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Kansas swim and dive
Watkins to begin providing more services for transgender students p. 2
topples Iowa State
Filmmaker tries his hand in music videos p. 5
in record-breaking
Opinion: Response to Leavenworth reduced sexual assault sentence p. 8
weekend The University Daily Kansan
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vol. 138 // iss. 6 Mon., Feb 11, 2019
SEE SWIM & DIVE • PAGE 10
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Director to retire after 20 years
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Track and field splits up for record-breaking first day of competition Seven Jayhawks entered the program record books over the weekend at two separate competitions. Sarah Wright/KANSAN Kathy Rose-Mockry, director of the Emily Taylor Center, opens Tuesday evening’s Title IX talk. The talk was an installment of the center’s Jana Mackey Distinguished Lecture Series.
Perplexing Vick situation continues to pile on the troubles for KU With Lagerald Vick taking a leave of absence, the Jayhawks’ task for a 15th straight Big 12 title took another hit.
Office of International Programs rebrands to promote inclusivity The international division at the University has changed its name and combined its services to better aid international students.
SYDNEY HOOVER @sydhoover17 As a senior studying music therapy at the University of Kansas, Kathy Rose-Mockry never imagined she would spend the majority of her career working as an advocate for gender equity on campus. Now, after 20 years as the director of the Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity, RoseMockry announced she will retire this June. “There are the parts of me that I’m interested in finding out more about [when I retire],” Rose-Mockry said. “One thing is for certain, I will continue to want to do something that has meaning and importance in the world. That’s something this work has done for me, and there’s so many needs right now that I’m looking forward to seeing what other
places I’m needed and [where] my skills will be useful.” Rose-Mockry began her career at a women’s resource center at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she had spent the first three years of her undergraduate career before transferring to the University. Rose-Mockry said she and her husband were drawn back to Lawrence by what she described as
had many experiences that led her to become so involved in oncampus gender equity. She was involved in Girl Scouts throughout her childhood and said her sorority at UCLA, Alpha Xi Delta, played a big role in shaping her for her career. “We had a very unique sorority,” Rose-Mockry said. “We functioned more like a feminist organization at that time. We had a woman
“One thing is for certain, I will continue to want to do something that has meaning and importance in the world.” Kathy Rose-Mockry Emily Taylor Center director
an engaged and vibrant community. Though Rose-Mockry said her passion during college was music, she
from Ecuador. We had a woman from Japan. We had people in all disciplines. We had some women in math who
Vintage toy store opens on Mass RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218 Originally a monthly pop-up shop, 1313 Mockingbird Lane Toys & Collectibles has found a permanent home at 1021 ¼ Massachusetts St., opening its doors Saturday, Feb. 9. Owner Terry Taylor has spent the past 35 years stockpiling collectibles from pop culture staples like “The Addams Family,” “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars” and more. The name of the store comes from Taylor’s love for the classic show “The Munsters.” 1313 Mockingbird Lane was the address of the house in the show. “[The name] has always been the plan,” Taylor said. “Even if I would have opened a record store, it would be called that.” Taylor originally began 1313 Mockingbird Lane as a pop-up store at different fan conven-
tions. Then, at the urging of his wife Liz, he began a monthly pop-up stand last year to gauge interest in opening a brick-andmortar store. “This [shop] opened up at the right time, for the right price and the perfect location,” Taylor said. “If we were going to take a risk, we might as well do it now.” Merchandise ranges from action figures to buttons and stickers to vintage collectables from as far back as the 1980s. All items have been accumulated by Taylor, who has filled the quaint space to the brim with items, with more located in the basement for re-stocking. “I wanted to keep it small,” Taylor said. “Aesthetic is really important to me — that people come in and feel comfortable.” Sean Sprague lives in Kansas City, Missouri, but READ MORE ON PAGE 4
were coming up against barriers even back then, especially back then. And so, we were a big support to each other.” As she looks toward retirement, Rose-Mockry said she has a number of plans for the future. She said she and her husband plan to travel around Kansas and the Midwest. She also has a book she began based on her dissertation that she hopes to finish and publish. She wrote her dissertation on the Lawrence Gay Liberation Front, an LGBTQ activist group from the 1970s that was instrumental in establishing an LGBTQ community at the University. “I think it’s an important story to share because during that time, nobody wrote this stuff down,” Rose-Mockry said. “You could be arrested if people found out you were gay. You could be
kicked off of campus. As we are getting to a time where we are losing some of those members, it’s really important this history is preserved.” To her coworkers, Rose-Mockry has not only played a vital role at the center but also in their own lives and careers. Emily Taylor Center Program Coordinator Megan Williams described RoseMockry as humble and very positive. She said because of Rose-Mockry, she enjoys going to work every day. “Kathy has been so supportive of me as an employee in a way that I think is really unique for someone that’s a supervisor,” Williams said. “I’ve always felt that she has treated me as a human first before an employee.” READ MORE ON PAGE 3
Kansan file photo Zoya Khan, the co-executive director of Rise KU organization, explains to students why the pilot project is expensive.
Rise KU launches menstrual product pilot program LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy EMILY BECKMAN @emilybeckman7
Maggie Gould/KANSAN 1313 Mockingbird Lane sells new and vintage collectibles from popular films and TV shows. The store’s name was inspired by the titular family’s home address on “The Munsters.”
After working with Student Affairs and Watkins Health Services, Rise KU has successfully implemented the first stage of their free menstrual products program in some gendered and non-gendered restrooms across campus.
This initiative began as a campaign promise of Rise KU, a coalition during the 2018 Senate Election cycle. Following the election, presidential candidate Zoya Khan and vice presidential candidate Nellie Kassebaum decided to transform Rise KU into a student advocacy group READ MORE ON PAGE 3
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Monday, February 11, 2019
staff NEWS MANAGEMENT
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Watkins adds trans-inclusive services NICOLE DOLAN @nikkidolan279
Watkins Health Services and Student Senate have developed a transgender treatment and evaluation program. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has provided psychotherapy and diagnostic evaluation for readiness and eligibility for hormone treatment for years, but now there is a clinic within Watkins for transgender students’ needs. Douglas Dechairo, director and chief of staff of Watkins, said in an email the plan is to evaluate students who desire to begin therapy for feminization or masculinization. Dechairo said Watkins did provide therapy but did not provide evaluation. Director of CAPS Michael Maestas said the psychotherapy and diagnostic evaluation for students preparing for either hormone treatment or surgery will continue, and now transgender students can have the entire process completed at the University. According to Maestas, CAPS adheres to the guidelines of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. “Dr. Heather Frost, one of our psychologists, had been the primary provider of those services, and CAPS now has additional providers,” Maestas said. Student Body President Noah Ries said the initiative started with Watkins approaching Senate with transgender hormonal therapy, which was already in place, and the services
Samantha Hsu/KANSAN As well as Watkins Health Center’s plans for a clinic to assist those of the transgender community, the CAPS office has always offered trans-inclusive services. needed to initiate the process. He said it’s specifically for transgender students going through a lot of barriers of initiation, such as commuting back and forth to the University Medical Center for necessary services or for referrals. Dechairo, his whole staff and Liza Overton, chair of the Student Health Advisory Board, all collaborated over months, and on Jan. 28, the services were launched, Ries said. “These are really great services for the LGBTQ+ community, which is not hard to see is one of the most underserved communities on campus,” Ries said. “It was number one on our list.” Ries said the initiative has issues but is still a step in the right direction. The goal of the clinic is to make transgender students feel
seen and welcomed, Ries said. “What is significant to point out is that this is an ongoing process to work
“These are really great services for the LGBTQ+ community, which is not hard to see is one of the most undeserved communities on campus.” ” Noah Ries Student body president
with the trans community,” Ries said. “No one should have to go through their three to six years here feeling unwelcome and un-
loved, and I feel like providing a service like this sends a message that we care about everyone in our community.” The program in its beginning stages, Dechairo said students are vital in advertising it across campus. “We are ready to start this program,” Dechairo said. “Shortly, there will be some posters placed in strategic locations and certain departments will be notified. Student-to-student information will be vital in spreading the word.” Sophomore Ashley Philavong, a transgender student from Emporia, said using CAPS in the past hasn’t been good for her mental health as Watkins isn’t the best at acknowledging transgender student identities. Philavong said a lot of the transgender community instead uses off-campus resources, such
as the Bert Nash Center. “In my personal experience, working with my therapist has been good, but most trans people who use services at Watkins haven’t had good experiences either while undergoing injections or even CAPS services as there are instances misnamed or misgendered,” Philavong said. “A lot of my friends in the trans community feel not validated which is why you don’t see a lot of them going to CAPS for trans services.” Philavong said though the initiative is an attempt to be more inclusive, for transgender people and marginalized identities, the medical field is dangerous. “I think with the new initiative of CAPS as well as Watkins are trying to kind of be a lot more inclusive to those who are transgender or gender non-conforming,” Philavong said. “Watkins still has a lot to do to be a lot more inclusive. I think, overall, I am glad that they’re trying, but really, I’m waiting to see how others view their experience with it.” Philavong said she believes the initiative is more tailored to incoming transgender students versus transgender students who have already had experience with Watkins. “[Watkins] is trying their best to have a forward outlook and to better themselves for the future because you can only do better,” Philavong said. “I think they’re wanting to do better, at least what I’m hoping is because they’ve seen in the past how they’ve failed their candidates.”
