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SPORTS Starting quarterback
Crimson+Blue wins elections, voter turnout down by 70% p. 2
job still up in the air following Late Night
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vol. 138 // iss. 23 Mon., April 15, 2019
Under the Lights
Jesse McCartney bared his ‘beautiful soul’ last night at The Granada p. 3
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Beginning fall 2019, students over 21 can stop by a new pub on the first floor of the Kansas Union for alcoholic drinks
Running game overshadows quarterbacks at spring game At the first annual “Late Night Under the Lights,” while the main question was what quarterback would be taking the snaps, running backs Dom Williams and Khalil Herbert stole the show.
LGBTQ+ faculty open dialogue LGBTQ+ faculty caution that KU still has work to do to make everyone feel included on campus.
Baseball gives up record runs
Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester The Kansas Union will convert its first floor
into a pub and programming event space starting in August in partnership with SUA and KJHK, according to J.J.
students on campus, that allows alumni a place to hang and have a reason to maybe catch a drink and meet people — it’s a great
way for the community to come together,” said READ MORE ON PAGE 4
KU lacks homelessness data
KU baseball gave up a record-breaking 27 runs and 12 homers against Oklahoma State.
ADAM LANG @KansanAdamLang
Photo illustration by Natalie Hammer/KANSAN Some homeless students sleep in Anschutz Library because it is open most nights.
Homelessness has long been an issue on college campuses as finding housing remains an unavoidable part of student life. According to surveys done by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, 9% of university students and 12% of community college students
excavation.” This discovery marks a major breakthrough in the field of paleontology according to both Burnham and Bruce Lieberman, senior curator and professor of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology. “This is the most important paleontological discovery of the 21st century — so far,” Burnham said. Along with the discovery of new species, the excavation site includes several other points of interest, such as fossils of fish and other water-dwelling animals were found on top of land animals. “Rivers that flowed east suddenly flowed west and then rushed back again, pushing fish on top of trees,” Burnham said. While the Chicxulub asteroid is most commonly associated with the demise of dinosaurs as they’re depicted in media and on TV — large vertebrates that commanded
Little spherules of glass were also found among the fossils — further evidence that these fossils were killed by the aftermath of the impact. “It rained molten glass. When the earth was hit
On the horizon
KU Relays to start this week The 91st Kansas Relays kicks off this week, with the multi-events starting on Wednesday.
O’Toole-Curran, Memorial Unions director of engagement and strategy. “It’s really just to have something that keeps
nationwide have been homeless during their time in school. Christine BakerSmith acts as the senior research manager for the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, an organization that surveys food insecurity and homelessness in colleges in the U.S. Baker-Smith, said the actual national percent of homeless students is likely between
12% and 14%, based on the number of schools that did not participate in the national survey. The University of Kansas, like any other Big 12 school, has offices and organizations in place to help students. However, according to multiple sources including KU Public Safety, Student READ MORE ON PAGE 2
KU researchers discover 66-million-year-old fossils
SAM KRICSFELD @SammyGKricsfeld One of the most destructive events to ever befall Earth, the Chicxulub asteroid that destroyed around 75% of animals and planets on earth including many species of dinosaurs, happened over 66 million years ago, yet discoveries are still being made to this day. Robert DePalma, a University of Kansas doctoral student in geology, and David Burnham, preparator of vertebrate paleontology at the KU Biodiversity Institute, have found well-preserved fossils of creatures in North Dakota that were killed in the immediate aftermath of the asteroid impact. The discovery is a landmark in the paleontological world, with several of the fossils proven to be species previously undiscovered. “We call it a Lagerstätte, which is German for motherlode,” Burnham said. “We’re only at the edge of
Contributed by Jackson Leibach A fossilized Articulated Sturgeon, a North American fish, was found by KU researchers in North Dakota. The North Dakota site was rich with unprecedentedly well-preserved fossils. the land — plenty of invertebrates, creatures without a backbone or spine, were killed too. The most notable of those were ammonites, marine molluscs that are closely related to today’s octopus or squid.
