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University researchers discover superbug resistant to most modern antibiotics p. 2

Kansas men’s golf enters spring season with high

J.I.D. performs exciting Granada show

expectations The University Daily Kansan

vol. 138 // iss. 8 Thurs., Feb 14, 2019

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Read more at kansan.com

City may lower fine for marijuana possession to $1

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SOPHIA BELSHE @SophiaBelshe KYSER DOUGAN @KyserDougan

Read these stories and more at kansan.com

Belén Maya, an internationally-known flamenco dancer and performer, is set to perform “Romnia” at KU.

Lawrence residents could potentially see a decrease in fines for firsttime marijuana offenses.

The Lawrence City Commission discussed a draft ordinance to amend the fine for first-time marijuana possession at a work session Tuesday, Feb. 12. The ordinance would make fines for first-time offenders $50, plus court costs.

School of Law makes up unusual number of snow days

“This ordinance isn’t about making pot legal; it’s about reducing the punishment...”

Renowned flamenco dancer Belén Maya to perform at KU

After two days of weather cancellations in a month, law students at KU are still trying to make up their coursework.

KU alumnus helps voters gain access to provisional ballots The Kansas ACLU is working with other activist organizations to make sure provisional ballots are counted in state elections.

p. 3

Tianna Witmer/KANSAN Sophomore Aaliyah Lowe takes a number of medications throughout the day to help with epilepsy, a disorder that causes her to have seizures.

A day with epilepsy Aaliyah Lowe is just like any other college sophomore, except for one thing — she manages life with epilepsy, a disorder that causes seizures.

TIANNA WITMER @TiannaJWitmer First semester sophomore and Prescot native Aaliyah Lowe starts her day off by taking medication, her first dose in the morning and her second in the evening. Without this medication, she would have a seizure.

“I take folic acid to help with my liver because the seizure medication is like really damaging to the liver. Then I take melatonin and magnesium for sleep,” Lowe said.

According to Lowe, she has had epilepsy since she was a high school freshman; her first seizure hap-

pened coming home on a vacation from Colorado.

“I had my first seizure, and it was a grand mal seizure, on a road trip going from Dallas [Texas] to Colorado,” Lowe said.

“We were in Colorado and literally almost back to Kansas. We had a couple more hours to go, and my mom thought I was having a nightmare, and she was trying to wake me up from the nightmare, and she was like slapping me, but it was a seizure, and I slept for like nine hours in the hospital.”

Lowe’s father, Dustin Lowe, recounted the first time his daughter ever had a seizure in front of him.

“She was in the shower, and it was early morning, and all I heard was this really loud thump, followed by a series of thumps, and it woke me up, and I was like, ‘What’s going on in there?!’” Dustin said.

“And silence, and the shower shut off, and the next thing I knew she had grabbed her little sister, my youngest daughter, Kiah, and tried to take her outside, and tried to get the car and drive her away.”

When Aaliyah finished her seizure she said she READ MORE ON PAGE 2

Chris Flowers meeting attendee

Currently, the fine for first-time marijuana possession is $200, plus a mandatory drug evaluation, but can be up to $1,000, depending on the discretion of the courts.

The ordinance does not affect jail time, which is discretionary under state law. The cost of diversions would decrease by $150, according to the ordinance.

The commission originally considered adopting a model after Wichita, but following discussion in the work session, it is considering lowering the penalty even further.

City Commissioner

Matthew Herbert said he believes the fine should be $1 to send a message to the Kansas legislature in favor of the legalization of marijuana statewide.

“I would advocate, by making the penalty $1, that we are sending a message that we’re pushing for the state to look at what is happening everywhere else in the United States,” Herbert said. “We will very likely be one of the last states to act, and that’s unfortunate. On this issue, as a city, we can make a statement.”

Citizens in attendance responded to Herbert’s idea with applause. “$1 is great. We need to make it the lowest we legally can,” Hayden Maples, an attendee, said in an interview with the Kansan following the meeting.

Currently, the ordinance would only apply to those over 21, but there was support from community members and commissioners to lower the age to 18. As the language stands, the fine for 18- to 20-year-olds would be up to the discretion of judges to assign a fine from $1 to $1,000, per state law.

“This ordinance isn’t about making pot legal; it’s about reducing the punishment for being caught for it. Why do those 18 to 20 deserve to be punished harder than READ MORE ON PAGE 2

1856 Bar and Grill replaces Genovese

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Head chef Armando Paniagua runs the spinach fettucine dough through the pasta maker.

RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester A new restaurant, 1856 Bar and Grill, has opened in place of Genovese on Massachusetts Street, which had been in business for about 11 years before its closing in early January.

1856 Bar and Grill will continue to serve Genovese’s Italian inspired cuisine, but strives to offer more affordable prices, owner Subarna Bhattachan said.

“We looked at making it a lot more approachable for everybody, so people from every walk of life can come enjoy our restaurant food, whether it’s students or whether you’re a local,” Bhattachan said.

1856 Bar and Grill, located at 941 Mass St., opened a few weeks after the closing of Genovese following minor renovations.

READ MORE ON PAGE 4

Chance Parker/KANSAN Coach Ritch Price talks to the press the press during Media Day on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

KU baseball to rely on veterans in 2019 BRADEN SHAW @bradenshaw4real With only four seniors on the entire roster, Kansas baseball coach Ritch Price is optimistic for the new opportunities for the younger guys that have developed in the lineup.

“Traditionally, when we have juniors and seniors, we have our best teams,” Price said. “We did lose four juniors to the pro draft, but I think our depth is better. The freshman that backed up

last year are prepared to contribute now.”

With impact players like outfielders Devin Foyle and Brendt Citta, and starting pitcher Jackson Goddard gone, there is seemingly a leadership void.

At least, that’s how it looks on the outside.

However, junior pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn and catcher Jaxx Groshans READ MORE ON PAGE 11

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news

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Thursday, February 14, 2019

staff NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin

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

Superbug genes spreading at global rate

CHRIS NILGES @chrisnilges

A University of Kansas geology professor’s research in the secluded High Arctic of Norway accidentally discovered a superbug, which alongside harmful bacteria such as E. coli, is incredibly antibiotic-resistant to modern medicine.

“Once microorganisms evolve resistance, that resistance can spread to other organisms and other locations very quickly,” said Jennifer Roberts, University of Kansas professor and chair of geology.

Roberts and her research team discovered the superbug protein gene called blaNDM-1, commonly known as NDM-1, or the “New Delhi gene” nested in the soil samples they collected in the remote area of the Kongsfjorden region of Svalbard, Norway.

Originally, Roberts and her team were trying to find ways to combat the release of methane in the atmosphere when permafrost thaws.

“We were hoping to find evidence that methane-consuming organisms, naturally-occurring in the soil, would act as a buffer to that release,” Roberts said. “We did find these organisms but found that they were not very active nor abundant due to a lack of nutrients in the soil.”

The study was conducted by retrieving 40 core soil samples from eight separate soil groups. Af-

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN ter analyzing the samples, 131 antibiotic-resistant genes were found, including NDM-1. Unlike NDM-1, some of the genes found in the soil are native to the region.

The researchers chose Svalbard, Norway, in the High Arctic region because of its small human footprint and population compared to other parts of the world, with a population of around 3,000.

In addition, Roberts said the researchers concluded that it was an ideal geographical baseline for studying antibiotic resistant genes because they

only expected to find naturally-occurring resistant genes in the soils.

NDM-1, a genetic strand that can’t be seen by the human eye, was first discovered in New Delhi in 2008, and later found in the High Arctic in 2013.

That’s a distance of nearly 4,000 miles, indicating a fast rate of global transmission for the NDM1 gene.

Roberts said they believe it was transported by migratory birds, but the study also indicates that other animal waste or human waste could potentially be responsible.

DAY WITH EPILEPSY FROM PAGE 1 was frightened and had no memory of what had transpired. During the event, her sister had run inside to get her father.

“She was crying and scared, and it was an alarming event. I didn’t know what was going on.

That was the only one she has had around me,” Dustin said. “That was really, that was freaky.”

In the early years, Aaliyah did not have much information on what was causing her seizures. Epilepsy can be triggered by many different things within the brain. It can be difficult for doctors to locate what that is and to find the correct combination of medications to control the seizures.

“One of the seizure medications, I had to start taking it at night only, even though it said to take it in the morning and at night. I had to start taking it only at night because when I was taking it in the morning and at night, I couldn’t, like I was almost falling asleep during my classes, like it was bad,” Aaliyah said.

Recently, Aaliyah said she found a new doctor at Lawrence Memorial Hospital that has been able to help her start to reduce the frequency of

However, associate professor of molecular bioscience Lynn Hancock believes that the soil in the High Arctic could be naturally producing the antibiotic-resistant genes.

“Bacteria in the environment are living in competition with other soil microbes. Antibiotics as we know them are really nature’s system of dealing with this competition,” Hancock said.

NDM-1 can be transferred to harmful pathogens through a process called horizontal gene transfer. Once it takes on the characteristics of the

NDM-1 gene, it is resistant to most common antibiotics administered to humans and animals, Roberts said.

“The worst-case scenario is that antibiotics very rapidly become ineffective in treating infections,” Roberts said.

As the permafrost continues to thaw, the High Arctic region could reveal future dangers for our world, according to assistant professor in molecular bioscience Josephine Chandler.

“Essentially, an Arctic thaw could destabilize very important ecosystems, and this could cause problems that affect every corner of our world,” Chandler said.

According to a 2019 study conducted by Northwestern University, only 13 percent of outpatient antibiotic prescriptions were deemed appropriate. The inappropriate prescription of antibiotics contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance, which is a major health concern.

Hancock said the development of antibiotics for a pharmaceutical company is counter productive because of the time it takes to get a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

“Within 5-10 years of use, most antibiotics lose their shelf life in terms of retaining effectiveness in treating infections as resistance finds its way into pathogenic strains of bacteria,” Hancock said.

LAWRENCE MARIJUANA

her seizures. She said they are not sure yet what type of seizures they are, but reducing stress and getting more sleep has been helping quite a bit.

“I’ve been trying to manage my stress more, and I’ve probably maybe had them only once a week, if that.”

