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SPORTS KU cheerleader Jadyn Ray makes USA

The University Daily Kansan

vol. 138 // iss. 29 Mon., May 6, 2019

National Team

New platform Google Arts & Culture finds a home in Kansas City p. 3

SEE CHEER• PAGE 8

Read more at kansan.com

Freshmen lead KU tennis to first Sweet 16 in over 20 years

What’s New at

KU

Read these stories and more at kansan.com

Online courses increase at KU despite latest damning study A new study from the Chronicle of Higher Education shows 91% of academics don’t like teaching online courses as KU continues to offer more and more online and hybrid classes.

Students head to Tanzania for health research KU study lab “ColLab” is sending students to Tanzania to study the country’s culture.

Baseball walks off in dramatic win over Texas KU baseball freshman Casey Burnham hit his first career home run to defeat Texas 4-2.

On the horizon

Big 12 softball tournament KU softball is set to play Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament on Friday.

Environmental advocacy group working with Ecumenical Campus Ministry to create compost bin p. 2

Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman Sonia Smagina returns the ball against Denver. The Jayhawks defeated the Pioneers 4-0 Friday, May 3.

Trailing 1-5 in the first set, freshman Sonia Smagina’s fate looked to be sealed against Florida’s Marlee Zein in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. However, unwilling to give in, Smagina battled all the way back from the large deficit, picking up a 7-5 first-set victory.

Momentum in her fa-

vor and all eyes on court four, Smagina soon after found herself in position to clinch the victory and send the Jayhawks to their first Sweet 16 since 1998, leading Zein 5-4 with Kansas holding a 3-2 edge in the match.

Unaltered by the pressure, the freshman stepped up for Kansas, defeating Zein 7-5, 6-4 to

clinch the overall match and advance the Jayhawks to the Sweet 16.

“Once she [Smagina] got focused on the right things and focused on playing tennis and then her game plan and the weaknesses of what her opponent couldn’t do, READ MORE ON PAGE 8

HVAC issues cause dorm closures LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy

KU Student Housing will replace the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in Self and Oswald Residence Halls this summer.

This comes after four years of issues in the buildings and will force students who may need to stay past finals week to move out earlier than expected.

Self and Oswald opened on Daisy Hill in fall 2015 and the buildings have experienced several heating and cooling issues ever since, said Sarah Waters, director of student housing.

After receiving reports of issues in multiple capacities, student housing investigated the problem and discovered it was a result of an ill-functioning pipes system.

“Because it’s a heating and cooling system, we tend to experience [issues] more than just one unit being out,” Wa-

Kansan file photo Self and Oswald Residence Halls will be closed this summer while a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system is installed. The facility has experienced ventilation issues since it opened in 2015. ters said. “So our facilities services and housing staff were really at the forefront of realizing that we had something that

wasn’t working as designed and, because it’s one of our newest buildings, we were immediately trying to trace back to

where they went wrong.”

The Kansas Board of Regents last week gave its approval to get the HVAC system replaced

this summer before the fall semester begins in READ MORE ON PAGE 2

Student demonstrators protest Medicaid decision NICOLE ASBURY @NicoleAsbury TOPEKA — Demonstrators came to the Kansas State Capitol on Friday, dropping thousands of faux-bloody papers intended to look like hospital bills. The bills were addressed to three state senators in an effort to push for Medicaid expansion.

The bills targeted Sen. Jim Denning (R-Overland Park), Sen. Gene Suellentrop (R-Wichita) and Sen. Larry Allen (R-Winfield).

Demonstrators dropped the bills in the rotunda at roughly 10 a.m. and left the building soon after.

“That was just to reference the consequences of their political decisions, and in that it would actually price people out of receiving their healthcare,” said Logan Stenseng, a University of Kansas sophomore studying public administration.

Stenseng was one of the demonstrators present at the Capitol and said he and others, including fellow University students, came to spread awareness of the issue.

“If you delay, you deny,” Stenseng said. “The issue is 627 Kansans are estimated to die annually as a result of not expanding Medicaid.”

After the demonstration, Kansas House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita) tweeted, calling the act “a shocking display of disrespect” as he said those below were preparing for “a ceremony honoring fallen law enforcement officers.”

“The issue is 627 Kansans are estimated to die annually as a result of not expanding Medicaid.”

Logan Stenseng sophomore

Ethan Patterson, Denning’s chief of staff, said when legislation and policies are under deliberation, it agitates the process when third parties decide to come into the Capitol to demonstrate.

He said the demonstra-

tion being ahead of the 37th Annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony sent a bad message.

“Frankly, it’s their right to protest,” Patterson said. “I think the timing of that is not classy, but it was probably from a strategy standpoint, not the smartest to do at this time.”

