Sugar Brewer is a fourth-year geography student running for President in this year’s AMS election. His platform focuses on transparency, student engagement and outreach.
Aside from holding a couple executive positions in his fraternity, Brewer does not have any other leadership experience. He believes his approachability, neutrality and capacity to communicate make him well-suited for the role of President.
“I think that it is difficult to have a true qualification for this position because, at this age, I think it is unlikely for anyone to have been in charge of 50,000 people,” said Brewer.
His main goals, if elected, are to revitalize the AMS App as a common mode of communication and to utilize human resources — “whether that would be groups or volunteers” — to get out and reach people.
Brewer also wants to expand Safewalk, which he says is “underdeveloped.” He hopes to be able to institute the use of cargo bicycles to increase the effectiveness of the service.
Brewer also has some ideas for his larger goal of making students more engaged. In order to increase the reach of Block Party, he wants to involve more students in its development in a volunteer capacity, hopefully giving those who help out a free ticket. He also wants to consult students on how they would like Block Party to look in order to make it more representative of all students.
“I grew up in Switzerland and I was very excited to come to North America, being on a campus and getting that collegiate feeling ... like in the movies,” said Brewer. “I want to be able to offer [students] that experience that I know that they’re seeking.”
He also wants the AMS to help promote a healthier campus drinking culture.
“I think that if UBC says they can’t drink until they are 19, the AMS needs to recognize that they are going to drink anyways,” said Brewer.
As a part of his platform pillar of student engagement, Brewer also wants to mobilize students as a whole versus relying on representatives within university administration.
“[I want to] make sure that [student] voices are actually heard in a way that makes them almost impossible to ignore when it comes to the light that we are displeased with the way that UBC [is] handling certain situations,” he said.
However, Brewer says his loftiest goal is the implementation of a multi-day on-campus frosh — something he acknowledges he will probably only be able to lay ground work for if elected.
Brewer’s platform lacks clear definition and large projects are noticeably absent from it. This was a purposeful decision.
“Every year, these Presidents make these big, grand promises and they don’t come to fruition,” said Brewer. “People get less and less convinced that the AMS is doing what it’s meant to be doing.”
He noted that while his goals may seem minor, they will have a significant impact.
“I want to set in motion and action tools that are going to help grow social culture through student engagement on campus,” said Brewer.