Aaliyah Lowe sophomore

“I’ve been trying to manage my stress more, and I’ve probably maybe had them only once a week if that. I’ve been trying to calm down a lot, but before that it was a lot more frequent,” Aaliyah said. “Probably, it was getting up to three to five times a day, like it was bad.”

While the frequency has gone down, having seizures still affects her day-to-day life, including her ability to drive.

“It affects a lot of things, like I can’t have caffeine, no alcohol, no driving, obviously. I think there are certain medications that you can’t take, you know, with all of my other medications, but definitely no driving is a

big one,” Aaliyah said. “I had a permit, I had just gotten my permit, and then I got diagnosed.”

Although epilepsy has played a big role in her life, Aaliyah has still had a lot of success with school and her social life.

“Mentally as far as that goes, she’s got more going on for her than I do as far as intelligence wise. I knew college wouldn’t really be a problem with her as far as intelligence goes,” Dustin said. “As far as actually having seizures, I think when she has the seizure now, it’s not the grand mal type, where she fell in the shower and she was kicking everything over.”

“The ones that she has now are just short little eye flutters, so they really got her on some better medication now, and hopefully, hopefully they get it taken care of. She’s made dramatic improvement as far as I know,” he continued.

As far as taking classes, Aaliyah is a full-time student, and in her free time, she enjoys being creative.

“It doesn’t change anything, I’m still me,” Aaliyah said. “Just don’t freak out if somebody tells you something is wrong with them. Just stay calm.”

FROM PAGE 1 those over 21?” Chris Flowers, an attendee, said. “Also, $50 is too much. How about $4.20 to send a message to the state of Kansas?

That message being that marijuana laws are ridiculous.”

Throughout the night, citizens voiced concerns about second-time offender penalties because the ordinance does not address the issue. Currently, second-time offenders can be fined up to $2,500 and possibly be imprisoned for up to a year, according to a Powerpoint from an Oct. 9 City Commission work session.

City commissioners

said they were interested in potentially looking at lowering the fine for second-time offenders, though it is unclear exactly how.

In 2017, there were 46 convictions for possession of marijuana and 244 charges, some of which are still pending, according to the draft ordinance.

Under state law, the fines will still be under the discretion of the judge, but the language of the ordinance will presumptively make the fine $50. The commission did not make any final decisions on the issue tonight, since it was part of the work session.

The next City Commission meeting will take place Feb. 19.

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN

KANSAN.COM

arts & culture Thursday, February 14, 2019

ARTS & CULTURE

3

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

Dreamville artist J.I.D. performs at Granada DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige

J.I.D. packed The Granada and ignited the stage during his first sold-out concert in Lawrence Monday night. The Dreamville signee stopped along his “Catch Me If You Can” tour, his first-ever headlining tour, to promote the release of his second studio album, “Dicaprio 2.”

The album, which is inspired by J.I.D.’s favorite actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, is arguably among the best albums of 2018, as the East Atlanta rapper’s mix of heavy-hitting, fast-paced flows and his soothing vocals is used to illustrate issues of gang violence, women empowerment, depression and competition.

First to take the stage was Hardo. The underground Pittsburgh rapper energized the crowd during his set, especially when he performed a song honoring Jimmy Wopo’s recent death.

“I lost my brother while being on this ‘Catch Me If You Can’ tour, but I’m gonna keep going for him,” Hardo said.

He finished his set with a new single, recorded with fellow Pittsburgh artist Wiz Khalifa, titled “Today’s a Good Day.” Before Top Dawg Entertainment’s Reason took the stage, the crowd got hyped to popular TDE songs like “m.A.A.d City” and “King’s Dead,” the latter of which just won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance on Sunday night.

Then Reason graced the stage.

This isn’t the first time the California rapper came to Lawrence. He was an opening act for Jay Rock’s concert at The Granada

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Hardo opens for J.I.D in front of a full house at the Granada on Monday, Feb. 11. back in November.

Reason performed five songs for his set, including his popular single “Summer Up” from his debut album last year. Although he’s a TDE artist, Reason mentioned he’s grateful for being on tour with a Dreamville artist.

“I was both a Dreamville and TDE fan not too long ago, so this tour is something special,” Reason said.

The stage quickly became a makeshift Oscars red carpet show as cardboard cutouts of Leonardo DiCaprio, Oprah and Denzel Washington were placed on either side of the stage with an actual red carpet placed in front. It was clear J.I.D’s performance was immi-

nent.

If the Oscars-themed stage design was to give any indication of the quality performance that J.I.D. would give to Lawrence fans, then it definitely foreshadowed. The show was the epitome of every meaning of the word “lit” from beginning to end. For his first headlining tour, J.I.D. definitely knew how to maintain the crowd’s energy, which was at an all-time high.

Although it’s not his first time performing at The Granada (he performed there with fellow Dreamville group EARTHGANG just last year), J.I.D. opened the show by telling fans that this Lawrence show is

his first sold-out concert in the city.

much more personal way,” Thomas said.

Thomas is a TESOL professor — Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages — so she works with teachers who will teach learners of English. Thomas read the Harry Potter series as an adult, and she noticed a connection between characters like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Dean Thomas, and English language learners in the real world.

Harry, Hermione and Dean, who come from the muggle world in the series, had to learn the language o f the

wizarding world.

She found they experienced emotions similar to English language learners.

“I saw this analogy and thought, ‘I should really think deeply about what else these novels have to talk about and teach us about schooling and learning,’” Thomas said.

In the article, Thomas said she found Remus Lupin to be an example of a good teacher in the series. He has faced challenges of adversity and discrimination in the past because he’s a werewolf, which allowed him to better connect with his students.

“He engages in active and out-ofclass learning activities,” Thomas said.

“He teaches them what they want to know, and he treats them like real human beings.”

As for the bad, Thomas said they found Rubeus Hagrid’s teaching practices not quite as good as Lupin’s.

“A lot of people love Hagrid as a character, but he really was a bad teacher in the sense that all of the knowledge that he had about magical creatures and weird and fantastical beasts really didn’t extend to the practice and the way in which he engaged with students,” Thomas said.

While Thomas said she found Severus Snape’s language in the series poetic and beautiful, she

“Y’all could’ve been anywhere but y’all came out here in the cold, and I don’t take that lightly.”

J.I.D. rapper

“Man, I’ve never sold-out a show here before, so Lawrence, I want to thank y’all for coming out,” J.I.D. said.

J.I.D. brought the heat and a plethora of songs from “The Never Story,” his debut album, and “DiCaprio 2.” Although J.I.D. is known for his impeccable flow, he’s

a good singer, which is an aspect of his artistry that’s often underrated. He started his set with lovey-dovey songs like “Hereditary” and “All Bad,” which eased the crowd a bit.

Before getting into his most popular songs from “DiCaprio 2,” J.I.D. took time to express his gratitude to the crowd again.

“I appreciate each and everyone of y’all,” J.I.D. said.

“Y’all could’ve been anywhere but y’all came out here in the cold, and I don’t take that lightly. 2019 is the year is of activation and not taking anything for granted, like my brother 21 Savage. Free 21 Savage.”

Then he performed hits such as “Slick Talk,” “West-

brook,” “Skrawberries” and “Off Deez,” his most popular song with J.Cole. But the crowd’s energy reached its peak when J.I.D. performed “NEVER.” The crowd sang most of the song for him.

Noting the crowd’s energy, J.I.D. took off his shirt and started doing an acapella rap session that flaunted his killer flow before performing “151 Rum.” J.I.D. appropriately ended the night with “Hasta Luego,” the last track off “Dicaprio 2.”

No, J.I.D.’s concert wasn’t cracking the ceiling-lit, but his show in Lawrence definitely had enough energy to arguably create one of the most energized concerts ever at The Granada.

categorized his teaching practices as the ugly in the article.

“When it comes to his interactions with students who he has a negative or biased view against, none of that beauty comes through — it is completely filtered through this lens that results in a very ugly interaction,” Thomas said.

Warren, who co-wrote the article, teaches many writing courses at the University. She has taught a class about magic in literature and movies, so she was able to use concepts she wrote about in the article.

“Any time you can better connect to students, it’s usually more effective learning,” Warren said.

“No matter what class I’m in, I try to use things students will be interested in.”

When studying the series and writing the article, Warren said each of the article’s authors brought a different perspective to the table. Warren specializes in creative writing, Thomas in education and Russell in rhetoric and composition.

“Usually we agreed on things; sometimes we didn’t, so it was really cool to be able to work together and be able to find ways that all of our pedagogies intersected,” Warren said.

Thomas said the goal of writing the article was to look at and use a piece of popular culture in a teachable way because knowledge can come from a variety of sources.

“Knowledge doesn’t always have to come from a textbook,” Thomas said.

“There are already multiple sources of knowledge that exist in novels and in movies and even in music.”

Can professors in Harry Potter teach us to be better?

RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester A University of Kansas professor has found a little magic in the teaching practices of professors in the Harry Potter series, which could inspire real-life educational applications.

M’Balia Thomas, a professor in the curriculum and teaching department at the University, cowrote the article, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Pedagogy in Harry Potter,” with Alisa Russell and Hannah Warren, graduate students in the English Department at the University.

Together, they studied and wrote about the effective and ineffective teaching practices of three professors in the Harry Potter series, categorizing their pedagogies as the “good,” the “bad” and the “ugly.”

“We think it’s just a really great way to think about the teachers in the Harry Potter series and how they can force us to think about teaching and learning and environments of learning in a

Illustration by Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN

4 ARTS & CULTURE

KANSAN.COM

Ted Bundy series provides chilling profile

RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218

N e t f l i x ’ s “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” is almost four hours in length and, while you may not want to admit it, is fascinating from start to finish.

The four-episode special intercuts interviews with individuals familiar with the Bundy case with voice recordings from Bundy himself. The series starts from the beginning, in 1974 with the disappearance of the first victim. Over the next four episodes, you follow Bundy’s path from the Pacific Northwest to Utah and Colorado, his two — yes, two — prison breaks and his escape all the way to Florida, where he was eventually arrested.

While it may seem like the series glorifies Bundy, I took it as the opposite. There are over 30 confirmed victims, and you see each and every one of their faces. You hear the compelling testimony of a Bundy survivor. The viewer understands very quickly the viciousness of his crimes.

Part of the reason Bundy was so fascinating was the fact he looked like the boy next door.

He was handsome and charismatic.