New services offered at statewide publisher LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy The University Press of Kansas (UPK) is now offering a Publishing Services Program to widen its user audience and grant access to already established publishing models. The new program will help scholars target specific areas in the publishing process when they may not need an actual publisher. The UPK is a scholarly book publisher, which was founded on campus in 1946. Its mission is to “publish scholarly books that advance knowledge and regional books that contribute to the understanding of Kansas, the Great Plains and the Midwest,” according to its website. The new Publishing Services Program, which was launched last week, is a supplemental service available for researchers, faculty and staff at the University. The publishing system is not being transformed as a whole, but instead it’s being expanded in order to allow writers, many who do not necessarily need a publisher, to identify strategies and solutions specific to their needs. The UPK will be offering copyediting and proofreading, typesetting,
indexing, eBook conversion, cover design, printing, print on demand, sales connections to distributors, such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and marketing and promotion services through Publishing Services Program. While the UPK inhouse publishing experts can help scholars with their work, books going through the Publishing Services Program will not go through its peer-review system, and therefore such books will not be published under the UPK brand. “The UPK’s primary mission will remain the same. Publishing Services is simply a supplemental service available to researchers, faculty and staff that allows them to utilize individual components of the publishing system,” UPK Director Conrad Roberts said. The provided services, however, will allow for scholars to still publish their projects instead of previously having to be turned away from the UPK because they didn’t fit into the publishing program. “We have seen a need for our services, as some projects we have had to turn away were not a fit for our Publishing Program but would have been a good fit for Publishing Services,” Roberts said.
Natalie Hammer/KANSAN The University Press of Kansas is located on Westbrooke Circle, one mile from the University of Kansas campus. “Publishing Services will help make sure we continue to interact and serve our institutions as it allows us more opportunities to partner with resident scholars at KU.” The new program places a specific emphasis on services that the UPK will be offering to better assist the University’s faculty and staff with their personal publishing endeavors. “Because UPK staff are publishing experts, we’ll be able to help faculty and staff save time — we’re knowledgeable about the details of publishing, so we can help them fine-tune their projects while also
increasing the visibility of their work,” UPK Managing Editor Kelly Chrisman Jacques said in an email. The UPK provides service to all Kansas Board of Regents schools; however, the initial launch of the publishing services program has been at the University. The UPK is planning to launch the program to another five universities in the spring. “This is an opportunity for the press to provide an extra layer of support to KU and, eventually, the other state universities that support the press,” Jacques said. They have published over 2,500 books, includ-
ing titles on American politics, military history and intelligence studies, environmental policy and history, American studies, film studies, Native American studies and studies on Kansas and the Midwest. “Our books have reached a wide audience both inside and outside the academy and have been recognized for their contributions to important scholarly and public debates,” Roberts said. Anyone interested in the UPK’s services can email UPKPubServices@ ku.edu, and its projects will be evaluated with a time frame and cost estimate.
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NEWS
Furtastic February on Mass
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN Co-owner of Lucky Dog Outfitters and Pet Supply Sarah Ybarra paints the bottom of Phoebe’s paws on Feb. 2 at the shop’s Paw Art event. BROOKE BOYER @BrookeBoyer422 Lucky Dog Outfitters and Pet Supply on Massachusetts Street raised more than $200 last weekend for the MoKan Greyhound Adoption, a nonprofit organization that finds homes for ex-racing greyhounds. This was the first of four events scheduled for Lucky Dog’s second annual Furtastic February. With more than 100 people and their dogs attending events in the past, Jennifer and Sarah Ybarra, mother and daughter co-owners of the pet supply and bakery, expect similar turnout in this month’s events. The small business has been hosting themed events for the community since they moved from 23rd Street to their Massachusetts Street location four years ago. “It started off with a light ‘Harry Potter’ event where we were just sorting dogs into houses, and then we saw that the community was very interested in these events, so we started making them bigger and more exciting with more things to do,” Sarah said. The first event was Paw Art on Feb. 2, where people came and painted with their dogs.
“I follow them on Facebook and saw the event,” Paw Art participant Alyssa Winsor said. “I thought it would be fun for the kids and our dog Thunder to do.” All events are free to the public, and Lucky Dog accepts donations for local organizations. Proceeds for the upcoming events this month will go toward
organizations such as the Lawrence Humane Society, the Missouri/ Kansas Italian Greyhound Rescue and the Pet Pantry of Lawrence. The events are also sponsored by pet food companies such as Fromm, which is an artisan pet food company based in Wisconsin. Even though February is the small business’ main month for events,
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN Co-owner of Lucky Dog Outfitters Jennifer Ybarra paints the bottom of Pheobe’s paws on Feb. 2 at the shop’s Paw Art event.
EMILY TAYLOR CENTER FROM PAGE 1 In addition to her colleagues, Rose-Mockry said she will miss most of all the students she has gotten to know and made connections with. She said in her time at the University, she has watched a lot change regarding gender equity, but in particular, she has seen more and more students begin to speak out against inequities. “I am so inspired by the students I see,” RoseMockry said. “Their determination, their courage, their willingness to keep getting up even when they feel they’ve been knocked down. And I feel more like a guide
the owners host other functions throughout the year. “In April, we’re having a ‘Game of Thrones’ event,” Sarah said. “Our plan is to get an actual throne for dogs to sit on. We’re going to be doing a massive ‘Harry Potter’ event in July.” All information about Lucky Dog’s events is regularly published on its Facebook page.
and a cheerleader. They’re the ones that do the hard work. We help them along the path. I will miss that.”