by the asteroid, all the clay turned to glass,” Burnham said. The site is an important location in marking the boundary of the K-T boundary, which is the point in time between the Cretaceous Period (K)
and the Paleogene Period (T). This is a geological signature, or a thin band of rock, that separates the dinosaurs’ Cretaceous READ MORE ON PAGE 2
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Crimson+Blue wins Senate election LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy
Crimson+Blue, the sole coalition to run in the 2019 University of Kansas Student Senate election, had its respective presidential and vice presidential candidates win the election, causing the coalition to run the Senate chambers for the 2019-2020 academic year, Elections Commission Chair Kelsey Rolofson announced on Thursday. Tiara Floyd officially became the student body president-elect for the coalition, and Seth Wingerter is officially the student body vice president-elect. “I’m really proud of how our team came together because it can be really difficult to be motivated when there’s not any type of competition,” Wingerter said. Crimson+Blue ran on platforms to open Lot 90 to students for free on Fridays, provide free transportation for students to sporting events such as the basketball Final Four and create free parking permits for students employed by the University, among others. Floyd is the first woman of color elected as student body president, and she is proud of the work Crimson+Blue did to “make Senate history.” “I’m happy and very excited that I’m the first woman of color elected,” Floyd said. “I hope in the future it doesn’t take another 50 years for it to
Maggie Gould/KANSAN Crimson+Blue holds its watch party at The Wheel while awaiting election results. The coalition has made history with Tiara Floyd being the first woman of color student body president. happen again.” Approximately 2,282 students voted during the 2019 election season, Rolofson said, which is about 8.5% of the student body, per enrollment data provided by the University. “Seeing the unofficial numbers, it definitely was a lot higher than a lot of people thought it would be, so I’m definitely very proud with everyone involved,” Floyd said. Last year’s Student Senate elections saw the highest voter turnout ever, with 29.6% of the student body voting in the election. “[This year’s voter turnout] is not KU turnout. I’ll admit that,”
said Crimson+Blue campaign manager Zach Thomason. “I don’t think that’s a shortcoming of anyone in this campaign. We hustled until the last minute and worked really
vote to abolish coalitions or keep the current system, introduced by current Student Body Vice President Charles Jetty. Since the referendum is non-binding, it would
“[This year’s voter turnout] is not KU turnout. I’ll admit that. I don’t think that’s a shortcoming of anyone in this campaign.” Zach Thomason Crimson+Blue campaign manager
hard, but at the end of the day there’s only so much you can do when you’re running against air.” In addition to senatorial candidates, this year’s ballot had a referendum, which allowed students to
ultimately be up to Student Senate itself to change the Student Senate Rules and Regulations, Jetty said, regardless of what the student body votes on. However, of those
HOMELESSNESS FROM PAGE 1 Money Management Services, the University does not have a measurement of its own homeless population. The Hope Center offers free resources for surveying students on issues of homelessness and food scarcity, but according to Baker-Smith, the University has not — nor has any other Kansas institution — requested the materials. KU Student Affairs declined to comment on why the University has not participated in the study, as well as the lack of data on homeless students. “We think of homelessness as sort of an absolute, and it’s actually not,” Mauricio Gomez-Montoya said. “This could be a person who is staying in their car, to a person who is couch surfing.” Gomez-Montoya is the director of Jayhawk Student One Stop (S.O.S.), a one-year-old office that gets students in contact with the correct office to help them out of situations like homelessness and food insecurity. According to Gomez-Montoya, there are multiple degrees of homelessness, from a person who is staying with a friend, to someone living in a car, to someone who is between
which voted on the referendum, 81.9% of students were in-favor of keeping the current coalition system, Rolofson said. Floyd and Wingerter will officially become student body president and student body vice president on Wednesday, April 24 during the joint Senate meeting. They plan to begin working on their platforms as soon as they are in office in order to keep their promises to students, Thomason said. “A victory is not a victory if you don’t have things to back it up,” Thomason said.
Nicole Asbury contributed to this report.
DINOS
apartments. Despite not having a set place of their own, Gomez-Montoya said students will often never admit they are in need. “A person asks for help when they’re ready to,” said Gomez-Montoya. “Typically, the students that I see have already come to terms that this is something they perhaps need a little bit of assistance and support with.” Student Body President Noah Ries has monitored the issue since he took office in fall 2018, but rec-
Student Senate has, in a way, helped homeless students by working to lower tuition, but has taken few steps focusing directly on the issue. “This [issue] hasn’t been one we’ve particularly seen a lot of progress on, but that doesn’t mean we’re not thinking about it,” Ries said. “It’s sad. It’s a big issue.” Homeless students who end up at Jayhawk S.O.S. are often referred by friends and professors, or are even found living
“We think of homelessness as sort of an absolute, and it’s actually not. This could be a person who is staying in their car, to a person who is couch surfing.” Mauricio Gomez-Montoya Jayhawk Student One Stop director
ognizes that little progress has been made. Ries said one issue with reaching out to students struggling with housing is that homelessness is not considered a student emergency. The University has several pockets of money dedicated to helping students when they experience an emergency like a car breaking down or a medical emergency, but rent is not considered an unforeseen problem. Ries said
in their cars by KU Public Safety. “If students live in a vehicle, they don’t stay in the same spot,” KU Public Safety Chief of Police Chris Keary said. “It’s hard to identify any distress.” Keary said KU Public Safety will refer these students to Public Affairs, but little else can be done — and that is only if KU Public Safety finds them. Director of Student Money Management Ser-
vices Leticia Gradington has direct access to helping homeless students. Gradington works with students and claims to be the final stop for them as she makes calls and even jokes about making a sign above her door reading “One and Done.” “If you raise your hand and say you need help on this campus, you’ll have more administration running towards you to help you than a little bit, but most students won’t come with the help,” Gradington said. Gradington said there is a multitude of options that Student Money Management offers to help a student in need of housing. They may reach out to KU Endowment for a loan, she said. They may talk to donors and ask for a special donation to help a student. Some donors, Gradington said, have even offered to house students for a short period of time while the student looks for housing. But sometimes, even getting enough money for housing won’t be enough to get them to find a permanent spot, she said. “People have taken very serious tradeoffs to their wellbeing and their livelihood for their education. That is the amount of emphasis that our country puts on getting a degree,” Ries said.
