Meet Kanwar, this week’s campus celeb! You have probably seen him around campus participating in one of his many volunteer positions, or just passing by in great style. Get to know Kanwar and his plans to make Canada a better place below!
Name: Kanwar Brar
Year: 3rd
Program: Political Science
Motto: You don’t need to drink to have fun.
What all are you involved in on campus?
I am a Director of the Board for the Students’ Union, a Senator for the University, an undergraduate student representative for the Department of Political Science, and I sit on the Arts Divisional Council. Furthemore, I volunteer for Shinerama, I write for the Cord as an opinion columnist, and lastly I work as a Customer Service Representative at PRISM Resources. #TeamNoSleep
What was the first thing you got involved with and what inspired you to do it?
I attended a summer conference called LEAP, which was aimed at transitioning first year students. I had the opportunity to stay on campus for a weekend in July and meet some amazing people who I’m still friends with today. I also tried to volunteer for my own Orientation Week, but that request was politely declined as I was told to enjoy it as a first year, first.
If you could go back and give one piece of advice to yourself on the first day of first year, what would it be?
Don’t worry about the little things. It was okay if I forgot to bring a roll of paper towels or my favourite 50 Cent CD (yes, I am the 1% who still buys CDs and actually have the most wild collection of hip hop music). In the end, what matters the most is the people you talk to and form relationships with, and I did a pretty rad job at that on my first day. (Wearing a purple Phillip DeFranco t-shirt with rainbows and a matching turban definitely was a conversation starter).
What has been your favourite class at Laurier so far?
PO225 – Polarization of American Politics with Dr. Barry Kay. I’ve always been very fond of the American political system and got to explore some of the dysfunctions of the government south of the border. The class offered many learning experiences, including writing a paper as an adviser to the President. The coolest aspect of that class was following the midterm elections of last year and predicting which party would take each state. The person with the most accurate prediction got a 1% boost in the course. I was off by ONE state and placed second. Darnn North Carolina! I also had the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. during reading week and experience everything I’d learned in class, including seeing former Speaker John Boehner’s office. #PoliSciNerd
If you became Prime Minister, what would be the first thing you’d do?
I would table legislation in the House proposing a “Charter of Happiness, Inspiration, Love and Leadership” aka. C.H.I.L.L., imposing a slight tax increase for the top 1% income earners. That revenue stream will be utilized to give chocolate candy accompanied by a note with an inspirational message and a smiley face to Canadians across the country randomly. This will result in spreading a positive message and make everyone’s day a little better. Our plan will cover every single Canadian and the algorithm used to choose who gets it will depend on their latest interaction with the government. Under this proposal, the Government of Canada recognizes the role everyday Canadians play in our society and that we wouldn’t be here without them. These candy grams are not meant to act as bribes and will not be delivered in election years. Therefore, upon taking office, this will give my government approximately three years to make this plausible. I will strike a committee which will examine the best chocolate to deliver. All members of Parliament, regardless of their party affiliation, will have an opportunity to suggest chocolates of different kinds and their opinion will be consulted. The Government of Canada under my leadership will deliver what governments have never done before, which is bringing happiness through chocolate.
I think it’s safe to say you are known at Laurier for your exquisite, colour-coordinated style. How big is your closet?
It’s more elaborate than Regina George’s closet for sure. When my roommates and I were picking rooms after signing our lease, I picked my room solely based on the biggest closet size and I’m not mad about it.
What are your goals you want to accomplish before graduating?
I really want to be a Residence Life Don and/or a TA for Political Science. I’ve always wanted to be a positive role model for others and the aforementioned opportunities definitely provide that experience. It gives me a chance to give back to first years and set a foundation for their Laurier experience, just how I experienced it from other student leaders when I was a first year.
What has been the coolest thing you have experienced?
My roommates and I went on a trip to New York in April and it was one of the coolest experiences ever. A highlight of that trip was going to my first ever basketball game. We saw the Brooklyn Nets play Atlanta Hawks in the Round 2 of the playoffs. The Hawks were leading 3-0 in the series and this was game 4. At the start, Brooklyn was losing, but they made one of the biggest comebacks and went into OT and won by a very close margin. The atmosphere in that stadium was breathtaking, and I’m thankful I got to experience it with my roommates before I departed to Ottawa to have an even cooler summer. (You’re going to have feature me again next week to find out more about that!)
Say you’re about to drop a mixtape, what do you call it?
Singh With Me. (My middle name is Singh. Get it? Sing … Singh …)
He’s by far one of the most recognizable Golden Hawks on campus and now you got to know him!