HerCampus UBC was fortunate enough to get an exclusive interview with an influential figure at UBC, Carter the Coyote. You may have noticed Carter on campus early last year, strolling along Main Mall, relaxing near Buchanan, or in pursuit of his next meal in front of Kaiser. The increasing number of appearances around campus led to a surge of followers, which he referred to as “fans” on his Facebook page. The coyote quickly became a popular topic among students.
He was last seen back in early 2015 and hasn’t been heard from since, much to the dismay of many students. On a gloomy Monday afternoon near Pacific Spirit Park, we unexpectedly found Carter alert and trotting about. Since last year he always seemed to be fine with strangers, but when we approached him to ask a few a few questions, he was a bit hesitant. “I usually don’t give interviews anymore,” he admitted, “but since my schedule cleared up this afternoon, I guess I could answer a few questions.”
We mentioned his lack of presence on campus. “I was going through some major life changes,” he told us. “I guess you humans would call it a mid-life crisis.”
He recalled the decision he made last spring to leave campus and take a gap year. He wanted to explore new environments, try new things, but most of all he wanted to “escape the hustle and bustle of UBC.” Carter admits he got tired of campus life, that the thrill of going after his next meal was becoming routine, and worst of all, people took pictures of him everywhere he went. “Everyone wanted a piece of me. I never would’ve imagined the fame I got overnight. I’m just a guy from the woods of Point Grey.” He blamed the stress of dealing with fame as the cause of notable changes to his appearance. At one point it became too much. “I missed the anonymity, so I left.”
Carter says that the past 11 months have been a time of self-discovery reflection. “I was undeclared for awhile… then I tried PoliSci and quite enjoyed it.”
We were extremely pleased to hear that Carter has big plans for a return.
“Upon my arrival back on campus, I hope to run for president in the AMS Elections this spring,” he announced. “I eventually realized that I want to use my following for good, and improve on how things are run around campus.” He believes that the student body needs “a relatable, non-intimidating figure to represent them.”
Naturally, he’s planning his campaign alone. Carter wants to increase accessibility on campus by implementing ramp installations for all buildings and water fountains, in order to adjust according to height for the vertically inclined and/or four-legged UBC students. He also vows to control the squirrel population that has seemed to spike since his departure. “Nets and traps, that’s what we need. Enough of those neurotic, Negative Nellies running around.”
Carter believes that he can rally up enough nominations by February 12th to become one of the final candidates on the Executives ballot. “I can’t do it alone, though.” he says. Carter is asking us students to start using the hashtag #ComebackCarter to generate enough buzz. He plans to return and update his social media accounts once it gets trending, and this will be followed shortly by his campaign tour. “My fans are my driving force, and this is my way of giving back to them. I’m ready to be back, and I’m ready for change.”
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We also got a few statements from on-lookers nearby as the their opinion of Carter’s return presidency campaign.
“I had a restraining order put on him last February, so no. I will not be voting for him in the elections.” – Eli, Grey Eastern Grey Squirrel
“He terrorized my family for weeks! He’s a murderer, not someone we should be looking up to.” – Lisa, Black Eastern Grey Squirrel
“Ugh, ew. Just, no.” – Heather, Grey Eastern Grey Squirrel (Instragram: @squirrelsofubc)
“I don’t care, as long he follows me back on Instagram, we’re cool.” – Ralph, 3rd year Geography
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Follow Carter the Coyote’s Instagram and Twitter accounts, and be sure to tag him with #ComebackCarter or offer your support by signing his AMS President nomination form!