Sad/Hysterical/Sad/AwesomelyOutrageous/Depressing

SAD
The end of an era came several weeks ago when my queer pop culture touchstone aired its final episode. Queer as Folk was more than television for me, it was something I held to as I began the lifelong process of coming out. Like Dawson's Creek when I started high school, QAF was where I saw some of myself reflected at different times in the characters, and still can. The end itself was tough to watch, with imperfect endings for some, and departures from Pittsburgh for a few as well. It was much sadder right after the episode ended, but not having it in my life still makes me sad. You really miss things like QAF when they played that kind of role in your life, whether or not they're "just a TV show."

HYSTERICAL
Not only did SAC and ECSU work together and train together, we also got hammered together. We may have spent lots of Frosh Leader Appreciation Night at the Scarborough Firepit in Shawn Abrahim's house (by we I mean UTeaM) but I still found time to lead cheers with Ryan Carroll including the Artsci song and One Love from last year. GOOD FUCKING TIMES. It was discovered that in UTeaM (minus Amanda, of course) Nicole and I are the least innocent, a fact we celebrated throughout the night.

Low point was my dear Sani's reaction to volume, but importantly, he was ultimately OK after I tucked him in. So OK, in fact, that he went to his LSAT training session, leaving UTSC campus at 7 am. All you alcoholics can learn from him, as can non-drinkers! This I reminded people of all day. NO HANGOVER FOR RYAN. Oh yes, and the actual training session was very useful. :)

SAD
Not long after we returned was Moneeza's goodbye. She's in Pakistan now and not coming back for a LONG time, if at all. We had a great final BBQ at Erindale Park with Sadi, Zee, Zeener, Mehreen, Nazia S., Walooo, Mutaz, HOWARD, Vlad (who lent us all shirts when it got cold) and so many more. It wasn't nearly as sad as when she showed up to get her last cheque and card and Sadi, Zee, me, and Shawn said our goodbyes to her before Shawn took her home so she could get to the airport. It's not easy to watch her go. She was, in spite of what she did to Berkhs at ECSU election times and some fights Manders and I had with her over Equity, one of my two inspirations for joining SAC. Monz always made me feel like I had a real role to play and that she trusted me and my abilities. It's not easy to lose the person who partially initiated such a major change in your direction in University and life.

AWESOMELY OUTRAGEOUS
What can be said about the best Frosh Week ever? Without getting into too many negatives, the week was a major smash success, except for the concert which ECSU almost got sued over. From the beginning, with kit pick-up and cheer training, to the end, with Sadia's birthday layered funnel cake my third Frosh Week as a leader was my favourite. Lowlights, then highlights.

The biggest lowlight was K-Rod flaking throughout. The Carnival, which cost SAC $27 000 was AMAZING, but the leader of our volunteers was cocky, harsh, and eventually, non-existent. Thank God Berkha still cares about success of SAC events and took over. Thank God Tundali, Chani, and Jide stepped up with us to keep the event running smoothly. Thank God Walied and Vlad seem to have woken up to what I've said all along, which was that the guy couldn't handle it, and to watch his attitude, which got progressively worse as the summer wore on. As a matter of fact, that was pretty much the only lowlight, but it WAS a major one. I don't even want to talk about fighting with Luke on parade day. Can't do anything to me, asshole, so leave me to my college and my cheers.

Oh, and the other one is the certain someone who keeps trying to kiss me among other things that make me uncomfortable with the female sex. Some jokes are OK, but get it through your fucking head. . .we are not and never will be, so STOP. DAMMIT!!!

Highlights, in no particular order:
- Sumo's belt which had UTEAM sewn through it
- SAC and ECSU backed each other throughout most of the week----leading the Medium to read: "Frosh Week, which was brought to you by ECSU and SAC UTM" Bahahahahahahahahahahaha
- THE CARNIVAL- flake aside, losing the bumper cars aside, everyone had an amazing time. I even had a froshie come up to me and say "Is tomorrow gonna be better than today? (Pause) Because today will be pretty hard to top." We had a solid core, and who woulda thunk that could ever include MIKE KREC??? But there he was, manning the station I needed him to cover after the flake flaked and I needed to leave. For TWO HOURS. Whattaguy!
- Singing Elephant Love Medly with a REALLY cute froshie on the way home from Wonderland. I was Nicole, he was Ewan. There were some other girls singing too, but I paid them no mind. God, I'm so GAY.
- The Ultimate Nunchuck Skills Extravaganza. SAC and ECSU (and UTMAC) join up for a successful event. 'Nuff said.
- Gabe (ever so hot) trying SO hard to win my endorsement, I mean help me out, on the day of the UNSE
- Once again, the parade. I was up and down and all around through the crowd this year with my megaphone in hand. It wasn't as special as the first time I did it, but it was still and incredible feeling. Those froshies may have had their weak bunches but a lot of them thrilled over cheering into the megaphone with me. We were watergun free and we STILL had an awesome day. As soon as I got rid of Luke Stark by telling him that he could do me no harm ("You're gonna get written up for this" my ASS---> "You can't do a fucking thing to me, and you know it") and to leave me to my job which was hyping my college, we sent Trinity running as they tried to take us on and were underway. And that was the last time I had any bad feeling that day.
- Krec on crack heading down to the parade. Power Position One while upside down and on a moving bus
- Seeing Cameron McKenzie after the concert (Controller.Controller and Sloan). What a cutie! And it was his birthday. He's one of the sweetest guys I know.
- THE CONCERT. Both bands rocked and brought the house down. What a shame ECSU had to miss it.
- Wonderland!!! Sadia's birthday, major rides, UTeaM and Frosh Leaders (and froshies) cheering while in line. What a day. What a way to end---including singing on the way home, the tradition upheld for one more year
- Ryan and Sina! Naked naked party! Stay Huge and get naughty! Naked naked party! Stay Huge and get naughty! (Repeat to fade) THE. CHEER. OF. THE. WEEK.

And of course, Friday night, at O'Grady's. Possibly the best SAC party EVER. Thrity of us were there, many of us to drink, some of us not. Berkha (not the flake) had arranged for some free food and fountain drinks were on the house all night. Andrew, a cute Russian left after the parade and was SHIT FACED on arrival. A crowd from New College showed and we gave them love, but they hated on us, so we did two great cheers: kiss my ass and then (with two shockers turned into an M) UTM AIN'T NUTHIN' TO FUCK WITH. Then we got respect and a love-in ensued until they taught us Bang Bang Choo-choo Train, come on 'Ssauga do your thang A-whoosh (clapclap, clapclap) A-whoosh (clapclap, clapclap). We had to shout down three haters on the patio, but otherwise the whole night was full of how do you feels (I feel so good, OH I feel so good! OH!) and the Artsci song sung WITH New. A beautiful climax, as Wonderland was a fantastic denouement. What a week! I just got full use of my voice back.

DEPRESSING
Sadia is on leave from SAC as Student Life Developer (basically admin. assistant) to do school for a year. We became close so quickly, it's so tough not to have her in the office every day. Kashfia is great and I can tell she'll do really well, but she's NOT SADIA ALI. I miss her.

So that's it for the last little while. . .I guess. Maybe more soon. Life in the now is as hectic as ever, but I'm on top of it as of this writing. I wonder if I can keep it that way, but it'll all have to be taken as it comes.