Lurie says they didn’t poster on the first day of campaigning because they didn’t want people to see them as “part of the machine.” They have since put up posters in all the Houses.

And in the wake of the death of Winthrop House student Marian H. Smith ’04 on Friday, Lurie and Misono have decided to stop their campaign activities altogether out of respect for the victim’s family, Lurie says.

“I think that tragedies like this are times for reflection on what’s truly important in life,” Lurie said on Saturday. “I think we all have to step back for a second.”

A campaign rally to be held yesterday was canceled, and Lurie says the duo will not put up any more posters.

Though Friday’s tragedy has brought out Lurie’s serious side, he is best known as a joker.

He campaigned last year for a council seat as a first-year in Weld. Though he lost, he says he learned from the experience that running for office is a good way to meet people.

“You get to go door-to-door and not look like a creepy stalker,” he says.

The door-to-door approach suits Lurie, a native of Wayne, N.J., who is described by friends as funny and charismatic.

“The problem with some Harvard students is their overly rigid personalities. They’re boringly unusual,” says Jason M. Bussey, a third-year student at Harvard Law School who works as an adviser to HSS. “Jason’s got a personality. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he’s serious enough to get the job done.”

Lurie brings his humor to the campaign, as well. While calling himself and Misono the “academic, intellectual, arts” ticket, he notes that they have more to offer.

“We’re also the ticket for people who like hot guys on the council,” he says.

But on a more serious note, he says he and Misono are different from other candidates because they don’t see the council as a springboard to future political ambitions. They each have plans to attend graduate school.

“We’re in it to improve the undergraduate experience, we’re not in it for the glory,” Lurie says. “If all of our ideas are co-opted by the ticket that wins, I’d be fine with that.”