He was charming. That’s what made his crimes even more abhorrent — he wasn’t the creepy neighbor down the block. He was a college graduate and, for a short time, a law school student.

Listening to the tapes, it’s clear Bundy was a psychopath. While he didn’t confess to his crimes until the end of his time on death row, his behavior throughout was

Contributed Photo “Conversations with A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes” uses personal interviews with the notorious murderer to dive deep into his psyche. that of a narcissist.

During his first trial in Florida, Bundy berated his own lawyer in court because the lawyer wouldn’t let him crossexamine a victim. The defense attorney worked well to create at least some doubt in the jury’s mind, but Bundy’s outburst negated that progress and caused his lawyer to get up and leave in the middle of trial.

The “Ted Bundy Tapes” also explains how he executed his crimes.

While some of the killings were in the dead of night when his victims were most vulnerable, others happened during the day.

He kidnapped two victims using the ruse of a helpless man in a sling who needed assistance with a boat.

This points to a larger issue in society — we want to be polite. Yes, the women could have said “no” to helping whom they thought was a normal guy, but that’s the problem. As women, we’re conditioned to be polite. We don’t want

to make a scene. Even if our instincts tell us to be suspicious, we still want to do the right thing.

While the most disturbing part of the docuseries were the descriptions of his brutal killings — especially that of his last victim and his youngest, just 12 years old — another upsetting aspect was the publicity.

Women went on television to say they either, A: did not believe he was guilty because he was so handsome, or B: did not

1856 Bar and Grill’s name is inspired by the history of Lawrence. 1856 was a pivotal year during the era of Bleeding Kansas, when conflicts arose whether the Kansas territory would enter the Union as a slave state or free state.

Bhattachan said they wanted to pay tribute to Lawrence’s history, while at the same time recognizing the history of the building they occupy in historic downtown.

“Downtown always has been a vital center for Lawrence,” Bhattachan said.

Armando Paniagua has

been the chef at Genovese, and now 1856 Bar and Grill, for about 11

tures sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers, pizza and street tacos, along with pasta Genovese served.

The restaurant has also made some changes to its alcohol servings. It will now serve wine on tap, which is held behind the bar in repurposed wine barrels, along with local kombucha.

Paniagua said he hopes the new restaurant will bring in more people to the restaurant and also to downtown.

“We care about the community here in Lawrence, and we try to bring more people into downtown,” Paniagua said.

With the opening of 1856 Bar and Grill, the restaurant has also seen a few renovations. The new restaurant features a private dining room for about 12 people, which Bhattachan said will host a wine tasting each month.

Bhattachan said moving forward, he hopes the restaurant brings in some new faces they hadn’t seen at Genovese in the past.

“We’ve heard some really positive reviews from our customers,” Bhattachan said. “We’re also seeing some new faces, which is a good sign for us.”

care he was guilty because he was handsome.

No matter your opinion on the death penalty, the ending was shocking. Not that Bundy was executed — I knew that coming in — but the reactions of the community. The execution of Ted Bundy was commercialized by the community. T-shirts with the phrase “Burn, Bundy, Burn” were sold on the side of the highway — pins, stickers, merchandise all sold to commemorate the death of this monster. And

after the announcement of his death came fireworks from the crowd in celebration.

While the “Ted Bundy Tapes” highlights the atrocities Bundy committed, it’s also an indictment on society and how we view monsters — especially those who don’t “look the part.” Ted Bundy was guilty of murder, rape, torture — everything he was accused of. But maybe we should take a step back and re-examine ourselves during the intrigue.

1856 FROM PAGE 1 Genovese was a more upscale dining experience. Bhattachan said customers can expect a more casual dining experience at 1856 Bar and Grill.

The new restaurant is owned and operated by the same staff as Genovese and will continue to use fresh and made-from scratch ingredients, Bhattachan said.

“We still take pride in that,” Bhattachan said.

“Even though it’s a casual restaurant, everything is still made from scratch.”

“We care about the community here in Lawrence, and we try to bring more people into downtown.”

Armando Paniagua 1856 Bar and Grill chef

years. He said about 70 percent of the menu has changed with the restaurant. The new menu fea-

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Head chef Armando Paniagua plates his spinach fettucine dish, featured on the 1856 Bar and Grill menu.

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Head chef Armando Paniagua plates his spinach fettucine dish, featured on the 1856 Bar and Grill menu.

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OPINION

Thursday, February 14, 2019

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

FFA of the day: something i morally oppose is when people use “rcj” as opposed to “rcjh” “a penny fell in the toilet and I didn’t want to poop on it so I just flushed it” kacey musgraves could run me over and i would say thank you someone next to me in this class smells exactly like a juul pod people talk about girls wearing makeup at the gym but can we please discuss the MEN WHO WEAR COLOGNE i am going to vomit NASA’s Opportunity Rover is dead and will forever live on Mars alone so it could be worse for us.

“Yeah sorry about that.

I’m stupid.”

“I could smell the bad decisions from 20 feet away.”

Frat boys in the Underground: “This whole relationship thing is hard...there’s so many attractive women.”

I’m sitting in Budig 110 and I smell macaroni and cheese “I cannot name a better feeling than getting an extra week for a paper I was gonna blow off to the last minute” Maybe if i fall into one of those massive potholes on campus I won’t have to go to class anymore. i may be on the brink of death by stress but i walked to class without a jacket so who’s the real winner here????

“I would love to go husband shopping at KU Med. Like hello, yes!”

Today instead of saying “shipping’ll be a bitch” I accidentally said “shipping will cost a bitch”

KANSAN.COM

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

Are Kansans being priced out of college?

NICOLE D’SOUZA @KansanNews Rising tuition is an omnipresent force in students’ lives. While young people are told that pursuing higher education is a necessity, the cost of that choice is going up each year.

For public schools like the University of Kansas, the rise in tuition can be attributed to a combination of state budget cuts, economic inflation and the high cost of maintaining a competitive academic institution. As the need for higher education becomes more apparent, the state of Kansas must continue to increase its funding for the University and other public institutions in the state.

Funding of higher education in the state of Kansas must be restored in accordance with Board of Regents recommendations to maintain the quality of public colleges in the state.

During the Brownback era, Kansas Board of Regents institutions lost $30 million in funding.

Although the current Kansas legislature is trying to increase the amount of money it allocates to public colleges, the $15 million allocated for this legislative year does not even come close to the nearly $85 million in funding across all institutions that the Board of Regents recommends.

Unrestricted funding cannot be seen as a panacea for higher education, and some financial restraint must be exercised.

However, KU and other in-

Chance Parker/KANSAN University administrators and faculty discussed with Interim Provost Carl Lejuez ways to recuperate budget cut losses at a town hall Wednesday Oct. 17. stitutions have already enacted budget cuts, and in both tangible and intangible ways this lost spending is impacting the students, faculty and staff at the university.

The University has been delaying necessary maintenance across campus due to a lack of funding. Not only does this approach hinder the learning environment, it also ultimately makes maintenance more expensive as new problems accrue while old problems go unchecked.

Furthermore, as part of the $20 million budget cut, the University has eliminated over 60 faculty positions. This creates a more stressful environment for faculty and staff, while also hindering the class offerings available to students.

Eliminating faculty positions also makes it more difficult to attract and re-

tain professors as people are less likely to choose to work at an institution with limited job security.

there as on outlet for people in abusive relationships that need discreet help, and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline which was created to save children from abuse that have no idea where to turn. It is commendable of them to provide people with ways to reach out for help and to find a way out of your situation, but once again we are back to the same question: What do I do after that?

Although we are being taught about the different types of abuse and how to get help, we are not being informed about the life-

long consequences that survivors will face. No matter what form of abuse a person has experienced, it leaves them with mental scarring that. Sometimes, no one can help them overcome. I think it is time to have real discussions about the effects of trauma, because even though there is not much that one single person can do, talking about it and opening people’s eyes to it will save a lot of lives.

One special case is that of Rebecca Beattie. Beattie, a woman from the UK, was in a relationship with a

Many colleges offset the decrease in state funding by increasing student tuition and fees.

Running a school as large as the University of Kansas is a complicated process, and there will always be a trade-off between the cost of running the institution and the quality of education it provides. However, inadequate funding of public universities within the state of Kansas will hinder the quality of education in

multiple ways.

Many colleges offset the decrease in state funding by increasing student tuition and fees. At the University, and for other public colleges in Kansas, students now provide more funding than the state does. As schools struggle to keep up with inflation, this trend indicates that increased tuitions will only become more normalized in the years to come.

Rising tuition may cause individuals to choose immediate employment instead of pursuing higher education. Recent data indicates that a low unemployment rate, coupled with rising tuition in the state, allow many Kansans to find jobs without a college degree.

It is definitely good that the current economic climate is making it easier for people to secure employ-

ment. However, more longterm statistics indicate that a college degree will soon become a necessity.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 68 percent of all jobs created by 2026 will require an undergraduate degree or higher.

These statistics demonstrate what many Americans already believe: that increased automation will lead to a need for an increasingly-skilled workforce. Therefore, allowing the burden of financing institutions of higher education to remain primarily with students will price some groups out of not just access to college but access to economic opportunity as well.

There are various impacts of the funding crisis at Kansas public colleges.

Lack of funding is hindering the ability of colleges to function and is being partially offset by raising the cost of student attendance. Increasing state funding likely will not lead to a decrease in student tuition.

However, it will decrease institutional reliance on student tuition, making future tuition hikes less likely and also increasing the quality of education which students receive. Increasing funding will also allow state schools to protect faculty positions and to perform necessary maintenance. Ultimately, funding public colleges adequately will make quality higher education more accessible to Jayhawks, and other Kansas students.

Dealing with mental problems after abuse KELSI WILLIAMS @kiwi_writes Abuse. It comes in many different forms: emotional, physical, mental, and even financial abuse. Though people are more educated on what each of those different types of abuse entail and how to get out of those situations today, there is not much direction for the aftereffects.

When people have been recently abused, there are phone lines to call or text to ask for help, such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is

Not to flex but it’s been 4 years since I helped solve a triple homicide “Oh! It’s shit o’clock!” as a blur runs past my bedroom door. “there’s just so many white American people that annoy the hell out of me” What’s a post malone?

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN An unhealthy abusive relationship mentally scars survivors for the rest of their lives.

how to submit a letter to the editor

LETTER GUIDELINES: Send letters to editor@kansan.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the email subject line.

