EDITOR'S NOTE BELOW

How the times do change. Just a couple of months ago, Benjamin P. Schwartz '10, Undergraduate Council presidential candidate and everyman extraordinaire was...well...everywhere. Wearing his Crimson Key sweatshirt, wielding his blackberry, assuring students that his membership in the Fly final club was only a small part of what he was about, emphasizing that--hell, why not?--being a member of a final club could help him "bridge divides" among members of the student body. And, of course, there was that Girl Talk concert that he organized. That was fun. Could've been a bit longer, though, don't you think?

Anyway, a word to all the divided out there: Mr. Schwartz might be a little less available to bridge these days. We've heard that he's de-activated resigned his Crimson Key membership. And his attendance at UC meetings this semester has been a bit.....spotty. Spotty enough, as it happens, to merit expulsion according to the UC by-laws: (CLARIFICATION: Schwartz later said he would have contested some of the absences that would have made him eligible for expulsion.)

The UC Bylaws Section 22 stipulate that any representative who has been absent from three or more regular Council meetings, three or more regular Committee Meetings, or any combination of four absences from regular Council meetings and regulard committee meetings will be expelled from the council.

But wait! Expulsion won't be necessary, after all. In fact, screw the UC. Schwartz quits! More after the jump.

The Schwartz spin machine has whirred into action. With true Carvillian flourish, he delivered this gem to the UC open list on Wednesday:

I stayed on the UC this semester because there are several projects about which I care deeply...The ball is rolling...on alternative social space...Given my experience of the past several weeks, I'm now convinced that I'll be just as effective helping to accomplish these goals from off the Council as I would be as a representative.

Apparently Schwartz thinks he can advocate just as effectively for alternative social space from inside the Fly as he can at his UC committee meeting. We're fine with that. In fact, it probably would have been a shame to elect a UC President who wasn't going to come to the meetings. The real tragedy here is that Ben's going to have to update his facebook profile. Listing CKS and UC after you leave the ring? Not kosher, says FlyByBlog. And that profile pic might have to go, Crimson Key sweatshirt and all. Here's to advocacy, Ben!

EDITOR'S NOTE: A photo originally accompanying this post was taken from Schwartz's Facebook page without contacting him first and has since been removed.