“As I leave, I believe we have established a firm foundation for this center.” Kathy Rose-Mockry Emily Taylor Center director
Williams said it is currently unclear who will replace Rose-Mockry as the director of the center. A search for the next director will begin this spring, said Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity Jennifer Hamer in a press release. Rose-Mockry said
she is confident in the center and the progress it has made over the past few years. From moving to a new location in the Burge Union to developing new programs such as Masculinities Month, RoseMockry said she is excited for the rest of the semester and hopeful for the future. “As I leave, I believe we have established a firm foundation for this center,” Rose-Mockry said. “I am optimistic that as the campus goes forward, [it] will build on the foundation that we established years ago when Dean Emily Taylor was the dean of women. And to encourage students to understand that the history of this center is really important.”
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RISE KU FROM PAGE 1 on campus. Among the things they wanted to work on, implementing free menstrual products across campus was high in importance. “We were doing research and asking what are other flagship institutions doing and other institutions that we aspire to be like? What are they doing to create an accessible and equitable campus?” Khan said. “And time and time again, free menstrual products kept coming up.” Rise KU’s effort to bring free menstrual products to campus has come to fruition with financial support from KU Student Affairs. Student Affairs invested about $3,200 to launch Period — a pilot project that has stocked about 50 gendered and non-gendered restrooms in 21 buildings on campus with free menstrual products — according to Jenny McKee, program manager at Watkins Health Services. The cost of sustaining the project won’t be determined until after the pilot has been assessed, McKee said. “My guess is that it will be much smaller of a price tag than most people assume it will be,” McKee said. “Just from the other schools I’ve talked to, they say, you know, the biggest drop in the bucket is getting started.” Khan sees this initiative as a big step towards making the University equitable and inclusive. “This is the direction we have to go,” Khan said. “I don’t think there is any other option, especially if we are going to tout ourselves as being representative of all students and being a place that is actually accessible. We have to actually do the work to prove that.” They said they expect to see some pushback of this initiative from those who do not understand why it is important to have menstrual products in gender neutral restrooms and even male restrooms. While they do expect to see some vandalism or disposal of the products, their goal is to make sure people have the correct information about the project. “I think folks have a lot of misinformation about what menstruation means, and that it is not a gendered
issue,” Khan said. McKee said the project will help alleviate the challenges of an unexpected period. Research from Free the Tampons found 86 percent of women in the United States ages 18-56 “started their period unexpectedly in public without the supplies they need.” “Even if you do have the financial means, if you weren’t necessarily expecting your period to show up at a certain moment or time, then you can be unprepared,” McKee said. “And so having that availability on campus will prove to be less interruptive to learning.” A QR code will be available soon where the products are located for students to provide feedback regarding the products themselves or the means in
“I think folks have a lot of misinformation about what menstruation means.” Zoya Khan co-executive director
which they are provided. The pilot project will determine which restrooms will get permanent dispensers that will continue to provide free products, McKee said. Period will be assessed in four ways: ◆ Biweekly restroom checks ◆ Number of times products are ordered ◆ Survey from Rise KU regarding the usability of the products ◆ Questions added to the National College Health Association Survey Ultimately, their goal is to have free menstrual products in every restroom across campus to make sure people have free access to them, regardless if they are a student or not. Khan also mentioned Rise KU has not been working with Student Senate in this project and is not affiliated with them in any way. “I think more often than not it’s students leading these efforts to create an equitable campus,” Khan said. “It tells students that hey, you don’t have to be a part of huge organization or big social networks to create change on campus, you can just do that being an average student.”
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arts & culture Monday, February 11, 2019
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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
Novelist discusses Trump era optimism RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218
Author Walter Mosley, who has written over 50 books and short stories including the Easy Rawlins detective series, read from his notes in a lecture titled “Political Optimism in the Age of Trump,” an era he refers to as “the Trump era” during his lecture at the University of Kansas Thursday, Feb. 7. The Hall Center Conference room wasn’t big enough to accommodate the crowd that came to hear Mosley speak. The venue was changed from the Kansas Union Ballroom due to classes being canceled, but that did not hinder the turnout. “Am I optimistic in the time of the Trump? Absolutely. His unexpected reign will help all of us get out there and vote and debate and make something out of the almost endless potential of our people,” Mosley said. “His racist, sexist, classless rants against our beliefs will never last, never work, never alter the unconscious intentions of our constitution.”
“I believe that all men are created equal and that individual rights can never be held over the rights of the majority.” Walter Mosley author
Mosley said he believes in the democratic principles of America but noted this country hasn’t always valued these principles. “I believe that all men are created equal and that individual rights can never be held over the rights of the majority,” Mosley said. “I do not believe, however, that America has always lived up to these principles.
And there are rock- solid reasons for my questioning the intentions of our country.” He then went on to list the atrocities that have been committed in this country from the annihilation of the Native American population, the enslavement of black people, the suppression of women and their voices and the broken judicial system that favors the wealthy. “I’d be one to think that I would have pessimism in the time of the Trump — that I would lose faith and move to Ethiopia or southern Spain to escape the fascistic forest that has co-opted the White House, the Supreme Court and at least half of Congress,” Mosley said. “One would think that a man like me would lose heart when everything he hopes for seems to evaporate.” Mosley went on to say he has seen the failure of movements and the demise of labor unions and points to the capitalistic goal that has “dominated the democratic process of our nation.” He cited the recent government shutdown as a time where within four weeks of losing pay, people who say they’re middle class can become homeless and broke because they aren’t getting paid. Mosley pointed out that most of the people who say they are in the middle class of America are, in reality, part of the working class population. Mosley then described the inequality in the prison system. Black people are imprisoned at five times the rate of white people, according to the NAACP, while a majority of opioid abusers are white people, according to Mosley. He said, however, this is not Trump’s doing. “The Trump didn’t start these trials,” Mosley said. He went on to describe all the things that “the Trump” did not do, like destabi-
Author Walter Mosely spoke at the University of Kansas Feb. 7. lize the Middle East, create racism and sexism, bail out banks that stole people’s money and futures. “Don’t get me wrong: I am not in any way, shape or form a supporter of the Trump,” Mosley said. “But still, when he took the White House, I found that there was a glimmer of hope sparkling in my centuries-old, American-made pessimism.” Mosley finished his 24-minute talk expanding on the previously mentioned “unconscious in-
tentions.” He said he loves the First Amendment and the Bill of Rights, but that the Founding Fathers never intended it to be what it is today. But the Constitution is what it is, and we need to take advantage of it now. “In opposition, [President Trump] will make us stronger,” Mosley said. “Maybe we’ll find leadership and representation that will make America once more the promise land — the promise of freedom, the assurance that each and every one of us has citizen-
settling down in Lawrence 16 years ago. He officially started working on the storefront in November — working his full-time job by day and spending evenings and weekends preparing the space. “It will be interesting once the doors unlock if
[customers are] going to take that step and come in,” Taylor said. “This is not a typical Mass Street business, but I think people will find their curiosity will be met when they come in.” Sprague is excited for the store to “make a splash” on Massachusetts Street. He’s also excited people can meet Taylor and get to know him. “Terry’s an awesome guy to talk with,” Sprague said. “He’s a very friendly guy. He loves the customers when they come in.” Taylor hopes the store can be a place for anyone to come in and find something they love whether their interests be Marvel, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “The X-Files” or “Stranger Things.” The store will also feature artwork and taxidermy, courtesy of his wife Liz. Taylor said he did the best he could to make it just right and hopes residents of Lawrence will
ship that cannot be questioned or revoked.” A 30-minute Q&A session ended with a question from Lawrence resident Jameelah Jones about what’s next in terms of his stories. Jones, a longtime fan of Mosley’s writing, said asking him a question was probably one of the greatest moments of her life. “They could have slapped his name on anything, and I would have come,” Jones said. Though she was in the overflow room, she said she
Contributed photo
absorbed and hung on every word Mosley said about how to maintain or regain optimism in today’s political climate. Jones said if Mosley, a man in his late 60s who has been through the ups and downs of this country and seen a lot, can still be optimistic, younger voters can be optimistic too. “I feel like sitting in feelings of despair is not good for the future,” Jones said. “We need to have some type of hope that things will get better.”