Length: 300 words

The submission should include the author’s name, year, major and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters.

man that not only gambled with her money and forced her into financial burden that she could not handle, but he was also extremely violent and aggressive towards her. She was 22 years old at the time and had no clue that there was a name for the things that she was experiencing with her partner. Once she realized that she was in an abusive situation, she went to end her relationship with him and he beat her in response.

Since then, Beattie has had to have reconstructive surgery on her face, and she has been in debt ever since. This has not only put a strain on her physically and financially, but it has also impacted her mentally. Being in debt and having to live with the fact that you have been constantly abused to the point where you were unrecognizable can put a person into a deep depression.

Abuse, in all forms, can shift a person’s mental state forever. Many survivors of abuse struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD, and depression for the rest of their lives. As a student, these things get in the way of social lives and

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

a person’s academic career, but luckily, since we are students we have access to a lot more resources that can help us through abusive situations. For example, here at KU, we have the Emily Taylor Resource Center where women can go to when experiencing something that targets their sexuality and gender identity, or when they feel threatened in general. This means that it is also a safe place for us to turn on campus when abuse has occurred or when we feel as though we are not recovering from previous abuse.

I would like people to keep all of these things in mind with this Valentine’s Day approaching. Consider your relationships and the behaviors within, and try to reach out if things are wrong. After all, this holiday is known for having the highest rape statistics across the world compared to any other day of the year.

There are plenty of resources here on and off campus that continue to spread knowledge and healing to help survivors recover from the aftermath of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

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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ANALYSIS

Zeferjahn named preseason All-American ROSS KAINE @RossKaine24

A student of Kansas athletics has been named to a Preseason All-American team. And no, he is not a basketball player.

Kansas baseball junior pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn was voted to Baseball America’s 2019 College Baseball Preseason All-America team on Jan. 28. This list is very selective, as the voting panel is made up of 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) organizations’ scouting departments who vote on the most impactful collegiate baseball players they’ve scouted.

Zeferjahn is the first Jayhawk in program history to be awarded this prestigious honor, and there are a multitude of reasons to back it up.

Zeferjahn boasts a lean 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame that happens to be baseball’s prototypical height and weight for a pitcher.

His athleticism and durability also warrant praise as well, with Zeferjahn never having reported a serious injury.

Zeferjahn also possesses a deadly arsenal of pitches, such as his curveball and breaking ball, with his most notable pitch being his dominant fastball.

There is no doubt that Zeferjahn is regarded as the best player on Kansas’ roster, and the team will

Kansan file photo Then-sophomore Ryan Zeferjahn is one of Kansas baseball’s top pitchers. have to rally around him if they want to win some ball games in 2019. This all comes down to three key points.

The first key for the Jayhawks to have a successful season is for Zeferjahn to stay healthy. With no prior history of serious injuries, the team should be good on that front.

The second most important key is for Zeferjahn to improve his accuracy on pitches while still maintaining a powerful fastball.

Zeferjahn struck out 100

batters in the 2018 season, the first Jayhawk to do so since Ben Krauth in 2016.

Zeferjahn’s fastball gets up to the mid-to-high 90s and has proved to be a signature strength of his. He also finished with a record of 8-5 and a solid earned run average (ERA) of 4.48.

On the contrary, Zeferjahn gave up 39 base on balls (BB) last season, meaning that he walked 39 batters off the plate, an alarming number for an average pitcher. He also had 34 BBs in his rookie year, showing

that his heater can be a double-edged sword.

The positives of Zeferjahn’s game still outweigh the negatives. He posted an incredible .224 batting average against in 2018, a statistic used to measure a pitchers ability to prevent hits.

The third and most crucial key is Zeferjahn’s leadership ability. Nine seniors graduated last season, with Kansas losing a lot of veteran leadership and team chemistry. Zeferjahn will become an upperclassmen

BASEBALL PREVIEW FROM PAGE 1 have taken it upon themselves to step into a greater leadership role to both bond the team as “a cohesive unit” and change the culture of Kansas baseball.

And a lot of that starts with Zeferjahn, who was just named a preseason All-American — the first player in Kansas history to be given that honor.

“If [Zeferjahn] isn’t the highest drafted player in school history, I’ll be disappointed,” Price said.

Over the course of the offseason, Price and Zeferjahn have discussed Zeferjahn showing more emotion on the mound to energize both himself and his teammates, especially in close games.

“He’s almost too nice at times,” Price said. “That’s something we’ve talked about, him having a little

more fire, a little more tenacity when he gets out there.”

With Goddard now in the Arizona Diamondbacks system, Zeferjahn is set to step into the role of the ace of the team. Instead of ending a series on Sunday, he’ll kick things off each weekend on Friday as the leader of the pitching staff and rotation.

“I’m going to have to show a little more emotion on the weekends,” Zeferjahn said. “If I get a big out in the sixth or seventh [inning], I’m going to have to show some emotion to get my team going in a close game.”

Last year, Zeferjahn would be almost passive on the mound. He said that this year will have to be different.

“On a Sunday, sometimes I would strike someone out and just walk off,” Zeferjahn said. “Being able to show some emotion is

going to be better for the team and getting the series kicked off on a good note.”

Groshans — who will split time this season behind the plate and at first base — said that Zeferjahn does in fact possess the ability to get aggressive on the mound.

“It’s almost a soothing presence,” Groshans said.

“But there’s also a dark side a little bit. So whenever he starts throwing the ball, you don’t want any part of it.”

“Kind of a Jekyll and Hyde personality,” Groshans said. “He’s a nice guy off the field but whenever he gets on the field, it’s game time.”

Price also compared Zeferjahn to past MLB greats Max Scherzer and Roger Clemens in how he is able to be a “workhorse” and maintain consistency.

“He’s going to walk out there and throw 97 [mph], but he also [stays at] 93,

94 and he’s not going to pitch under that,” Price said. “He’s got the ability to maintain that velocity.”

With Zeferjahn on the mound and Groshans behind the plate, the expectations are high for continued development and taking the next step toward a College World Series berth, something the Jayhawks haven’t done since 1993.

“I’ve grown a lot with these guys the last three years,” Groshans said.

“We’ve connected a lot and spent a lot of time off the field together. It’s not like we’re just cool in the locker room; these guys are my brothers.”

“If you want to make the field of eight in Omaha — hell, the field of 64 — you have to be that type of cohesive unit and I think that’s what we have this year,” Groshans said.

Chance Parker/KANSAN Junior pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn talks to the press the press during Media Day on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

this season on a 37 man roster with 22 underclassmen, making up about 60 percent of the team.

However, the freshman and sophomores can learn a lot from Zeferjahn, as he is one of the most humble guys out there.

Zeferjahn went from being a 37th round selection in the 2016 MLB Draft to a projected first or second round draft pick in 2019.

Even with all that buzz, he still commits to an “academics first over baseball” approach.

“He’s the perfect student-athlete,” Kansas coach Ritch Price told the Kansan last season. “He knew his goal was to play and graduate in three years and sign a pro contract after that. Every coach in America would love to have a player like him on their team.”

In fact, the only time Zeferjahn gets caught in the tabloids is when he is excelling in either baseball or academics. He has been selected to the 2016-17 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team, the 2018 All-Big 12 Academic First Team and the 2018 All-Big 12 Second Team for his outstanding performance as a pitcher.

Kansas baseball has a challenging season coming up as five top-25 preseason teams are in the Big 12 conference. And while being pegged as No. 8 on the Big 12 preseason poll, it is up to Zeferjahn and the Jayhawks to prove all the doubters wrong and conquer the Big 12.

There is no doubt that Zeferjahn will be playing with a chip on his shoulder, as he looks to bolster his draft stock, prove the Big 12 preseason polls wrong and cement his legacy as one of the greatest Kansas baseball players ever, while still maintaining his image as a model student-athlete.

It’s that hunger and ambition that will make this kid a superstar in the years to come.

Men’s golf prepares for spring following strong fall season

Contributed Photo Then-sophomore Jake Scarrow competes in the Badger Invitational. Scarrow, now a senior, finished 6-over-par at the Shoal Creek Invitational in Birmingham, Alabama.

LAUREN HAWKINS @laurensidney_ After a strong performance in the fall season, the Kansas men’s golf team prepares to return to the course for the spring semester. Having placed in the top 10 at every tournament in the fall, the Jayhawks are expected to continue their success.

“We had a solid fall, one win in a stroke play event and beat the No. 1-ranked team and defending national champion Oklahoma State in the Big 12 match event,” coach Jamie Bermel said in a Kansas Athletics press release.

“We had a lot of positives but a lot of things we can improve on and get ready to do better in the spring.”

With a first place finish in Valentine, Nebraska, at The Jackrabbit during the fall season, the Jayhawks showed what they are capable of. The finish marked Bermel’s 11th tournament title with Kansas. A key component in the team’s

victory was sophomore Harry Hillier. Finishing in first place as an individual, Hillier became the first Jayhawk since 2017 to secure an individual title.

Graduating Jayhawks Charlie Hillier and Jake Scarrow will be competing in their final season with Kansas. The older brother of Harry, Charlie currently leads the team with 23 career even or under-par rounds. Scarrow played a big role in Kansas’ victory at The Jackrabbit finishing in 11th place.

For the second consecutive season the Jayhawks will kick off their season Feb. 22, at the Desert Intercollegiate in Palm Desert, California. The team finished fifth at the event last year.

The Jayhawks will also compete in the Desert Mountain Intercollegiate, Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, Irish Creek Intercollegiate and Great River Entertainment Invitational in the spring semester.

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SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

Basketball Gameday Thursday, February 14, 2019

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

Kansas vs. West Virginia, Saturday, Feb. 16, 3:00 p.m.

Chance Parker/KANSAN Redshirt sophomore guard K.J. Lawson dribbles the ball in the game against Iowa State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones 80-76 on Monday, Jan. 21.

MADDY TANNAHILL & BRADEN SHAW @KansanSports

Beat Writer MADDY Predictions: TANNAHILL

80-62

KANSAS 19-6 (10-4 BIG 12)

77-55

WEST VIRGINIA 10-14 (2-9 BIG 12)

Devon Dotson

James Bolden

★★★★

★★★★

redshirt junior guard

freshman guard

In a performance worthy of National Freshman of the Week, Dotson contributed a career-high 25 points in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday in a 7-of-13 performance from the field. Recording his first double-double of his young career, the freshman additionally grabbed 10 boards in the contest against the Horned Frogs.

