Friday
April 11,2003
Vol. 113. Issue No. 132
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Contact Kristi Henderson, Jenna Goepfert or Justin Henning at 864-4810 or editor kansan.com
KANSAN Rumors abound about whether Roy Williams will stay or go p. 1E
KUnited wins
Coalition wins presidency, majority of seats
Catherine Bell and Andy Knopp receive a victory hug from Marlon Marshall at Johnny's Tavern after their presidential and vice presidential victories. KUnited won the majority of the senator seats including the presidency and vice presidency.
Jegen McDermott/Kansan
By Lauren Airey lairey@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Screams and sprays of champagne erupted from the crowd of KUnited candidates when KJHK radio announced Andy Knopp and Catherine Bell as next year's student body president and vice president.
More screams and gasps followed when KUnited candidates were announced as winners of 49 of the 67 empty senator positions.
Bell, her clothes and hair soaked with champagne, pumped her fist in the air and stomped her foot in excitement as the crowd closed in on her and Knopp. Chants of "Knopp and Bell! Knopp and Bellt!" filled Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St., after the Student Senate election results were announced at about 6:30 p.m.
Knopp and Bell earned 2,324 votes, Delta Force candidates Drew Thomas and Fallon Farokhi won 1,211 and Lord Wads and the 12 Knights of the Crusade candidates Andy Foertsch and Brett Wadsworth won 184.
KUnited suspected of violating elections code, page 6A
"I was really nervous," Bell said. "had no idea how to predict the election.I'm very,very proud of all our candidates and our supporters. I'm in shock."
Abandoned hamburgers and empty champagne bottles littered the booths and high-top tables as the soaked candidates gave each other high-fives and hugs. New senators pulled their cell phones out and plugged one ear to block out the noise as they called parents and friends.
"I'm a senator!" Bobby Birhiray, Lawrence junior who won a CLAS seat, yelled into his cell phone at his mother. Birhiray called her first, then his football teammates and finally his father with his silver cell phone in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other.
or Chicago.
Although Josh Kaplan, Overland Park junior and business senator, and Nick Sterner, Shawnee freshman and CLAS
senator, said they were working more for Knopp and Bell than themselves, Knopp said the biggest thrill was having the majority of the empty Senate seats go to KUnited.
"I'm excited about how many candidates we got in there," Knopp said. "All along, that was really a big goal of mine. I was trying to campaign for our individual candidates and it was great to see that pay off."
Students were able to vote online at various on-campus polling stations for the first time.
Candidates spent two days standing along Jayhawk Boulevard in their coalition shirts, handing out informational filers and encouraging students to vote
"This campaign has been absolutely amazing," said Chris Cardinal, Salina freshman and CLAS senator. "When I went to Phi Psi Tuesday night and saw how organized it was and how everyone was putting a hand in, I was completely amazed."
Jessica Bankston, former Voice coalition Student Senate presidential candidate, helped manage last year's first KUnited campaign. Bankston lost the student body president election three years ago to Justin Mills—the only Delta Force candidate to win the presidential race in the coalition's seven-year history. She said she was elated at Knopp and Bell.
"They strove to get a diverse group of super-motivated people and that's clearly what they got," said Bankston, first year law student. "I've known them both since they've been at KU and they are the perfect people for the job."
Both the referendums on the ballot passed. Referendum 1, adding first year representation to Student Senate through a fall online election, passed with 2,204 votes in favor and 815 votes against it. Referendum 2, adding a 50-cent per semester student fee to fund University membership to the United States Students Association, passed with 1,863 votes in favor and 1,175 votes against it.
Cate Batchelder contributed to this story. This story was edited by Ryan Wood.
Lord Wads goals met; group gets third place
By Erin Ohm
eohm@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Delta Force looks ahead
After hearing the Student Senate elections results from KU Info on his cell phone, Lord Wads announced triumphantly to his friend Sir Baranowski that their coalition had received 184 votes.
They received 2,140 fewer votes than KUinited election winners Andy Knopp and Catherine Bell. But Lord Wads wasn't in it to win.
Lord Wads and the 12 Knights of the Crusade, led by Overland Park senior Brett Wadsworth, reached its goal by achieving third place of three coalitions in the election.
But that didn't stop coalition members from celebrating their mental victory Wednesday night, when they beat KUnited and Delta Force in a trivia contest at the Hawks Nest in the Kansas Union.
By Henry C. Jackson
cjjackson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writers
SEE LORD WADS ON PAGE 6A
Brian Thomas, Plano, Texas, junior, and Shannon Cline, Wichita sophomore, hug after hearing the results of the Student Senate elections yesterday. Thomas and Cline were part of the Delta Force coalition, which lost the majority of seats in Student Senate to KUnited.
As the election results were read, Drew Thomas shook his head, grimaced and lit a cigarette.
He had lost his bid for student body president and for a moment, he was stunned.
