Not representing the student body

By Lonny Tetley

Editor, the Gauntlet,


In the past few weeks, I have witnessed some of the most appalling and distasteful acts of my university experience. I have observed, first-hand, a lynch mob of shameful people who claim to represent the students, slinging mud and telling out-and-out lies about my campaign leader, my teammate and, most importantly, my friend Phil Barski.


While we tried to run a campaign based on what we deemed to be the relevant issues, ethics and morality, others who berated our tactics (t-shirts, etc.) eventually copied us and then sunk to lows beyond the boundaries of good taste.


Their underhanded schemes were aided by the fact that the members of the current Students’ Union, who coincidently run the election (hmmm), were so threatened by Phil and his cabinet that they resorted to issuing their own pamphlets with the entirely inaccurate claim that we spent “$6,000, will it buy your vote?” We didn’t even spend close to that and we didn’t even have a chance of winning–the fix was in from the beginning and I am sure you will hear more about the fraud and deception in the coming days.


Before you try to say this letter is “sour grapes” for losing the SU election, let me explain the purpose of this letter. In the big scheme of our lives, this will be a faint memory, but I will be lucky and glad to have met Phil Barski. He is maybe the nicest guy I have ever had the fortune of meeting. His unfair portrayal of being an ignorant jock without the characteristics needed to lead, by a select few of jealous and threatened nerds is completely unfair. The people who won are not representative of the student body and I truly believe we would have been.


Contrary to popular belief, Phil has a genuine passion for this school, and he would have made positive changes to a bureaucratic, elitist, inefficient entity. Talk to him. I assure you that even though the election is over and he has no position in the SU, he will still take the time to speak to you and he will likely have a kind word for you. I know that if I ever needed anything from Phil, all I would have to do is ask, and Barski, the same goes for you. I would trust him with my life. I want others to have the same, accurate view of him that I do.


The real losers in this election are all of the students at U of C who will have to go through another year of the same bullshit.


And hey West, maybe if you blockade another intersection, cook some more waffles, and get drunk with your buddies in tents in front of the school–oh yeah, there is a mandate to raise tuition every year anyway.


To the rest of you who resorted to dishonourable and unethical practices to ensure that someone “different” didn’t win–you should be ashamed of yourselves.