University Daily Kansan Feb. 18, 2019

INSIDE THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

PSO alerts students on recent FBI impersonation scams p. 2

SPORTS Kansas tennis finishes

KU Theatre opens their spring season with play influenced by commedia p. 3

weekend undefeated with victory over Rice The University Daily Kansan

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vol. 138 // iss. 9 Mon., Feb 17, 2019

Opinion: Greek life is a risk factor for campus sexual assault p. 6 Read more at kansan.com

SEE TENNIS • PAGE 7

Venezuela crisis at KU Crime drops in 2018

SOPHIA BELSHE @SophiaBelshe

Read these stories and more at kansan.com

Groshans shines as KU baseball splits first two games Kansas baseball started its season 1-1, splitting the first two of a four game series with South Carolina Upstate.

Dole Institute talks leadership in first Presidential Lecture Series KU alumna Christina Ostmeyer discusses leadership and advocacy at the Dole Institute’s newest lecture series.

Dotson’s offensive consistency leads to KU win over West Virginia Devon Dotson helped Kansas to surge past West Virginia on Saturday afternoon, leading the Jayhawks in scoring with 15 points.

Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Senior Filippo Elmi Vergel speaks about Venezuelan government issues and their effects on citizens.

NICOLE DOLAN @nikkidolan279 As stories unfold in national news of the Venezuela crisis, students at the University of Kansas are feeling the effects of being 2,600 miles away from home.

College students in Venezuela have been protesting against the Nicolas Maduro dictatorship since 2013, according to CNN News. Now, the country remains divided between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido — a division reflected by various countries choosing between supporting Maduro or recognizing Guaido as president, according to Reuters.

There are 11 Venezuelan students at the University of Kansas, according to the International Student Services Fall 2018 data.

However, migration to the United States or Europe is a common theme of Venezuelans aged 18 to 25, as they have lived under a dictator-

ship regime all of their lives, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

University senior Filippo Elmi Vergel from Maracaibo, Venezuela, said he moved to Kansas for his freshman year in 2015, though his parents wanted him to move to the United States earlier.

“The ones who stay there are the ones giving the fight.”

Filippo Elmi Vergel senior

He said he was lucky enough to have family already residing in the U.S. waiting for his arrival as his parents recently moved to Kansas. His father could no longer keep up with his grandfather’s import company in Venezuela due to regulations on an exchange of currency in the country.

The political and economic situation in Venezuela has been in crisis for years, so Vergel said between young Venezuelans and parental figures, there isn’t any disapproval about leaving. In fact, he said most people look forward to leaving Venezuela as salary jobs in the country are affected by the inflation in the economy, which inhibits citizens and workers from affording food.

According to the Migration Policy Institute 2017 data, out of the 3.2 million South Americans that moved to the United States, 9,000 college-aged Venezuelan immigrants enrolled in higher education “Of course not everybody has the same opportunity, but a lot of young people don’t see a prosperous future in Venezuela,” Vergel said. “The ones who stay there are the ones giving the fight. The young people are the organizers and the protagonists of the protests.”

Vergel added that several young Venezuelans move to escape the poverty and hunger. However, he said, some young people never have the opportunity due to financial struggles or insufficient academics.

Freshman Alejandro Ignacio Troconis, from Molero, Venezuela, came to the U.S. at the beginning of the academic school year, leaving most of his family in Venezuela.

“Mostly, young people are the ones protesting because they have the most future. They want to fight for a good education, opportunities to establish themselves economically, be financially stable and establish a family,” Troconis said. “They are the ones with the most to lose.

They have lived their entire lives in a dictatorship.”

Troconis said it is increasingly common for Venezuelan READ MORE ON PAGE 2

Reported crime dropped 8 percent since 2017 on the Lawrence campus, according to crime statistics released by the University of Kansas Public Safety Office (PSO).

PSO reported the lowest number of crimes in 10 years, with 619 criminal offenses on campus, an 8 percent decrease from 2017, according to the report released by PSO. The most commonly reported crimes were theft and vandalism, as they have been in the past. Rape, aggravated battery, robbery and other violent crimes were also reported but make up a smaller percentage of the total, according to the press release.

Chief of Police Chris Keary said sexual assaults were likely underreported, and PSO will continue to work with on-campus organizations, including the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center, the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, and University administration, to provide assistance for those affected and to raise awareness of the issue.

“We know that the sexual assaults reported to us in 2018 were not the only ones that occurred,” Keary said in the press release.

Keary also mentioned in the press release the community should remain aware, despite the drop in reported crimes.

“Everyone must continue to do their part to make the community safe by reporting all crimes that occur and keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity,” Keary said.

Black-owned hair studio Prestige reports success

DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige

Maggie Gould/KANSAN Devonte’ Graham signs autographs for fans at the KU bookstore.

Graham returns to campus BRADEN SHAW @bradenshaw4real

If anyone needed a reminder, former Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham is still a beloved figure for the Jayhawk faithful.

“I’m excited, man,” Graham said in an interview with the Kansan.

“I’ve been planning this

for a long time now and I’m excited just to be back on campus.”

Over 200 people showed up to the University of Kansas bookstore on Saturday afternoon for Graham’s autograph signing in his first time back on campus since being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets.

“I mean, it’s just great to see everybody come out and see me,” Graham said. “Just to put a smile on the kids’ faces and things like that.”

Those smiles in particular mean a lot to Graham.

READ MORE ON PAGE 7

For Prestige Hair Studio, celebrating one year in business means silencing doubters and creating more opportunities.

“It means success,” said Isaiah Bell, the salon’s co-founder and barber. “It’s like a marriage anniversary.

In business, the more years you stay open means the more success that you’ve been able to experience.”

Siblings Breanna and Isaiah Bell started their business, located on Sixth Street, on Feb. 21, 2018.

It’s the only black-owned combination barbershop and hair salon in Lawrence.

Breanna said there were people who didn’t believe they would make it this far.

“When we first started talking about opening this place, a lot of people were like, ‘Don’t be surprised if that first year doesn’t go

Sarah Wright/KANSAN Prestige Hair Studio co-founder Isaiah Bell gives a client a haircut. well because that’s when a lot of people struggle,’” Breanna said. “But thinking about how our first year went... I don’t have any doubts that we can’t go into a second year or third year.”

