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vol. 138 // iss. 2 Thurs., Jan. 24, 2019

Students, faculty and staff gathered to march in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day p. 2 Pulitzer Prize winning author to speak at Liberty Hall p. 3

SEE SOFTBALL • PAGE 7

Read more at kansan.com

KU heads to the Oscars

Nominations: The good and the bad

KU track and field claims Sunflower Triangular title

COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman

Kansas track and field won the KU-KSUWSU Triangular on Saturday, scoring 235 points.

Kansas tennis kicks off spring season Kansas tennis started its 2019 campaign with victories in the Orlando Invitational and against Northwestern over break.

KU grad’s politicallycharged art on display at public library Lawrence artist Tay Stark’s politically charged artwork on view at the Lawrence Public Library reacts to President Trump’s California wildfire commentary.

Read these stories and more at kansan.com

‘BlacKkKlansman’ earns 6 nods COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman The University of Kansas will have a representative at this year’s 91st Academy Awards.

Film professor Kevin Willmott is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on “BlacKkKlansman.”

Willmott is nominated with his three co-writers, Spike Lee, Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz.

Announcements were

made Tuesday morning via livestream on the Oscars website.

“I’m honored to the bottom of my soul,” Willmott said in a text message. “KU has been supportive of my career, and I’m proud to be here at this moment! I have many friends and KU colleagues that helped me to get here, and I want to thank all of them. I’m a very lucky man.

“BlacKkKlansman” received six nominations total, also including Best

Rep. files against ‘gag rule’ KYSER DOUGAN @KyserDougan Newly elected State Representative and University of Kansas alum Brandon Woodard (D-Lenexa), has filed his first bill as a member of the House, and it could impact the concealed carry laws passed in previous legislative sessions.

Woodard’s bill could end what he calls the “gag rule” that does not allow university leaders across the state to voice their opinions about concealed carry law on campuses.

He said he believes that this is a free speech issue and that university chancellors or presidents should be able to express if their institutions are uncomfortable with the law.

“A couple years ago the legislature put into law that our campus organizations could not use taxpayer dollars to advocate on gun policy issues,” Woodard said.

KU Young Democrats President Jamie Hawley said she supports the

passage of the bill, and that administration and faculty have a right to express whether or not they support this policy. Hawley said students should be able to know where leaders stand on the matter.

“It centers the conversation on those it affects the most...whose safety is directly impacted by the presence of concealed weapons.”

Jamie Hawley KU Young Democrats

“It centers the conversation on those it affects the most, those who work and study on college campuses and whose safety is directly impacted by the presence of concealed weapons,” Hawley said.

Garrett Miller, President of KU’s College Republicans said he dis-

agrees — he said the state should not “pay for lobbyists to lobby against constitutional protections.”

“There’s an educational funding issue in Kansas,” Miller said. “Instead of paying for efforts to fight a constitutional protection, Rep. Woodard and Democrats should be working with Republicans to pass bipartisan legislation that will fund education in Kansas.”

While some may see this as infringing on gun rights, like Miller, Woodard said he does not feel that this is the case.

“Some may mischaracterize it as saying that I want people using tax dollars to lobby on gun policy issues, which isn’t the case,” Woodard said.

“I just think that General Myers at K-State should be able to come here as K-State’s president and Chancellor Girod should be able to say as the universities’ leaders that [their] institution doesn’t want this. That [they] see it as a local control issue.”

Picture and Best Director for Spike Lee. The film follows the true story of Ron Stallworth, a black detective who went undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s. Stallworth visited Lawrence in September to screen the film with Willmott.

The screenplay is adapted from his 2014 book, “Black Klansman: A Memoir.”

This is Willmott’s first Academy Award nod after a long career

in writing and directing.

Willmott previously collaborated with Lee on the screenplay of the 2015 film “Chiraq.”

Previous University Oscar representatives include William Inge, a 1953 graduate, who won an Oscar in 1962 for the “Splendor in the Grass” screenplay.

A full list of nominees can be viewed online.

The Academy Awards will be broadcast Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.

Illustration by Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN

The snow just keeps coming SYDNEY HOOVER @sydhoover17 When it rains, it pours.

Unless you live in Kansas, in which case, it ices.

For the fourth time in two years, the University of Kansas canceled classes due to inclement weather.

This brought the University’s snow day total to 28 since 1978, according to the University’s Office of Public Affairs website.

According to Accuweather, there is another chance of snow early next week, meaning another potential snow day for stu-

dents if snowfall is significant. But, you can never be certain with Kansas weather.

According to spokesperson Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, the University doesn’t have a limit to campus-wide cancellations.

“The university is not like K-12 schools in that we don’t need to make up for weather closures after a certain number of allowable snow days,” Barcomb-Peterson said in an email to the Kansan.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted

It’s been an uneven awards season. “A Star is Born” looked to be an early shoo-in for an Academy Award for Best Picture, but its October release didn’t work in its favor — perhaps the film peaked too soon. Golden Globe wins for “Green Book” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood mere days before Tuesday morning’s announcement of the nominees for the 91st Academy Awards.

It’s impossible for the Academy to come up with a perfect crop of nominees. It’s never happened, and it never will, but this year’s lineup is... interesting (read: disappointing).

No women were nominated for Best Director in a year of excellent women-led independent films.

The Academy opted for eight nominees in the Best Picture category instead of ten, shutting out Barry Jenkins’ acclaimed “If Beale Street Could Talk.” The Mr. Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” one of the most talked about films of the summer, was shockingly not named among the Best Documentary Feature nominees. The list goes on.

READ MORE ON PAGE 4

in October 2018 that the U.S. generally would have a “mild” winter throughout December 2018 through February 2019. The NOAA had expected this due to a 70 to 75 percent chance of a weak El Niño developing, creating “wetter conditions” in the south and warm, dry conditions in the North.