But much like the rest of the Delta Force coalition he ran with, Thomas, Hays senior, recovered quickly.
"We lost," Thomas said. "But, you know what, we've lost six out of seven times. It doesn't matter. We're still smart people. We're still going to go out and make a difference."
Student Senate elections did not turn out as Delta Force members had hoped, but they took defeat in stride. Defeated in the presidential election and bested by a 49 to 18 margin in the number of Senate seats earned, Delta Force rallied around its ideology and vowed it would play a role in next year's Senate.
Kelley Weiss/Kansan
"I think we are surprised," Gregory said. "I think we knew we had tough competition, but this is a surprise."
Though members of Delta Force were not surprised by defeat in Senate elections, the KUnited's margin of victory in terms of number of Senate seats won was higher than Anna Gregory, Topeka junior, thought it would be.
Coalition members celebrated Delta Force's 18 victories with beer and live music.
Gregory said she thought KUnited's organization hurt Delta Force's chances in Senate elections.
"They run a machine," she said. "KUnited seemed ready to run in November and we didn't start until February."
Gregory, Thomas and Fallon Farokhi,
Delta Force's candidate for vice president,
all expressed hope for the future.
"Delta Force is filled with intelligent, hardworking people," Gregory said.
"They can change the world."
Brian Thomas, Plano, Texas, junior who ran for a CLAS seat and lost, said the defeat was disappointing to a point.
"I feel about as defeated as one could get over Student Senate elections," Thomas said. "But in the big picture, what does Student Senate mean? We'll still be involved and we'll bounce back."
Edited by Christy Dendurent
Unofficial ELECTION RESULTS
Delta Force Independent KUnited Lord Wads
Student Body President/Vice President
Student Body President/ Vice President
*Andy Knopn/Catherine Bell* 2324
*Drew Walton/Falton Faroki* 1211
*Sir Foersth/Lord Wads* 184
Referendum 1
Referendum 1
A student initiative to add first year representation to Student Senate
Yes, I do support this referendum 2204
No, I do not support this referendum 815
Referendum 2
Referendum 2
A student initiative to add a 50 cent fee to fund University membership to the United States Students' Association
Yes, I do support this referendum 1863
No, I do not support this referendum 1175
Architecture (2)
★ Nicholas Lawler 77
★ Clarisa Diaz 74
◀ Tony Treu 33
▲ Hannah Franko 28
● Mike Warner 23
Business (2)
★ Josh Kaplan 128
★ Katie Cmkovich 124
▲ Molissa Menke 40
CLAS Freshman/Sophomore (14)
**CLAS Freshman/Sophomore (14)**
★ Elizabeth Knop 920
★ Molly Kocour 917
★ Collins Wade 914
★ Jennifer Lyon 892
★ Arthur Jones 880
★ Jenny Ternes 877
★ Steven Munch 865
★ Marynell Jones 843
★ Nick Sterner 842
★ Anna Clovis 839
★ Greyson Clymer 829
★ Jana Szatkowski 829
★ Jake Hills 817
★ Chris Cardinal 807
▲ Kevin McKenzie 390
▲ Kyle Stearns 389
▲ Jessica Christenberry 386
▲ Ethan Nuss 380
▲ Anne Iverson 379
▲ Kristan Seibel 373
▲ Jack Henry-Rhoads 366
■ Brandon Snook 368
▲ Kelly Gibbens 363
Dan Peters 360
▪ Tausha Jackson 354
▪ Becky Harpstrite 332
▪ Christie L. Moses 315
● Peter “Pookie” Thornhill 284
CLAS Junior/Senior (14)
★ Shannon Bell 469
★ Mark A. Dupree 443
★ Amanda Boyer 436
★ Leo Khayet 421
★ Jeff Dunlap 413
★ Egan Waggoner 404
★ Alicia Ellingson 397
★ Cribb Altman 392(tie)
★ Keval Shah 392(tie)
★ Blake Shuart 392(tie)
★ Ashlee Reid 284
▲ Scott McKenzie 377
★ Bobby Birhaiy 376
▲ Robin Anderson 353
▲ Andrew Wymore 350
▲ Anna Gregory 348
▲ Brian Thomas 347
▲ Blake Swenson 345
★ Steve Vockrodt 340
▲ Travis Weller 334
★ Benjamin Barmes 318
★ Tyler Longpine 315
★ Kelli Brandt 315
★ Tyler Young 313
● Phil Mitchell 310
▲ Shannon Snapp 307
▲ Bethany Baxter 305
▲ Ashley Dosien 286
● Amanda Moglemre 173
● Nick Reddell 145
● John P. Waller 114
● Brett Gilmore 111
● Steven P. Adams 109
● J. Tanner Rapelye 109
● Brandt Pangborn 105
● Doozie Martin 107
● Drew Baranowski 90
Education (2)
★ David Hagan 51
★ Chris McEchron 44
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6A