Having their own shop came naturally to the Bells, considering they’ve both been doing hair since they were preteens. Isaiah has been doing hair for about 11 years, and Breanna, a junior at the University of

Kansas, has been doing hair for about nine years.

The Lawrence natives said they have seen firsthand the lack of shops catered to servicing black hair.

“Growing up in Lawrence, Kansas, there wasn’t too many shops,” Breanna said. “Our parents had six girls and five boys, so when READ MORE ON PAGE 4

news

NEWS

2

Monday, February 18, 2019

staff NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin

Managing editor Savanna Smith

Digital operations editor Zach McGrath

Audience engagement editor Grant Heiman

Associate audience engagement editor Arman Alhosseini ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Business manager Emma Greenwood SECTION EDITORS

News editor Sydney Hoover

Associate news editor Juliana Garcia

Investigations editor Nicole Asbury

Sports editor Maddy Tannahill

Associate sports editor Braden Shaw

Arts & culture editor Josh McQuade

Associate arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman

Opinion editor Aroog Khaliq

Visuals editor & design chief Huntyr Schwegman

Photo editor Sarah Wright

Associate photo editor Chance Parker

Copy chiefs Raeley Youngs Nichola McDowell

General Manager Rob Karwath

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KANSAN.COM

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

KU offers new composting option VILMER ALVARADO @KansanNews

University of Kansas students who visit The Underground or stay at GSP Hall now have three options to pick from when disposing their trash: recycling, landfill and the new addition to this year’s lineup, composting.

Composting is the process of recycling various organic materials, otherwise regarded as waste products, to ultimately produce soil conditioner.

The initiative was led by KU Dining, which has been composting material behind the scenes for years.

This semester has been the start of what is called post-consumer composting, compost comprised exclusively of food waste generated by consumers.

Eric Nelson, the waste reduction manager at the University, said most of the credit should go to KU Dining.

“It’s something they’ve really prioritized on,” Nelson said. “I mean they’ve been spending a lot of money to buy products that are compostable. They [could] buy styrofoam for way cheaper, but they don’t because they want to really reduce their carbon footprint.

So, I think they deserve a lot of the credit in this.”

Nelson, who partnered

Vilmer Alvarado/KANSAN Composting bins are now available at locations around campus. with KU Dining in talks over the summer to move this initiative forward, said progress will be measured at the end of the semester after analyzing the contents of what he and his

“A lot of times we have so much waste, so much food, which we throw into the trash, which could be used as fertilizer for growing food.”

Natalie Kogan-White KU Environs co-president

team have managed to obtain from the compost bins.

If the results are satisfactory, then compost bins will be available all throughout campus.

FBI impersonator scam reported NICOLE ASBURY @NicoleAsbury SOPHIA BELSHE @SophiaBelshe A person impersonating an FBI agent allegedly deceived an individual into giving $1,000 in gift cards, the University of Kansas Public Safety Office reported Wednesday, Feb. 13.

The person impersonating the FBI agent allegedly told the victim that 22 bank accounts were recently made in their name, and their Social Security card was stolen between 11:40 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13. To clear this up, the individual would have to pay through Google Play gift cards, or be subject to arrest.

“We wanted to let the community know that these [agents] aren’t real.”

James Anguiano Deputy Chief

The victim purchased gift cards and gave the information to the alleged perpetrator, Deputy Chief James Anguiano from the University’s Public Safety Office said. The alleged perpetrator then said they recalculated and needed more money, which is when the victim realized this was likely a scam and contacted police.

“We wanted to inform

“We’ll have a student employee do some audits of the current compost sites at the Underground and GSP,” Nelson said. “We’ll review the material we’ve been collecting and ask questions

the public the FBI doesn’t request money over the phone or gift cards or anything else,” Anguiano said.

The case is under investigation. Police currently do not have any suspects, Anguiano said.

At this time of year, scams often come up, Anguiano said. With tax season ongoing, people will more frequently impersonate the IRS. “We wanted to let the community know that these aren’t real. Hang up the phone, and call either us, or if you’re in the city, call your local police department,” Anguiano said.

Similar cases have occurred in the past, Anguiano said. There are several ongoing scams at the moment the University Public Safety Office was made aware of.

“With as much as we use whether its apps or cards when we go to different places of business, if you haven’t ran a credit report in the past six months, that’s a good idea, just to see if your information has been accessed at all,” Anguiano said.

Most of the time, law enforcement would inform an individual of a warrant for their arrest, Anguiano said.

“Some of these scams are getting more and more sophisticated, so if it doesn’t sound like it’s legitimate, hold off,” Anguiano said.

“But if you think it sounds like something that might be kind of suspicious, call and have somebody look into it.”

like, ‘Is it compostable?

Are students understanding what is and what is not compostable?’ Which is pretty much everything KU Dining gives somebody to

take to go.”

KU Environs, a student organization dedicated to promoting sound environmental practices around campus, will work with KU Dining and Waste Reduction Management throughout the semester to promote the composting effort around campus.

Co-president Natalie Kogan-White, who is also working on a separate composting project with Ecumenical Campus Ministries through Environs KU, said a good way of promoting and putting to use the compost produced from this effort is by giving students the opportunity to see the fruits of their efforts for themselves.

“The best way to raise awareness and to expand the project is by beginning to develop certain plots and areas of campus to have small garden plots where people can get involved and start growing their food toward the end of the year and throughout the fall,” Kogan-White said. “If you want people to start acting in a different way, you need to let them be aware that the food and single use items they’ve been composting is really going somewhere, not just in a bin.”

According to 2015 data from the EPA, U.S. households recovered over 67.7 million tons of municipal solid waste through recycling and over 23.4 million tons through composting.

This is 1.16 pounds per person per day for recycling and 0.4 pounds per person per day for composting.

Food composting collection programs served over 3.8 million households.

“Composting is important because we want to have an awareness of how much we produce,” Kogan-White said. “A lot of times we have so much waste, so much food, which we throw into the trash, which could be used as a fertilizer for growing food. It’s so beneficial because it’s something small we could do every day in order to lead to better environmental leadership.”

VENEZUELAN STUDENTS

Associated Press A Nicolas Maduro follower runs by soldiers in Caracas, Venezuela on Aug. 26, 2017.

