THE UNIVERSITY OF IAIRY KANSAN
MONDAY MARCH 30, 2009
NEWS
3A
STUDENT SENATE
Senior attempts different method to run for Senate
YouTube video introduces Tutu Lee as possible candidate for student body president, despite no approval from elections commission
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
Tutu Lee is running for student body president. To get his girlfriend back.
At least, that's what he says in a YouTube video released March 24. The video, which describes student politicians as "sycophantic resume builders" before leading into a montage of Lee and his vice presidential candidate, Rahul Desai, shooting handguns in a field, already has more than 1,000 views.
He has not yet been approved to run by the elections commission, but Lee, Overland Park senior, said he didn't need the elections commission to approve his candidacy. He said his bid for the presidency would not be the typical Student Senate campaign.
"We don't need to fucking park
ourselves on Wescoe Beach and harass people like we're selling fucking Girl Scout cookies." Lee said. "That's absolutely insane. There's no common sense in that, but that's what characterizes these elections."
Ask Lee why he is running for Student Senate and you probably won't get a straight answer. He'll tell you he doesn't care about Senate and he doesn't care about the student body and he definitely doesnt
care about the other coalitions.
"I'm running in a sense, because I came to this epiphany, this recognition, that in order to do good sometimes you have to engage in the evils of this world, and I think Student
Senate most certainly deserves that description" Lee said.
Lee, however, has been involved with Senate since he came to the University through various campaigns and also comments frequently on Student Senate articles on Kansen.com
"I think he has been involved with it because he does care," said Jack Connor, Overland Park senior and Lee's former roommate. "Say what
you will about it being a stunt or whatever, but he's still running for Student Senate. If he didn't care about it I don't think he would be doing it."
Connor, off-campus senator.
Desai
said he thought Lee, a quantitative psychology major, understood how to run elections better than almost anyone else in Senate.
"He always has an objective in mind," Connor said. "In some ways he's the most rational person I know. He can completely think through a problem and find the most reasonable answer."
Lee said this campaign was no exception. When asked if he was being deceptive or duplicitous. Lee responded without hesitation, yes.
"I am being completely manipulative and everything I've done, this entire campaign is. I would say, nominally well thought out."
Lee's campaign has already raised suspicions within University administration as well as discomfort among the student body. They said specifically that they were concerned with the presence of guns in
Lee's YouTube video.
KU spokeswoman fill less said the University did not condone the content of Lee's video, but respected his First Amendment right to produce it.
"It's violent," said Sarah Bluvas, Atlanta junior and elections commission chair. "If you see someone saying they want to run for a public office and then spending two or three minutes on a video that you post online, that anyone can watch, at a shooting range, it raises questions. It makes you wonder what is this person really capable of."
After conversations between members of the elections commission and the vice provosts office, a decision was made to have a police officer sit outside an elections commission meeting last Tuesday and the Senate meeting Wednesday.
Lee said he didn't intend for the
guns to be intimidating or scary, but instead as a way to show something unique about himself that he enjoys.
When asked to sum up his campaign, to define a purpose. Lee will still avoid giving a straight answer.
"I know you have to wrap it up. You have things to do" Lee said. "You want a message, a mission statement, Tutu Lee thinks this. Doesn't work this way. Here, write this: I'm confused. Tutu Lee's confused. He doesn't know what's going on. Tutu Lee's confused. Or: I'm a mystery. An enigma Wrapped in a riddle."
Lee plans to appeal on Tuesday the elections commission's decision to not allow him to run for student body president.
Lee's video can be seen by searching YouTube for "Free State Campaign Red Band Trailer."
CRIME
- Edited by Jesse Trimble
Man kills seven residents and nurse in nursing home
BY KEVIN MAURER
Associated Press
CARTHAGE, N.C. A gunman burst into a North Carolina nursing home Sunday morning and started "shooting everything," killing seven residents and a nurse and wounding at least three others.
Robert Stewart, 45, of Moore County, was charged hours later with eight counts of first-degree murder and a single charge of felony assault of a law enforcement officer. Authorities offered few other details, allowing only that Stewart was not a patient or an employee at the nursing home, and isn't believe to be related to any of the victims.
"It's a horrible event in any size town, particularly, though, when you deal with a small town such as Carthage," said Police Chief Chris
McKenzie. "It's hard. This is my home, my small town. I was born and raised here so, yeah, I take it to heart a little bit. All you can do is move forward."
Authorities said Stewart began his rampage around 10 a.m. at Pinelake Health and Rehab, a nursing home in the North Carolina Sandhills about 60 miles southwest of Raleigh. A police officer, 25-year-old Justin Garner, was
"comes in and just starts shooting everything around."
The victims were identified as residents Tessie Garner, 88; Lillian Dunn, 89; Jessie Musser, 88; Bessie
also wounded before Stewart was shot and apprehended.
"It's hard. This is my home, my small town. I was born and raised here ... I take it to heart a bit."
CHRIS MCKENZIE
Carthage, N.C., police chief
Hendrick, 78;
John Goldston,
78; Margaret
Johnson, 89;
Lee Disque,
98; and nurse
lerry Avent,
whose age wasn't
immediately
available.
spokeswoman at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in nearby Pinehurst, said six people were brought to the hospital from the nursing home. Two died, two were discharged and two were still being treated. She wouldn't release further details on the injuries or
Gretchen Kelly, a
conditions of those hospitalized.
Late Sunday afternoon, authorities appeared to be conducting a search of the nursing home's parking lot, which they had blocked off with yellow police tape. Among the items they found was a camouflaged-colored rifle or shotgun, which was leaning against the side of a Jeep Cherokee.
The road leading to the home was filled with parked cars, both of police and relatives of those living at Pinelake. Howard McMillian, of Lakeview, said he raced to the scene as soon as he heard about the shooting. His 56-year-old sister lives at the nursing home, and McMillian said his brother had gotten a call from officials saying she was unharmed.
"I know she's real nervous," McMillian said. "I just want to make sure she OK."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A Moore County sheriff's deputy redirects traffic from the area where a gunman opened fire at a nursing home Sunday morning, killing eight and wounding several others in Carthage, N.C., Sunday. The gunman was also injured before he was apprehended by police after the 10 a.m. shooting at Pinkelbeck Health and Rehab, Police Chief Chris McKenzie told several television stations. A police officer was also injured.
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THIS WEEK ON CAMPUS funded
PAID FOR BY KU
GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY
Sponsored by the Honors Program and the Honors Program Student Council
Saturday, April 4, 2009:
- 9:30 am MEET on the 4th floor of the Kansas Union (we will carpool to sites)
- 10AM - 2pm VOLUNTEER across the Lawrence community
- 2 - 4pm RELAX! Party for volunteers at Nunemaker with Ice cream, Music, Prizes, and FUN!
Volunteering Sites Include:
- Habitat for Humanity
- Lawrence City Park Clean-Up
- Lawrence Multiple Sclerosis Walk
- Pioneer Ridge Retirement Home
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