However, Kansas has seen around 16 inches of snow between November 2018 and January 2019 recorded in Topeka by the National Weather Service.

Normal snowfall typically totals around 11 inches within those three months, according to the National Weather Service.

Though local bars typically open when the University cancels classes as well as other businesses regularly open in Lawrence, the Lawrence Police Department recommends students stay inside due to road conditions.

“Just because there aren’t classes tomorrow DOES NOT mean you should go out drinking.

The roads are atrocious.

Stay in, study, read an anthology or two,” a tweet from the Lawrence Police Department said.

news

NEWS

2

Thursday, January 24, 2019

KANSAN.COM

K A N S A N .C O M / N E W S

staff NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin NICOLE ASBURY & SOPHIA BELSHE @NicoleAsbury @SophiaBelshe

Managing editor Savanna Smith

Digital operations editor Zach McGrath

Audience engagement editor Grant Heiman

Associate audience engagement editor Arman Alhosseini ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Business manager Emma Greenwood SECTION EDITORS

News editor Sydney Hoover

Associate news editor Juliana Garcia

Investigations editor Nicole Asbury

Sports editor Maddy Tannahill

Associate sports editor Braden Shaw

Arts & culture editor Josh McQuade

Associate arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman

Opinion editor Aroog Khaliq

Visuals editor & design chief Huntyr Schwegman

Photo editor Sarah Wright

Associate photo editor Chance Parker

Copy chiefs Raeley Youngs Nichola McDowell

General Manager Rob Karwath

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Natalie Hammer/KANSAN A second line brass band, University students and faculty march from Strong Hall to the Kansas Union in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

KU marches for MLK SOPHIA MISLE @smisle18 The cold and rain did not deter University of Kansas students and staff as they gathered at Strong Hall on Monday to participate in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day March Across Campus.

One marcher, Lendon Jackson, is a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity on campus, the first African-American, intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity.

“It’s a great fraternity to be a part of with a lot of rich history,” Jackson said. “It means a lot to me because it allows me to be a part of something bigger than myself and it allows me to have an outlet and a platform to lead.”

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Interim Dean Clarence Lang had a similar message during his opening remarks.

“I am a part of a growing conversation among scholars and students who understand [Martin Luther King Jr.] not simply as an exceptional in-

dividual but actually as a representation of something much larger than himself.”

After Lang spoke at Strong Hall, Lendon Jackson and two of his fraternity brothers led the marchers to the Kansas Union.

“Let’s use today as a springboard for an entire semester where we take these issues seriously and keep them at the forefront of our mind.”

Carl Lejuez Interim provost

“It was very warming. Being next to two of my [fraternity] brothers, talking, having fun is really what it’s all about. Having opportunities like this to represent what Martin Luther King Jr. did for us was a really cool opportunity,” Jackson said.

People of all different ages and races came out to march. A second line band called Brass Mob Brass Band played tunes such as “When the Saints Go Marching In” during the march and played all the way to the Union, as well as inside the Union.

“I think Martin Luther King is one of the biggest historical figures that we have in America. He started a huge movement for rights for everyone which has been a problem that we’ve had, I would say, in America for a while,” sophomore Kenidee Hatler said.

Closing remarks were provided by Interim Provost Carl Lejuez.

“We are here today because we have a responsibility to address issues of inclusion, address issues of racism, address issues of inequality and to do it in ways that are proactive” Lejuez said. “Let’s use today as a springboard for an entire semester where we take these issues seriously and keep them at the forefront of our mind.”

Though most students left campus for the holidays during December and January, crime still occurred throughout campus over the course of winter break.

From bicycle theft to a case of intimidation, police records reported an estimated eight crimes over break.

ASSAULT IN STOUFFER PLACE APARTMENTS A person domestically battered their partner on Jan. 20 in Stouffer Place Apartments around 3 a.m.

The person already had a warrant out for their arrest but failed to appear in court, according to police records.

The case was closed by arrest.

BICYCLE THEFT AT STEPHENSON SCHOLARSHIP HALL Someone cut a bicycle lock and stole a bicycle outside of Stephenson Scholarship Hall in between 12 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 18. An estimated $30 in property was damaged, and about $500 in property was stolen.

The case is open.

CRIMINAL TRESPASS IN MEMORIAL STADIUM Someone climbed over a locked gate to enter Memorial Stadium on Jan. 12 around 10 a.m, according to police records.

The case was closed by arrest.

INTIMIDATION IN SUMMERFIELD HALL

A suspect made threatening voicemails to the victim on Jan. 10 around 10 a.m., per police records.

The case is open.

VANDALISM ALONG 15TH STREET

A person criminally damaged a window of a vehicle along West 15th Street on Jan. 5, amounting to $100 in damage, per police police records.

The case is currently open.

THEFT IN JAYBREAK

Someone entered the Strong Hall Jay Break and stole money from the safe in between 2 p.m. on Dec. 20 and 7 a.m. on Dec. 21.

About $243 was stolen from the safe, per police records.

The case is open.

MISUSED CREDIT CARD ALONG NAISMITH DRIVE

A lost credit card was used by an unknown person in a location along Naismith Drive in between Dec. 15 and Dec. 17, according to police records.

The investigation is ongoing.

STAMP THEFT IN WESCOE HALL

Someone stole stamps from inside a desk drawer in Wescoe Hall in between Dec. 11 and Jan. 15, according to police records.

An estimated $100 in property was stolen.

The case is being investigated.

WOODARD BILL FROM PAGE 1 However, Woodard may face difficulties even getting a hearing on his bill due to the large majority Republicans hold.

Although Woodard said he does not expect to see a hearing on the bill, he said he was very encouraged by the response from the public and his voters who were pleased that he was introducing the legislation.

