My fellow consumers of cake. I am not afraid of you. It’s come to my attention that some of you might feel like I am, and this, my friends, is just not at all the case. So here’s some clarification as to who I am, and why I seem to feel comfortable giving my opinions on these AMS elections.

My name, to start with, is Shawn McAllister Stewart, which I used to find really embarassing, but I now have come to fancy as interesting, and “full of character” which is really a nice way to say, “kind of weird”. I’m a second year ARTS student here at the UBC point grey campus, and I’m hoping not to be harshly rejected by the Political Science Majors program. I’ve been asked if I am, or have ever been an AMS representative. The short answer to that question is: No. I am in no way affiliated with the AMS, or any other major institution here at UBC- unless you count the P.I.T as a major institution, in which case I have just lied to you. So I guess that would make a reader question what business I have giving any sort of opinion on the AMS elections, even if it seems to be (mostly) for entertainment purposes? Well, I’m opinionated, and I’ve heard it said once or twice that I’m funny. And I think humour is important. I think that it makes people pay attention to things they may not have noticed before. That’s the purpose of entertainment really, to inform via a medium that doesn’t make people want to shoot themselves in the face, ideally… Entering VFM has been one of the first steps on the road to pulling myself out of my own personal sophmore slump and getting myself involved and active in my university, so I would like to, in my own way, contribute to further involvement by everyone. By involvement I don’t mean volunteering, or running for office, I mean the simple act of sitting up and taking notice of what is going on around you. So many students do not, when it would be so easy to attend even one debate. When it takes mere seconds to vote for AMS online, when even a little bit of interest would make them so much more a part of the institution they already belong to. So I’ll tell you that my blog, my “humour” is an attempt to facillitate greater involvement, using my definition. But it could just as easily be that I’m incredibly self involved and typing out this blog allows me to basically listen to myself talk every day, and marvel at all the fabulous jokes I can come up with. Either way, it sure is fun.

and on that note: I have a public service annoucement : Please, PLEASE think VERY hard before you wear formal shorts. I know it seems like a good idea at the time. You think you’ll look like Mischa Barton, or heaven forbid Sienna Miller, but unless secretly you’re Kate Moss and you just put on a plain jane suit every day so that you can savour your UBC education in peace, really you just look like a circus clown, or a little german child. And on top of these less than desireable characters you will inevitably resemble they also probably make your ass look roughly the size of the Titantic. So really. Just don’t.

 So nice to get that off my chest, until another pressing concern comes to my attention…

-S