The 2001 AMS election saw the standard experienced AMS-insider team, CJP, challenged by a group of younger students, LCK, who had high hopes of taking the AMS in a “responsible new direction,” as described by their campaign slogan.
Team J, made up of presidential candidate Scott Courtice, VP (Operations) candidate Jory Platt and VP (University Affairs) candidate Emma Jackson, boasted extensive AMS experience and a detailed, 11-page platform discussing issues including better bus services, improved relations with the Kingston Police and an online UBS (now the Green Room) inventory to avoid long wait times.
Although Team J was favoured to win the election, they were challenged by team LCK, comprised of presidential candidate Mike Lindsay, VP (Operations) candidate Lanny Cardow and VP (University Affairs) candidate Shawna Kaufman.
Team LCK had little AMS experience, and while the team were involved in other areas of the Queen’s community, their two-page platform was criticized for its lack of detail and research. As well, two of Team LCK were in second year, resulting in further criticism based on the team’s lack of experience not only in the AMS, but at Queen’s itself.
Team J expressed an anti-deregulation stance, a desire to acquire CFRC 101.9 FM as a part of the AMS, and a plan to enforce a class-action lawsuit against the “slumlords” in the Ghetto. On the other hand, Team LCK chose to focus on smaller issues, such as their plans to hold AMS assembly meetings in the Lower Ceilidh of the JDUC and to construct a pita stand in the JDUC.
Increased ability and better communication, as well as finding a way to run AMS services more efficiently, were common elements in both teams’ platforms.
The election race intensified with Platt stating publicly that CFRC “sucks” and expressing the desire to change the genre of music played on the station to Top 40. Platt also heavily criticized Team LCK.
“I too would enjoy a pita after Alfie’s, but I think we have bigger challenges to deal with,” he told the Journal.
CFRC was acquired by the AMS in 2003.
Team J won the election with 54 per cent of the vote to Team LCK’s 45 per cent—not the landslide victory that was expected. The voter turnout was 25 per cent, with 3,043 ballots cast.
Team LCK did not take this loss to heart, however, and ran again the following year. They won the 2002 election by an even slimmer margin of only 112 votes. They chose to focus on different issues the second time around, and the JDUC never saw the construction of its own AMS-run pita stand.
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