In February 1996, the student body made Queen’s history by electing the first black AMS president in what was described as a “landslide” victory.
Earning 45 per cent of the vote, team FLP, comprised of President Greg Frankson, VP (Operations) Chris Lefaivre, and VP (University Affairs) Annette Paul, defeated Team CML (Brent Cameron, Trevor McCaw and Jen Lynch) and Team SHS (Jon Shell, Liz Harvey and Jenn Sisk) who received 24 per cent and 28 per cent of the vote, respectively.
In the beginning, the election appeared close. Each team’s had been heavily involved in the AMS and other aspects of University life.
Many common themes were raised in the debates. These included the pending cuts to post-secondary education, the assurance that student concerns would be heard and the of an income-contingent loan repayment plan.
This election received much criticism from the student body, who claimed the teams’ platforms were “poorly-researched and unrealistic.”
Team CML took much of the heat for this allegation, as their promise to build a commercial travel agency in the JDUC was noted by Kingston’s chief building official to be in violation of a city bylaw. In addition, Team SHS underwent much public scrutiny after Shell—the media and services director for the AMS at the time—approved a racy pub ad in an AMS publication.
The ad, which depicted a man and a woman hovering above a bed in a sexually explicit pose, was denounced by students and campus groups for its implied link between alcohol and sex. It was also criticized as a potential violation of the province’s liquor laws. Shortly after the complaints were made, Shell pulled the ad and acknowledged his mistake.
Team SHS was also criticized as news of a relationship between Shell and Harvey was brought to light. Shell insisted their relationship would not impinge on running the AMS.
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