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USG senator shot to death in New Haven
Breaking News: Updated 12:56 a.m.
Christopher Duray
Issue date: 8/27/08 Section: News
UConn senior Vladimir Voinov, 21, was found shot to death Thursday night in a New Haven apartment at 353 Poplar St, in the city's Fair Haven neighborhood.
New Haven Police are withholding details about the shooting to protect the ongoing investigation. It is unclear why Voinov was at the residence, which was not his, though the New Haven Independent reported that the apartment is allegedly notorious as a place to buy illegal drugs.
According to Voinov's aunt, Ellina Zektser, funeral arrangements have yet to be made, as there had been difficulties in contacting Voinov's immediate family, who live in Ukraine.
Zektser said that she and the rest of her family greatly appreciated the messages mourning students have been leaving on Voinov's Facebook page.
UConn spokeswoman Karen Grava said that the school regrets Voinov's death.
"We share our sympathies with his family and friends and we have offered grief counseling to students who would like to talk to counselors," she said.
Grief counselors are available at Mental Health Services by calling (860) 486-4705.
Voinov, a 7th-semester political science major, had a strong presence on campus, serving in USG as both Sergeant-at-Arms and senator from Hilltop residence halls. He was also the editor-in-chief of the politically-charged campus weekly newspaper Inpolitically Correct. Voinov created controversy last year when he was disqualified from the race for USG president for campaigning at the Take Back the Night event.
Andrew Wicks, a 7th-semester economics and political science major, worked with Voinov on Inpolitically Correct.
"I first met him two years ago and he was brilliant, he had a brilliant mind, and he always dressed in a crazy gangster communist style," Wicks said. "He looked ridiculous, but he knew his stuff and he could speak eloquently about the importance of things he believed in. He had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth while he was speaking, but he was a good guy and he wanted to do positive things."
Wicks expects to take Voinov's position as editor-in-chief and said that in addition to using the magazine to continue Voinov's focus on social justice, he would entertain the possibility of merging with another of UConn's papers, the Free Press.
"Vlad was probably one of the most passionate people this organization has ever seen," said USG President Ryan McHardy. "We lost a big voice. He always made sure to speak up and challenge the status quo and that's something that will be an empty void for the rest of the year without him."
"What I loved about Vlad is that he marched to his own beat and was comfortable with that," said USG advisor Julie Elkins.
"[Voinov] was a true leader like no other and he will be greatly missed by me and his friends and colleagues," she said. "I was really looking forward to working with him this year, since I knew he was going to do tremendous things. It's really a loss not just to his family and friend but to the University of Connecticut."
Ivana Durbic, a friend of Voinov's since middle school, remembered how she felt when she heard the news.
"Honestly, I was still holding onto hope that Vlad was going to come online any day now and tell us all that it was a joke and he was fine," she said. "As cruel as that would have been I'd much rather be pissed at him for kidding around like that than actually having to face the truth that he was really gone."
"It is very unfortunate that Vlad never got to live up to his potential and really show the world what he was capable of," Durbic said. "However I know his memory will continue to live on in lives of all those hew knew, and he will surely be missed. I just hope that we can all keep in mind that while perhaps he has made poor choices they are in no way a reflection of who he was as a whole."
One of Voinov's friends, 7th-semester vocal music education major Sarah Jane Boucher, remembered him fondly.
"Vlad was an intellectually sound, and profoundly revolutionary person," she said. "He deeply cared for not only the progress of the University of Connecticut, but for the progress of society. Yet speaking with Vlad on a primarily shallow level, one would never know his exceptionality. He had a brilliant sense of humor, leveled with everyone he met and was the epitome of geniality. He held within himself a light that was too bright for this world."
Christopher.Duray@UConn.edu
New Haven Police are withholding details about the shooting to protect the ongoing investigation. It is unclear why Voinov was at the residence, which was not his, though the New Haven Independent reported that the apartment is allegedly notorious as a place to buy illegal drugs.
According to Voinov's aunt, Ellina Zektser, funeral arrangements have yet to be made, as there had been difficulties in contacting Voinov's immediate family, who live in Ukraine.
Zektser said that she and the rest of her family greatly appreciated the messages mourning students have been leaving on Voinov's Facebook page.
UConn spokeswoman Karen Grava said that the school regrets Voinov's death.
