Tough times call for creative measures. Real sustainability requires innovation and an openness to change. Leadership must be seized and celebrated--where it is found. They understand this at Florida State.

The search for a new president at Florida State University has barely begun, but there's a campaign under way to replace T.K. Wetherell with rap star T-Pain.

Called T-Pain For FSU Prez--with nifty T-shirts to promote the cause--the campaign was started last week by FSU graduate student Justin de la Cruz.

It quickly expanded to a Facebook group that has more than 250 members, including the wife and sister of Tallahassee native T-Pain. T-Pain, whose real name is Faheem Rasheed Najm, has endorsed the campaign via Twitter and his own Facebook page.

"Right when I saw TK was resigning," de la Cruz said, "I thought I'd try and get some alternative ideas of people for president – not that this is the perfect candidate or anything.

"They're looking for someone who can make a lot of money, and T-Pain makes a lot of money."

The "pain" theme plays a prominent role in the "cam-pain." It calls for the rapper to create a College of Hip Hop at FSU, and claims that as FSU president T-Pain will replace the water in all of the fountains on campus with "cham-pain."

De la Cruz, who's halfway to a master's degree in humanities, is planning a pep rally prior to the Labor Day night FSU-Miami football game.

"We are looking for local sponsors and support from anyone in the Tallahassee community," he said. "We'll be having steady updates on our site about merchandise, contests and giveaways."

Wetherell, who announced his resignation in June and is staying on as FSU president until a replacement is hired, wasn't aware Wednesday of the student-originated campaign for T-Pain.

"I'm more a Toby Keith, Johnny Cash guy," Wetherell said. "I don't know what a T-Pain is. Can he lobby the Legislature, that's all I want to know."