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Period from the mammals’ Paleogene Period. Additionally, amber, which is fossilized tree resin, was discovered, still orange and on prehistoric trees. Because amber often begins as a sticky resin before hardening, it can sometimes include and preserve animal or plant material, which allows researchers to date how old a discovery is. “If you had asked me a week before this study, ‘Are we ever going to see something like [this]?’ — well, it’s much harder than finding a needle in a haystack, and I didn’t even know if that haystack would exist,” Lieberman said. Fossils from the site have already been sent to laboratories across the world — the University only has a small sample of what has been found. “[This discovery] does provide really good visibility for the KU paleontology program, and I think this is a result, for a variety of reasons, that has gotten a lot of attention,” Lieberman said. “I think it’s very beneficial for the program. It’s really positive for KU.”
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arts & culture Monday, April 15, 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
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K A N S A N .C O M /A R T S _ A N D _ C U LT U R E
Jesse McCartney winds back the clock HAYLEY MICHEL @KansanNews
Jesse McCartney played at The Granada on Saturday night as part of his tour for his currently untitled upcoming album. McCartney is a former teen idol and Disney Channel star. This tour marks the first time he has promoted an album since the release of “Technicolor” in 2014. Local band Jean Claude & The Eclairs took the stage first, opening with an original song. The band captured the audience’s attention within the first notes. Playing a mix of original music and covers, the group had every hand clapping to the beat. “We started this band two-and-a-half years ago, and we said from the beginning that we wanted to play The Granada before we graduated,” lead singer Cooper Scott said. “So, this is so amazing; it’s absolutely wild.” Scott had a commanding presence on stage. His wide vocal range was showcased in the band’s cover of the Jonas Brother’s song “Sucker.” The band members were constantly moving and keeping the crowd’s energy alive. Jean Claude & The Eclairs evoked anticipation for the main performer without diminishing the audience’s enjoyment of their own performance. Jesse McCartney took
Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Jesse McCartney performs in front of a soldout house at The Granada Saturday, April 13. the stage shortly after Jean Claude & The Eclairs finished their set. Screams and cheers filled the air the second he strutted out on stage. The lights were dimmed, and the fog machine was rolling. Opening with “She’s No You,” McCartney had everyone singing along to the classic. He kept the audience entranced with a smooth transition into his big hit “Leavin’” and rounded out his opening, greeting Law-
rence and sharing more about his recent journey to being on tour. “If you would have told me in January of last year that I would be putting out my first album in four years, I never would have believed you,” McCartney said. McCartney performed several songs that will be on his newest album, including new song “Selfless.” McCartney also played new singles “Better
with You” and “Wasted” along with familiar classics like “The Stupid Things,” “Body Language” and “How Do You Sleep?” While McCartney’s old sound was smooth and soulful, the new tracks are much more electronic and beat-driven. McCartney captured the hearts of the girls in the audience, even bringing a girl on stage to be serenaded during an acoustic performance of Robin Thicke’s
“The Stupid Things.” McCartney finished the show strong by bringing the energy back up after playing acoustically for
several songs. McCartney’s presence was infectious as he commanded the stage, constantly moving back and forth across the stage. Highly engaged with the crowd, McCartney didn’t have to ask the audience to sing along with him and finish the lyrics. McCartney closed out his set thanking the crowd for their energy and support throughout the night. As he and his accompanist left the stage, it went dark, and the crowd erupted in piercing screams. The audience was chanting McCartney’s name for only a few minutes before he returned to the stage for an encore. “Did I forget something?” McCartney joked. As the first notes of the star’s biggest hit “Beautiful Soul” played, the audience sang right along. The energy remained high through the final notes of the song. The night ended, and McCartney left the stage for the last time. The audience was buzzing and singing McCartney’s songs as they left the venue, clearly satisfied by McCartney’s performance.
“If you would have told me in January of last year that I would be putting out my first album in four years, I never would have believed you.” Jesse McCartney former teen idol
National Book Award-winner talks systemic racism RYLIE KOESTER @ryliekoester
The lives of her own children, fictional children and all of the wounded American children influence Jesmyn Ward’s stories, she told a packed crowd at Liberty Hall Thursday night. “I realized that this was one of the major concerns of my work: channeling these black American children who had been made to bear burdens they shouldn’t,” Ward said. Ward is a two-time national book award winner who spoke as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities’ annual lecture series. The 2017 MacArthur Genius Award recipient is also the first woman to win two national book awards for fiction. She won the National Book Award for fiction in 2011 for her second book, “Salvage the Bones.” She also won the National Book Award for fiction in 2017 for her third book, “Sing, Unburied, Sing.” Ward is also an associate professor of English at Tulane University. In her speech, Ward said she thought about her own children while she was writing her most recent novel, “Sing, Unburied, Sing,” because her daughter was 3 years old at the time. Ward has two children and spoke about the worries she has
for each of them. When Ward first learned she was having a son, she said her stomach “turned to stone and sank.” She thought about her brother who had been killed 19 years ago by a drunk driver who was never charged. She said her grief is still fresh for his death. Ward said she also thought of the young men in her hometown of DeLisle, Mississippi. She said too many of them have died young. “My son had never taken a breath, and I was already warning him,” Ward said. Ward said her family also told her their experiences while she was growing up, which influenced how she viewed storytelling. Her father, mother and grandmother all shared their own stories and experiences involving racism. Ward said she strives to tell stories that will reach the kind of reader she was as a child and all of the wounded children in the United States.