FROM PAGE 1 students to study abroad as the country’s situation gets worse.

“I wanted to come to America to study, I feel that this is the best that it can get,” Troconis said. Troconis’ parents and brother now reside in Puerto Rico.

His grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins all live in Venezuela. Having to say goodbye to them again over winter break made leaving them even harder, Troconis said.

Vergel said he does not see himself — nor other Venezuelan students abroad — returning back to Venezuela as other countries have better job security and opportunities. Vergel said the education system there is a mess, and it will take many years to restructure, and he does not have enough time to wait.

“I’m not going back,” Vergel said. “I think there are people that would go back if there is a change,

but for the people who have left, they will not go back. There’s nothing to go back to. There’s your people of course, but there’s no career development, establishing a good job... really nothing a young person would want to do in Venezuela right now.”

Troconis said the lack of opportunities was one of the main reasons, besides getting an education in the U.S., to drive him to stay in the U.S. and establish himself before returning to Venezuela.

“I love my country, and I would love to go back, but I don’t want to lose opportunities just because of getting rattled and staying there,” Troconis said.

Troconis said Maduro’s supporters are either ignorant or have some sort of financial interest or dependency on him. He said the government shows the public, which lacks live resources like Twitter, charismatic lies to manipulate the people’s isolation into believing them.

For those who are financially dependent on Maduro, Troconis said high ranking military officers are loyal solely due to financial gain. He said Venezuelans call this interest in capital “enchufados,” meaning they only care about the money and not the ideals.

Vergel said the best way for anyone interested in helping the country during this crisis is to send care packages and medical help as well as try to keep others informed.

Troconis said more and more of the country’s young people are uprising because they’re more afraid of starving and living in deep poverty than militant retaliation.

“Protesters are fearless,” Troconis said. “They’re more afraid of hunger of their children than weapons. Even some military leaders are rebelling now, too. I feel like [Maduro’s] key structure of power is collapsing, and he no longer has 100 percent of the military’s support.”

KANSAN.COM

arts & culture Monday, February 18, 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

KU Theatre to open with improv comedy

“One Man, Two Guvnors” is a commedia dell’arte play, a scripted show that includes improvisation from the actors. The show opens Friday, Feb. 22.

JACKIE RAHMAN @KansanNews The University Theatre’s latest production, “One Man, Two Guvnors,” is a lighthearted comedy encouraging audience participation, improvisation and other unconventional theatrical elements.

The show, based on the 1743 Commedia dell’arte play “Servant of Two Masters” by Carlo Goldoni, opens at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, at the Crafton-Preyer Theatre.

Commedia dell’arte was one of the earliest forms of professional theatre, originating in Italy and popular throughout Europe from the 16th to 18th centuries. It is known for its exaggerated stock characters, the use of physical comedy and, most notably, improvisation. Commedia actors were given a script which consisted of a rough outline for a plot, and they improvised nearly all of the dialogue in the show.

“One Man, Two Guvnors” will utilize a similar approach as the script calls for quite a bit of improvisation.

Throughout the show,

Contributed illustration “One Man, Two Guvnors” is an upcoming University Theatre production starring KU student Hunter Hill and directed by professor Jason Bohon. characters will even interact with members of the audience, which means every night, viewers will see

something slightly different.

The show is set in 1963 Britain and follows Francis, an out-of-work

skiffle player secretly working for two men who are running from the police. Francis goes to extraordinary lengths to

ensure the two governors do not find out they are in the same town, even though they are looking for one another.

“Basically, they’re trying to find each other, but Francis keeps screwing everything up and pushing them apart,” said Hunter Hill, who plays the part of Francis.

Jason Bohon, the director of the show, said he is confident his actors have the skills necessary to execute the performance as many of them have taken both physical comedy and improv courses at the University. A very important aspect of both stage fighting and improv, Bohon said, is timing.

“It’s kind of like a welloiled machine,” he said.

“It has to be incredibly well-nuanced and welltimed for it to work, and when the timing is off, the audience can really feel that.”

He added that the actors must be on their toes at all times to ensure the pacing runs smoothly.

Bohon said the play will be sure to make viewers laugh, and it will be a lighthearted and actionfilled show for audiences to enjoy. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students at the door.

They can be purchased at the box office or on the University Theatre website, which also has a list of show times.

KU professor studies glowing-eyed spider fossils ALEX ROTHERS @Alex_Rothers

When he was told fossil spiders with glowing eyes had been found, Director of the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas Paul Selden headed to Seoul, South Korea, to study them.

Selden co-wrote a new study in “The Journal of Systematic Paleontology” that unveils 10 fossils of spiders with reflective eyes that appear to glow.

Until recently, only one fossil spider had been found in South Korea, Selden said. In 2017, Selden’s colleague TaeYoon Park, a researcher at the Korea Polar Research Institute and co-author of the study, informed Selden that another 10 specimens, including a type of spider called lagonomegopids, had been found in the Cretaceous Jinju Formation in Seoul, South Korea.

“It turned out there were several different kinds of fossil spiders, including three specimens of a little lagonomegopid,” Selden said. “This is a family known only from the Cretaceous; none are

alive today. What struck us about these specimens was the brightly reflective, crescentic features where we would expect to see these large eyes.”

Until now, fossil spiders have only been found in amber, but the 10 fossil spiders featured in the study were the first lagonomegopids discovered in rock, which Selden said is one of the exciting aspects of the find.

Another exciting aspect of the discovery is the bright, reflective features of the spiders’ eyes, called the tapetum, a reflective layer in the eyes of many animals, like cats, causing them to shine in the dark.

“If you go out at night in a grassy area wearing a headlamp, you see the eyes of wolf spiders reflecting the light. That is the tapetum. The eyes do not actually glow, but reflect light like a mirror.”

Elke Buschbeck, a professor at the University of Cincinnati studying spiders and other organisms visual systems, said the tapetum is a feature of the eyes that allow spiders to

“What struck us about these specimens was the brightly reflective, crescentic features where we would expect to see these large eyes.”

Paul Selden Director of the Paleontological Institute

Contributed photo This lagonomegopid, a type of spider, is known for its glowing eyes. The University’s Director of the Paleontological Institute Paul Selden traveled to South Korea to study lagonomegopid fossils discovered in rocks. hunt prey in a low light environment.