“I heard over and over on doorsteps that [voters] want guns off of campus and I think this is a good first step to even allow our university leaders to say that they don’t want them there,” he said.

Woodard said that this is his first bill due to the fact that it was similar to one last year and was therefore drafted quickly.

As one of the few legislators that works for a higher education institution, he felt it was important to bring his perspective on the issue.

“As a former student

leader this is an issue I’ve been working on since my days as student body vice president in 2012-2013,” he said. “So, I felt it was

necessary to make my voice heard.”

He said he hopes this legislation is the first step to getting guns off

Contributed Photo State Rep. Brandon Woodard files his bill which would allow university administrators to speak out against the concealed carry of weapons on campus.

of campuses -- if it is not then students should be required to have a permit and training on how to conceal carry properly.

In 2013, the bill required permits and training. Two years later the legislature took away the permit training requirements.

Meanwhile, some student groups do not think that concealed carry laws should change on campus.

“Nothing should be done in regard to concealed carry on campus,” Miller said. “Statistics show that concealed carry lowers crime not to mention that it’s constitutionally protected.”

On top of the concealed carry bill, Woodard said he hopes to propose legislation to expand protections for LGBT state workers, adding gender identity. This proposal would go beyond the sexual orientation protections that Governor Kelly signed into law with an executive order her first day in office.

Another bill Woodard is working on is a bill to require people circulating petitions to be Kansas citizens and for minors to be able to circulate them as well. Woodard filed to run via petition and the law currently allows anyone eligible to be a Kansas voter, at least 18 years old, to circulate petition.

“I want to change the fact that someone from California or Missouri or wherever can come and circulate petitions to get people on the ballot, but Kansans cannot,” Woodard said.

He said he believes that if you can register voters or be a poll agent as a minor that you should also be able to circulate petitions. This bill would allow Kansans to sign petitions, as long as they meet requirements to vote besides the age requirement.

“It is an easy way to get younger people involved in the political process, which I’ve been all about for a long time,” Woodard said.

KANSAN.COM

arts & culture Thursday, January 24, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE

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K A N S A N .C O M /A R T S _ A N D _ C U LT U R E

Award winning journalist to speak at Liberty Hall

RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester Jose Antonio Vargas’ mother sent him on a plane from the Philippines to the United States when he was 12 years old.

When he applied for a driver’s permit at 16, he discovered he had a fake green card and learned he was an undocumented immigrant.

Now a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker and immigration rights activist, Vargas will speak about his undocumented experience Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at Liberty Hall.

The event is hosted by The Commons as part of the Kenneth A. Spencer Lecture Series.

“We try to bring in speakers whose work resonates with The Commons’ larger mission, which is to connect the arts, sciences and humanities in terms of research, but also learning opportunities and discussion,” said Emily Ryan, director of The Commons.

Vargas came out as undocumented in a 2011 New York Times Magazine essay, according to his website. He later appeared on the cover of Time Magazine with other undocumented immi-

grants.

Previously, Vargas worked as a journalist at The Washington Post, where he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team for covering the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007.

Patricia Weems Gaston, a journalism professor at the University, worked with Vargas at The Washington Post.

Gaston said Vargas is “a big thinker” and was never afraid to work outside of the box as a reporter.

“He believes in what he’s doing,” Gaston said.

“I think when you have someone who believes in what they’re doing, whether it’s journalism or whether it’s running Define America, I think the sky is the limit for people like that.”

In September, Vargas released “Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen,” a memoir about his experience as an undocumented immigrant.

Vargas is also the founder of Define American, “a nonprofit media and culture organization that uses the power of story to transcend politics and shift the conversation about immigrants, identity, and citizenship in a changing America,” according to its website.

Ryan said the speakers

they invite for the lecture series often cover global issues. The aim of hosting the event in a community space like Liberty Hall is to connect the University community with the Lawrence community.

She also said it’s a way to create further discussion about the topics surrounding the event.

“I want to make sure that it’s an event happening in the community so that it’s more easily accessible to people as a way of bridging community and campus,” Ryan said.

Gaston said she’s excited to hear Vargas’ speech, to see her friend again in person and to have Vargas’ book signed by him.

“He has something that people need to hear at this time, and I hope people will be open to what he has to say, that they will take some of what he has to say to heart and that they will not judge him,” Gaston said.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and can be ordered beforehand. The Raven Book Store will also have copies of Vargas’ book available for sale and to be signed after the event.

a work of art.

“One of our goals is to make the museum experience more individualized and more accessible across the board,” Straughn-Navarro said.

The University of Kansas’ Spencer Museum of Art now offers audio descriptions for all its artwork via a free app. They also have devices that visitors can check out at the welcome desk.

The app includes materials for 10 self-guided tours, half of which have audio features. Not every piece in the museum’s collection is included in the app, but it does include both temporary and permanent collections.

Previously, the Spencer’s sight-impaired visitors would have to go to

the museum with a sighted companion who could describe things to them, or they would have to give advance notice to have a trained tour guide on hand.

Contributed photo Jose Antonio Vargas will speak at Liberty Hall Thursday, Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.

Spencer Museum of Art app helps visually impaired COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman

Thanks to the Spencer Museum of Art’s new multimedia app, visually impaired Lawrence residents can experience the gallery’s collection in a new way.

The app, launched in October and simply called “Spencer Museum of Art – KU,” is free for download on iOS and Android devices. It includes supplementary images, videos and audio to give visitors a multisensory experience.

Rachel Straughn-Navarro is the museum’s education coordinator and was closely involved in the app’s development. She said the app’s features were carefully designed to evoke what it feels like to look at

ed to see, or every movie you wanted to watch, or read every newspaper you wanted to read,” Nigro said.