Contributed by Ann Dean Jesmyn Ward says she strives to tell stories that will reach the kind of reader she was as a child. Ward spoke Thursday night in Liberty Hall as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities 2018-19 lecture series. people real to each other and to share how history bears down on everyone’s lives. “We need stories,” Ward said. “We need to
to explain, to predict and to engender sympathy and trust. This is what I attempt to do in all my work — to tell stories that will encourage sympathy,
“We need stories. We need to remember the power of the story to transform, to explain, to predict and to engender sympathy and trust.” Jesmyn Ward National Book Award-winner
Ward said she also seeks to tell stories that make
remember the power of the story to transform,
trust and make people feel tenderly for each
other.” Faith Maddox, a freshman from Topeka, attended the speech because she’s familiar with Ward’s work. Maddox has read Ward’s “The Fire This Time” and “Salvage the Bones.” “It was really cool to see a person of color be able to tell their story in such an open way and to be able to have this honest communication,” Maddox said. Ward said she will tell the truth to her children about systemic racism
in the United States and won’t leave them in the dark about the realities they could face. She said she hopes both of her children are lucky, and they don’t face the same fate other children, like Trayvon Martin, Emmett Till and Tamir Rice, have faced. “I hope I can give them the gifts of childhood,” Ward said. “I hope I never fail them. I hope my real children and my fictional children and all you wounded children see 12, and 21, and 40, and 62.”
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4 ARTS & CULTURE
KC rapper’s Google collaboration inspires album DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige
Aaron Alexander’s life revolves around the upcoming release of his third album. For some, a time like this would be filled with panic, but, for Alexander, a Kansas City, Kansas native, it’s taken with ease as he puts the finishing touches on the project. The feeling is appropriate for someone who’s among the frontrunners in Kansas City’s rap scene, especially considering that Alexander recently collaborated with Google explaining the beauty of the hip-hop culture in his hometown. The collaboration with the tech giant comes eight years after Alexander, 24, decided to pursue music professionally, cementing his mark as a national artist. “It all kind of started off with poetry,” Alexander said of his beginnings. “I did poetry in like fifth grade. I kind of took a liking to it. Then I ended up getting a free laptop, so I started recording on Garageband, and it eventually turned into making projects and making music.” Alexander kicked off the new year with single “YBB,” which reminded everyone of his status in the rap scene and hinted at a project being released soon. Alexander said his new album offers a peek into his emotions since 2017. “I typically do have a theme with my music that I try to stick by, but this was, is, kind of a mood board of the last two years of my life,” Alexander said. “It’s a lot of frustration and heartbreak. It’s kind of like a roller coaster.” But the album is far from depressing. Alexander said it’s more upbeat than his previous album, “Memento Mori,” and features more jazz elements. Having grown up around Kansas City’s jazz district, Alexander said the genre is an integral aspect of his sound. “Jazz is something that kind of inspires the way I do melodies,” Alexander said. “I just appreciate how loose and free-flowing it is, and I try to kind of do the same with my melodies. I mean, I grew up with it, so I think it’s pretty ingrained.”
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN
Kansas City rapper Aaron Alexander performs at the Buffalo Room in Kansas City, Missouri on March 23. Other things Alexander uses as inspiration include anime, James Baldwin and Marvin Gaye.
“I’ve grown past being influenced by somebody... I’m trying to come up with my own sound.” Aaron Alexander rapper
“I’ve been watching Marvin Gaye documentaries and listening to his music and kind of trying to cause a feeling the way he made a feeling throughout his music and his career, so I’m just trying to do the same for somebody else,” Alexander said. Brandon Williams, one of Alexander’s producers, attended Kansas City magnet school Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences with him, which was the start of the pair working together. He said working with Alexander has helped him grow as a producer.
“I like the dynamics that he brings to a song. It’s not from a monotone stance, and he tries to take different approaches with his music.” Although Kanye West was the first rapper Alexander credits as making him want to rap, he doesn’t get caught up in idols. “I’ve grown past being influenced by somebody,” Alexander said. “If I like something, I’ll take it and use it, but I’m trying to come up with my own sound and try to do my own thing, so I try to stay away from other hip-hop acts.” Alexander said he doesn’t think Kansas City has a distinct sound yet, at least compared to other cities. However, in terms of his music, he tries to make his songs sound like something he would listen to. “I do think that I’m going to represent it, and I do think that my sound along with everyone else on my team, are going to be a representation of the sound because somebody’s got to do it,” Alexander said. Alexander is one of sev-
eral artists a part of Fearless Worldwide. According to its website, Fearless is a Kansas City-based music label that “provides top level artist management, brand development, creative consulting, artist development, audio engineering and entrepreneurship guidance” to its clients. Alexander credits his team for making possible his video with Google. Alexander said his collaboration with Google was the impetus that made him want to release an album. The video was shot for about seven hours in December as he took the crew around his favorite spots in the area. “I thought it was fake,” Alexander said of when Google initially contacted him. “When I first saw the email, I was surprised.” For the future, Alexander sees himself expanding beyond the Kansas City market and is confident his music will lead him in the right place. Until then, his album, tentatively titled “Kuleshov Effect Vol. 1,” is set to release either later this month or early May.