Ochai Agbaji

Racking up 12 points on 4-for-13 shooting vs. Kansas during their last meeting on Jan. 19th, Bolden is a quick presence the Jayhawks will have to focus on corralling in Saturday’s contest. Already down two more players due to dismissal from the program early in the week, the 6-foot guard will be forced into a unfamiliar but necessary roll as the teams top offensive weapon.

Derek Culver

freshman guard

freshman forward

★★★★

In his lowest output of the season, Agbaji saw only four minutes off-the-bench in Morgantown, West Virginia, back in January with no points to show for it. Since the empty effort, the freshman has earned his place in the starting lineup and has become the Jayhawks’ third top-scorer of players still seeing minutes for Kansas, averaging 10.8 points per game, including three 20-plus point performances.

★★★

Shooting 50.4 percent from the field and hauling in 8.7 rebounds per game, Culver can prove to be a difficult matchup in the front court for any team that lacks size and physicality. The 6-foot-8 freshman tallied double digits in points (11) and seven rebounds in the win over Kansas first time around, taking advantage of the Azubuike-less Jayhawk rotation.

K.J. Lawson

Lamont West

★★★

★★

redshirt sophomore guard

senior forward

Coming up big for Kansas down the stretch against TCU, Lawson’s two late-game shots pulled the Jayhawks within two and tied it at 69-69 to send the game to overtime on Big Monday. Recording a season-high 10 point night for the redshirt sophomore, Lawson’s role for the Jayhawks has continued to expand, especially amidst the foul troubles plaguing the Kansas big men against the Horned Frogs.

quick hits

JACK JOHNSON

Suffering a little cold spell of late, putting up only seven points in three games, West still bodes well as a perimeter shooter for the Mountaineers. In a road game at Iowa State on Jan. 30, he knocked down five threes-pointers on 7-for10 shooting totaling 24 points. However, in those three games since, West has gone 0-for-5 from beyond the arc and 2-for-10 overall.

TR ACK & FIELD

TENNIS

MEN’S BASKE TBALL

MEN’S BASKE TBALL

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10

18.7

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Rylee Anderson’s rank in Jayhawk history in the high jump

Pro-circuit victories recorded by signee Vasiliki Karvouni

Devon Dotson’s average points per game through the last three games

Season-high rebounds recorded against TCU

KANSAN.COM/SPORTS

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2

VALENTINE’S DAY

KANSAN.COM

Alumna helps Jayhawks around the country RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester

Regan Smith/KANSAN

udk: udk: udk: udk:

Whitney Juneau graduated from the University of Kansas in 2017 with a degree in business administration. She is now the owner and lead planner of Fashioned Events, a custom-tailored event design and production company based in Lawrence. A big part of Juneau’s job is planning weddings.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What’s it like working with these couples?

I think the best way to describe it is that it’s always a new experience, which is one of the things I love. I have always been a person who can get bored easily.

I think one of the reasons I love what I do is that it’s constantly changing. Every venue, every vendor team, every couple presents a new set of challenges — not in a bad way — but just a new set of ideas and thoughts to work through.

How did you get started in wedding planning?

My background is actually in performance. When I came to KU the first time, I studied musical theater, and when I left and walked away from pursuing that degree and that career, I didn’t want to completely abandon the production and creative aspects of that profession. I’d also kind of developed this passion for the hospitality and food and beverage industry, and events just kind of became the perfect marriage of those two worlds.

What’s it like planning a wedding?

It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of problem-solving and creative resource managing.

One of the things I love about my job is the relationships that I get to build with my couples. It’s a very intimate relationship because they’re trusting you with one of the biggest days of their life.

I’m a lot of times the last person my bride sees before they walk down the aisle, and that’s a really special moment.

Do you have any interesting stories, whether about a couple or wedding in particular to share?

I had a bride and groom contact me last spring. They were at the time living in Arizona. They were KU graduates. They had both worked at KU housing, and they were coming back to get married here.

That’s actually something that I’m seeing more and more of — believe it or not, Lawrence as kind of a destination wedding location because the University, I think, is so paramount in a lot of couples’ lives — either they met here or they have some connection. It’s a nice common ground, and it’s a good place to bring family and friends to experience that history and tradition.

I am from Lawrence, so being from Lawrence, I feel very connected to what those “uniquenesses” are that our town has to offer.

So, they were getting married here, and they wanted to find somebody to work with that was familiar with the University. Their wedding was in October, and everything that they did was just a uniquely Lawrence wedding. Their hashtag was #Jayhawksinlove. They booked all local vendors to really spotlight their dinner. They kind of did a taste of Lawrence.

udk:

I think that their wedding was so uniquely them. It would not have necessarily been everybody’s picture-perfect wedding, but for them, it was perfect.

So, you get joy from planning weddings?

Absolutely. There’s definitely an adrenaline rush that’s associated with it.

There’s definitely, again, that energy that surrounds the whole weekend, and I am definitely a person that feeds off of that.

KANSAN.COM

3

VALENTINE’S DAY

Professor of law discusses separating emotions from...

Melanie DeRousse is an associate professor of law at the University’s School of Law. DeRousse teaches classes on family law and is the director of the University Law School Douglas County Legal Aid Clinic.

RYLIE KOESTER @ryliekoester

udk:

E C R O V I D S E S CA

You’ve worked as a divorce attorney in the past?

Yes. I worked for Legal Services of Eastern Missouri from 2008 to 2014 representing

people in all sorts of family law proceedings, ranging from custody battles to divorce

cases, name changes, anything that someone needed to extract themself from a relationship. My primary focus was working with survivors of intimate partner violence.

DeRousse

udk:

Do you learn about clients and what they’re going through during that time?

Yes. As a divorce lawyer, one of the main jobs you have is to help take a person from the identity they have and the property and all the rights they have within the legal relationship of being married and help them transition and rebuild a life as an unmarried person. All through the divorce process, you’re working with the person on identifying what their goals are for what their life will look like moving forward.

DeRousse

Sure, you’re dividing assets, you’re dividing property, you’re fighting about maybe spousal support or child support or child custody, but if you’re really focusing on what that person is going through, you’re looking at how do they change from being a married person to being an unmarried person and what their life will look like after that and trying to help them meet the goals of what they want their life to look like.

udk:

How long do you usually work with a person going through a divorce?

I’m not a psychologist. I would liken it the best to the stages of grieving an identity that you had or a relationship that you had, but your identity in that relationship.

The idea that someone is moving from being in a partnership to making decisions on their own, so there’s a lot of uncertainty — there’s a lot of worries about what the future holds, especially most of the clients I worked with because we worked with people without a lot of resources, they were moving from a place where two incomes

DeRousse

supported a house to a place where maybe one or zero incomes supports a household — so that kind of fear of the

unknown can be a big emotion. Part of the work of a family law attorney is figuring out how to help them picture what that future looks like.

Anger, of course — resentment. Family law has gone over a transition in recent decades where fault doesn’t play as much of a role anymore in divorce — you don’t have to allege anything someone did wrong to you. All you have to do is to say that we don’t get along anymore,

udk:

and you can have a divorce.

What’s it like working as a divorce attorney?

It was emotionally challenging. Most cases started

with a client bringing an entire life into your office — sometimes with an actual shoebox of all the documents that back up that life — but often just coming in, and they want to sit down and tell you everything DeRousse

that ever happened in the relationship. The work is to

separate out your own emotional reactions and your own empathy for that client from what the law will allow that client to achieve.

4

KANSAN.COM

VALENTINE’S DAY

Students share oddest dating app experiences NICOLE DOLAN @nikkidolan279 Some first-year University of Kansas students at Mrs. E’s dining hall are no stranger to dating apps. The Kansan asked students to share their most memorable experiences on the apps. Here is what they had to say.

Audrey Frie stad, a freshman from Iowa City, Iowa, used Tinder to recover from a breakup, but was instead met with a “dad-bod disaster.”

“I was scrolling on Tinder and saw this guy who listened to the same music I listen to,” Frie stad said. “He comes and picks me up, and I realize immediately that he has a dad-bod, and I’m like ‘No no no.’ When we got to his place all the way in Topeka, he was just trying to keep me from crying the whole time, which was really awkward.”

Lennox Marshall, a fre shman from Ka nsas City, Missouri, als o had a Topeka mat ch.

Marshall said since he had never been to Topeka, he though t it would be fun to us e Grindr in the area.

“So I go to this dude’s house, and then we were in hi s basement, which if you picture the TV from the ‘Polterge ist’ and a mattress, th at’s [all that was in] it,” Marshall said. “I wa s like, ‘This is creepy,’ and he said, ‘Lock the door behind you.’

When I went up to leave, hi s child was there. So I waved an d then left.”

Caleb Kraemer, a freshman from Overland Park, said his experience on Grindr included 12 unsolicited genitalia photos.

Christian Toth, a freshman from Overland Park, said his Tinder experience led him to become the handyman and dog walker for his Tinder match’s mother on their first date.

“Her mom was like ‘Can you and your friend help me move all the furniture from the backyard?’” Toth said.

“So I ended up moving 13 pieces of furniture back into their house.

After that, we had a very silent walk with her dogs, where I was 10 feet behind her. Her mom wouldn’t let us go watch a movie or anything, so she was like ‘You can go walk our dogs!’ So that’s what we did for two hours.”

When challenged to impress a Tinder match with a pickup line, Garrett Martin, a freshman from Winfield, said he knew what he was doing.

“So I matched with this girl named Faith, and her bio said ‘I’ve heard a lot of puns with my name, and if you can tell me one that I haven’t heard, you win,” Martin said. “I was like ‘Alright, bet’ and matched with her, and I said ‘Let’s faith the fac-ths, I don’t have a lisp, but you’re ‘th-uper th-exy.’ She liked it, and she thought it was the best one ever.”

When it comes to online dating, there is no guarantee a person is who they say they are, according to Jamahl Horne, a freshman from Miami, Florida. Horne said he was catfished the last time he used Tinder.