VINTAGE TOY STORE FROM PAGE 1 is more than willing to make the 40-minute drive to visit Taylor and his shop. Sprague, also a fan of “The Munsters,” googled 1313 Mockingbird Lane last year, found the pop-up
shop and was hooked. “I really like vintage toy stuff,” Sprague said. “I ended up going to [the store], meeting him, and that’s how I started to know him.” Taylor, who is from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was originally with the band Mammoth before
Maggie Gould/KANSAN Terry Taylor is the owner of 1313 Mockingbird Lane, a downtown toy store whose grand opening is this weekend.
Maggie Gould/KANSAN 1313 Mockingbird Lane owner Terry Taylor sold his wares at various pop-up locations before opening the location in downtown Lawrence. come and check it out. “If people were to walk by, I’d tell them, ‘Come on in and stay for a spell,’” Taylor said. 1313 Mockingbird Lane will be open Thursday
through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. You can follow the store for updates via Facebook and Instagram @1313MockingbirdKS.
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KU alum transitions from film to music videos GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake
University alumnus Josh Doke got a pretty good grasp of what he could do with his next directorial effort after just one sit-down meeting before production started. This project won’t be seen on the big screen, though. Instead, it came as a music video for a cover of Sia’s “Underneath the Christmas Lights.” Music videos are a medium Doke has explored before, and he thinks they have plenty of room for experimentation. “You can try out things that you’ve been wanting to try out but don’t know if they’ll work for a fulllength feature,” Doke said. “You can kind of flex your filmmaking muscles in music videos. It’s also one of the few forms you can get really experimental with anymore.” This experimentation led to a design Doke said was a highly collaborative effort that matched both his vision and the vision of Whit, the moniker of musician Whitney Coleman, an up-andcoming pop musician out of Nashville, Tennessee, where the project was shot. “We kind of met in the middle,” Doke said. “She knew she wanted it to be a performance, so it was mainly her singing without any storylines or cutaways. And I knew I wanted to do something that wasn’t just as straightforward.” Most of Doke’s pitches
Contributed photo Nashville-based musician Whit sings a cover of Sia’s “Underneath the Christmas Lights” in a new music video directed by University alumnus Josh Doke. to Coleman on the project’s design came with the knowledge they would shoot in a relatively small studio, which lead to multiple camera and editing tricks to give the video the feel he wanted. This look was composed largely of deep-black backgrounds contrasted by a single key light that illuminated only Coleman. “There wasn’t a lot of room for dolly tracking or camera movement,” Doke said. “So, we kind of put her on a spinning platform that rotated her instead of rotating the camera. And with the all-black background, we were really able to pull that off.”
Doke’s visual choices also stemmed from the song itself.
planning on the project happened in a relatively short amount of time
“You can kind of flex your filmmaking muscles in music videos. It’s also one of the few forms you can get really experimental with anymore.” Josh Doke KU alumnus, filmmaker
“Once I heard the song, I realized that she was singing three different parts,” Doke said. “I realized that that would be really great to kind of come in with these different parts and do these overlaps in the video.” The design and
according to Coleman, who said she wanted to push her content into music video form as soon as possible. “I had planned on starting releasing music in the new year,” Coleman said. “But I didn’t want to wait until 2019 to kind of introduce myself to the
world, so to speak. So, I just told [Doke] I thought about doing a Christmas video.” Coleman agreed that Doke’s ideas matched well with the minimalist style she wanted to accomplish with her music, which aided in the ease of finishing production on such short notice. “His vision and approach to everything kept really lined up with mine,”Coleman said. “And the rest is history.” On top of his vision, Coleman also said she appreciated Doke’s work on and away from the set, despite not having seen any of his prior work before meeting with him. “I don’t mind looking
at prior work,” Coleman said. “But when it comes to working with someone, there’s got to be the vibe. And I just think I really connected with his vibe instantly once we met.” Coleman said she also recognized Doke’s confidence on set as a major key to how smooth their collaboration felt on the project. “I loved that he was so calm,” Coleman said. “Calm and confident. There didn’t seem to be anything that would shock him or disturb him or frustrate him in such a way that it kind of ruins the whole vibe of the shoot or the whole planning process.” Doke also said coming into the project understanding his limitations helped in many ways to give the project the look they were both trying to get. “I think we were able to pull off a little bit more of a polished video just based on the technique,” Doke said. “And I guess that’s one thing, too, is knowing your parameters and knowing what you can get away with.” With Nashville as his new hometown, Doke looks to continue extending his skills in music video production on top of working on other future projects. “You’ve kind of got to work your way into that industry,” Doke said. “Especially where I’m in Nashville now. I’m dipping my toe back into that world and kind of picking it back up again.”
Bas headlines Dreamville Records concert at Granada DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige Although the crowd was small, rapper Bas, along with his opening acts, brought chill vibes and mellow bars to Lawrence during his concert at The Granada on Wednesday night. The Dreamville signee stopped in Lawrence as part of his Milky Way Tour in promotion of his third studio album of the same name. Correy C, a Los Angeles native and frequent Bas collaborator, was the first to take the stage. He immediately addressed the cold and how he’s not used to cold weather being from California. Correy C said he was grateful for the opportunity to tour with Bas. “I got out of jail four weeks before the tour was supposed to start, and Bas called me to asked me to be on the tour with him,” Correy C said. “That’s love.” The rapper and singer performed five songs and appropriately started with “Far I Came,” a song that expresses the obstacles he’s had to overcome. His music is laid-back, fitting right in with the tone of Dreamville, the record label Bas is signed to. Correy C ended the set by requesting the audience’s
help for “On the Edge.” Innanet James was next to take the stage. If Pusha T and Buddy had a baby, that baby would be Innanet James. His style is a mix of hard-hitting flows and with emotional narrative. The rapper started off his set by telling the audience how much he loves smoking weed and ended it with remembering a bad relationship. His songs were the best among the opening acts for getting the crowd excited. Next to take the stage was Rexx Life Raj, another rapper from California. Although his set started off with a few technical difficulties, he kept the crowd interested with his songs about difficult times, finding love and technology. His songs seemed to be a bit monotonous, but Rexx Life Raj got the crowd ready for Bas. Wearing a FIENDS T-shirt, Bas approached the stage to “Icarus,” the first track of “Milky Way” playing in the background. He performed most of the songs from his new album
Bel Wilcoxen/KANSAN
Bas performs at The Granada on Feb. 7. as well as old hits from his previous album like “Too High to Riot” and “Night Job.” Bas performed like he was right at home, and he was in-tune with the intimate audience. He even asked an audience
“It was great. [Bas is] high energy and super happy all the time.” Emily Hanks Lawrence resident
member to come to the stage to perform J. Cole’s verse on “Night Job.” The rest of Bas’ set was enchanting and peaceful, reminiscent of a J. Cole concert. He told stories about having racist neighbors, being in a bad place in his life, failed relationships and voiced his support of freeing rapper 21 Savage. The crowd was hyped through all of it. The New York native, who now lives in Los
Angeles, California, also addressed the cold weather and mentioned how he didn’t think Kansas could get that cold. “Living in [Los Angeles] for four years has definitely made me soft because I can’t deal with it being this cold,” Bas said. The crowd’s energy hit a peak when Bas performed his hit “Tribe,” which ended the night. Emily Hanks, a
Lawrence resident who attended the concert, said she’s been a fan of Dreamville artists for a long time and also has tickets for J.I.D’s concert at The Granada on Feb. 11. “It was great. He’s high energy and super happy all the time,” Hanks said about Bas. “I was introduced to his music last year, and I just think he’s great like the other Dreamville artists.”
