KU News Release

Campanile Award winner bridges gaps between diverse groups

Nick Lush

LAWRENCE — A University of Kansas senior recognized for his ability to bridge gaps between diverse groups on campus will receive the 2008 Campanile Award.

Nick Lush, a French and Italian major from Carmichael, Calif., has received the $500 award that was established by the Class of 2000 to honor a graduating senior who has displayed remarkable leadership, character and respect for KU.

He is the son of Tania Lush Fowler and Andrew Lush, both of Carmichael, Calif.

At KU, Lush has been involved in his fraternity, Theta Chi, and with Hillel. He has served the Theta Chi chapter as vice president and homecoming chair for three years.

In Hillel, Lush has promoted outreach to the non-Jewish community as a member of the group’s student executive board and senior advisory council.

Jay Lewis, executive director of Hillel, described Lush as mature, thoughtful and articulate and said he “socially is able to bridge gaps between people and diverse social groups. He connects people to each other.”

Last fall, Lush chaired Hillel’s back to school party “Heatin’ Up With Hillel” that attracted more than 400 students. During a Family Weekend “Hillel on the Hill” tailgate party, sporting a crimson and blue sweatshirt with “Kansas” written in Hebrew, Lush cooked hundreds of hot dogs and hamburgers.

For the past three years, Lush has volunteered with Natural Ties, a campus group that encourages students to work with mentally handicapped adults in the Lawrence community. He has also volunteered for the past year as a child mentor for Mentors in the Lives of Kids, an organization that helps fourth- and fifth-grade students with homework after school.

Lush recalled that his guidance counselor at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, Calif., told him that in his many years of counseling students, Lush was the first to apply at KU.

Lush noted in his award application that he has not only decorated his family’s home with crimson and blue but that he has recruited six Jayhawks, including his younger brother, Max, who will be a freshman next fall.

After graduation, Lush hopes to find a job in Lawrence or the Kansas City area.

-30-

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.