FROM PAGE 1
there’s always going to be something good happening there,” O’Toole-Curran said. A few years ago, the University conducted a study as part of its master plan and identified ways to change the Union and its spaces. The study found the Union didn’t have a space well suited for programming, Mucci said. “From a campus community standpoint, we’re missing some opportunities to connect with a lot of people and to connect a lot of people with one another,” Mucci said. The first floor won’t receive many renovations, but the Union will instead work with the space already in place, which was previously Milton’s Coffee Shop before it was used by the Student Ambassadors.
“[I want to] sell out a lot of shows,” Alexander said. “That’s the goal. If I’m moving around enough, I’d probably be living here just because things are cheap, and it’s pretty quiet here. I
see myself in the next three years at least to break out nationally. I feel like I have the quality of music that would allow me to pop anytime if we got in front of the right person.”
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN Kansas City rapper Aaron Alexander performs at the Buffalo Room in Kansas City, Missouri on March 23.
UNION PUB
Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN The Kansas Union will be renovated in August to include a pub and programming event space on the first floor.
David Mucci, director of KU Memorial Unions. The space that currently houses the Student Ambassador office on the Union’s first floor will be converted into a pub run by KU Dining that will serve beer and wine, along with food options. The Student Ambassador office will be relocated to the fourth floor of the Union. KJHK and SUA will use the converted space for consistent programming events every Thursday night. The Union will also use the space on Saturdays for tailgating events before home football games. “We feel like students today really need to know date, time and place — and that they know
The Union’s first floor has previously seen changes in recent years with the removal of the Jaybowl and conversion to The Jay. This fall will be the first phase of the conversion for the first level, and if successful, the Union will move forward with plans for expansion and renovation, Mucci said. The new space could also host concerts, galleries and programs, along with other activities. According to the Uni-
versity’s current alcohol policy, the Union and other University organizations can serve alcohol on campus at approved events. The Union also holds a liquor license that allows KU Dining to serve alcohol at select catering events, which would cover the alcohol that will be served at the pub. O’Toole said the new space will elevate programming and “what the Union’s offering to the campus.”
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FFA of the day: “At my funeral, I want someone to throw the flowers people get for my casket, so that way we know whoever catches it is dying next.” “Hello 911? Blackboard is down” “for the love of carl lejesus” my professor changed the due date for tonight’s homework and i believe in god now “It’s like flavored lube, it’s delicious” “not to be controversial, but sometimes...things are serious.” “Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?” “Because I got upset.” “Back before I gave up on everything and joined the military...” I love having to put on a jacket not even 24 hours after being hot in shorts and a t-shirt “Nothing gets me more hyped to cry than an Adele EDM remix” can you believe there are some people who pay $750 in rent and still have to live with 3 other people I saw the entire basketball team at Texas Roadhouse tonight. Rather than acknowledging their existence I got nervous and covered my face as I walked past them. fridays should be for sitting in silence and not making eye contact. If walking up 4 flights of stairs in heels isn’t a workout it should be My friend just printed an 1000 page textbook on Daisy Hill and this is how the residence halls will lose free printing My friend tried to argue with me that Kit Harrington isn’t a beautiful man and now I have a folder full of Kit Harrington photos on my phone “Happy birthday you’re the designated driver” “COWBOY HATS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE” Conditioner is just lotion for your hair The pitcher had to leave the mound at the baseball game to throw up. Mood.
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K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
There’s more than one way to be gay JAMIE HAWLEY @onlynarrative
Despite the 2020 presidential election being more than a year and a half away, a tidal wave of possible Democratic candidates have already flooded the field. Among them is Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, who is currently polling third in Iowa, according to The Hill. Buttigieg has the potential to make history as the first openly gay man nominated by a major party, and like all candidates, he has many critics. These critics have a number of concerns, including Buttigieg’s lack of large-scale political experience and his lack of specific policy proposals. But perhaps one of the most bizarre critiques of Buttigieg is, rather than being “too gay” for the presidency, he’s actually not gay enough. There are a few layers to this critique. Some critics have alluded to Buttigieg’s sexuality not being “revolutionary” enough, a discussion point that troublingly glosses over the continued oppression of gay people in the United States. Others have correctly observed that as a cis, white, 37-year-old man, Buttigieg cannot assume to have the same experience as a trans woman of color, a nonbinary asexual person or any other combination of identities. One
Sarah Wright/KANSAN A rainbow pride flag is held up by at the first Women’s March on Topeka in 2017. person cannot be assumed to speak for an entire community, and should Buttigieg be elected to national office, his actions regarding LGBTQ+ rights and protections would still need to be judged with a critical eye.