KANSAN.COM
6 ARTS & CULTURE
Professor’s book celebrates Kansas flora WYATT HALL @thewyatthall15 If there’s one thing that Kansas has an abundance of, it’s plants. University of Kansas English professor Megan Kaminski decided to write about them in her recently published poetry chapbook, “Each Acre.” “Each Acre” is a 10part poem all about the specificity of each acre of land around us. It’s a smaller part of a project she’s currently working on called “Everything is Leaf in my Empire of the Heart,” a collection of similar poems. “If one particular acre is dear to any person, animal, or plant, then all acres should be dear to all of us,” Kaminski said. “It’s just all about compassion, sustainability, and care for others.” Kaminski started writing poetry in college when a literature professor pushed her to try the medium. That was when she discovered her passion to write. “I didn’t really know that there were living poets out in the world,” Kaminski said. “I thought poets were the dead old guys we read in textbooks.” After getting her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in her home state, she lived in multiple cities
Johnny Meehan/KANSAN Associate Professor Megan Kaminski poses with her new poetry book “Each Acre” outside of Wescoe Hall on Feb. 5. “Each Acre” focuses on the natural world. around the world including New York City, Casablanca, Morocco and Paris, France before finally settling down in Kansas. “She has a lot of amazing knowledge about poetry, theory, and writing,” said Leslie Wheeler, one of Kaminski’s doctoral students. “She’s always very caring with her work and gives incredible feedback.” Having lived here for
over a decade, Kaminski decided to make her next work about connection, compassion, and nature all around us. The Midwest just happens to be where it is centered.
“Kansas is underappreciated,” Kaminski said. “The Great Plains are underappreciated places.” Kaminski has published two full books of poetry
“Poetry is just a great way to think about the world and to think about yourself in the world.” Megan Kaminski KU English professor
with a third set to publish in 2020. The central theme of her writing has been about how we live in the world, with each other, and how we can do that in a way that is more compassionate and more in line with who we truly are. “I hope to create an immersive world for the reader to inhabit,” Kaminski said. “I’m going for an experience rather than just giving one
particular message.” Wheeler was allowed to read the manuscript before it was fully published, and she had nothing but good things to say. “They are these perfect crystallized visions of nature and humans and the way they interact,” Wheeler said. “They are serious but at the same time very beautiful.” Kaminski plans to keep teaching and working on her poetry well into the future. “I love teaching poetry to students at KU. It’s kind of my dream job,” Kaminski said. “It makes me really happy to see my students write and enjoy themselves and well as figure out the big questions. Poetry is just a great way to think about the world and to think about yourself in the world.” With her next project, she’ll focus on animals, environmental crisis and trauma, and how we deal with living in a world where a lot of things are falling apart. Despite the dark subject, she still wants to emphasize caring for ourselves and caring for others in that kind of world. As for “Each Acre,” you can find it at The Raven Book Store in Lawrence or by ordering online directly from the publisher, above/ ground press.
TV Stock: Ted Bundy, Russian Doll, Lindsay Lohan GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake Another week, another list of shows for the masses to consume at a rate no sane human should ever attempt. Last week’s solid content made way for some decidedly bland and underwhelming releases, with one solid outing thrown into the mix. Let’s take a look at the best and worst TV had to offer us this week. Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes - TRENDING DOWN I’ve admittedly never been one to love miniseries documentaries. The format takes too much liberty breaking up straightforward stories into episodes to build a false sense of tension around otherwise serious subject matter.
Mockumentary series like “American Vandal” provide accurate criticisms of this format, and “Conversations With a Killer” didn’t rise above those flaws. The series, running a short four episodes, dives deep into interviews from journalists and others involved with the Bundy trial. It also includes footage and interviews with Bundy himself. The series aims to understand one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history. The problem with this show is that it never really punches through the intrigue to reveal a unique perspective of a man that has always been viewed as a deeply disturbed yet somehow charming individual. The show offers little outside of the promise for harrowingly dark footage straight from the mouth of Bundy himself, and is only worth a watch
Natasha Lyonne stars in Netflix’s upcoming series “Russian Doll.” for those who find real interest in serial killers. Russian Doll TRENDING UP This slick new Netflix show puts a comedically dark twist on the “Groundhog Day” cliché.
Contributed photo Pop culture icon Lindsay Lohan stars in the new MTV reality series “Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club.”
From the minds of Amy Poehler, Leslye Headland and star Natasha Lyonne, this show follows Nadia Vulvokov (Lyonne), a woman in New York City celebrating her 36th birthday at her friend’s house. She finds herself endlessly reliving the same party after she gets stuck in a time loop and continues to die over and over. This roller coaster of events puts her in tough emotional spots, and each death puts her in increasingly dire situations. I want to stay relatively spoiler-free here because this show is without a doubt worth the 8-episode investment. Each episode has a wonderfully baroque visuality to it that perfectly reflects Nadia’s time loop problem. The repetitive nature of the show never loses intrigue, and the typical episode length of 25-35 minutes is just long enough to keep the tension palpable.
Poehler’s signature comedic style shines as the show goes on, and Lyonne is brilliant in what will likely be the best role of her career. Some side characters get annoying as the plot moves forward, but this might be a purposeful choice by the writers. All in all, this show stands among the top 10 new series of the year. Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club TRENDING DOWN I tend to try to avoid trash at all costs when it comes to new television and film. But sometimes it’s just too hard to avoid diving into what looks like something truly unwatchable. And this didn’t disappoint. MTV describes the show as an expansion of Lohan’s “business empire” that films and follows Lohan as she launches a Beach House in Mykonos, Greece.
Contributed photo
She has eight American employees staffing the club, giving guests the experience that only Lohan could possibly conjure up in her head. The eight “guests” (Ambassadors? Bad people? Annoying actors? Bartenders?) have some serious chemistry issues that make the show feel like a mix of “Jersey Shore” and “Big Brother.” Most everyone is either selfish or downright seedy. It’s honestly the perfect show for the once great MTV. Lohan brings a zero-BS attitude to the show. Her partner on the project, Panos Spentzos, has all the stylized brashness a Lohan sidekick requires, which is sure to click with fans of trash TV. It’s hard to find a single non-laughable aspect of this show. Do not — I repeat — do not watch this show. Watch “Jersey Shore” reruns and let bad TV like this stay in the past.
