote of the silent majority makes all the difference,” Ahmadian said. “It was a taxing experience, but the support that I got from people really made it worthwhile.”

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