Gatekeeping does much more harm than it could ever hope to prevent... However, the assertion that Buttigieg does not act “gay enough” to represent the queer community sheds light on the dangerous belief that there is a “right way” to be queer, and
if your understanding of your identity doesn’t fit the definition, then you simply don’t “count.” Obviously, queer culture is real. It has a long, storied history and a community of people that find solace in it, and it is crucial that this culture be shared and preserved. But too often, perceptions of this culture are taken and twisted into stereotypes by those both inside and outside the community. If someone doesn’t dress or act in a certain way, they look “straight.” If someone hasn’t been intimate with someone of the same gender, they “can’t know they’re queer.” If a trans woman wants to dress more masculine, or if a trans man
wants to dress more feminine, they’re “not really what they say they are.” These unofficial rules, while born out of a desire to celebrate the queer community, have resulted in some people being alienated from it, and have ignited this debate about whether or not there is such a thing as “not gay enough.” It’s tempting to point out that Buttigieg passes the “queer test” simply by being married to another man, but even this roots queerness in relationships instead of identity. Some queer people are single. Some queer people don’t like sex. While someone’s presentation and expression might affect their experiences, it does not make
them more or less queer. Enforcing arbitrary checklists of presentation and behavior in the name of a shared culture doesn’t protect it — it closes it off from people who might need it. Gatekeeping does much more harm than it could ever hope to prevent, and stereotyping only serves to reinforce simplistic and one-dimensional views of individuals who deserve to be seen as complex and fully-formed human beings. The queer community must always strive to be as welcoming and accepting as possible, because once queer people turn our backs on each other, we no longer stand a chance against those who strive to destroy us. It’s understandable that someone might be uncomfortable with white cis man Pete Buttigieg becoming the nation’s representative gay; thankfully, he doesn’t have to be. The queer community cannot be encapsulated by one person, or one relationship, or one experience. Instead, the community’s strength is rooted in its diversity, and only through understanding and celebrating this diversity can this strength be fully realized.
Jamie Hawley is a junior from Salina studying English, political science and communications.
Do you think for yourself or blindly follow? BIJAN ESFANDIARY @BijanEsfandiary
The United States education system teaches citizens from a young age the foundational positions of the country and influences our worldviews well into our lives. This teaching is the backbone that helps the U.S. continue its epistemological view of liberalism within the country and world. American epistemology, which is the study of knowledge, was considered to give order, structure and a role for which people could navigate to a better life if they only just pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Citizens follow these worldviews because they help give meaning to our lives and a framework for how to engage in the world, but epistemology is a double-edged sword.
Ask yourself, are your views on the world your own, or are they the product of institutional socializing? As we crusade into modernity championing our values as leaders of the free world, we forget the negatives of past episte-
mological positions. Our institutions teach us that our history was filled with crimes, but students would do well to delve deeper into the functional role of epistemology, and evaluate how and why these views emerge. The entirety of the human civilization at its current state is built off institutions with leaders at their heads. In these positions, leaders have immense power that can dictate the course of not only humanity, but the world based on their actions. Leaders can formulate thought within the minds of the masses via varying means, such as promoting liberalism, nationalism and religion. A leader then, gains followers though power, for power itself is the starting point for knowledge and thought production of the masses. This power exertion is done to profit oneself as it mandates the future of the polity. This gets at the heart of why leaders engage the way they do, as explored by Brent Pickett, associate professor of political science at Chaldron State College: “the definition of power is just that: it is the capacity in which a person, a class or an institution finds them — or itself able to make the whole social body evolve to their or its own profit.” If one can formulate positions that
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Illustration by Nichola McDowell/KANSAN Bijan Esfandiary argues that American views are influenced by institutional leaders, and students should consider if their beliefs are truly theirs. people will follow, they have made themselves better off. A clear example of this would be Thomas Jefferson, a champion of the American epistemology. He was able to rouse the masses to fight for ideals of freedom and liberty while also engaging in slavery at the same time. His wealth was threatened, and the revolution secured his wealth for him. Blindly following our leaders will only come back to harm us in the long term and adversely affect those caught up in our view. The desire to move west and
expand American land saw the formation of the epistemology of Manifest Destiny. Americans did not stop to question the idea that indigenous people were a threat to American life, and that expansion into their territories was by the will of God. Our worldviews were never analyzed, which led to the subjugation and destruction of millions of indigenous groups. Analyzing the worldviews we have now, which form the epistemology of the United States, is critical for our generation. If we do not stop to consider the ramifications of the actions
contact us Shaun Goodwin Emma Greenwood Editor-in-chief Business Manager sgoodwin@kansan.com egreenwood@kansan.com
we take, we are doomed to create a perpetual cycle of destruction. A critical analysis of what we are taught, why we are taught it, and how socialization of our epistemology can lead to long term ramifications is necessary for us to create a better framework of engagement in the future. Ask yourself, are your views on the world your own, or are they the product of institutional socializing?
Bijan Esfandiary is a junior from Overland Park studying political science and sociology.
editorial board
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Savanna Smith, Aroog Khaliq and Emma Greenwood.
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No. 2 Oklahoma shuts out KU softball JORDAN VAUGHN @JVSmoove14
Kansas softball wrapped up its weekend series against No. 2 Oklahoma
with a 5-0 defeat on Saturday and another 8-0 loss on Sunday. Senior Brynn Minor got the start in Saturday’s contest and put forth a valiant
effort against Oklahoma’s relentless offensive attack. Minor pitched into the seventh inning, giving up five runs with four being earned runs.