Denning also responded via Twitter with the same sentiment as Hawkins, condemning the acts of the demonstrators.

Yesterday, Kansas Senate fell short by one vote of pushing a Medicaid expansion bill on its calendar, resulting in the issue being set aside for possibly another year, according to The Kansas City Star, unless supporters can find an alternative way to move it forward.

Stenseng said the demonstration was not owned by any parent organization.

The demonstration comes about a month after students from Kansas State University unfurled four banners protesting Medicaid expansion decisions.

Nicole Asbury/KANSAN Demonstrators in the Kansas Statehouse Rotunda dropped what was intended to look like bloody hospital bills in an effort to expand Medicaid. The bills were addressed to Senators Jim Denning, Gene Suellentrop and Larry Alley Friday, May 3 at approximately 10 a.m.

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NEWS

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Monday, May 6, 2019

staff

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

KU groups partner to create compost bin

NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin

Managing editor Savanna Smith

Digital operations editor Zach McGrath

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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

Contributed photo A KU Environs member works to construct the compost bin for the ECM. Waste from the ECM’s weekly veggie lunch program will be composted.

TORI HILL @torioreo32 KU Environs, an environmental advocacy group on campus, and the Ecumenical Campus Ministries have partnered in a project to bring a compost bin to the ECM. KU Environs co-president Joseph Pearce said the ECM contacted them at the beginning of the semester to build the bin for the veggie lunch program.

“They [ECM] were asking, ‘Could you figure

out something where we can compost this year?’”

Pearce said.

The ECM hosts the veggie lunch program every Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The program currently takes the leftover materials from the program across town to be composted. Erin Penner, coordinator of the veggie lunch program, said having a compost bin closer will be more convenient.

Penner said the compost bin will have three

different bins, allowing them to compost three

“We can use it for gardening, or if we have excess, just give it away to people.”

Erin Penner veggie lunch program coordinator

different rounds of materials. She said her parents

have compost worms that she plans to bring to help speed up the composting process.

Pearce said Environs is also creating a manual to help people understand how to use the bin, as well as to repair the bin as needed. It will contain instructions on how to upkeep the bin and will explain how to take care of the wood, so the bin will remain in good condition.

Penner said the approval process was long.

The original location

Associate photo editor Chance Parker

Copy chiefs Raeley Youngs Nichola McDowell

General Manager Rob Karwath

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Contributed photo ECM will place the compost bin on the east side of the ECM building. It will be close to the site’s butterfly garden.

for the bin was the ECM parking lot, and there were fears the bin would be “smelly, attract pests or not look good,” Penner said.

The University’s Lawrence campus has compost bins in places such as the Underground, where students can dispose of organic materials, said Kim Criner, education and outreach coordinator for the University Center for Sustainability.

These materials are then hauled to another location to be composted.

Criner said by composting more materials, people are saving space and extending the lifespan of landfills.

Compost can be used in landscaping and mixed with vegetable, fruit or flower gardens. Criner said this process creates a continuous cycle, where food is created and then turned into nutrition for creating more food.

Penner said the compost bin will be placed on the east side of the ECM, close to the butterfly garden.

“We can use it for gardening, or if we have excess, just give it away to people,” Penner said. “But we have some gardening projects that are going to be coming up in the future.”

HVAC FROM PAGE 1 August.

The University will have private firms and contractors replace the entire heating and cooling system and the piping system of the building.

“700 students live in those two communities,” Waters said. “It’s a critical building for us.”

The repairs will begin directly after commencement and will be complete by August 9, right before students move in for the fall, Waters said.

Because of the repairs, students living in Self and Oswald will not be

able to stay past Friday, May 17 at 8 p.m.

The option to stay into the next day due to late finals on Friday will not be available for those who live in Self or Oswald. The facilities will be closed all summer for the repairs.

Sydney Arnett, a freshman from Dallas living in Self, planned to stay a day later, but will be unable to do so because of the repairs.

“I have an exam Friday from 10:30-1:00, but I live eight to nine hours away so I was planning on staying Friday night in the dorm and leaving early Saturday morning, but they are not letting me

stay,” Arnett said. “They said they would move me into Hashinger but I don’t want to move in a new dorm for one night with all my stuff.”

Arnett, who was notified about the closure of the dorm in a floor meeting on Tuesday, April 30, said she noticed her room was either extremely cold or extremely hot.

Waters said they began to recognize the issues as a more significant and less isolated problem in January of 2018. This prompted the University to look further into the design of the system to find out how to fix the issue.

The University is looking into how the initial problem arose to determine how it occurred in the first place.