“Basically it is a mirror that reflects the light back through the eye,” Buschbeck said.

“So it goes through the photoreceptors twice and hence captures more light and allows the spider to function in darker

environments.”

Tapetums had never previously been reported from fossils, Selden said.

Buschbeck said the discovery of the fossil spiders’ well-preserved tapetums allows researchers to identify which eyes, from a evolutionary perspective,

were particularly prominent in these spiders and gives more insight into these spiders’ living conditions at the time.

“The fossil evidence for this structure is what we can see in the fossil spiders,” Selden said. “It gives us an insight into

the way these animals lived over 100 million years ago.”

Selden said he hopes to find more fossil spiders in the Cretaceous Jinju Formation in the future, but a search won’t happen any time soon due to construction in the area.

KANSAN.COM

4 ARTS & CULTURE

New exhibit features KU alumni artists

textiles, sculpture, video work, prints, drawings and jewelry.

“I really wanted to see how artists across multiple mediums had thought about place,” Earle said.

Lawrence-based artist and photographer Philip Heying, who graduated from the University in 1983, has two photographs in the exhibition. The Spencer Museum has also acquired some of these works for its permanent collection.

“I started loving that museum when I first discovered it when I was a

teenager, so it’s kind of a dream come true to have work in there,” Heying said.

One of his photos in the exhibit shows a repurposed billboard near Salina that he discovered on a road trip along I-70. The billboard reads, “I need a kidney,” with a phone number underneath. He said the bill-

board is an iconic sign of the economic desperation of wealth inequality and the situation of healthcare in the United States today — a perfect representation of the idea of place, specifically in Kansas.

“It’s this real testament to just how far people will go when they’re wanting

to save a loved one — to go public with that in that way,” Heying said.

Another artist currently based in Lawrence will also have her work displayed in the exhibit. Lisa Grossman graduated from the University in 1999. Her work in the exhibit includes a painting of the Kansas River Valley.

“It’s such an honor to have work here in this really special museum in my home place,” Grossman said. “It’s very satisfying because my best moments were in the Spencer Museum when I was going to school. Without question.”

Grossman has embraced the idea of place in her paintings. She’s made the prairie of eastern Kansas and the Kansas River Valley the main focus of her works.

“I’m so moved by what we’ve got here, and I’ve built my life around and my work around deepening my experience of place here,” Grossman said.

Earle said she hopes the exhibit will open visitors’ minds about the concept of place both generally and personally.

“I hope it gives them a chance to think both personally for themselves about what place means to them, what home might mean, what college means as a place, but also more generally about places they’ve never been,” Earle said.

The Spencer Museum will also host artist panel discussions and other events surrounding the exhibit, which are listed on the exhibit’s website.

Ahmed said. “Breanna is so friendly and not judgmental about how bad your hair can be if it’s not kept up. She’s really good about helping people grow their hair and keep it healthy.”

their interaction with the community. Since its grand opening, Prestige has hosted events, including a food drive and a barbershop talk affiliated with the University’s chapter of Alpha Phi

events,” Breanna said. “It was just nice to see people, who we don’t see as regular clients, just come and talk to one another.”

The salon had two other stylists in the past, but it’s currently just Isaiah and Breanna who run the shop. Although working with family is commonly perceived as a bad business decision, Isaiah said it’s something he takes pride in because they both have the same vision.

“A lot of people believe that family is some of the worst people to work with, but I don’t believe that at all,” Isaiah said. “Family should be somewhat easy

to work with because I know what you don’t like and you should be able to get along.”

For the future of Prestige Hair Studio, the Bells plan to continue to provide their clients with quality service while also getting more involved in the community by hosting more events.

“I think it’s the ambience of the place that we try to give,” Isaiah said. “We try to give that experience for everybody and what we believe is quality over quantity. Everyone who sits in our chair, we want to take care of them and educate them on how to take care of their hair.”

RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester

The Spencer Museum of Art opened an exhibition called “The Power of Place” this month that exhibits works created exclusively by University of Kansas alumni artists.

“It’s a way thinking both about KU as a place and how do students learn in the place where they choose to go to college or university,” said Susan Earle, the curator of the exhibition. “What do those places mean?”

The exhibition opened to the public Saturday, Feb. 16, and will run through June 30.

The idea of place in the works can mean a variety of things. “Place can be both literal and figurative, imagined, avoided, embraced or criticized. Place can be a site of memory, comfort, tension or identity,” according to the exhibition’s website.

Earle said it took some time to find alumni artists who deal with the idea of place in their works. Because there is no running list of alumni artists, Earle asked around the art department and the KU Alumni Association. She said she also conducted research online to find artists to include in the exhibit.

“It was quite a bit of research, actually, to find artists who thought about place,” Earle said.

The exhibit features work from 30 University alumni artists from all over the country. The artists graduated from the University with degrees in

Contributed photo Lawrence-based artist and KU alumna Lisa Grossman’s 2018 work “Navigating” is one of the works featured in the Spencer Museum of Art’s “The Power of Place” exhibit. a variety of areas, not just art.

“All of them have had distinguished and interesting careers,” Earle said.

Earle decided to include only living alumni artists in the exhibition, although the University has produced many great artists who are no longer alive, because it would be dynamic and exciting for students to see works from current alumni artists, Earle said.

The exhibit also features a variety of mediums, all of which deal with the theme of place, including paintings, photographs,

“I’m so moved by what we’ve got here, and I’ve built my life around and my work around deepening my experience of place here.”

Lisa Grossman alumni artist

PRESTIGE HAIR STUDIO FROM PAGE 1 it came to getting our hair done, my mom took care of that because there weren’t a lot of options... stuff hasn’t really changed.”

The demand for more black-owned hair shops coupled with the history of entrepreneurship in their family motivated the Bells to open the salon. Their parents moved from Mississippi to Lawrence in the 1970s, which was the tail end of the Great Migration in which black families in the south migrated to the north in search of better opportunities. Their dad opened a construction business in the 1980s, which is currently combined with Isaiah’s landscaping business, Bell’s Turf.

Breanna said watching her father pay attention to detail for his clients inspired her to do the same with hers.