"We share our sympathies with his family and friends and we have offered grief counseling to students who would like to talk to counselors," she said.
Grief counselors are available at Mental Health Services by calling (860) 486-4705.
Voinov, a 7th-semester political science major, had a strong presence on campus, serving in USG as both Sergeant-at-Arms and senator from Hilltop residence halls. He was also the editor-in-chief of the politically-charged campus weekly newspaper Inpolitically Correct. Voinov created controversy last year when he was disqualified from the race for USG president for campaigning at the Take Back the Night event.
Andrew Wicks, a 7th-semester economics and political science major, worked with Voinov on Inpolitically Correct.
"I first met him two years ago and he was brilliant, he had a brilliant mind, and he always dressed in a crazy gangster communist style," Wicks said. "He looked ridiculous, but he knew his stuff and he could speak eloquently about the importance of things he believed in. He had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth while he was speaking, but he was a good guy and he wanted to do positive things."
Wicks expects to take Voinov's position as editor-in-chief and said that in addition to using the magazine to continue Voinov's focus on social justice, he would entertain the possibility of merging with another of UConn's papers, the Free Press.
"Vlad was probably one of the most passionate people this organization has ever seen," said USG President Ryan McHardy. "We lost a big voice. He always made sure to speak up and challenge the status quo and that's something that will be an empty void for the rest of the year without him."
"What I loved about Vlad is that he marched to his own beat and was comfortable with that," said USG advisor Julie Elkins.
"[Voinov] was a true leader like no other and he will be greatly missed by me and his friends and colleagues," she said. "I was really looking forward to working with him this year, since I knew he was going to do tremendous things. It's really a loss not just to his family and friend but to the University of Connecticut."
Ivana Durbic, a friend of Voinov's since middle school, remembered how she felt when she heard the news.
"Honestly, I was still holding onto hope that Vlad was going to come online any day now and tell us all that it was a joke and he was fine," she said. "As cruel as that would have been I'd much rather be pissed at him for kidding around like that than actually having to face the truth that he was really gone."
"It is very unfortunate that Vlad never got to live up to his potential and really show the world what he was capable of," Durbic said. "However I know his memory will continue to live on in lives of all those hew knew, and he will surely be missed. I just hope that we can all keep in mind that while perhaps he has made poor choices they are in no way a reflection of who he was as a whole."
One of Voinov's friends, 7th-semester vocal music education major Sarah Jane Boucher, remembered him fondly.
"Vlad was an intellectually sound, and profoundly revolutionary person," she said. "He deeply cared for not only the progress of the University of Connecticut, but for the progress of society. Yet speaking with Vlad on a primarily shallow level, one would never know his exceptionality. He had a brilliant sense of humor, leveled with everyone he met and was the epitome of geniality. He held within himself a light that was too bright for this world."
Christopher.Duray@UConn.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 15
kim
posted 8/26/08 @ 6:08 PM EST
Vlad was a bright light! He will be missed by everyone that he worked with. Vlad made everyday a little more enjoyable.
R
posted 8/26/08 @ 6:59 PM EST
"It is unclear why Voinov was at the residence, which was not his, though the New Haven Independent reported that the apartment is allegedly notorious as a place for selling illegal drugs. (Continued…)
Bill
posted 8/26/08 @ 10:16 PM EST
The individuals commenting above should be aware that the Daily Campus staff merely quoted the New Haven Independent. They did not in any way imply anything that was not already implied by another party. (Continued…)
J
posted 8/26/08 @ 11:17 PM EST
druggy's friends are getting upset about the truth of their friend becoming public
Blunt
posted 8/27/08 @ 8:36 AM EST
Oh snap!
J.H.
posted 8/27/08 @ 5:08 PM EST
Come on, people. The wild speculation and bashing needs to stop. It is beyond disrespectful and ignorant to attack someone who has passed, especially when you have no perspective of what happened. (Continued…)
J.H
posted 8/28/08 @ 2:45 PM EST
Marc,
You've made it very obvious that you never met the kid and you are speaking way out of your league here. If someone you knew died and others attacked him or her based on what the NEWSPAPER says, I bet you'd be pretty pissed. (Continued…)
Janice
posted 8/28/08 @ 7:06 PM EST
I didn't know Vlad very well but I did meet him a couple of times. He was a great kid with much ahead of him. Regardless of that, I think that this article, in ways, was very disrespectful. (Continued…)
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