Small world

Here, from last week’s edition of the magazine, is a profile of Ray Novak, the Prime Minister’s largely unknown, but decidedly important, right-hand man.

A decade ago, Ray was a fastidious young student politician at Western. At approximately the same time, I was becoming an overly serious young student journalist for The Gazette. I would have, if memory serves, peripherally covered his campaign for student council president. The Gazette editorial board—of which I was a member—endorsed his campaign (overly earnest headline: ’Winds of change’), our considerable influence apparently just enough to help Ray to a second-place finish.

Of those who would covered that campaign closely, one (John Intini) is a senior editor at this magazine, another (Nina Chiarelli) is now director of communications for Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl. Here is the story from election night—Ray is pictured at top, hiding his disappointment behind a garish shirt. The student to his left, Paul Hong, is now director of policy for Lawrence Cannon.