Former Undergraduate Council President Beth A. Stewart '00 took her political opinions to the national airwaves last Thursday, appearing as a guest on ABC television's late-night talk show "Politically Incorrect," hosted by comedian Bill Maher.

The show, which is finishing its third season on ABC and averages 1.66 million viewers, appears five nights a week and features a variety of celebrities and politicians discussing current events.

Stewart, who debated topics from gun control to next year's presidential election on the episode along with author Erica Jong, NYPD Blue co-star Andrea Thompson and comedian Rob Schneider, said she has been a long time fan of Politically Incorrect.

"I was originally attracted to the show because I sometimes think people take politics too seriously," Stewart said. "I liked the idea of having an informal discussion about politics where everyone is laughing."

According to Stewart, she landed a spot on the show after first sending a "ridiculous" joke fax to its producers last year. Stewart also says the show heard of her as a result of her participation in a conference for student leaders sponsored by the Young America's Foundation--an outreach organization with the goal of introducing American youth to the principles of the Conservative Movement.

"She reached out to us," said Dawn Defalco the segment producer who booked Stewart.

According to Defalco, getting a place on Politically Incorrect by contacting the show directly is usually a long shot.

"There are just two spots or one spot where we could utilize someone who is not recognizable, so to speak, so that's difficult for us and we can't respond to everyone," Defalco said.

Defalco was interested in doing a show on the rise in campus conservatism and thought Stewart's letter made her stand out as someone with "very strong opinions."