“Watching him take people’s words and descriptions and create what they want, I guess that’s a way that really just drove me to talk to people and understand,” Breanna said.

Isaiah said that the salon being black-owned is not the only aspect that makes their business different. Instead, it’s their dedication to having quality services for their clients.

“When we first opened, it was about creating, not only for clients but for people who work here, a professional atmosphere that’s comfortable and re-

laxing,” Isaiah said. “Being able to make money in that atmosphere that doesn’t discriminate and create a welcoming atmosphere, so we wanted to make sure we bring those things out.”

For Breanna, although managing school and having a business is often hard, she said the salon’s scheduling system helps her balance everything. She took a year off from school after her sophomore year to get her cosmetology license. Breanna also mentioned that doing what she loves also helps her manage things better.

“I was doing YouTube videos for a little bit, and I really loved that, and from my high school years up until my sophomore year of college, I just braided, and I’ve traveled to [clients],” Breanna said.

Mona Ahmed, a journalism and political science major at the University, attended Lawrence High School with Breanna Bell and was a regular client of Breanna’s. She is now a client of Prestige.

“I was actually at their grand opening, so that was really cool to go there to see and support her as a friend and customer,” Ahmed said. “I was really proud to see how her and her family were able to have this dream and put it all together.”

Ahmed also said she liked Breanna’s attention to detail when she did her hair at the salon last year.

“I was just getting my hair straightened and cut, and I really enjoyed it,”

“I was really proud to see how [Breanna] and her family were able to have this dream and put it all together.”

Mona Ahmed senior

Ahmed, who identifies as black and Pakistani, grew up in Lawrence. She said it’s been hard for her and her sisters to find a salon in town that could care for her hair.

“Growing up, when I would get my hair done, I don’t think I ever really went to a salon in Lawrence,” Ahmed said. “Even if I wanted to get my hair done, sometimes I’d go elsewhere like to Kansas City, or I’d have my mom do it, so it’s awesome that Prestige is here and visible and has that visibility as a black-owned hair salon.”

Hearing clients appreciate the salon for their services and impact in the community is something that the Bells say they’re thankful for.

“We take pride in our work,” Isaiah said. “We get a gratification out of seeing someone excited and their gratification of what we just did.”

Another aspect that the Bells say makes Prestige Hair Studio different from others in the area is

Alpha, in which participants were able to get free haircuts and talk about social issues “Even though we are a hair studio, we try to host

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OPINION

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Monday, February 18, 2019

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

FFA of the Day: “natty light is bread flavored la croix” “i love girls that wield battle axes” I heard bagpipes playing Amazing Grace at 10:00 pm at night and didn’t question it. woke up to a cop banging on my door looking for “todd” what a fun way to start thursday This is the second day this week I’ve spilled hot coffee all over myself so idk that’s how life is going If anyone was wondering, the lines on the sidewalk that appear right before it snows are beet juice (supposedly). “who tf decided on capitalism” “god” “He’s like an undercover liberal” “Dibs on syphilis” “that burning smell? that’s the smell of success” My mom got me a heating pad for Valentine’s Day and if that isn’t true love then I don’t know what is

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

Neoliberalism undermines education BIJAN ESFANDIARY @BijanEsfandiary

As the cost of education increases, teachers’ salaries remain stagnant, and education infrastructure remains in an abysmal state. However, these shortcomings of education are overt, and the disparities in education are apparent at the surface level.

Americans know this is already a problem, but, what lacks discussion is how education perpetuates a system that works to socialize students into model workers for the economy. Neoliberal market forces pervading education have transformed it into the problematic institution it is today.

To address larger educational failings, the underlying framework of neoliberal education policies is where we must begin to understand the system.

KU students would do well to address the sociological framework of education to understand how years of their lives within this education system affect them.

What it means to be a student has drastically changed over the past few decades as the rise of neoliberalism changed the goals of education. Students are no longer seen as an investment in society,

Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Kansan columnist Bijan Esfandiary argues the U.S. pushes students through an educational assembly line for money purposes instead of student needs. but as an investment in the market.

American and Canadian scholar Henry A. Giroux said in an op-ed with Truthout that neoliberal forces “measure...success and failure solely through the economic lens of the gross domestic product,” which reinforces the need to change education into a market-driving force.

When you couple this with the consumerism that is pushed onto children at young ages, it stabilizes a system where the goal is to attain a job that makes money, not what makes the person happy.

Education has also be-

come narrower with the introduction of standardized testing. This has created a booming economic sector where students must pay for tests as well as tutoring to achieve the perfect score.

No Child Left Behind, for example, was a sickeningly neoliberal policy that disguised a goal of profit as “compassionate concern for the education and future of our children.” It’s no surprise that post-No Child Left Behind, standardized testing became a 600 billion dollar enterprise funded off student money.

Student success is now

if anyone feels bad about themselves tonight just know i put two (2) drops of an essential oil in my bath and turns out I’m allergic so I look like I was attacked by a legion of mosquitoes

“We Stan a frat party that plays Coldplay” Do you ever just decide to Marie Kondo your life and get stuck at Walmart in an ice storm?

“If this ref had one more eye he would be a cyclops” I like to insert John Mulaney quotes into my everyday conversation to find out who my true friends are.

“Hey why is there a jumbo dish soap in the bathroom?”

Dropped a perfectly good meatball on the ground and now I’m too sad to live

predicated off how well they perform in a single area, erasing holistic evaluations to encompass success. Neoliberal forces have no need for compassion, culture and abstract thinking; only how well one performs.

When you compare the American education system to that of similar democracies, other systems place more emphasis on the development of the social life of the student as well. Within the United States’ neoliberal framing, Giroux said there is no time for addressing “the importance of civic participation, public goods, dis-

sent and the fostering of democratic institutions.”

The result of our current education is that we reach college unsure about our futures and change our majors many times prior to finding what we truly want to do. This is also coupled with students who drop out and pursue blue collar work instead, as they have become disillusioned with the neoliberal paradigm of education.

Because we have been force-fed this idea of consumerism and educational prestige as the founding principles for the path we must take, we become locked in a system that demands monetary results regardless of what our personal feelings tell us.

Ask yourself, when did you give up on your childhood dream in pursuit of money? Is the educational path you are following now truly your dream, or have you convinced yourself it is? I urge KU students not to fall victim to the agenda of the neoliberal market; evaluate what it is you truly want to do, whether you are using your education toward that goal or whether it is using you.