“She said she was cute or whatever and that she wanted to study,” Horne said. “She gets to my place, and she’s ugly so I walked past her. I’m looking around like ‘Damn that’s not her.’ She taps me on the shoulder and says ‘I ain’t got no gas,’ and I’m like ‘I can’t help you.’ She was trying to cuddle or whatever, and I told her that I was going to sleep on the couch — I ain’t got a couch. After that, I don’t be on Tinder no more.”

ting or rce of da u o s r e th Ano edia has g social m in s u y b to the flirting “sliding in rm te e th directly coined a person re e h w Cannon DMs,” ther us er. o n a s e g m Oahu, me ssa hman fro s e fr a , e she DM’d Chanc only was t o n id a s d — by a Hawaii, o care ss e ls a s a w e but sh toenail. and s ent my DM’s to in d er’s li s “He ‘Your Ub y saying b r, ,” e b s u U his ho e me an I went to o s g d n n li a d here,’ were cud aid. “We d next n a Chance s , g in the morn ck at three in ed the ba he care ss w o n k .”

I il toena thing t with his of my foo

Photos by Emma Pravecek/KANSAN

KANSAN.COM

P

lentines Name: Barney Age: 10 months Major: Exercise Science

Name: Missy Age: 3 years Major: Music

Owner: Hailey Dixon Year at KU: Senior Major: Journalism

Owner: Hailey Dixon Year at KU: Senior Major: Journalism

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Name: Chara Age: 6 months Major: Criminal Justice

Name: Lovey Age: 15 years Major: Accounting

Owner: Nicole Park Year at KU: Sophomore Major: Psychology

Owner: Sarah Wright Year at KU: Junior Major: Business Analytics, Film

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Name: Dr. Meowstus Age: 1 year Major: Philosophy

Name: Jack Age: 6 months Major: Athletic Training

Owner: Allie Heiner Year at KU: Junior Major: Applied Behavioral Science

Owner: Yasmeen Cruz Year at KU: Senior Major: Film, Sociology minor

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Name: Goku Age: 10 months Major: Film

Name: Ollie Age: 1 year Major: Philosophy

Owner: Collin Biery Year at KU: Sophomore Major: Journalism, East Asian Studies

Owner: Savanna Smith Year at KU: Senior Major: Journalism, Peace and Conflict Studies

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN

Name: Garfunkel Age: 6 months Major: Social Welfare

Name: Simon Age: 6 months Major: Environmental Studies

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

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Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

VALENTINE’S DAY

Owner: Courtney Bierman Year at KU: Senior Major: Journalism, Film

Owner: Courtney Bierman Year at KU: Senior Major: Journalism, Film Sarah Wright/KANSAN

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VALENTINE’S DAY

Ashley and Mauricio: A KU love story LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy

Mauricio Gomez Montoya and Ashley Anguiano Gomez first met in October 2010 when Ashley was finishing her undergraduate degree and Mauricio began working at the University. Ashley was working at the front desk of Mauricio’s office.

When Ashley graduated about a year and a half later, she began working for the Office of First Year Experience and eventually started to spend time with her colleagues — including Mauricio.

“We’ve known each other for quite a long time, but our friendship didn’t really bloom until about January of 2012,” Ashley said.

Mauricio thanks the Kansas men’s basketball team’s run to the National Championship in 2012 for their friendship. The two had a mutual friend who hosted watch parties for basketball games, where they spent most of their time together.

Mauricio and Ashley had their first date in June 2012 at Genovese, a nowclosed Italian restaurant on Massachusetts Street.

Contributed Photo Ashley Anguiano Gomez and Mauricio Gomez Montoya celebrate their marriage on the church steps. The couple first met in October 2010. Five years later — down to the month — they were married.

A year and a half later, the couple traveled to Mexico.

In April 2014, the two got engaged in San Diego,

California.

Afterwards, they got married in October 2015 at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic

Contributed Photo While Mauricio says the couple has Kansas men’s basketball to thank for their relationship, Ashley says the two love Kansas football, as well.

Church and had their reception at the Van Go Art Center in downtown Lawrence. In June 2016, the couple bought their first home together.

Mauricio and Ashley both still work at the University. Mauricio is the director of Jayhawk Student One Stop, and Ashley is the recruitment coordinator for the School of Social Welfare. While they work in different departments, they share many of the same colleagues, and their work occasionally overlaps.

“Most days, [working together] can be a lot of fun,” Ashley said. “We have many friends in common, which makes spending time with them much more enjoyable.”

Mauricio and Ashley find it very convenient to work at the same university as well.

“It’s important to have someone that understands your industry. Sometimes we have to travel for work, stay late, miss family functions or work weekends, so it’s helpful to have a partner who understands the setting where we work,”

Mauricio said. “On the other hand, though, it’s fun to work at the same place as your spouse because we get to ride to work together or bring each other lunch sometimes.”

“...It’s fun to work at the same place as your spouse because we get to ride to work together or bring each other lunch sometimes.”

Ashley Anguiano Gomez KU recruitment coordinator

By working in the same environment, they are able to discuss their work at home, but also discuss other things at the same time. They appreciate one another’s ability to understand both the personal and professional aspects of each other’s lives.

Working at the same university has sometimes proven to be difficult, especially when their work overlaps.

“We might have to work with a student in common or we might come to each other with a certain situation where we both know everyone involved,” Ashley said. “And we want the other person to be on our side, although they may say ‘Well, you actually might have been in the wrong.’”

The couple appreciates being able to connect on a deeper level, given their shared work environment, colleagues and experiences. While they may run into some conflicts, being colleagues as well as spouses strengthens their connection with one another.

Ashley and both of her siblings received their degrees from the University.

Although Mauricio did not receive his undergraduate or master degrees from the University, he said he “married into a family of Jayhawks.” Currently, he is working on his doctorate degree at the University to add the family’s Jayhawk degrees.

“We love KU,” Ashley said. “It definitely runs in our blood.”

KU professors study psychology behind relationships

Contributed Photo Omri Gillath, an associate professor in the KU department of psychology, studies the psychology behind relationships.

KYSER DOUGAN @KyserDougan Around Valentine’s Day, students and faculty alike are constantly thinking about relationships — luckily, a couple professors at the University have researched that very subject.

Omri Gillath, a psychology professor, has studied romantic relationships, sexuality, social networks and the neural underpinnings of each.

“I found that relationships are important to our lives, mental and physical health, that you need to work hard on your relationships, and that understanding them requires a multi-level multi-method approach,” Gillath said.

Gillath is also expanding his research, using neuroimaging techniques and

psychological measures.

“In my work, I explore the associations between

has studied the relationship between marriage and depression.

“...Relationships are important to our lives, mental and physical health, that you need to work hard on your relationships, and that understanding them requires a multi-level multimethod approach.”

Omri Gillath psychology professor

a person’s attachment style (relationship style) and goals and behaviors in the caregiving and sexual domains (e.g., ability to provide and receive compassionate care; interest in short- vs. long-term mating strategies),” per his University website.

Tracey LaPierre, associate professor of sociology,

“There is a large body of research that has demonstrated married individuals, on average, are physically and mentally healthier than individuals who are divorced, widowed or never-married. They even tend to live longer,” she said in an email to the Kansan.

LaPierre said that indi-

viduals that co-habitate or remarry see benefits greater than those divorced, widowed or never-married — but not as strong of benefits compared to those who are married.

Being married has an impact on our health and wellness in many ways, including “self-esteem, social support, social integration and financial resources,” LaPierre said. Marriage can also prevent poor health and improve recovery times.

“All marriages are not created equal however,” LaPierre said. “Unhappy marriages provide fewer benefits than happy ones, and there is even evidence to suggest that unhappy marriages can be worse for your health than being divorced, widowed or never married.”

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VALENTINE’S DAY

Dating customs differ across the globe ADAM LANG @superduperadaml

Dating in the United States is a facet of life that has many faces. Dates can be as formal as dressing in a full gown and going to an opera at the Kauffman Center or as casual as watching Netflix in an apartment.

But outside of the U.S., dating can be very different than what we see here.

And with American women, Kollhus noticed that they seemed much less independent in relationships than Norwegian women.

All in all, Kollhus found when she moved here that many of the expectations of American d a t i n g simply don’t exist in

up in Pakistan. Pakistan is a country known for its very conservative and religion-dominated

especially when that comes to finding a girl,” Khan said.

“They completely condemn like going on a date,

entirely on the parents of each party involved and can take time. If one were to ask a girl out without consulting her parents, that boy would have a bad reputation in the community and would likely not be able to win favor with m a n y women or their

NORWAY Junior Maren Kollhus, a strategic communications student at the University of Kansas, grew up in Norway, a place she describes as having a much less formal dating culture.

“In Norway we don’t really go on formal dates like Americans do,” Kollhus said. “Going on dates in general just isn’t as common.”

According to Kollhus, singles don’t just ask each other on formal dates in Norway. Generally they go out with a group of friends or simply hang out with each other without labelling it as a date.

Another difference Kollhus noticed was between American boys and Norwegian boys.

“American boys are a little less mature, but they do more considerate things like opening the door,” Kullhos said. “Small things that they don’t think about.”

Norway — and that big romantic g e s t u re s are out of the ordinary.

“I was very shocked with the idea of giving flowers and being formally asked out,” Kollhus said.

“That stuff would just be so strange for a guy to do in Norway.”

PAKISTAN Freshman Asif Khan, a business administration major at the University, grew

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN mindset, and dating is much more restricted than the rest of the world, according to Khan.

“Back home, it’s mostly your parents that decide what is good for you,

meeting someone and, like, making out. It still happens, but those people who do that don’t have a very good image in the society.”

According to Khan, dating is dependent almost

families, Khan said.

“If kids do go on a date, they lie saying like, ‘We are doing homework’ or ‘We are going to a friend’s house,’ and they go on a date without them knowing,” Khan said. “But parents don’t see it as up to us for dating.”

PERU Sophomore Roy Ricaldi, a business major at the University, grew up in Peru

before moving to the U.S. for college. The Peruvian dating life is fairly similar to the American dating life, with the exception of good dancing being a sought-after trait in a man in Peru. But, the dynamics of how people meet and get together is very different.

“The people that grew up in the capital usually have money and if they go to small towns that aren’t as wealthy, they basically have their pick of women in those towns,” Ricaldi said. “It’s kind of messed up, but a lot of women from those towns look for men from the capital, because that’s a way to take care of themselves and their family.”