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OPINION
Monday, February 11, 2019
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FFA of the Day:”why did we let the body glitter trend die why are we so afraid to shine” “I linked with Cody Ko today on LinkedIn.” “I feel like that’s just the general motto for life — ‘men suck.’” is it bad if i’m planning on getting a 3rd row of piercings on my ears so i can spell “eat ass” with alphabetical earrings “My 11:11 wish was that school would be canceled so you’re welcome.” “If we cancel classes tomorrow, I will literally have sex with Chancellor Girod” “there’s a national ukulele underground that you must be aware of” “I know so much about this man’s genitals but I don’t even know his name!” in 2009 there was a student senate coalition that just ran on the platform of building more pools and like...mood honestly “She f**king verbally attacked the shit out of me” All these celebrities watching “Abducted in Plain Sight” now but I hopped on that train weeks ago. “What’s worse, the IRS or the IRA?” “The NCAA” My google home just talked, unprompted, so if anyone needs me I’m running as far as my feet can take me Happy Sunday, a huge chunk of ice just fell off my roof and sliced my foot open “Look at how much clout this cat has.” I’m 99 percent sure Dole is haunted Can we appreciate that Missouri is such a wild place, there’s a Tornado Warning inside of a Winter Weather Advisory right now? “my life may suck, but at least my sims’ lives don’t.” “I’m eating Hu Hot tonight” “What, vagina?” “I don’t really trust legal drugs” Decided I needed a good cry, so I watched “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
KANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
Kansas judge promotes victim-blaming GRACE BRUNNER @Gracebrunner4
Conversations surrounding sexual misconduct and the role of victim-blaming within allegations have become commonplace in recent years. Amidst the #MeToo movement, claims of sexual assault and abuse have been abundant as individuals have come forward to share their stories. And yet, the courts have repeatedly failed to prosecute these cases, with the lack of legal action remaining a notable point of conversation since the publicized case of Brock Turner, who received only a six-month sentencing for his rape conviction. Recently, this trend has struck closer to home as a Kansas sexual abuse case has made national headlines. Leavenworth county Judge Michael Gibbens ruled to lessen the sentence of 64-year-old Raymond Soden from 13 years to only five years in prison for his felony charge of electronic solicitation involving two young girls ages 13 and 14. In defense of lessening Soden’s sentence, Gibbens claimed the two young girls were partially at fault, discrediting their own status as victims and labeling them as “aggressors.” Gibbens based his argument upon the fact the young girls knew that they were engaging in illegal actions
by charging money for their illicit photographs and sexual acts over social media. Gibbens also credited Soden’s age at 64 years old as support for his lacking of “substantial capacity for judgement,” according to CNN. However, Soden is legally of age to consent to sexual behavior while neither of the young girls who have been labeled as the “aggressors” are able to do so. Additionally, Soden admitted to police he was aware of the girls’ ages, and he was aware his actions were wrong. The argument against Soden also included two prior convictions of battery and sexual battery. Child advocacy and abuse prevention groups have rejected this ruling. Julie Donelon, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault, said in an interview with CNN that “13 and 14 year olds cannot be aggressors. Children do not have the capacity to consent.” Moreover, Donelon claims that as a society “we understand it is never the victim’s fault.” However, society’s understanding of this fact is not entirely cut and dry. The tendency to place blame upon the victim has become a far-too common trend in cases involving sexual assault and abuse. Is it not uncommon to hear questions of what the victim was wearing as reasoning to discredit their sexual
Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN abuse or violation allegations. This past fall, a case in Ireland sparked international outrage as a 17-yearold girl’s underwear was presented as evidence in a courtroom to counter her claims of rape. According to data provided by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, on average only 230 of every 1,000 sexual assault cases are reported to police. Furthermore, of these mere 230 reported rape cases, only 46
rapists will be arrested, and only less than five will be incarcerated. Gibben’s sentencing was based on Kansas’ sentencing guidelines that permit a lesser sentencing if the “victim was an aggressor or participant” in the crime. And while labeling a minor an aggressor seems an extreme fault on the judge, It still remains clear that more must be done to protect victims of sexual misconduct, particularly youth.
This case brings a glaring attention to the lack of value our society places in the word and well-being of victims. Society is fostering an atmosphere that questions and neglects victims, and this attitude has seeped into our courtrooms, building a legal system that condemns victims.
Grace Brunner is a sophomore from Overland Park studying English and political science.
Gillette’s message twisted by controversy JEFFREY BIRCH @Kansanstaff Two weeks ago, Gillette, a brand of men and women’s safety razors, posted an online “short film” that has since become one of the most controversial marketing campaigns of the year. A campaign committed to protesting “bullying,” “toxic masculinity” and “sexual harassment.” Last week, Kansan columnist Brianna Wessling wrote an opinion piece outlining the issues of Gillette’s ad, so today I will discuss an aspect that I think has been largely overlooked: the actual controversy of the ad. Now, basically every news outlet has reported on the ad and its controversy, but few people are looking at why there’s controversy. Reading some of the more heated discussions of the ad, I kept running across people on both sides of the argument who seemed incredulous at the fact anyone could stand on the other side and believe there isn’t a controversy at all. While it’s easy to just assume people are idiots for not seeing how gosh darn obvious things are, that’s rarely the case. Arguments consist of two people coming at a problem with differing perspectives, and I want to dig into both sides of this one.
Kansan file photo A bronze patina sculpture, used in a 2009 Spencer Museum of Art installation, challenges the normal definitions of what it means to be a man. As Wessling talked about, there were quite a few people who liked the message of the ad but really disliked the fact Gillette was the company dispensing it. On the other side of the things, detractors weren’t buying the message in general. Most people against the ad saw it as an easy cash grab in a climate of #MeToo culture, especially when contrasted with a 2011 marketing campaign that had women walking around in blue latex bodysuits that simply said “Gillette.” Gillette’s own hypocrisy didn’t help the message, but the strongest reactions
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were towards the message itself, so let’s look at that. Toxic masculinity has been a talking point for various groups concerned with current societal norms. For them, society allows or expects men to be or do certain things, and a good chunk of these are unhealthy for society and the men themselves. So, to have the concept of toxic masculinity pushed to the forefront of the public consciousness by a well-known company was very exciting to see. Now, not everyone got all warm and fuzzy when they watched the ad. It’s been viewed over 28 million
times on YouTube and currently sits at 65 percent dislikes, so clearly people are upset by the ad, but why? One common reaction is men felt targeted and then unfairly represented by the ad. One person even went so far as to remake the whole commercial shot for shot with the message changed from “men” to “people.” Another reaction was to get upset about how messages like these outlined how the “Left” is trying to eliminate masculinity, with detractors frequently posting about the armed forces, and how they represented “The Best A Man Can Be,” not the ad.
contact us Shaun Goodwin Emma Greenwood Editor-in-chief Business Manager sgoodwin@kansan.com egreenwood@kansan.com
It’s disheartening to see a great message get so twisted and misunderstood by what seems to be the majority of people. With healthy masculinity, men can be brave, they can be strong, they can be whatever they want to be; the toxicity comes in when society forces men to be something that is both false and damaging. Men can and should be vulnerable sometimes, men should be able to let their guards down and talk about how they’re feeling without being ridiculed for being “unmanly” or “a pussy.” Healthy masculinity also allows a guy who doesn’t want to open up and prefers to keep his problems to himself to do just so. The point of combating toxic masculinity is to give men the freedom to be whom they want to be, not whom society expects to be, and if more people understood that, these controversies would not be so explosive.
Jeffrey Birch is a sophomore from Wichita studying accounting.
editorial board
Read Brianna Wessling’s column on Gillette on Kansan.com
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Savanna Smith, Aroog Khaliq and Emma Greenwood.