Despite Minor’s best efforts, the Jayhawk offense was completely shut down by Oklahoma’s pitching staff that carried a combined 1.30 ERA into the
Natalie Hammer/KANSAN Sophomore pitcher Hannah Todd pitches against Oklahoma University. The Jayhawks lost to the Sooners 8-0 Sunday, April 14.
weekend. The Jayhawks were only able to get a combined four hits over the final two games of the series and struck out 18 times. “They’re an intimidating team,” Kansas coach Jennifer McFalls said. “But I was really proud of our compete factor and what our team brought to the table this weekend.” On Sunday, Oklahoma scored each of its eight runs through home runs, hitting four on the day, including a three-run shot in the first by senior infielder Caleigh Clifton that knocked Kansas freshman pitcher Lexy Mills out of the game after recording just one out. “I’ve been telling our pitching staff that we need to make them earn it,” McFalls said. “If they’re going to hit the ball out of the park then obviously, they’re earning their runs that way. I would much rather see that than us giving them free passes with extra walks.” Kansas then turned to sophomore Hannah Todd who turned in 4 2/3 scoreless innings before Oklahoma came alive in the fifth and sixth innings to pad its lead.
“I thought we responded well after the first inning,” McFalls said. “Hannah Todd, I thought she competed well all weekend. Ev-
“But I was really proud of our compete factor and what our team brought to the table this weekend.” Jennifer McFalls Kansas softball coach
ery time she came in, she got us some big stops and that’s what we need. When you face a team like OU you need a pitching staff, you aren’t going to beat them with just one or two great pitchers.” Oklahoma junior Shannon Saile picked up her eighth win of the season while Mills record dropped to 6-7 on the year.
next game
at Texas Tech Thurs., April 18 6 p.m.
KU baseball clinches weekend series with late hits DARBY HAYS @derbhays11
Following Kansas baseball’s 27-6 loss on Friday, the Jayhawks had some fun of their own over the weekend, winning games two and three of the series by walk-off hits off the bat of redshirt freshman first baseman Dylan Ditzenberger. “I was just looking for a pitch I know I can drive — our team, we were in a situation that we needed to get runs on the board, and I just wanted to end the game to be perfectly honest,” Ditzenberger said. For game two of their three-game series with Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks picked up their third Big 12 win of the season 5-4. Kansas earned the win with a walk-off single down the right field line from Ditzenberger, allowing senior infielder Blake Shinkle to score.
In what was a wellrounded win for the Jayhawks, junior righty Ryan Zeferjahn was able to settle down after giving up a three-spot in the first inning of the game. Following the rough start the junior shut up shop, allowing no more runs and striking out 14 batters. “Baseball momentum is tied to your starting pitcher,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said. “We needed that great performance from Zeferjahn, and I couldn’t have been more proud of him.” After the Jayhawks started in a 3-0 hole, they were able to rally and regain the lead during the fifth inning — scoring one run in the second, two in the third and one in the fifth. Following Saturday afternoon’s thrilling win, the Jayhawks and Cowboys played another highly competitive game that took extra innings to
Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN Redshirt freshman pitcher Eli Davis pitches to a batter. The Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma State in extra innings Sunday, April 14.
Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN Senior outfielder Rudy Karre dives into third base after advancing from second base. The Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma State Sunday, April 14. complete. The game ended with a final score of 7-6 to Kansas in 11 innings, with the winning run coming off a double from Ditzenberger to score junior left fielder Brett Vosik from first. The early going showed signs of a pitcher duel, with both starters only allowing one unearned run each through the first four innings. That was until redshirt freshman lefty Eli Davis allowed four runs to cross in the fifth inning off of a three-run home run and a solo home run. With a run scored off of a Ditzenberger fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fifth, a 5-2 score would hold true until a three-run home run to dead center came off the bat of senior center fielder Rudy Karre. The home run was only his second of the season. During the top of the eighth, the Jayhawks ran into a jam, being forced
to use four different relievers to get the three outs needed. Collectively the bullpen that featured seven Jayhawks got the job done until allowing its first and only run in the top of the 10th inning on a sacrifice fly. “Our bullpen did a really good job of keeping them at bay with runners; in scoring position and numerous innings, we
were able to get out of trouble,” Price said. “I can’t say enough about the job the bullpen did” With the Jayhawks down to their final out, the first heroics came from sophomore third baseman Skyler Messinger who roped a triple to score Karre, extending the game for the Jayhawks. After redshirt junior righty Blake Goldsberry
threw a scoreless top of the 11th for the Jayhawks it would just take them two batters to end the game and their weekend of play.
next game
at WVU Fri., April 19 5:30 p.m.