According to Ricaldi, women in Latin American countries will only go out with men that are very clear about their intentions. A famous phrase in Peru is “el hombre propone y la mujer dispone,” which Ricaldi said means “the man proposes and the woman decides.”

“You’ve got to ask them out and be very explicit about it,” Ricaldi said. “If you send mixed signals, it’s not really clear for them and [women] don’t like that.”

If you haven’t found anyone to take on a date, you can always follow South African Valentine’s Day traditions and pin your crush’s name to your sleeve. Results are not promised, but it’s worth a shot.

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Deflowering myths of the floral industry COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman

Englewood Florist on 2nd Street is in full swing as employees get ready for Valentine’s Day — their busiest day of the year, by far.

Cary Engle has owned the business for 26 years.

Over 26 Valentine’s Days, Engle has seen the business change to accommodate globalization. His flowers now come from all over the world. He’s seen grocery stores and same-day floral delivery services threaten local florists.

Engle talked to the Kansan over a spread of vases filled with greenery about what the holiday is like for florists, and why flowers are still the perfect declaration of love.

KANSAN: What’s Valentine’s Day like for the shop?

Engle: It’s the busiest single holiday in the florist year because everything is concentrated. Everyone wants it on the 14th, so you have to beef up everything and have your staff in place so you can handle the deliveries and get the bouquets ready. It is a big thing.

KANSAN: How many orders do you get?

Engle: It’s hundreds. I can’t tell you exactly be-

cause it varies from year to year. Every florist in town probably will be to capacity. Some will have to turn orders away because they’re not prepared for it. We’ve never turned anyone away.

We’ve shut off deliveries because we can’t get delivered, but we can, if they want to come in and pick it up, we can have something ready.

KANSAN: Are roses the most popular?

Engle: Roses are the most popular because everyone knows what a rose is. And most men, they know that flower, but they may not know any other flower.

KANSAN: Is it mostly men placing orders?

Engle: It’s not. It’s fairly evenly spread. Women will buy for their coworker.

They might buy for their mom; they might buy for a daughter. So you can’t second-guess anybody or who might be buying. You just never know.

Early on we tried to have something that’s affordable for most people. There’s always going to be people that come in and say, “You’re too expensive.” They probably either haven’t bought flowers for years, or they’re used to seeing them at the grocery store checkout, which are not great. It’s not the

Courtney Bierman/KANSAN Englewood Florist owner Cary Engle arranges greenery for Valentine’s Day orders. same thing. It’s like buying a Cadillac brand-new and then going in and saying, ‘Well I got this for a lot less money.’ But it’s a 10-yearold car with 200,000 miles on it. Yeah, it’s less money.

That’s what I would just like for people in general to understand. When you’re

Courtney Bierman/KANSAN Roses are the most popular Valentine’s Day flower, according to Englewood Florist’s Cary Engle.

buying from a third party, like 1-800-FLOWERS, it’s not a local florist. They’ll sell you something for $39, then they’re going to charge you a service fee of $23 to $29 just for taking the order. It doesn’t go into the cost of the flowers and it still has to be called back to a local florist for delivery if you want same-day delivery.

KANSAN: Where do you get your flowers?

Engle: It’s a global market now. Flowers come from all over the world.

They come from Holland, South America. They come from the States, Canada, Mexico. They’re all over.

When I started out, florists had greenhouses attached to the house or to the businesses. They grew a lot of things — not really flowers though. They would grow the plants. But I have known other people that said, ‘My dad and my grandmother, they grew all their own flowers.’ But you didn’t have this selection that you do here. You might have

daisies, carnations, maybe roses. That’s what you had to choose from.

KANSAN: What’s your favorite flower?

Engle: I like the hydrangeas. I think they’re beautiful, you can do a lot of things with them, and it’s just really a nice flower.

KANSAN: Has owning a florist shop always been your goal?

Engle: No. I have a degree in graphic design from Truman University.

I worked for a florist part time when I was in college, and then I helped them on a major holiday. They taught me how to do very simple things, and it just kind of mushroomed from there because an art degree goes hand-in-hand with this type of business. You have to know color and design.

Today’s market, there’s not a whole lot of design left in it because everything is just flowers shoved into a damn vase.

Everyone needs to buy flowers. Flowers are still, even though they may seem

expensive, it’s one of the best values out there. I’ve had people over the years say, “Well, we’re going to go out for a meal and, that’s just too expensive for me to buy.” I said, “You’re going to spend how much on a steak dinner? Are you going to have $100 with drinks or $150 with drinks?”

A dozen roses at that time was $65. That meal is going to last you 24 hours.

These flowers are going to last your wife two to three weeks every day. She’s going to look at those and say how beautiful those are where she can say, ‘Oh yeah, we had a great meal two weeks ago, but you had to put it in perspective.’

When I opened in 1993 in this town, there were five full-service retail florists. Today, there’s me and one other one. That’s how much it’s changed over 25 years, 26 years. The grocery stores started multiplying, and when people got to retirement age, the younger people didn’t want to do it.

It’s a hard work.”

What to do on Valentine’s Day as a single pringle WYATT HALL @thewyatthall15 Valentine’s Day may be a holiday meant for couples, but that’s no reason for all the Single Pringles out there to sit around and be sad. There’s plenty to do if you don’t have that special someone. You can have fun all by yourself (or with a few friends) and you can even save some money in the process. Here are five things to distract yourself from that overwhelming loneliness on the day of love:

DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR FRIENDS You may not have a significant other, but that doesn’t mean you have to be totally alone on Valentine’s Day. It’s a great opportunity to go out and have some fun with your friends who are in the same single boat as you. Many places even have special discounts for couples so you could grab

your best friend and go out for cheap. They don’t need to know you’re not actually in a romantic relationship.

These are just a few of the many options you have to spend your Valentine’s Day. As a fellow single pringle with plenty of experience, I can tell you that it may not be ideal to be single on this holiday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate it and enjoy yourself. In the end, the person who should treat you best and care for you the most is yourself, so take advantage of having no commitments and take yourself on a date instead.

SEE A MOVIE There’s a common stigma that going to the movies alone is weird.

I’m here to tell you as someone who goes to the theater all the time, it’s really not that bad. With some movies, I even enjoy them more when watching them alone.

Seeing a movie by yourself allows you to get more absorbed into the story and really hit your emotions on another level. Liberty Hall is showing “The Favourite” and “The Princess Bride” if you want to go see an exceptional Oscar nominee or an old classic on the big screen.

LISTEN TO LIVE MUSIC If live music is your scene, there are multiple places with performances on Valentine’s Day night.

The Bottleneck is hosting a performance by The Floozies with Too Many Zooz, and the Replay Lounge is hosting Vday, an event featuring a couple different DJs. A night of dancing is a great way to go and have some fun.

MAKE ART If partying on the dance floor isn’t your thing, Gaslight Gardens is hosting an event that

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Though Valentine’s Day may be a sad time of year for some single students, others choose to make plans and have fun anyway. is a little more laid back.

Drink + Draw is a regular Thursday night event at the bar but it could be a great way to have some relaxing fun and create some beautiful art instead of sitting around wallowing in your Valentine’s Day Single Pringle blues.

EARN SOME MONEY If you’re in need of a little pocket change, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to make some money through babysitting. Many couples want to go out and spend the special night together, but having a kid makes

things a little more complicated.

Keep on the lookout for any parents who might be willing to give you some cash so they can have the evening to themselves. You might just make enough money for your next grocery trip or maybe even a textbook.

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The perfect Valentine’s Day gift: Patience ELIJAH SOUTHWICK @JustAGinger_

On Feb. 14, give your Valentine the gift of patience. No, I’m not talking about keeping your cool if your partner makes the two of you an hour late to a dinner reservation. The type of patience I’m talking about has more to do with curving your natural instinct to control or possess a romantic partner.

Dating in college can be exceptionally complex because of how much learning students do in such a short time. By graduation, most students will likely have a far different understanding of what they want in life romantically.

While this may be hard for some to read — and extremely beneficial for others — the best gift to give to a partner is respecting the space and time they need in order to learn what they want out of love.

Dating is a tough lesson of instant versus delayed gratification.

The prospect of building a new relationship can be extremely euphoric, but rejection could lead to a painfully bruised ego. Either way, these experiences are rich lessons for understanding our emotional desires.

Each individual walks a unique path. So, the next time yours crosses with somebody new, don’t forget you both have a lot more walking ahead. Once you find a match, it’s easy to let your mind wander and build expectations.

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN Patience during this stage is critical.

You’ll learn things about your partner you weren’t expecting, the relationship may take on forms that might be disappointing, and both of you will make mistakes, probably a lot of them.

A good way to overcome these challenges and create a healthy environment for your relationship is to understand which emotions are rooted

in a desire for instant gratification. The ultimate goal, which is different for everybody, can only be reached through a series of learning experiences.

Don’t lose sight of this goal. Identify the ways your current partner can help you learn more about yourself, and be aware of what you can teach them. Treating your relationships from this point of view can make all the hardships worth it, and it could lead to some

significantly rewarding and wholesome romantic experiences.

While college can be a common place to find a spouse, you’re most likely not going to spend the rest of your life with the people you date during this time. This doesn’t make the learning experience less worth it.

Quite the opposite is true, in fact.

We should all be thankful for the unique opportunity that the

University of Kansas offers in the development of interpersonal relationship skills. Whether you’re actively seeking romance and social connections or not, the experience is unavoidable. We all become more experienced with different types of people as the days pass.

This Valentine’s Day, remember to be patient with yourself, your partner and others in your life. Feel the freedom of self-discovery, and help

foster an environment that will allow others in your life to feel that freedom too.

Gifts, dates and moments of passion are staples of the holiday, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those things. Not all sparks will catch fire, but all will teach a lesson.

The most common ones are chocolate and romantic advice, both existing in excess. However, in the midst of this plethora of choices, there is a sweetness to honest advice. Much like your favorite chocolates hidden among the surplus of good and bad Valentine’s Day candy, the truth about Valentine’s Day is simple and often overlooked.

Anna Akana, my unofficial life coach and

popular YouTuber, says she prioritizes being herself when searching for love.

This will ensure that the person you are interested in falls in love with you, not an abstract concept of you that will eventually falter.

