Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday evening marked a historic moment in United States history, as few candidates have been able to motivate youth voters to take part in the election process the way Obama has done throughout his campaign.

Many see this achievement as the core to Obama’s victory, and no one place might exhibit Obama’s ability to inspire today's young voters like the University of Tennessee campus.

You have seen them out on the pedestrian walkway, day in and day out, handing out fliers, registering voters, or distributing signs, stickers and shirts: the Students for Barack Obama have made it a point to be seen and heard.

Though Knoxville is often considered a conservative bastion, the Students for Barack Obama unremittingly and unapologetically attempted to to pull in votes  for the senator from Illinois even when faced with the reality that Obama would most likely not carry the county or state.

“If you give up now, you’re giving up for the future,” Chris IvyChris Ivy, junior in Finance and UT coordinator for Students for Barack Obama, said he was inspired to begin campaigning for Obama in the January primaries and never considered his efforts futile.

Ivy sees the work that the Students for Barack Obama have put in over the past year not only as campaigning, but hopefully as laying down a base for future Democratic campaigns and politicians.

Students for Obama were not expecting Tennessee to go blue this election, Ivy admitted, but felt a good turnout for Obama on Tuesday might make the state seem more realistic in the future, meaning more paid campaign staffers and support in 2012.

“If you give up now, you’re giving up for the future,” Ivy said.

One of the most important aspects of the group’s strategy for the future includes registering new voters.

Ivy estimated the group registered nearly 3000 new voters on the campus, and according to Ian Orr, deputy coordinator for Students for Barack Obama, registered 500 new voters on the last day of registration alone.

“What we are trying to do with registering all these voters is laying a Democratic base for the future,” Orr said, “Maybe not this election, but in future elections we might be able to swing the state back blue, we are creating the new Democratic majority.”

Only time will tell whether Tennessee turns blue in the future , Ivy said, but as far as Obama's ability to inspire a generation, the volunteers speak for themselves.