“Any time that you have a system that, in a building such as this which isn’t very old, isn’t working very properly, you want to figure out why,” Waters said. “The

2030 Burge Union | Jo Hardesty, Director

University is certainly exploring what they need to do in order to make sure that we get the building that we asked to be designed so that we can have students living in there.”

Waters declined to comment on whether the University would be taking legal action.

KANSAN.COM

arts & culture Monday, May 6, 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

Google Arts & Culture finds home in KC WYATT HALL @thewyatthall15

Kansas City is the first home to Google’s new platform: Google Arts & Culture.

The platform’s goal is to digitize and organize collections of art and history, making the world’s cultural information available visually to anyone, anywhere. It’s mainly focused on specific museums or art partners around the globe, but as it expands through the United States, Google has decided to feature Kansas City as the first full-city project.

The website, titled “Kansas City: Smoke Rings and the Finer Things,” is the central hub for the collection.

From here, you can access a variety of media, including articles about the history of Kansas City, videos spotlighting various personalities around the city and showcases about local food or art.

The decision was largely based on the location and history.

Google already had multiple organizations partnered with the program and decided the centralized location of Kansas City in the U.S. was perfect for a starting point.

The project was in development for about a year, gathering additional partners and organizing the art and content onto an interactive page dedicated to the city for anyone to view and explore.

Simon Delacroix is the North American lead for Google Arts & Culture and first visited Kansas City while working on this project.

“We’ve been welcomed by everyone in this city,”

Jacob Downing/KANSAN The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is features one of the largest and most acclaimed collections of Chinese art outside of Asia. The yellow tape designates a plot for a mini golf course, currently under development. In 2015, Yelp ranked the Nelson the best museum in the country.

Delacroix said.

“It’s always impressive to see the work from all these connected institutions who complement each other so well.”

After the experience he had working in Kansas City, he hopes that everyone can love what they have in the city and can celebrate it more.

“We want to make sure people in Kansas City can be proud of their city because it has so much to offer,” Delacroix said.

“I’ve loved the diversity of experiences in my time here. I could never fully dive into one thing before I was moving onto another. It was a wonderful journey.”

With that said, he also wants to reach out to people across the

and audience to let the world know more about this amazing city.”

“We want to make sure people in Kansas City can be proud of their city because it has so much to offer. I’ve loved the diversity of experiences in my time here.”

Simon Delacroix Google Arts & Culture North American lead

world and show what this smaller city in “flyover country” has to offer.

“We hope to really put Kansas City in people’s minds,” Delacroix said.

“We want to utilize our international platform

The partners who worked with Google also commented on how fun it has been to work with them and the other partners in sharing their art and history.

“They had a lot of

enthusiasm about Kansas City and the surrounding region,” said Raymond Doswell, vice president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. “The diversity of partners is amazing and this just puts us on the map even more.”

A big part of the project is bringing art into the modern era of technology and allowing people to see art they never would have been able to see before.

“The whole project was taking the technology and mission of Google and applying it directly to arts and culture,” said Breeze Richardson, director of marketing

Contributed photo Carolyn Watson directs the KU Symphony Orchestra at the Kauffman Center in Kansas City on Nov. 11. The Kauffman Center is one of the featured locations on Google Arts & Culture.

and communications at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art. “It’s really important to have the art and artists of our time be included in the discovery, interpretation, and exploration of today’s art through a platform like this.”

Giving more accessibility to people outside of these artrich cities and areas is also another thing the platform offers. This is also expected to help bring in more visitors and tourists to places such as museums showing the art featured on the website.

“There’s a real desire to make this art as available to everyone as possible.

There are still real geographic boundaries into how accessible coming to a brick and mortar museum might be for many communities across the region,” Richardson said. “I hope that upon exploring the works on the platform, this will inspire people to make a visit to the city and see these works with their own eyes.”

Despite the full release last month, the project is still in its early phases.

There are no current plans to expand to other cities, but they’re looking to growing in partners, content and technology, locally. One big piece that is being planned for the near future is using street view technology to allow people to take digital tours of some of these museums and art galleries through virtual reality.

This is an expansion of their current augmented reality art viewing through the Google Arts & Culture app.

Google Arts and Culture: Kansas City can be accessed through its website or mobile app.

KANSAN.COM

4 ARTS & CULTURE

Is the future of Star Wars far, far away?

WYATT HALL @thewyatthall15

Every year on May 4, Star Wars fans across the world come together to celebrate the franchise with six words playing off the classic line from the movies: “May the 4th be with you.” It’s a play on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s classic line from Episode IV, “May the Force be with you.”

Star Wars has become one of the biggest media franchises of all time, grossing over $4.5 billion dollars at box office alone.

Once you add in the merchandise and other things that the committed fanbase partakes in, that number jumps by tens of billions.

With “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” coming out later this year, the hype around this special day has been especially high as the story of the Skywalkers comes to a close.