“At some point, you start to feel like a burden.”

“I lost my sight when I turned 21, so I know what colors look like and everything, so I can picture a lot of this in my head.”

Patti Wilson Theater Lawrence season ticket holder

Jennifer Nigro, former Audio-Reader coordinator of volunteers, said the app is part of an ongoing effort to help people with disabilities be more independent.

“Think about if you had to ask someone to describe every piece of art you want-

The app was conceived about three years ago, Straughn-Navarro said, after the Spencer partnered with the volunteer-based Audio-Reader Network, a reading and information service for blind, visually impaired, and print dis-

Sarah Wright/KANSAN The Spencer Museum of Art app, launched in October 2018, allows visitors to follow self-guided tours through the museum.

abled individuals in Kansas and western Missouri.

The partnership resulted in museum staff and volunteers being trained to provide Audio Description services to sight-impaired visitors.

Much of Audio-Reader’s work involves providing Audio Description services. Audio Description dates back to the 1980s, according to the Audio Description Project. It involves “commentary and narration which guides the listener through the presentation with concise, objective descriptions of new scenes, settings, costumes, body language, and ‘sight gags,’ all slipped in between portions of dialogue or songs.” The Spencer Museum’s app took the existing descriptions from the museum staff’s initial training and digitized them.

The app’s audio is meant to help visitors picture a work of art, but it stops short of interpretation.

Instead it describes characteristics such as colors, shapes and relationships between people without assigning emotion to them.

“It really helps sighted people, too, just kind of understand what they’re seeing,” Nigro said. “Even though the description is not meant to interpret it, it’s still helpful in that analysis.”

Nigro said one of her favorite artworks to include in the app was the painting “The Ballad of the Jealous Lover of Lone Green Valley,” part of the Spencer Selections tour, for its vivid storytelling. The painting’s digital tour stop includes web links to the song on

which the painting is based and a documentary about the painter, Thomas Hart Benton.

“In the center, a woman reclines on a hillside clutching her bloody chest and looking up at a shadowy man who stands over her holding a knife dripping with blood,” reads the Audio Description recording.

Lawrence resident Patti Wilson is a season ticket holder at Theatre Lawrence, one of three venues at which Audio-Reader regularly provides Audio Description services, and she uses the service every time she attends a show.

With live theater events, a trained Audio-Reader volunteer is positioned at the back of the theater or in the light booth and voices what’s happening onstage.

Their description may include stage movements, dancing, facial expressions, costumes, scenery and more.

“I lost my sight when I turned 21, so I know what colors look like and everything, so I can picture a lot of this in my head,” Wilson said. “They’ll describe the colors, what the houses look like, the scenery, some of the outfits of the characters — it’s great, it really is.”

Wilson said she hasn’t use the new Spencer Museum app, but its existence makes her more likely to visit in the future.

“To be honest with you, going to a gallery it is basically seeing,” Wilson said.

“At least if you have an audio that would describe the thing, then you could get a picture of what’s there and everything.”

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KANSAN.COM

New magazine highlights businesswomen DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige

Defying the odds, a Pakistani woman immigrated to the United States to pursue her business dreams of working at Apple. A breast cancer survivor from Houston, Texas, created an online community for women affected by the same illness. A University of Kansas alumna started a woman-led commercial real estate firm in Lawrence.

These are just some of the stories featured in the first issue of The Spot Mag, a new Lawrence-based magazine celebrating women in business.

The magazine is the brainchild of Crystal Swearingen, who came up with the idea after noticing a lack of representation in a local magazine.

“I had been talking about the Lawrence Business Magazine, and I had pitched them some stories last year that I thought would be important and more diverse than what they were currently publishing, and they weren’t interested in it, so I felt I should start my own magazine,” Swearingen said.

Ann Frame Hertzog, editor-in-chief of Lawrence Business Magazine, said Lawrence Business Magazine is committed to ensuring representation.

She also said the magazine wishes Swearingen the best in her efforts.

“We take seriously our mission and are dedicated to highlighting the people, businesses and diversity in our community,” Frame Hertzog said in an email to the Kansan. “We are always focused on making sure we

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Crystal Swearingen, owner of Crystal’s Spot on Massachusetts Street, reveals her magazine celebrating women in business. continue to words inclusion and to always do better — each issue is a challenge and we try and step up to that challenge each quarter.”

The Spot Mag, which released its inaugural issue last week, is a bimonthly publication that aims to go beyond Lawrence and celebrate women making moves in their community across the nation. The magazine has also launched in Houston, Texas.

“I want it to be women-centric,” Swearingen said. “I want to inspire and empower other women to feel like they can go out there and have relatable stories of trial-and-error that all of us experience, and we went from that idea to making it a local magazine celebrating women in Lawrence to celebrating women outside of Law-

rence.”

Swearingen wants to ensure the focus of the magazine isn’t just about women in business, but all women making a difference in their respective communities. For instance, she has a

“I want to inspire and empower other women to feel like they can go out there and have relatable stories of trial-anderror that all of us experience...”

Crystal Swearingen Editor-in-chief

section in the magazine titled “Crystal’s Champions”, which highlights women

making efforts to enforce important changes within their cities.

“I feel like there’s been a lot of businesswomen who are just not getting heard, but it’s also going to be about people who are doing things in the community,” Swearingen said.

Swearingen isn’t a stranger to starting her own business. She’s been a realtor for 11 years and is the owner of Crystal Clear Reality, the only minority-owned real estate brokerage firm in Douglas County, according to her.

In August, she and her partner John Falbo (both alumni of the University) opened Crystal’s Spot, a downtown Lawrence cafe, which is also a performance venue for local poets and singers. She and Falbo also have an online business selling home-

made cobblers.

