Timothy Kemp denied entrance into Mr. Lyndon competition

2/14/08

Nate Champagne featuring Timothy Kemp

For anyone that picked up an issue of the Critic last week, I’m sure you saw the front page with its picture of Mr. Lyndon. What few know is the story going on behind Mr. Lyndon. The CAB sanctioned event went off without a hitch crowning Dave Marks for his lip-syncing and beat-boxing skills. Though, it is the story of Timothy Kemp who was not allowed to participate that this article will focus on.

For those who don’t know, Timmy Kemp is an outstanding individual with a 2.6 GPA, involved in many clubs and even writes for this paper. Even though Timmy Kemp went to all the meetings and jumped through all the hoops to compete in the Mr. Lyndon competition he still received an email the night before the competition telling him he did not meet the criteria to compete. He has since received no such written criteria by which one could determine eligibility.

“I felt discriminated against when I found out that I was replaced by someone who showed up ten minutes before show time,” Kemp said. “The contest cannot be considered legitimate because not everyone who wanted got to compete”.

After meeting with RHD Brandon Buckley, Timmy was told that due to events in the Grey House in years past, Brandon had decided that Timmy to be too accessible to peer pressure to let him compete. Buckley continued to say that at first there were too many people interested in competing but by the time the show rolled around there were few competitors to be found. However, a friend and Mr. Lyndon presenter Christopher Arsenault has come forth in saying, “Brandon didn’t want Timmy competing because he took his shirt off at the talent show.” Though if this is truly the reason behind Kemp’s dismissal from the competition then it raises the question, if we can sell chocolate penises and vaginas for Valentines Day why can’t we deal to see Timmy with his shirt off?

Reasoning aside, the manner in which it was handled and inquiries into it were met with hostility and insult. Considering our tuition is what pays for the dorms and the jobs of the people that run them, I feel as though we deserve better answers then what I got from Brandon Buckley and Jonathan Davis and I quote, “It’s none of your business.” Well, we’re making it our business.