This sensible advice probably sounds obvious; we have always been taught to be ourselves and should indeed constantly work to accomplish this. The important follow-up that

is easily forgotten though is maintaining an internal dialogue about how it feels to be ourselves.

The truth about Valentine’s Day is that it’s the perfect day to check in with yourself while eating a box of chocolates. Social media will throw endless messages at you about how you should “love yourself” or “be your own bae,” but it almost never gives you a how-to. Take this day

as a beginning of being unapologetically yourself and notice how you feel in that process.

We are no longer at the age of plucking the petals off flowers wondering whether someone has feelings for us. It’s now the time to actively work on placing more importance on how you feel when you are with someone. The happiness derived from feeling safe, comfortable and appreciated is far greater than the happiness that comes from butterflies in your stomach.

Akana also mentions that it is easy to be swept off your feet and blinded by the shiny qualities of a person like their looks, talents, and other materialistic achievements. Ask yourself this important question: do you feel comfortable enough to really express yourself when you’re with your special someone? Your compatibility, alignment of shared values, and idea of a future together will automatically fall into place when you recognize how supported you feel in their presence.

It doesn’t matter who texts first or who reaches for the check; these signs are outdated. Instead, notice if you feel heard, comfortable, not judged and have a genuine excitement to share good news with your partner. Do you feel safe and understood enough to unwrap feelings of sadness and disappointment with

them?

The people in your life, especially your significant other, should not be chosen based on a checklist of qualities such as a sense of

Elijah Southwick is a junior from Overland Park studying English.

This Valentine’s Day, show yourself some love

ARCHANA RAMAKRISHNAN

@Kansanstaff

Valentine’s Day is here and so is the momentary increase of concentration on love in the air. Whether you are on a romantic date with your significant other, mocking the holiday, hopefully searching for a soulmate or just too busy loving yourself, it’s hard to avoid the overbearing signs of the holiday.

Kansan file photo

...notice if you feel heard, comfortable, not judged and have a genuine excitement to share good news with your partner.

humor or intelligence. Your choices of connections should be made based on things that go beyond these qualities, like a sense of belonging and acceptance when you spend time with them.

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” Maya Angelou said.

So, this Valentine’s Day tune into yourself and think about how your significant other makes you feel. Talk to them about it.

Don’t forget to assess how you make yourself feel because, after all, you are your own best friend.

Archana Ramakrishnan is a sophomore from Chennai, India studying Computer Science.

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VALENTINE’S DAY

Who’s your Kansas men’s basketball valentine?

MADDY TANNAHILL @maddytannahill

Carly Johnson Freshman Journalism Major

Erik Settle Environmental Studies Graduate Though having graduated at rns semester, Erik Settle still retu s awk Jayh to campus to support the ore and his Valentine, sophom guard Chris Teahan.

“He seems like he would be “I’d sweet and caring,” Settle said. ber bea probably get him a teddy him ts cause I feel like that represen well. Who he is.”

While Teahan has contributed only nine minute s for Kansas this nseason, Settle said his ideal Vale nice “a to tine’s day would involve going homore. sop the with er” dinn for nt restaura

Despite his struggle s throughout his debut season, averaging just 7.8 points per game and taking much heat from the Kansas fan bas e, freshman guard and former five-star recruit Quentin Grimes still has the heart of freshman journalism major Carly Johnson, who said she would choose ntine. the young guard to be her Vale I like tall and tall he’s and “He’s really cute pretty be to s seem “He . said guys,” Johnson as good right athletic. I mean, he’s not doing my first person now, but coming in he was like that drew my eye.”

Josh Bohall Junior Mechanical Engineering Major

Alison Crow Accounting Master’s Student For her Valentine, accounting master’s student Alison Crow turns to freshman guard Ochai Agabji, who after having his redshirt removed has put up 20-plus points in three contests for the Jayhawks his name. The new guy. How cher “Oh God, I’m totally going to but h, Ochai Agbaji.” do you say it?,” Crow said. “Yea w continued. “He’s always, Cro ” rgy, “He just plays with so much ene d vibe going with him.” like, smiling. He just has a goo

this ring major Josh Bohall, the key For junior mechanical enginee behe so naturally he chose who Valentine’ Day was not to settle, junior to be his sweetheart — redshirt lieves to be Kansas’ best player forward Dedric Lawson.

I gue ss Dedric Lawson probably,” “I think my Valentine would be, I want the best guy on the team, and Bohall said.“I just feel like he’s ric.” the best so I’ve got to choose Ded basketball at the rec ude incl ld wou Bohall’s dream day with Lawson and playing Playstation.

Tyler Coughlan Senior Business Marketing Major

awk faithful, junior forward Justin Lorenz A fan-favorite amongst the Jayh rntion of senior chemical enginee Senior Chemical Mitch Lightfoot caught the atte ntine’s Day. Engineering Major ing major Justin Lorenz this Vale and he’s for the boys and for Senior business marketing major Tyler Coughlan opted for a “Just becaus e he’s a loveable guy the brand,” Lorenz said. player who has yet to see a minute of action this season due to the r back-to-back big game perforNCAA — sophomore forward Silvio DeSousa.

Looking to treat Lightfoot afte or would be a nice new pair of “I would say Silvio, just because it’s unfair what’s happening to mances, Lorenz’s gift to the juni Jordan shoes. him and he needs some love right now,” Coughlan said. the Jorool, but you can’t go wrong with sch das Adi an e If the senior could give anything to DeSousa this Valentine’s Day, “I know we’r dan’s,” Lorenz said. he would provide him with a chance to retake the court for Kansas.

“Freedom,” Coughlan said. “I would give him freedom.”

Jagar Haack Junior Mechanical Engineering Major

While currently on the bench due to injury, sophomore guard Marcus Garrett’s defense steals the show for junior mechanical engineering major Jagar Haack.

“I think he plays a good defense, so he could keep me safe, defend me,” Haack said. “I would like it if he could get me a couple of Ws, win a couple games for us, play some good defense and get some steals.”

In return for Garrett’s contributions on the court, Haack explained he will return the favor through his support.

“I’d give him a lot of energy and just cheer him on the whole time,” Haack said.

Illustrations by Chance Parker/KANSAN

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Softball alumna reminisces on proposal HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon

Softball has been a central focus of Taylor and Kala McElhaney’s relationship since the beginning.

Taylor is a University of Kansas 2017 graduate and softball alumna, who started every single game, drew 22 walks and batted .226 with 24 hits during her last season playing softball as a Jayhawk, according to the Kansas Athletics website.

Toward the end of her final season, she proposed to her girlfriend, Kala, at Arrocha Ballpark when the Jayhawks faced the University of Oklahoma April 15, 2017.

Kala, a former softball player and cheerleader, is a Sooner fan, so it worked out perfectly for Taylor’s proposal.

“A lot of times, I didn’t think she’d want to be proposed to on the softball field,” Taylor said.

“But I got to thinking about it, and softball is what brought us together, and [it’s] kind of been in both our lives forever, so I figured why not do it at the place we both love, and we’ve both loved since we were like three.”

Taylor said planning the proposal was easy thanks to assistance from her team and coaches.

“I was on a plane back from, I don’t know where, probably Texas or something, but I was kind of like, ‘Okay, I need to start thinking about this.’ So I got in the locker room, and I kind of asked my girls, ‘Hey, will you guys help me plan this?’ And they all geeked out and and started cheering,” Taylor said. “They were all excited, ready to plan it, ready for it to happen.”

For Kala, the proposal at Arrocha Ballpark was a total surprise.

“All of my friends and family came to this game,

Contributed Photo Kala and Taylor McElhaney became engaged at Rock Chalk Park after Taylor’s softball game. The couple shares a passion for softball. but like I said, I’m a big OU fan, and so are my friends,” Kala said. “Obviously [we were] watching Taylor, so I did not think anything of it.”

Kala said one of the assistant softball coaches asked her to meet near the locker room after the game to show her a slideshow created for Taylor to see on senior night.

“And then she was

like, ‘Well you can just come on through on the field, it’ll be faster.’ So I went through the gate, and all I could see was a lot of people there on the field and music playing, so I was like ‘Oh crap, I’m not supposed to be on the field.’ So I turned around, and then her coaches were like ‘No, no, go,’ and then I looked and saw Taylor at home plate,

Contributed Photo Kala and Taylor McElhaney of Hutchinson tied the knot Aug. 4, 2018. Taylor played softball at the University of Kansas from 2014 to 2017.

and everybody was lined up, and my current cheer team was there too, so that was super special to me, and my friends and my family and all of her teammates,” Kala said.

“So yeah, I was beyond surprised.”

Kala said she can’t imagine life without her wife now; however, she said she wasn’t ready for a relationship at first.

“I was super mean to Taylor,” Kala said with a laugh. “I was not ready for anything. I kept trying to push her away.”

Kala said she then realized it “was time to grow up and quit being dumb.”

“I told her she could finally ask me out,” she said. “After that, it was really quick. We got engaged seven months after.”

The couple tied the knot Aug. 4, 2018, and currently lives in Hutchinson.

Kala is the head coach of the Hutchinson Community

College Spirit Squad.

“Married life is great, actually,” Taylor said. “I mean, it’s great because she’s my best friend.”

After six months of marriage, the couple said they enjoy praying together and staying involved at their church.

“...Softball is what brought us together, and [it’s] kind of been in both our lives forever, so I figured why not do it at the place we both love...”

Taylor McElhaney Kansas softball alumna

In addition, Kala said Taylor is very supportive and involved with her cheer team.

“She comes to practices, and they like love

her so much, so that has made it so much easier because Taylor’s just part of our team,” Kala said.

The key to a successful marriage, especially for couples involved in athletics or sports, is patience, Taylor said.

“For me, personally, I’m a coach’s wife,” she said. “I’m a very patient person, but it helps tremendously because I know she’s stressed out like 23 hours of the day.

Even when she’s sleeping she’s stressed. So, I mean, just be patient.

But definitely find time for the two of you, even if you have kids or anybody else, you’ve got to put just your relationship first at least once or twice a week.”

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the couple plans to spend the evening together with a heartshaped pizza and bottle of wine to celebrate.

Contributed Photo Kala and Taylor McElhaney hold hands April 15, 2017, after the Kansas Jayhawks faced the Oklahoma Sooners at Rock Chalk Park. Taylor proposed to Kala on the field after the softball game.