“I grew up very poor,” Swearingen, a native of Wichita, Kansas, said. “I lived with a single mom and I was the first person in my family to go away to college, so I had a lot of obstacles to overcome. Over the last five to six years, people have asked me to work with them and to mentor them, then I figured that I could create a platform to teach people how to promote themselves as a business owner.”

Swearingen considered starting her own magazine for the past two years, and she credits Daryl Bell, the magazine’s creative director, with helping her bring the vision to life.

“I had this cookie-cutter idea of what this magazine was going to be,” Swearingen said. “[Bell] told me go online and look for what I

wanted, so we decided to go with an editorial feel artistic pictures.”

Bell, who’s been Swearingen’s friend for 10 years, said she was happy to partner with Swearingen for the magazine.

“My role as a creative director is to bring all the stories to life visually for the reader and we wanted something more contemporary in style,” Bell said.

“So even the layout really matches the stories we’re telling.”

Bell also owns her own design firm in Lawrence called Design Brilliance.

Although she’s worked with different magazines in the past, Bell said she’s never worked with a women-centric magazine like The Spot.

“It’s really evolved into a lot more just because of all the things that influence women in general in their business and career and life choices, so there’s so much content to be covered,” Bell said. “To have a platform to celebrate those stories is really important.”

The Spot Mag is free and available online and at various distribution spots throughout Lawrence, like Moxie Hair Salon and Crystal’s Spot.

“My hope is, with everyone we interview, that there’s some authenticity that comes across with it because we want to hear about the things that get you through the day,” Swearingen said. “A lot of the women that we interview are moms or wives and have a lot of hats to wear, so I want the people who are reading to know it’s okay to have a bad day.”

OSCAR NOMINATIONS 2019: THE GOOD AND THE BAD FROM PAGE 1 But, hey. Life is miserable enough without dwelling on the negatives of a cosmically insignificant awards ceremony that unjustly turns art into competition. Let’s focus on the good:

“BLACKKKLANSMEN” The University’s very own Kevin Willmott is nominated for an Oscar, y’all! Best Adapted Screenplay is one of six nominations for “BlacKkKlans-

man.” The film also picked up nods in Best Supporting Actor, Best Picture and Best Director for Spike Lee. The last one’s huge. This is Lee’s first Best Director nomination after decades of being one of the most influential directors in the business. He was famously snubbed in the category in 1989 for his masterpiece “Do The Right Thing.”

“ROMA” Netflix garnered its first-ever nomination for Best Picture this year for Alfonso Cuarón’s semi-au-

tobiographical “Roma,” released on the streaming platform in conjunction with a movie theater run.

The film, a stunning portrait of a domestic worker in 1970s Mexico, also picked up nominations for its leading women. Yalitza Aparicio is nominated for her role as Cleo, a maid caught up in the personal and political turmoil of her class and country. Aparicio is the first Indigenous actor to be nominated for Best Actress. More surprisingly, Marina de Tavira is nominated for her role as Sofia, Cleo’s employer struggling

to cope with four children and a cheating husband.

Interestingly, the film is nominated for both Best Picture and Best Foreign Language film, the first nominee to do so since “Amour” at the 2013 ceremony.

Ten nominations tie “Roma” with “The Favourite” for most nods at this year’s ceremony.

“BLACK PANTHER” The Academy nominated its first superhero film for Best Picture this year with “Black Panther.” Marvel movies as awards contenders is a controversial topic, but “Black Panther” is easily the most deserving film of any Marvel has ever made. It’s a thought-provoking, highly stylistic movie by a director who knows how to show off an excellent cast and story.

Ryan Coogler didn’t receive a nomination for Best Director, but he made history regardless.

BEST ACTRESS CATEGORY

This is a great lineup, guys.

Glenn Close? Lady Gaga?

Olivia Colman?! Every woman in this category deserves her spot. Melissa McCarthy returns to the Oscars after her nomination for Best Supporting Actress for “Bridesmaids” in 2011. McCarthy, frequently known for her off-color, brash performance style, is one of the

greatest comics of her generation. It’s gratifying to see her recognized for a dramatic role as well. Her performance in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” as the down-on-her-luck writer-turned-forger Lee Israel is nuanced and heartfelt.

Congrats, Mel. As for Ms. Close, this is the 71-year-old legend’s seventh Academy Award nomination. She has never won. She was previously tied with actresses Deborah Kerr and Thelma Ritter for most nominations for an actress without a win, but this could be her year.

Be careful what you wish for. I never wanted a world where I had to choose between Lady Gaga and Glenn Close.

The 91st Academy Awards ceremony will air Feb. 24 on ABC. For the full list of nominations visit oscar.go.com/ nominees.

BlacKkKlansman nominations Best Picture Best Director (Spike Lee) Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver) Best Adapted Screenplay Best Film Editing Best Original Score

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OPINION

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351

FFA of the Day: If they don’t cancel school, I’m gonna have to email my professors saying I can’t come because my mom doesn’t want me to go. “you guys are making me depressed” “one time when I was 12 I took a shot of gin” today on Why Did This Happen To Me: Netflix retweeted me “Why are Lays potato chips listed under Dildo” maybe if I slide KU a $1 and a Texas Roadhouse coupon they’ll cancel class hi incase y’all missed it i’m gay my professor said nobody graduates school from coffeyville, kansas (edited) they should rename budig to budge, bc thats how one of my bus drivers says it taco bell is absolute trash tho don’t @ me *listening to Born to be Wild* “This is why the V-neck was invented.” do you ever accidentally make entirely too much queso Melissa Ethridge just changed keys during the national anthem but it looks so cold that i am not gonna hold it against her “he’s smoking his Kansas-City-lost-again bong” Y’all remember the oak mite outbreak of 2015???

