When the cereal bins at Mocon are mislabeled, for most of us it’s just a pain in the ass, but for Bex Allen it’s a life or death situation. Seriously. Allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, and peanuts, Bex has been extra-careful about what she’s eaten her entire life, and when she’s not it ends up in a hospital trip—or, in one case, an appearance on the Food Network. And did we mention she won 50 votes as a write-in candidate for the WSA masquerading as “Giant Joint.” After all, there’s no dairy or nuts in marijuana.
KR: So how did Giant Joint’s WSA candidacy turn out?
BA: I got over 50 votes. I got substantial amount for president, but people voted Giant Joint for vice president, 2008 representative, and 2007 representative. I actually came very close to winning 2007 representative.
KR: How did this all begin?
BA: The giant joint idea started with Student Health Advisory Committee’s initiative to have some kind of marijuana safety campaign on 4/20, because so many pre-frosh would be there. I had my own spontaneous idea to dress up as a joint who would go around spreading safety messages. Eventually the idea to have safety joint messages had failed, but by that time I had already bought the materials for the costume, so I decided to go ahead with it.
KR: And what was it like being the giant joint out on the hill?
BA: It was really hot and I couldn’t see. I heard a lot of people cheering, but the people who knew it was me didn’t want to be anywhere near me. I looked like a giant tampon or condom or member of the Klan.
KR: How did you decide to start the Giant Joint campaign?
BA: On the Wesleyan Livejournal community, somebody asked, “Who are you voting for?” Somebody gave such an apathetic response. From that I just decided to give Wesleyan students a chance to revel in their apathy and vote for a totally ridiculous candidate. It seemed to me that a lot of people didn’t care and were going to write in joke candidates anyway. People asked me “If you win, will you promise to go to every single board meeting in that costume?” I was like “Yes, of course.”
KR: And then you’re also allergic to everything in the world, and you got famous for it.
BA: Ever since I was born I’ve known I was deathly allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, and peanuts. There’s this organization called the Food, Allergy, and Anaphylaxis Network, and they were looking for teenagers to become part of their advisory group. You had to write an essay about the last time you had a serious allergic reaction. That happened to be the time I was at a party somewhere in upstate New York with a bunch of my friends and my current boyfriend. At some point I snuck off with my boyfriend and we started making out, and unbeknownst to me he had eaten half a pint of ice cream earlier. I started having an allergic reaction.
KR: So how did that wind up making you famous?
BA: They thought the story was really funny, so they asked me to give a speech in Chicago. They wanted me to say even though it’s embarrassing to say I have allergies, if you’re going to become intimate with somebody they have to know, and your friends have to know too. As much as you don’t want to make it a big deal, you have to be safe. I’m just allergic to so many things.
KR: And then you wound up on TV?
BA: Recently somebody who was producing a television show called “Edible Enemies” for the Food Network came to Wesleyan. It was the day before 4/20. They filmed me and a couple of my friends who happened to be in New York where the incident happened. We talked about how great it was to be at Wesleyan because everyone is so accepting. I think Wesleyan is the best place I could have gone [in terms of food]. I’m just glad that there are things I can eat here.
KR: So what exactly happens in an allergic reaction?
BA: I’m not exactly sure of the biology or science of the allergic reaction. You eat the food once and somehow your immune system recognizes the proteins of the food as something it’s supposed to attack. Your skin swells but also the tubes in your lungs contract. They get bigger, so it’s really, really hard to breathe. All of this stuff happening in your body sends you into shock.
KR: How do you go about eating on campus and in restaurants and everything?
BA: I’m a lot more adventurous than I used to be. You’re in college, you’re away from your parents, you’re in more social situations with your friends. Last time I had a serious reaction here I had a vegan pizza from Giuseppe’s. That was such a stupid idea on my part.
KR: So what are you up to this summer?
BA: I’m actually working for a public relations organization in Chicago. PR is what I want to go into. I like advertising myself and going out and making a spectacle.
KR: Maybe dressing in crazy costumes for them?
BA: Yeah, I’m Pete the public housing …[long pause]…parakeet!
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