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Monday, April 15, 2019
KANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S
Quarterback battle still in deadlock JAKOB KATZENBERG @KatzInHatz10
With both sophomore Thomas MacVittie and junior Carter Stanley expected to battle for the starting spot at quarterback for Kansas football next fall, the pair of quarterbacks put forward their best foot on Saturday at Kansas’ spring game. The game saw the Jayhawks’ first string offense go against its counterpart in the first string defense. And perhaps much to Kansas fans’ chagrin, neither MacVittie nor Stanley stood out over the other during Les Miles’ first appearance on the Kansas sideline. The first offensive series was taken by the junior college transfer MacVittie, who finished the day throwing 12-for21 with an interception. The new Jayhawk had a shaky start, in which following his first
complete pass, MacVittie endured a bad stretch including a sack in which he could have stepped up into the pocket but instead stepped back, allowing senior defensive end Willie McCaleb to pick up an easy sack. MacVittie also underthrew his first two deep throws, allowing the defensive backs to break up each pass. And to add insult to injury, MacVittie had a pass tipped at the line that was picked off by redshirt sophomore safety Davon Ferguson and taken all the way back to the endzone for pick six. MacVittie did have a couple plays later in the game where he showed impressive athleticism for a quarterback mostly known as a pocketpasser. On one play, he felt the pocket collapse, took off up the middle, and broke off a 26-yard run. Stanley on the other hand completed
And perhaps much to Kansas fans’ chagrin neither MacVittie nor Stanley stood out over the other during Les Miles’ first appearance on the Kansas sideline.
Chance Parker/KANSAN Redshirt sophomore Miles Kendrick throws a pass during Kansas’ scrimmage at Late Night Under the Lights Saturday, April 13. a lackluster 6-of-17 passes. While very few passes were completed. Stanley was inches away from having multiple touchdown passes. Early in the game, Stanley had a couple
throws that looked like they were going to be completed for huge gains, but both fell incomplete. On one, Stanley’s ball looked good but junior wide receiver Daylon Charlot didn’t react in
time to make the catch. The play encapsulated a frustrating evening for Stanley, who wasn’t on the same page as his wide receivers for much of the game. Miles has a lot to think
about when it comes to the quarterback position, as the 2019 season quickly approaches, with the Jayhawks’ first game on Aug. 31 against Indiana State.
easily securing the doubles point. The duo of Koch and Khmelnitckaia was the first to win its match followed by the tandem of junior Maria Toran Ribes and freshman Malkia Ngounoue winning their
match to clinch the point for the early 1-0 lead. With the momentum from doubles play, the Jayhawks held onto the lead for the rest of the day, not dropping a single match. First to win was junior Toran Ribes after
beating Ioana Gheorghita, 6-4, 6-0, with victories from Khmelnitckaia and Rychagova soon after to give Kansas a 4-0 lead and clinching the match. The only two Jayhawks to struggle in singles play were Koch and sophomore Plogrung Plipuech. Going to a third set, Koch was able to win her match in a super tiebreaker in the third set after struggling in her first two sets. Soon after easily winning her first set, Plipuech fell behind 4-1 in her second set, but rallied to win her match, 6-1, 7-6. When asked about how these pressure situations will prepare the team for the Big 12 tournament, Kansas coach Todd Chapman emphasized not peaking too early. “I think we’re learning how to handle adversity better and I think that’s the key,” Chapman said. “I think we’re definitely peaking at the right time, we haven’t peaked yet, because you don’t want to peak too early. I think our best tennis is in front of us, because we are learning to handle certain situations better.” After a victory from Smagina to give the Jayhawks the 7-0 victory, the focus then turned to celebrating
the accomplishments of the three seniors. After an emotional speech from Chapman and the three seniors, they said their goodbyes to the team as everyone wished them the best with their futures.
KU tennis sweeps K-State in senior farewell victory DIEGO COX @x0lotl Kansas tennis ended its regular season with a dominant 7-0 victory over Kansas State. The final regular season match was also Senior Day,
celebrating the collegiate careers of seniors Nina Khmelnitckaia, Anastasia Rychagova and Janet Koch. The match began with doubles play as the Jayhawks made quick work of their opponents,
Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Seniors Nina Khmelnitckaia, Janet Koch and Anastasia Rychagova celebrate their senior day. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats 7-0 Saturday, April 13.
athletes of the week
Dylan Ditzenberger Baseball
Redshirt freshman first baseman Dylan Ditzenberger fueled Kansas to a 5-4 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday with a single down the first base line in the bottom of the ninth to score senior infielder Blake Shinkle. On Sunday, Ditzenberger stepped up yet again, finding the left-center gap to propel Kansas to a 7-6 win in the 11th inning to clinch the series over the Cowboys.
“I think we’re learning how to handle adversity better, and I think that’s the key.” Todd Chapman Kansas tennis coach
“It’s emotional, I’m extremely proud of them, and it’s been a heck of a ride that the three of them have helped us with and allowed us to go on with them,” Chapman said. “It’s so fun to watch them grow up in front of our eyes and also help our program take so many different steps in new directions, and the exciting part is that it’s not over yet.”
next meet Big 12 Championship Thurs., April 18
Anastasia Rychagova
Tennis In her final regular-season match as a Jayhawk, No. 26-ranked senior Anastasia Rychagova clinched the victory for Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown on Saturday with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maria Linares. Blanking Kansas State 7-0 on Senior Day, the Jayhawks end the regular season 11-0 at the Jayhawk Tennis Center.