I hope Kerry Benson is doing okay considering Roger Federer lost “my friend just got a really tiny kitten. she looks like a piece of lint” “Does Quentin Grimes know how to basketball?”

My professor has been playing Livin On A Prayer on repeat while waiting for class to start the tea is PIPING this lovely spring semester I just listened to a Sweet Caroline remix where the three notes that come after the beginning of the chorus were replaced by gunshots

KANSAN.COM

K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N

#TimesUp must address racial bias RHEA MAHESH @rheam_

Iconic musician R. Kelly has been under fire for sexual abuse and misconduct allegations that garnered public attention after the release of the six episode Lifetime documentary Surviving R. Kelly.

A look into Kelly’s personal history reveals a childhood riddled with early exposure to sex before his rise to stardom. During the beginning of his career, he was known to hang around high schools to pick up naïve, young girls desperate for success in the entertainment industry. R. Kelly’s background dancers and singers clarify his actions were no secret and continued as his fame grew.

Shortly after “Bump N’ Grind” became a number one hit, he married his underage protegee Aaliyah, then proceeded to get her pregnant, despite consistently denying their sexual relationship. The marriage was annulled two months later, and Kelly then involved himself with multiple girls – among them, Lizette Martinez and ex-wife Andrea Lee, whom he controlled through non-consensual sexual acts and physical abuse.

Established as a mainstream pop artist after “I Believe I Can Fly,” he developed a relationship with 17-year-old Lisa Van Allen, who he coerced into sexual acts with him and another underage girl. Around the early 2000s, the lawsuits started against him were publicized by the media

Illustration by Philip Mueller but were settled, preventing any serious action. He was later charged with multiple counts of child pornography that were later dropped due to uncertainty over the age of the girl involved and concerns over whether police were justified in seizing materials during arrest.

Around mid-2017, R. Kelly was accused by Buzzfeed of holding multiple young women in a sex cult that controlled every aspect of their lives and isolated them from family.

The response to the documentary was strong — both by the public and by musicians associated with him. The night of its release, #SurvivingRKelly trended on Twitter, where viewers condemned the protection given to him by the music industry and

praised Lifetime for its role in raising awareness. Past acts have denounced their involvement with him, including notable colleagues such as Lady Gaga, Chance the Rapper and Celine Dion.

Finally, Kelly faces actual consequences: some work being pulled from streaming services, a possible investigation in Georgia and a split from his record label, RCA. These are all undeniably good things, owed to Lifetime’s powerful journalism and the courage of R. Kelly’s victims to speak out despite being ignored so many times before. But why this is all happening now when accusations pinned against him started as early as the ‘90s? Kelly’s predatory behavior spans two decades, with enough

own craft, success and joy.

But fear will hold you back.

Be courageous, and joy will follow.

Two strains of fear can infect you: instinctual and preconstructed.

Imagine swimming in the ocean when all of a sudden you see a shark fin slicing through the water coming right toward you. Your stomach turns, and your breath halts. You’re experiencing instinctual fear, which is encoded in the human brain and essential for survival. It’s the healthier of the two fears; your fear might save you from that shark.

The other fear we experience is preconstructed.

Preconstructed fear exists as a story or a prediction to help us, or hurt us, in comprehending the future. The future is unknown, and we, ultimately, have no control over its twists and turns.

Humans like to be in control, so we build ideas in our minds to predict an imagined future. Maybe, you envision victory before a test or a game. You see yourself in that new job or that new place, or maybe, you see yourself failing, which is something many of us fear.

Fear of failure — a combination of self-doubt, sab-

otage and determination — is a made-up story with perhaps some validation from past experiences and cultural perceptions. However, past experiences are not enough validation to make this fear of failure an autobiographical account or even historical fiction. If we can eliminate this fear, or tell ourselves a success story, we can move mountains.

Although innate in some, others, like me, must learn to be courageous.

Learning requires practice, discipline and examination.

Start by recognizing courage in yourself. Remember a time when your success surprised you. Remember the ecstatic feeling when hard work paid off, or remember a time that you failed because if we examine the past with an eye to the future, we learn from our experiences. Then, you must practice courage.

Challenge yourself to continue on your ideal path and to do the uncomfortable work, that really isn’t work but growth, because the outcome of this courage, authenticity and trust is pure.

I remember two times in my life when I felt pure joy. The first was in April

red flags present within his actions to justify a significant decline in his fanbase or collaborations. Yet his career remained largely untarnished.

Did it really take a Lifetime documentary to bring R. Kelly to his downfall?

I must stress I am thankful for the cultural shift against sexual misconduct.

I can see from the reaction to Surviving R. Kelly that #MeToo has left its mark, and such actions can no longer be an accepted norm within any workplace. But the response of his peers — people who held enormous potential in bringing him to justice — is somewhat troubling. It should not take public outcry to denounce involvement with a known pedophile.

Perhaps some artists

gave him the benefit of the doubt when they were involved with him during the ‘90s or early 2000s, when his transgressions were not public enough to deem him a predator (an already problematic excuse, considering his first blunder had been marrying a 15-yearold, and lying about it). For Lady Gaga and Chance the Rapper, however, it represented a blatant disregard for his actions, as they had worked with him in 2013 and 2015, respectively, after his crimes were public knowledge. The apologies they deliver now appear performative considering the time frame.

There are many things we can take away from R. Kelly and his actions, but the most important one is that we must continue to listen to women — especially women of color. Kelly thrived so long because his victims were black girls, a group viewed as less innocent, translating into their lack of protection within industry, society and the judicial system. We must be aware of the biases we hold for #MeToo and #TimesUp to change the future of all women.

If we have learned anything from this debacle, let it be that there is simply no excuse for us to allow another R. Kelly to exist at all, especially one who remains openly unpunished and at large for decades.