Bijan Esfandiary is a junior from Overland Park studying political science and sociology.

Greek life is a sexual assault risk factor

“Raisins in salad is a crime against humanity”

Do you think the University of Washington lists Ted Bundy on their notable alumni page?

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Sarah Wright/KANSAN The Chi Omega fountain displays Greek life influence at the University. Brianna Wessling argues Greek life can be a factor increasing chances of sexual assault.

BRIANNA WESSLING @briwessling The life of a college freshman is overwhelming, terrifying and exciting all at once. Many bright-eyed students arrive on campus prepared for the next four years to be absolutely life-changing. They have so much to look forward to: getting to know new people, learning the layout of campus, finally having all the freedom they desire and, who could forget: mandatory sexual assault training.

While the college experience has been somewhat synonymous with drinking, partying and having a good time, it has only recently been associated with sexual assault, and for good reason. 23.1 percent of undergraduate women and 5.4 percent of undergraduate men experience some

form of sexual assault or rape during their time on campus, according to Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

Recently, many colleges have tried to curtail this epidemic by instituting forms of sexual assault training for students. These programs, aimed at teaching students about consent and how to protect themselves or others from unsafe situations, come in many forms.

At the University, this means taking an online course freshman year. Other schools, such as Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, opt for in-person training courses.

The enactment of such programs, whatever they may look like, is certainly a step in the right direction.

Where in the past, colleges swept sexual assault cases under the rug, many now take a more head-on ap-

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proach. They want to provide students with vital information and start a dialogue about how everyone in the community can work to solve the problem. They don’t, however, give students all the information they need to accurately look at this issue.

Greek life creates an easy place for sexual assault to run rampant.

The programs don’t tell students the National Institute of Justice lists being a sorority member as a factor increasing sexual assault risk, men in fraternities are more likely to engage in sexually aggressive behavior and one third of rapes

reported on college campuses happen in fraternity houses.

Various factors result in Greek life being a hub for sexual assault on campus.

One could argue sexual assaults are more likely to happen in situations involving alcohol, and fraternity houses are simply better places to hold parties involving alcohol, as opposed to other on-campus housing options.

A study from the University of Arkansas argues the culture surrounding Greek life contributes the most to its problem with sexual assault. The study states fraternity parties, which are run by men, put women in a subordinate position. This power difference could result in more sexual assaults.

Others claim it has more to do with the fact that Greek life, being closed off to people of lower socioeconomic status by requiring members to pay hefty dues, puts together groups of mostly wealthy people. A study from Florida State University found this wealth can help build the assumption within individuals that they stand outside of the law. This assumption could lead to a young fraternity member believing he could assault someone and get away with it.

All these factors play a role in creating one end result: Greek life creates an easy place for sexual assault to run rampant.

Greek organizations at the University, however,

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

have taken steps to curb this epidemic. Some fraternity organizations have partnered with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center (SAPEC), which has resulted in many fraternity members undergoing extra sexual assault training. Greek organizations have also partnered with the Student Senate to create a fund for sexual assault survivors.

This work is appreciated and encouraged. It’s heartening to see people rising above their personal interests and trying to make campus a safer place for all students. However, it’s not enough.

Students should feel empowered with enough information to truly make safe and smart decisions while on campus. They should be able to hold institutions creating environments that foster sexual assault accountable.

The conversation about sexual assault on campus needs to continue, but it can’t be a completely honest conversation when we leave out the role Greek life plays in the problem.

Every student should have this information readily available to them, whether they’re considering joining a fraternity or sorority, never plan on joining one or are currently in one.

Brianna Wessling is a sophomore from Omaha, Nebraska, studying English and journalism.

editorial board

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

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SPORTS

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KU tennis completes perfect weekend

DIEGO COX @x0lotl

Playing its second match in two days, Kansas tennis again was victorious as it hosted Rice on Sunday, Feb 17. The Jayhawks saw similar success as they did Saturday by defeating Rice 6-1.

When asked about how his team prepares for matches like this on backto-back days, coach Todd Chapman emphasized rest for his players.

“We just really stress recovery with the girls,” Chapman said. “Making sure they took care of their bodies after last night’s match in preparation for today’s match. I feel like while we may have had some struggles it definitely wasn’t an issue of fatigue, I think we definitely did that.”

While the high-flying duo of seniors Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch were victorious in doubles play, the doubles point came down to the last match as junior Maria Toran Ribes and freshman Malkia Ngounoue closed out the set, 7-6, clinching the doubles point.

Looking at how close the doubles point was, Chapman was fortunate that his players managed to finish hard and clinch

Chance Parker/KANSAN Senior Anastasia Rychagova serves the ball against Nebraska. Kansas defeated Nebraska 5-1 Wednesday, Feb. 6. the point for the seventh straight match.

“For the most part it wasn’t our best doubles point today,” Chapman said. “I thought we really struggled to play aggressive tennis consistently and we put ourselves in some tough

KU track & field ends regular season LAUREN HAWKINS @laurensidney_ LOGAN FRICKS @LoganFricks Kansas track & field added two wins and 10 personal bests to its resume on Friday at the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Then on Saturday, the women’s 4x400 meter relay and distance medley relay teams along with two women’s 800-meter runners competed in the Alex Wilson Invitational in Indiana.

Freshman jumper Cordell Tinch placed first in the long jump with a mark of 7.49 meters. In addition, senior pole vaulter Alexis Romero secured a top spot after clearing 4.08 meters.

This marks Romero’s best performance of the season and puts her at No. 10 in the Big 12.

Tinch also competed in the 60-meter hurdles and finished with a personal best of 8.06 seconds. His performance ranks sixth in the Big 12 and has moved him to the No. 7 spot in Jayhawk history.

Junior hurdler Gabbi Dabney recorded her own personal best in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing at 8.59 seconds. The time moved her to the No. 7 spot in all-time performance for the Jayhawks.

