By Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
When most people think of campaign fund-raisers they don't imagine a karaoke night at a popular bar and grill.
Brisa Urquieta said she and a couple of friends decided something as important as politics didn't have to be boring and came up with having a "Kerry-oke" night to raise money for John Kerry's presidential campaign.
Urquieta, an administrative assistant, said she originally just wanted to put together a Karaoke night, but then realized she had a chance to do something that made a difference.
"Within five days we had everything," she explains. "We had O'Niell's booked and the T-shirts printed up."
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Andy Carey, a graduate student, said he came out to support the event because he believes Kerry is the best candidate running.
"Kerry's a good candidate. Bush is not," he said. "The country will be so much better off without him."
Not only Kerry supporters showed up to sing their hearts out.
Pat Ratledge, a Bush supporter, sang everything from Milli Vanilli to Neil Diamond.
"I enjoy karaoke," he said. "I didn't know when I went up there that it was a Kerry thing. It's fun, but I'm not a Kerry supporter."
Ratledge said he doesn't agree with a lot Kerry says and thinks Bush is taking America in the right direction.
"I'm just not impressed with what Kerry has had to offer in the Senate," he said.
Shannon Fluder, co-organizer of the event, said the night was a success, with about 80 people showing up and raising over $600 to support Kerry. She said it just goes to show that you don't have to belong to an official organization to get something done.
"You can just be a regular person," she said. "You can take something fun and turn it into something meaningful."