Rhea Mahesh is a freshman from Lenexa studying molecular, cellular and developmental biology.

Cateforis: There is no conclusion to joy ALEX CATEFORIS @A_Cat24

Experiencing joy is a process with no ultimate conclusion because those moments of joy, whether hidden or ecstatic, never leave us. Joy does not always manifest as a smile.

Before a smile, you often grown, frown, sigh and grimace. The path to joy must be bold and, at moments, timeless.

You know those times when time ceases to exist?

An hour feels like a minute, and the clock becomes a ticking toy. Maybe these experiences happen when you’re drawing or walking with your partner through a museum. Maybe you’re shooting hoops, chasing around a child or dancing.

You’re in your zone.

We don’t always like to get in this zone, since finding the time when time doesn’t exist requires effort, authenticity and courage.

Sometimes, we believe it’s easier to not fail than it is to succeed. We are afraid the lines we draw won’t make pretty pictures or the work we put in won’t be enough — enough for what? It’s OK to feel this fear, this anxiety. These feelings are signs you care about your

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Courtesy photo The breathtaking view of Álftavatn, a lake in Iceland, is accessible to hikers on the Laugavegur trail. of 2008, and Mario Chalmers had just hit the biggest shot in KU basketball history, forcing overtime in the National Championship against Memphis. The second was in Dakar, Senegal.

I was nearing the end of my study abroad semester.

While sitting on the roof of my house, the feelings of accomplishment, courage and joy glowed throughout my body like the moon above because I finally realized the work and growth were worth the tears. Every discomfort was a stepping stone to success.

Zadie Smith, in her essay “Joy,” writes “the thing that no one ever tells you about joy is that it has very little real pleasure in it. And yet if it hadn’t happened at all, at least once, how would we

contact us Shaun Goodwin Emma Greenwood Editor-in-chief Business Manager sgoodwin@kansan.com egreenwood@kansan.com

live?”

To reach the snowcapped summit where joy lives, you must climb. You must find your zone, which takes effort, authenticity and courage, over and over again. The process can be painful and arduous, but like your muscles when you lift weights, all these tiny cuts heal to make you even stronger. And when you reach the top of the mountain, it may have hurt, but you feel amazing.

Once you recognize courage in yourself, you see it all around you. You are not alone on this journey.

We can all climb for joy.

Alex Cateforis is a senior from Lawrence studying English, French and art history.

editorial board

Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Savanna Smith, Aroog Khaliq and Emma Greenwood.

KANSAN.COM

SPORTS

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COLUMN

KU basketball needs Grimes to step up his game FULTON CASTER @FCaster04 Kansas men’s basketball, for all its ups, downs and issues, currently sits at 16-3 and 5-2 in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks are tied atop the conference with Kansas State matchup on Tuesday night.

However, getting to this juncture has not been as smooth as many would have predicted in the preseason. The Jayhawks are just 1-3 in true road games this season, with their only win coming against Baylor. Kansas lost at Arizona State, at Iowa State and most recently to a West Virginia team that didn’t have a win in Big 12 play entering the contest.

Through all that, Kansas is in a firm position to win the Big 12 for the 15thstraight season, extending the record it set last year.

The worry is understandable from Kansas fans.

In the past month or so, no win has come easy. The last two home games against Texas and Iowa State were slugfests that Kansas was able to withstand and come out on top.

As this season has

played out, the team itself has morphed and changed.

Kansas began the season trying to go back to their traditional roots as a twobig offense with redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson and junior center Udoka Azubuike. It worked well early in the season; however, a season-ending wrist injury to Azubuike has forced Bill Self’s squad to adapt once more.

Since the injury to Azubuike, Kansas has relied on a smaller lineup, using on Lawson as its only post player and needing the guard play to improve.

This is where Kansas has really begun to struggle, because despite the emergence of freshman guard Devon Dotson and the offensive rise of sophomore guard Marcus Garrett, Kansas’ other talented freshman guard Quentin Grimes has continued to struggle.

That is one thing Kansas desperately needs to change if they wish to make any sort of a run in March.

Grimes began the season on fire against Michigan State, scoring 21 points including six three pointers in the contest.

Since then, Grimes has

Quentin Grimes

freshman guard season stats

been wildly inconsistent, failing to reach double digit scoring figures in 13-of-18 games since.

Grimes has also had issues with his ball handling.

In a stretch of eightstraight games, Grimes turned the ball over two times per game. Overall, he has committed twoplus turnovers in 12-of-19 games played this season.

The Jayhawks will continue to rely on the fourguard lineup heavily, which makes Grimes all the more valuable because of his size and skillset.

Grimes is talented, that is without a doubt. The former five star recruit, according to ESPN, has shown flashes of ability and athleticism in many games but has yet to harness true consistency.

With the emergence of freshman guard Ochai Agbaji, the Jayhawks may be able to win the Big 12 as is.

But in order to reach their full potential, and preseason expectations, the Jayhawks are going to need their McDonald’s All American to start to play like it matters down the stretch.

25.6 8.2

MINUTES/GAME

POINTS/GAME

1.7 31 40

ASSISTS/GAME

3-PT %

FIELD GOAL %

Adam Cole/KANSAN Kansas freshman guard Quentin Grimes shoots a contested layup over TCU forward Kouat Noi in the first half of the Jayhawks’ 77-68 win over TCU Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Kansas softball prepares for season with new leaders JORDAN VAUGHN @JVSmoove14 As Kansas softball takes the field next week to begin its 2019 campaign with a trip to Tempe, Arizona, to compete in the annual Kajikawa Classic, coach Jennifer McFalls will make her Kansas head coaching debut after eight seasons as an assistant on the Texas coach-

ing staff.

McFalls was a part of eight NCAA tournament teams during her time at Texas including a Women’s College World Series appearance in 2013.