Sophomore pole vaulter Kyle Rogers has the potential to qualify for the NCAA championship in March following his performance Friday afternoon. Recording a second-place finish after clearing 5.45 meters, Rogers is now fourth in the Big 12 and 15th in the NCAA. In the women’s 4,000-meter distance medley relay, Kansas’ squad

consisted of freshman middle distance runner Ally Ryan and seniors Nicole Montgomery, Marleena Eubanks and Sharon Lokedi. The squad took third place overall with a time of 10:58:31.

In the men’s 4,000 meter DMR, the team was disqualified and was unable to finish the race. The Jayhawks were one of two teams unable to finish the race.

The squad consisted of sophomore Ethan Donley, juniors Bryce Hoppel and Isaiah Cole and senior Dylan Hodgson.

The only individual runners for Kansas were senior middle distance runners Riley Cooney and Courtney Griffiths. Each participated in the 800-meter running with Cooney finishing in 13th place with a time of 2:11:51.

Griffiths finished not even a second behind Cooney with a time of 2:12:29, finishing in 15th overall.

The only other event Kansas participated in was the women’s 4X400 meter relay, where they were the only women’s team to participate in the race. The Jayhawks were attempting to finish with a qualifying time for the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Kansas finished the race with a time of 3:37:51 with Eubanks, juniors Jedah Caldwell and Mariah Kuykendoll and sophomore Honour Finely heading the squad. The time put the Jayhawks in a tie for 34th in the nation.

Kansas has the Big 12 Indoor Championship to look forward to, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23 in Lubbock, Texas.

positions. I thought we were very fortunate to win the doubles point, but I thought we really responded in singles and that’s the part I like.”

Respond they did, as the Jayhawks, for the second match in a row, nearly swept the singles

points, dropping only one match in a super tiebreaker. Kicking things off was senior Anastasia Rychagova winning the first match quickly and decisively against Victoria Smirnova, 6-2, 6-1, securing the first singles point of the day.

Chapman, when asked about Rychagova’s excellent play, commented about the consistency she has shown her entire career at Kansas.

“Well (Anastasia) has, for four years, been one of those that really comes out,” Chapman said. “She

approaches things the right way mentally and she’s extremely tough to beat, that’s why she was ranked No. 1 in the country for four months last year. Now that she’s starting to get back and healthy, her tennis is starting to come with it and that’s something you don’t take for granted, but it’s also become expected from her because that’s the type of player that she is.”

Following Rychagova’s lead, the rest of the Jayhawks won fourstraight singles matches to build a convincing 6-0 lead over Rice, coming into the final match between Khmelnitckaia and Priya Niezgoda.

Khmelnitckaia fought hard and took the first set, 6-3, but dropped the second, 7-6, sending the match into a super tiebreaker.

After going through three changeovers during the match, Khmelnitckaia finally fell, 11-9, leaving the final match score at 6-1 for a Jayhawks victory.

Following the victory, the Jayhawks again will host back to back matches on Saturday, February 23rd and Sunday, February 24th when they will face off against Arkansas and Air Force, respectively.

DEVONTE’ GRAHAM RETURNS FROM PAGE 1 “It’s special to see the kids and how excited they get,” Graham said. “Just giving back and just to make one of their days is something that you can’t put into words.”

Graham was in town on NBA All-Star weekend to visit his former team as Kansas takes on West Virginia. It’s a little odd for him to be more of a fan of the Jayhawks — on the outside looking in.

“At first it was pretty weird,” Graham said. “But I catch every game, even if [the Hornets are] playing.

But even then at halftime, I ask the manager or whatever the score.”

“So, I’m still tuned in and basically it’s like I’m still here,” Graham continued.

Even though he can’t be at each game, Graham is still vocal on social media — tweeting his support before and after every game. He even FaceTimed the team before tip-off of the Oklahoma State game.

“Those are my brothers. I just want to see them succeed.”

Devonte’ Graham Charlotte Hornets guard

Kansas freshman point guard Devon Dotson and redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson have also said they both frequently text with Graham.

“Those are my brothers,” Graham said. “I just want to see them succeed.

Just little words of wisdom to help them out because I know what they went through and what they’re

Maggie Gould/KANSAN Former Kansas basketball player Devonte’ Graham takes a pictures with a young fan Saturday, Feb. 16. going through.”

And what they went through has been a lot, obviously, with the losses of sophomore forward Silvio De Sousa and junior center Udoka Azubuike for the year, and the short-term losses of guards sophomore Marcus Garrett and senior Lagerald Vick.

At the same time, though, Kansas currently sits at No. 14 in the latest AP poll and 1.5 games back of Kansas State in the Big 12 standings as of Feb. 15.

In fact, Kansas was No. 13 in the nation on Feb. 12, 2018, where the Jayhawks soon after went on a run to win a 14th-straight regular season conference title, Big 12 tournament title, No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and a Final Four berth.

Whether this year’s Jayhawks will go on that type of run to end the year remains to be seen, with six games remaining in conference play and an NCAA record-extending 15th-straight regular season conference title on the line.

But if anyone knows what it takes to do so, it’s Graham, who said that the 2018-19 Jayhawks are “go-

ing in the right direction.”

“Just keep pushing,” Graham said. “Take it one game at a time, don’t look ahead. So keep doing what they’re doing, believing in each other and they’ll get it done.”

So apparently, even though he isn’t playing on James Naismith court any longer, Graham is still a leader for Kansas.

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Monday, February 18, 2019

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

K.J. Lawson benefits from extended minutes JACK JOHNSON @JohnyJ_14

The Kansas men’s basketball regular season is nearing its end following its 78-53 win over West Virginia on Saturday afternoon. With only five games left in the regular season, the race for first place is heating up, especially after Kansas State was trounced at home by Iowa State on Saturday as well.

Trailing by only 0.5 games, this recent threegame spurt by the Jayhawks has drastically shifted the momentum in their favor behind a spark from their younger talent.

“I think it’s all coming together,” junior Dedric Lawson said. “We’re playing not to lose, but to win.”

Freshmen guards Devon Dotson and Ochai Agbaji have picked apart the opposition in the midst of senior Lagerald Vick’s absence, averaging 36.9 points and 13.3 rebounds combined during the three-game win streak.

However, the numbers they have posted haven’t caused too much of a shock to those who have witnessed their production over the past month.

Perhaps the most intriguing performance has become a commodity over this past week.

