< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 Rock star Jason On the way to a concert in Florida, Jason Foster and his band, Sidewise, had to deal with a broken van — twice. The first time, a fire popped in east St. Louis. Then, somewhere near the Alabama-Florida line, the engine wouldn't start. The AAA repairman showed up with a bowie knife.Not a wrench or a screwdriver, but a genuine frontier hunting weapon. "He goes, 'Errrr,' and it worked, with just a knife." Jason says, holding an imaginary bowie knife. "kind of like Radiohead, or Yes, or tool or maybe Incubus." As a senior, he splits his time between five hours of anthropology courses at KU, 12 hours of audio engineering courses at Kansas City Kansas Community College and roughly 15 hours of band practice every week. "The toughest thing ... is when one of the guys gets a new girlfriend ... Girls can confuse you. They're just trouble." Jason Foster Born in Lincoln, Neb., and raised in Overland Park, Jason became a fan of alternative rock at an early age. He loved the band 311, which originated in Omaha. Wearing a grayish-brown v-neck and gray corduroy pants, he looks the part of a rocker. He's 6-foot-1 and well-built — probably a product of his high school football days. He's got medium-length, straight brown hair that sort of fans out in the back, and he's a fast talker. "I'm the huge go-getter in the band," he says. "It's going to happen. Where there's a will, there's a way." Sidewise plays a sort of progressive rock alternative music, Jason says, Despite the long hours, he has no doubt that playing with Sidewise is what he wants to do. "This is what I want to do with my life," he says. "One way or another it's going to be music or anthropology. Right now the fire is burning for music and the hope is that we're going to create something and make a mark." During the summer he's moving into a three-bedroom house with five other band members to save money and make practicing easier. So far, Sidewale has taken small steps toward success, he says. The band has made two CDs and is working on a third. Two years ago they won a competition in Kansas City, and they've played at the Bottleneck and the Granada several times since then. Their next big gig is this summer at Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival at Clinton Lake, which will be a big accolade, Jason says. He buzbles with energy as he tells me about sharing the stage, determination and making it big. Then he sits up and mentions what he considers to be one of the biggest threats to a band's success: Girls. "The toughest thing to deal with is when one of the guys gets a new girlfriend and stops spending time on what's important," he says. "Girls can confuse you. They're just trouble." "I have a girlfriend, though," he adds. "She is really understanding." Presidential Jason Jason Boots is handing everybody fliers. He strolls down the sidewalk near Stauffer-Flint Hall and approaches a group of people walking to class. Before he can say anything, though, they announce that they have already voted in the Student Senate elections. "All right," he says enthusiastically. "Enjoy the weather." "All four of you?" he asks. "Yup," they tell him. In a red ignite coalition t-shirt and khaki shorts, he's tan from standing outside all day. His eyes look bloodshot, and his lean, 6-foot frame looks tired and at odds with the chipper greetings he bestows upon everyone who passes by. He estimates he has talked to about 75 people during the last three hours and that he has slept about 10 hours in the past week. It's 3 p.m. on the Wednesday of election week. He's the presidential candidate for his coalition, ignite, and the polls close in one hour. Popularity of the name Jason A junior from Plano, Texas, Jason says he "fell into" his decision to run for student body president. After senate elections last year, fellow student senators were telling him "Boots in '06." He was apprehensive about the proposal,"was like,"Hold on here.We've got a whole year ahead of us with this group,"he says. what we're interested in," he says."If we can help them on a micro level instead of just a macro level, then we've done something for them." But then more and more people told him he should do it. People liked his ability to work with students and administrators, he says. They liked his personality. He should do it. He should run for student body president. "Eventually, I said, 'Okay. This is what I'm going to do.'" More people pass by and he follows. When he returns, he mentions that soliciting himself to unknown students isn't his favorite part of campaigning. "I'm a pretty humble guy, so this doesn't really jive with my personality," he says. "Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's bad. Then, of course, you hear the horror stories about people getting spit on." Chasing Jasons As an engineering major, Jason doesn't know if politics is in his future. He says he's just trying to focus on what's in front of him at the moment, which happens to be another passerby. He straightens up, walks onto the sidewalk and delivers his signature "Howdy." He decided the most important issue was reconnecting with students, getting out among the masses more than just a few times a year. Student Senate has to get a holistic picture, he says. There are 500 student organizations and each one of them the best for its members."That's Jason won the position of student body president that evening with 53 percent of the votes. Of course, my search didn't extend to every Jason at the University. Jason Swanson, for example, the senior quarterback who led the football team to 428 yards total offense in the Jayhawk's first victory against Nebraska since 1968, was a prime candidate, but he never replied to my emails or phone calls. Then there are officers Jason White and Jason Fellbush of the KUPublic Safety office, whom I was eager to ask about the dangers of being a police officer. Here again, though, no replies. There are several law students named Jason, two guys named Jason Carter, a Jason from Houston, one from Monticello, N.Y., and another from Chicago. year Ispoke with a Jason Murray, Leawood senior who's won theatre awards for lead roles in musicals like Crazy For You and Rock Chalk Revue. There is a Jason Shimanek, a pharmacy, student and a self-described pseudo-vegetarian (he still eats fish). I found Jasons in just about every field of study, from civil engineering to theater and film. I found Jasons of different ethnicities, religions and political bents. In short, I found more guys who share my name than I could ever hope to know. FAMOUS JASONS > Jason Voorhees (Deranged killer in the movie Friday the 13th) Jason and the Argonauts (Mythical Greek hero) >Jason Giambi (New York Yankees first baseman and American League MVP in 2000) > Jason Gedrick (Murder One, The "hot car wash guy" on Alc McBea) >Jason Alexander (Seinfeld, Pretty Woman) Jason (A rocket developed by the U.S.Air Force for monitoring radiation in rear earth space in 1958.) Jason 1 (A satellite project launched in 2001 and developed jointly by NASA and CNES (France's equivalent to NASA) to measure ocean surface topography.) Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Chasing Amy) >Jason Priestly (Beverly Hills 90210) Jason Statham (Transporter, Snatch) →Jason Mraz (musician) Jason Moran (jazz musician) Jason Collett (musician) Jason Carroll (CNN national correspondent) Jason Biggs (American Pie) Jason Connery (Shanghai Noon) Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter series) > Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, I Heart Huckabee) Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) > Jason Mewes (Jay in Clerks, Mallrats, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) 4. 12⇒ JAYPLAY 05.04.2006