“We are excited for the competition and challenges we will face early in the season and have our focus set on Feb. 8 against Oregon,” McFalls said, according to a Kansas Ath-

letics press release.

The Jayhawks, 27-25 in 2018, return three seniors led by pitcher Brynn Minor. Minor is the top returning pitcher from last year’s team, tallying 56.2 innings pitched.

This year’s team will need to find a way to pick up production in all areas as the Jayhawks lost their top three hitters and top two pitchers from a year

Chance Parker/KANSAN Then-junior pitcher Brynn Minor pitches the ball against Murray State on Friday, March 16. The Racers defeated the Jayhawks 9-0 at Arrocha Ballpark during the Rock Chalk Challenge.

ago.

Leading the offensive charge in 2019 will be juniors utility Sam Dellinger and infielder Becki Monaghan and sophomores outfielder Brittany Jackson, pitcher Tarin Travieso and catcher Shelby Gayre.

Last season, Dellinger hit .283 with 25 runs scored and 18 RBIs. Monaghan struggled at the plate hitting only .214 but was as good as they come at first base with only four errors all year.

Jackson will be a very important, if not the most important, part of the Jayhawks’ offense this season. Her ability to steal bases (12 in 14 attempts in 2018) will be a major

part of the team’s run production.

Travieso will not only need to improve on her 30 RBI campaign last year but also with 14 appearances in the circle. She will be a vital part of the pitching staff this go around.

Gayre returns for her sophomore season as Kansas’ top home run hitter and RBI getter. With seven home runs and 31 RBIs last year, she will be the team’s number one power source heading into 2019.

Kansas starts the season with three road tournaments before finally returning to Lawrence for the Jayhawk Invitational on March 8.

“We can’t wait to bring our style of play to Arro-

cha Ballpark and show our fans an exciting brand of softball,” McFalls said in the release. “After nearly a month on the road, it will be a great opportunity to get our players into a normal rhythm of homeand-away competition.”

Replacing five top players from last season will be a tough challenge for Kansas, but with a new coaching regime and plenty of returning offensive weapons, look for the Jayhawks to come out swinging.

season opener

v. Oregon Fri., Feb. 8 12:30 p.m.

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SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

Basketball Gameday Thursday, January 24, 2019

K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S

Kansas at Kentucky, Saturday, Jan. 26, 5:00 p.m.

Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman guard Devon Dotson drives to the paint against Iowa State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones 80-76 Monday, Jan. 21.

MADDY TANNAHILL & BRADEN SHAW @KansanSports

Beat Writer Predictions:

MADDY TANNAHILL

KANSAS 16-3 (5-2 BIG 12)

77-75

74-78

KENTUCKY 15-3 (5-1 SEC)

Dedric Lawson

Keldon Johnson

★★★★★

★★★★

Devon Dotson

Tyler Herro

★★★★

★★★★

The floor general for the Jayhawks, Dotson tallied a career-high eight assists against Iowa State this week in addition to 11 points, all while not turning the ball over a single time on the night. Conducting an offense that has struggled mightily with turnovers on the season, Dotson’s ability to maintain control as the Jayhawks’ primary ball handler is key to limiting turnovers for the Jayhawks.

Over the last three games, Herro has scored in double figures with 12, 20 and 18 points, respectively. Most notably, Herro has also scored in double figures against every ranked team that the Wildcats have played this season (Duke, North Carolina, Auburn and Mississippi State). The epitome of consistency, Herro is also shooting a team-high 90.7 percent from the free throw line.

Ochai Agbaji

P.J. Washington

★★★★

★★★

The first player off the bench for Kansas, Agbaji collected eight points Monday night, five of which came within a 30-second span immediately after replacing Quentin Grimes. Following a strong first half effort, Agbaji earned himself a starting spot in the second half before fouling out in 18 minutes of play.

Along with Johnson and Herro, Washington is one of three Wildcats to start all 18 games for Kentucky this season and averages 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8, 228 pound forward is an outside shooting threat, shooting 52 percent from the floor and 41.2 from beyond the arc, and also shares the ball well with 34 assists on the season, which is second-best on the team.

redshirt junior forward

Having led the Jayhawks offensively for the eighth time this season, Lawson recorded 29 points against the Cyclones Monday night, nearing his season-high 31-point production against TCU earlier in the month. Adding 15 rebounds to the cause, the redshirt junior notched his 13th double-double of the season.

freshman guard

freshman guard

athletes of the week

BRADEN SHAW

Bryce Hoppel Track & Field

A defending indoor Big 12 champion in the 800-meter run, sophomore Bryce Hoppel led Kansas track and field to a Sunflower Triangular victory on Friday, winning two events for a total of 14 points. The Midland, Texas, native’s first victory came in the one-mile run, where he clocked a time of 4:16.57, barely overpowering junior teammate Dylan Hodgson. Hoppel then finished the day with a 1:56.10 mark in the 800-meter to clinch his second win of the night.

freshman guard

Johnson, the Wildcats’ leading scorer averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting over 50 percent from the floor, is at the forefront of this young team. He is also one of three Wildcats to start every game this season. Coming off a 20-point performance last week against then-No. 14 Auburn, look for Johnson to make noise early on against the Jayhawks.

freshman guard

sophomore forward

Plobrung Plipuech

Tennis Following a performance worthy of Women’s Big 12 Player of the Week honors at the Orlando Invitational on Jan. 15, sophomore Plobrung Plipuech clinched the 5-2 victory for Kansas in Sunday’s duel against No. 18 Northwestern after topping Lee Or 5-7, 7-6(1), 10-6. A native of Nonthaburi, Thailand, competing in her first season at Kansas, Plipuech has yet to drop a match for the Jayhawks.