Despite collecting only 57 points in 24 games, redshirt sophomore guard

Chance Parker/KANSAN Redshirt sophomore guard K.J. Lawson shoots the ball against West Virginia. The Jayhawks defeated the Mountaineers 78-53 on Saturday, Feb. 16.

K.J. Lawson has spiked his play recently, dating back to Monday at TCU. Totaling 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting against the Horned Frogs and 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting on Saturday, Lawson has suddenly proved himself into becoming a valuable weapon off the bench.

“TCU was a very spe-

cial moment. He came up big for us,” Dedric Lawson said. “I’m proud of him of coming and seizing the opportunity.”

His contributions have resulted in more minutes on the floor, too. His 24 minutes on Saturday marked the fourth-straight game he has recorded double-digit

minutes.

“I’m happy for him,” Self said. “It’s nice to see guys come in when their number is called.”

It did take some time and a handful of payer issues that remain out of control, but the chance finally seems to have come before Lawson.

“I mean, how can you

judge someone off 4 or 7 minutes a game?” K.J. Lawson said. “You have to judge them [with] the measurements you’re judging other players.”

Coming into last week, Lawson’s season-high total in points and minutes came against now-No. 1 ranked Tennessee back on November 23. Elaps-

Hatti Moore then hit a tworun home run off Pruett to open the scoring and give Missouri a 2-0 lead.

Pruett was then able to get out of the inning without allowing further damage and had a 1-2-3 third inning to keep the Jayhawks in the game only

the first out of the inning on groundout, however Missouri was able to score another run on a throwing error.

The freshman followed by allowing a three-run home run giving Missouri an 11-0 lead, causing sophomore Hannah Todd to come in from the bullpen.

Todd allowed three baserunners to reach, two via hit and one walk, however she was able to hold Missouri without a run and stop the bleeding.

Down 11-0, Kansas offense continued to struggle, mustering only two hits through the first four innings.

Todd came back out for the top of the fifth and got two quick outs, but she hit a batter and allowed backto-back singles, letting Missouri score another run and solidify their lead at 12-0.

Kansas needed to score five runs in the bottom of the fifth to stay alive. The inning began for Kansas with a strikeout by sophomore utility Tarin Travieso.

Junior utility Sam Dellinger came in as a pinch hitter and reached base with a single.

Senior outfielder Emily

Bermel also entered as a pinch hitter and followed with a single of her own to give the Jayhawks two on with one out.

Following a ground out by junior infielder Madison Sykes and a walk by senior pitcher/utility Brynn Minor, Kansas had the bases loaded with two outs.

Sophomore utility Shelby Gayre stepped up to the plate looking to keep the Jayhawks hopes alive, but it was all for not as she grounded out to third to end the game.

Kansas was plagued by defensive miscues in the loss with four errors on the day.

ing that total on Saturday, Lawson looks to have a bigger role if his production continues to improve.

“I am a confident guy,” K.J Lawson said. “When I get the confidence going, I am a much better player.”

Playing in his brother Dedric’s shadow since the duo’s arrival in Lawrence, the stat sheet looked oddly different against West Virginia. While K.J. watched his brother lead the team in points and rebounds all year, Saturday’s contest featured K.J. outscoring his brother for the first time in a Jayhawk uniform.

With the sudden hot streak Kansas has displayed in the past week, its quest back to first place has shrunk down to less than a single game.

Facing Texas Tech on the road next Saturday and a rematch with Kansas State at home the following Monday, the next two games will be monumental in deciding the Big 12 regular season champion.

If one thing is for certain, the Jayhawks will need the new-and-improved K.J. Lawson if it hopes to knock off two of the top contenders in the Big 12.

next game

vs Texas Tech Sat., Feb. 23 7 p.m.

KU softball loses second Border War of season FULTON CASTER @FCaster04

Kansas softball faced Missouri for the second time in a week to finish up the Diamond 9 Citrus Blossom Invitational in Kissimmee, Florida on Sunday.

The Jayhawks fell to the Tigers 12-0 in 5 innings, meaning Kansas is now 0-2 in the Border War this season after losing 3-2 to Missouri on Feb. 10.

Sophomore pitcher Kirsten Pruett drew the start for the finale, her third in six total appearances of the season.

Pruett was solid to start the day, working around runners at second and third with one out in the first inning to finish the inning without allowing a run.

Pruett ran into a small bit of trouble in the second as she allowed a leadoff walk to Missouri freshman utility Geana Torres who was then replaced by Missouri freshman infielder Jazmyn Rollin as a pinch runner.

Rollin was able to advance all the way to third on a stolen base and a throwing error.

Sophomore catcher

athletes of the week

Down 11-0, Kansas offense continued to struggle, mustering only two hits through the first four innings. trailing 2-0 when she began the top of the fourth inning.

That’s when trouble began for Pruett, however, as she let the first seven Missouri hitters reach base in the 4th inning. Missouri scored four runs in that time to extend the lead to 6-0. Pruett was replaced by freshman pitcher Lexy Mills, who inherited a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam.

A wild pitch by Mills allowed a runner to score, increasing the Missouri lead to 7-0. Mills then got

The Jayhawks finished the invitational 2-3 and are now 2-8 overall on the season.

next game

vs Virginia Fri., Feb. 22 11 a.m.

Chance Parker/KANSAN Then-sophomore second baseman Sam Dellinger swings and hits the ball against St. Louis on Saturday, March 17, 2018. Kansas defeated St. Louis 4-0 at Arrocha Ballpark.

Jaxx Groshans Baseball

In opening weekend for Kansas baseball, junior catcher Jaxx Groshans supplied the Jayhawks with a team-leading three homeruns through the first two games against South Carolina Upstate. Groshans first cleared the fence with a three-run bomb in the third inning of the season opener, helping pave the way to a 9-5 victory over the Spartans. On day two, the junior recorded two additional homers, including a ninth-inning shot to tie the game for the Jayhawks, who ultimately fell 4-3.

Alexis Romero

Track & Field On the road at the Arkansas Qualifier, senior pole vaulter Alexis Romero picked up one of two victories for Kansas on the day. While falling just shy of a personal best, Romero cleared the bar at the 4.08-meter mark to claim the top spot in the event, marking her first first-place finish of the 2019 indoor season. The season-best vault lands her 10th in the conference this season, according to a Kansas Athletics press release.