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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
KU swim and dive breaks records in final dual JORDAN VAUGHN @JVSmoove14
Kansas swim and dive, as it has done all year, got out to a fast and dominant start in its final dual of the season against Big 12 opponent Iowa State. “We were all just wanting to come down and beat them,” junior Jenny Nusbaum said. “We wanted to show them that they’re not going to touch us at the Big 12 [tournament].” After the first day of action the Jayhawks held a 113.5-35.5 advantage over the Cyclones. Kansas got started early with a first and second place finish in both the 200-yard medley relay and the 1,000-yard freestyle with sophomore Crissie Blomquist easily running away with the first-place finish in the latter. Nusbaum added to her already stellar junior season by breaking the pool record in the 200-
yard freestyle. “I had the record in the back of my mind honestly,” Nusbaum said. “[Coach] Clark talked about what I need to do in my race, and he said, ‘if you’re at a certain point, I’m going to be on the side going crazy’ and I looked over and he was going crazy, so I was like ‘here we go.’” Nusbaum wasn’t the only Jayhawk with a record-breaking performance on Friday. Freshman Vicky Xu broke her own school record as well as the pool record in one-meter diving. In just her third meet with the team, Xu broke her own record that she set in her very first meet as a Jayhawk. “There were a lot of people cheering for me, it makes me feel confident,” Xu said. “I love it here. My teammates make me feel at home.” Including Xu’s first place finish in diving,
Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Freshman Sydnie Horne competes in the 100-yard backstroke. Kansas defeated Iowa State 98-32 in the first day of the dual on Friday, Feb. 8.
Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Freshman Greta Olson competes in the 200-yard butterfly. Kansas defeated Iowa State 98-32 in the first day of the dual on Friday, Feb. 8. Kansas took home firstplace in seven events on Friday. In the second day of the Jayhawks’ final duel, only one day after breaking her own school record in one-meter diving, Xu topped that performance by breaking three records on the three-meter board. Xu compiled a score of 420.60 on day two which broke the conference, school and pool records in just her sixth event as a Jayhawk. “Going into a competition, I try to remember to believe in myself and stay calm,” Xu said according to a Kansas Athletics press release. “I am very excited about how
“I love it here. My teammates make me feel at home.” Vicky Xu freshman
well I dove today. The Jayhawks built a huge lead on Friday and did not look back on the second day, defeating the Cyclones 201.5 to 93.5. Kansas finishes off dual season with a 7-1 record and a first-place finish in the Kansas Classic. The Jayhawks finished undefeated in conference
play heading into the Big 12 tournament. “We are really happy with how everyone performed this morning, so it is a good way to go into the championship season,” coach Clark Campbell said. On day two of competition this weekend, Kansas placed first in all eight events. Junior Elizabeth AmatoHanner collected two of the golds this weekend with victories in the 200-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley. “She is working hard on making sure her fine points are where they need to be and really had a couple of races that I know
will help her have a lot of confidence for the Big 12 Championship,” Campbell said of Amato-Hanner. Nusbaum collected her 17th individual first-place finish of the season in the 100-yard freestyle. Freshmen Kate Steward and Greta Olsen each claimed first-place in the 200-yard breaststroke and 100-yard butterfly respectively.
next meet
Big 12 Championship at Texas
Wed., Feb. 27 TBA
KU football looks to build success off JUCO recruits ROSS KAINE @RossKaine24 ANALYSIS A majority of Kansas football fans’ hype this offseason has been turned towards the signing of former 2007 National Championship winning LSU football coach Les Miles. However, few have batted an eye at a rather underrated 2019 Kansas football recruitment class. Some of the players that highlight the Jayhawks’ 19 signed recruits are quarterback Thomas MacVittie, defensive end Malcolm Lee and wide receiver Andrew Parchment. One detail all these players have in common is that they all attended a junior college, or JUCO, and were stars. Thomas MacVittie is the No. 2 quarterback on the 2019 ESPN JUCO rankings for the class of 2019 and is a designated pocket passer that can really tear up a defense when surrounded with an adequate offensive line. With the departure of senior quarterback Peyton Bender, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound MacVittie out of Mesa Community College should be passed the torch as starting quarterback, considering he is the most qualified for the job. Another JUCO recruited star player is
Chance Parker/KANSAN Former LSU football coach Les Miles was announced as Kansas’ 40th head coach Sunday, Nov. 18.
Malcolm Lee, the No. 46 player on the 2019 ESPN JUCO top 50 recruits, as well as the No. 11 defensive end in a star-studded class of defensive ends. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound Lee played at Iowa Western Community College and was the highest-recruited prospect out of all Kansas signees. Lee passed up high-profiled football programs such as Iowa, Central Florida, Iowa State and Louisville. Lee will help bolster
a shallow defense by providing both depth and leadership as he looks to fill the hole left after the departure of senior defensive end Brian Lipscomb. Rounding out the list is wide receiver Andrew Parchment, the No. 10 wide receiver in the 2019 ESPN JUCO class. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound wideout out of Iowa Central Community College passed up warm days at UNLV to come play football at Kansas, and there are high hopes
he will be an offensive weapon for MacVittie to work with.
seconds, the same time as Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver Antonio
One aspect about established JUCO players that many overlook is their leadership and dedication to hard work.
According to Parchment’s Hudl account, his 40-yard dash comes in at 4.47
Brown clocked in at the 2010 NFL Combine. Although Parchment lacks strength at 185
pounds, he makes up for it with his deadly speed, height advantage and cunning. One aspect about established JUCO players that many overlook is their leadership and dedication to hard work. These players may play at lower levels of competition than Division 1 athletes, but their domination of that level of play gives them confidence and provides them with a winning mentality. One of the most important things MacVittie, Lee and Parchment bring to the table is the winning culture they were surrounded with at their respective community colleges. If this carries over, it can have an immense impact on a Kansas football team that has seen nothing but defeat and despair in recent years. With the Jayhawks going 3-9 in the 2018 season, we can only anticipate so much going forward as most teams cannot magically turn themselves around in just one season. However, Kansas football has made one giant leap in the journey back to relevancy since the 2008 Orange Bowl. Here’s to arguably the most exciting offseason we’ve seen in the last decade. May it follow up with an even more exciting regular season.
KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
11
Unexpected freshman steps up for KU LOGAN FRICKS @LoganFricks
Going up against a ranked team while on a losing streak is always a tough task. This proved to be the case for the Kansas women’s basketball team Saturday night, when the Jayhawks fell to No. 14 Texas 91-73. The loss dropped Kansas to 12-10 overall, and 2-9 in conference play. Outside of senior guard Kylee Kopatich, the only bright spot for the Jayhawks was freshman center, Brittany Franklin, who played a key role for Kansas, especially in the beginning of the game. Players such as sophomore center Bailey Helgren and junior forward Mariane De Carvalho were outsized down low by Texas bigs Joyner Holmes and Jatarie White. Senior guard Christalah Lyons also struggled to find any offensive rhythm, shooting 3-of-8 from the floor with two of those baskets coming in the closing minutes of the game. “I thought our bigs were definitely showing a presence tonight,” Texas coach Karen Aston said. “I thought all four of
them played hard, played well. Our bigs asserted themselves tonight.” The Jayhawks went on a scoring drought for the first 5:45 of the game, but Franklin checked in and put Kansas on the board, snagging an offensive rebound and then putting it directly back into the basket to cut the deficit down to 13. “I think any time you’re struggling to get the first one to go down…you’re looking for anybody to just finish a play,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. After the Longhorns converted a free throw, Kansas brought the ball up the court and once again missed a shot. Fortunately for Kansas, Franklin was right there to snag her second offensive rebound of the game and put the ball back into the basket, despite being fouled. Texas tends to play aggressive, but Franklin was not backing down from the competition. Not only was she picking her spots and overpowering the Texas bigs, but time and time again she hustled up and down the court, seldom the last player to cross half court. “[Franklin] can go get a rebound, that’s the
Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman guard Brooklyn Mitchell dribbles the ball against Texas. The Jayhawks fell to the Longhorns 9173 on Saturday, Feb. 9. biggest thing,” Schneider said. “She’s still pretty raw defensively, still has a lot to continue to learn there.” Franklin finished the game with seven points, four rebounds, two blocks
and a career-high of 18 minutes on Saturday night. Even with the loss, Schneider said he can take away one positive thing as he saw something out of Franklin he was
not getting from any other big. This could possibly leading to better play from the Jayhawks in upcoming games and extended minutes for Franklin.
next game
at Oklahoma Wed., Feb. 13 7 p.m.
Young players key in KU win over Oklahoma State JACK JOHNSON @JohnyJ_15
With Kansas men’s basketball suffering one of its toughest weeks in recent history, after enduring its first loss to Kansas State since 2014 and then senior guard Lagerald Vick taking a leave of absence with no timetable for return, the Jayhawks were in search of some semblance of positivity against Oklahoma State on Saturday. And with the additional absences of sophomore guard Marcus Garrett and junior center Udoka Azubuike through injury and sophomore forward
Silvio De Sousa now ineligible to play, Kansas coach Bill Self fielded his youngest team since 2013 when the Jayhawks trav-
“You’ve got to rise to the occasion. We are a little short-handed.” Mitch Lightfoot junior forward
eled to Florida. Self’s lineup featured four freshmen — guards Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes, Ochai Agbaji and
forward David McCormack — and redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson. It was the first time since Jan. 2 against Oklahoma that Kansas started a game with two bigs. Though Dotson, Grimes and Agbaji have stepped in as the full-time starters in the rotation, the decision on McCormack — who was playing in his first collegiate start — came as a slight surprise, with the freshman having not played a single minute against K-State. Nonetheless, Self’s gamble paid off, as the Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys 84-72. “I thought it was the
Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman guard Ochai Agbaji celebrates after hitting a three-pointer against Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys 84-72 Saturday, Feb. 9.
best matchup for us,” Self said. “Then I believed it was better for Mitch for us to finish the game.” Junior forward Mitch Lightfoot put in 20 minutes of work, scoring six points but also making plenty of solid plays that don’t show up on the stat sheet. Agbaji also put up 23 points, as the four starting freshmen combined for 47 points. The freshman has continued to impress for the Jayhawks since burning his redshirt. “I think people say Ochai overachieves,” Lawson said. “But just seeing how hard he works, you can expect things like that out of him.” It’s unclear if Self and his staff will move forward with this current group, especially with the incredibly active performance from Lightfoot — who racked nine rebounds and two blocks, in addition to his six points. “You’ve got to rise to the occasion,” Lightfoot said. “We are a little short-handed.” Even Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton had serious praise for the junior forward. “There have been a lot
Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman guard Devon Dotson tosses the ball to the rim against Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys 84-72 Saturday, Feb. 9. of guys like Mitch Lightfoot that have helped them hang banners,” Boynton said. With a young core now leading the Jayhawks, they next travel to Fort Worth, Texas, to take on TCU. The Jayhawks currently sit 1-6 in true road games, with a win away from Allen Fieldhouse
desperately needed for Kansas continue keeping on the heat in the Big 12.
next game
at TCU Mon., Feb. 11 8 p.m.
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Basketball Gameday Monday, February 11, 2018
K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S
Kansas at TCU, Monday, Feb. 11, 8:00 p.m.
Chance Parker/KANSAN Junior forward Mitch Lightfoot shows his emotions after having a standout game against Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys 84-72 on Saturday, Feb. 9. MADDY TANNAHILL & BRADEN SHAW @KansanSports
Beat Writer Predictions:
MADDY TANNAHILL
77-74
KANSAS 18-6 (7-4 BIG 12)
68-72
TCU 17-6 (5-5 BIG 12)
Ochai Agbaji
Desmond Bane
★★★★ Even Kansas coach Bill Self is surprised at Agbaji’s
★★★★ A native of Richmond, Indiana, Bane leads the charge
freshman guard
output so far this season, as he said after the Oklahoma State win how poor his judgment was to initially redshirt Agbaji. On Saturday, Agbaji came through once again, shooting 5-for-7 from beyond the arc en route to 23 points, his second 20-plus point performance in Big 12 play (24 points on Jan. 29 at Texas).
junior guard
offensively for the Horned Frogs, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 49.8-percent from the field. In TCU’s 77-68 loss to Kansas earlier in the season, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard contributed 13 points to the cause, trailing only behind RJ Nembhard who recorded a seasonhigh 14 points.
Quentin Grimes
Kouat Noi
★★★★ The play of Grimes this season is an interesting case
★★★★ Two games after recording 10 points against Kansas, Noi
freshman guard
study as the potential has been and is there, but the output isn’t. Granted, he played significantly better in the second half of the Oklahoma State game (six points, four rebounds and an assist). If Grimes can play with that fire he did in the final 20 minutes of Saturday’s game, maybe he can finally play up to the billing of his top-10 recruit status.
sophomore forward
propelled himself into the starting lineup, where he has remained ever since. As a member of the starting five, the sophomore has averaged 14.7 points through the most recent seven matchups, quickly becoming one of the most lethal pieces of the TCU offense. A dangerous outside presence, Noi has knocked down a three-ball in 22-consecutive outings.
Mitch Lightfoot
Alex Robinson
★★★ Over his two-plus years at Kansas, Lightfoot has been a
★★★ The main facilitator of the Horned Frog offense, Robinson
junior forward
fan favorite despite sparingly playing in games. However, Lightfoot has been called upon due to Kansas’ sudden lack of depth, and the junior has taken the opportunity. Against Oklahoma State, Lightfoot tallied six points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes. While he won’t put up big offensive numbers, Lightfoot can be relied upon.
athletes of the week
BRADEN SHAW
senior guard
has led TCU in 74 of the 93 games he has clocked minutes in during his career, including five in the squad’s upset of Iowa State on Saturday. At Allen Fieldhouse earlier in the season, Robinson produced a 4-of-12 showing from the field for 12 points and also turned the ball over four times. Robinson’s ability to settle the offense could be the difference maker.
Vicky Xu
Kylee Kopatich
Swim & Dive
Women’s Basketball
In the Jayhawks’ final duel of the season, senior diver Vicky Xu helped lead the way to a 201.5-93.5 victory over Iowa State, breaking three records on the second day of competition. Notching a score of 420.60 in the three-meter dive, Xu shattered the Kansas, Robinson Natatorium and Big 12 record, while also clinching a firstplace finish, her fifth on the season.
Though in a 91-73 loss to No. 14-ranked Texas, senior guard Kylee Kopatich recorded a team-leading 18 points for the Jayhawks on a 7-of-12 effort from the field, including a 2-of-5 mark from beyond-the arc, improving her to 11.7 points per game on the season. The Olathe native has knocked down a three in 17 of the 21 games she’s played, recording a total of 210 in her career.