Students at the University of Kansas are no different; there are fans all around campus waiting anxiously for more Star Wars.

Sophomore Jack Smith watches for a lot of reasons, but a big part of it is the personal connection

the movies have to his life.

“I love the storytelling and how they push the limits of visuals in movies,” Smith said. “But what I really love is the nostalgia and connection that it represents between me and my friends.”

Smith, like many other fans, thinks highly of the originals but thinks more critically of the prequel trilogy of the early 2000s.

But not every Star Wars fan agrees.

“I think ‘Episode III’ is my favorite,” senior Steven Davis said. “That’s what I grew up on, the prequels.”

One thing the two can agree on is that one of the highlights of the series as a whole is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

“I have a lot of issues with the prequels, but by far Ewan McGregor is the greatest thing about them,” Smith said. “He did such an amazing job with creating a deeper backstory for that character and bringing new life to him.”

Smith also partakes in Star Wars beyond just watching the movies. He said has an “embarrassing” amount of merchandise, including a collection of around 120 Funko

Connor Heaton/KANSAN Jack Smith stands in front of a Star Wars poster and poses with a Funko Pop! Obi-Wan Kenobi figure in his room in the Pearson Scholarship Hall on May 2.

Pop! figures, with over a quarter of them being Star Wars-related.

Connor Heaton/KANSAN Jack Smith owns over 120 Funko Pop! figures, with about a quarter being Star Wars-related.

Despite some of the flaws, Smith is also looking forward to the newer films such as the ninth installation in the main series.

“The newer films get a lot of flack because it’s extremely difficult to please everybody,” Smith said. “They’ve been having a tug-of-war with deciding whether they want to make them an homage to the originals or if they want to start something new. I think there’s a way to do both at the same time, but they haven’t found a way to strike that balance.”

Davis is a bit more skeptical of the upcoming films after watching and being disappointed by the latest iterations.

“It seems like there were a lot of cool things they could have done in the latest movies, but it

feels like they weren’t being bold enough in what they eventually decided to do,” Davis said. “It’ll be interesting to see where they go next.”

Looking past the current trilogy, Disney has

is sad but I know that good things can’t last forever.

I’m glad that they’re having the ability to say ‘this has run its course so we’re ready to end it and move onto other things,’” Smith said. “I’m just along

“I love the storytelling and how they push the limits of visuals in movies,” Smith said. “But what I really love is the nostalgia and connection that it represents between me and my friends.”

Jack Smith sophomore

big plans for Star Wars, but fans will have to keep waiting to see where they take the story next as this chapter of the series concludes with this year’s film.

“The child inside of me

for the ride and I’m excited as a fan to see where they go in the future.”

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” releases to theaters worldwide on Dec. 20, 2019.

Two new rap tracks, music from KC rock band DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige

This week’s “Local Listens” features music from rappers Kartez Marcel and Ray Muney, along with music from rock band “Wick & the Tricks.” All artists are based in Kansas City, Missouri.

“Elevate R Music” by Kartez Marcel “Elevate R Music” is the latest offering from Kansas City rapper Kartez Marcel. As its title suggests, “Elevate R Music” paints Marcel’s attempt at releasing the best quality music.

The single evokes a chill R&B/hip-hop vibe, which juxtaposes Marcel rapping about not wanting to be a lackadaisical rapper.

While it’s not clear if the single suggests a new project, it certainly leaves listeners wanting for more singles similar to “Elevate R Music.”

“Black Men Don’t Miss” by Ray Muney

“Black Men Don’t Miss” is a track from Ray Muney’s latest project.

The street track is about Muney trusting no one and always having a way to protect himself because of past hurt. “Black Men Don’t Miss” is an easy listen, which is supported by the subtle yet standout production, and it’s easily one of Muney’s best songs.

“Drama Queen” by Wick & the Tricks “Drama Queen” is a track from Wick & the Tricks’ most recent project “Not Enough,” which was released in 2017. Like most of the songs from the project, “Drama Queen” makes you instantly want to groove with the band and begs for a live performance. It’s a classic rock song that provides a solid introduction to the Kansas City-based group and its artistry

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN “Local Listens” is a weekly column in which reporter DeAsia Paige highlights new releases from local artists.

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OPINION

Monday, May 6, 2019

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

FFA of the day: Is it sleep deprivation, mono, or just the way I am now? every time a professor mentions summer i lose 2 years off my life why would i pay attention in class when i can go on neopets instead “I touched the condom and it crumbled in my hands” “Last time I tried a juul I peed my pants.” the guy next to me on the bus won’t stop singing manic monday... sir, it is thursday my professor is playing country before class. i’m about to die and it’s a sign the chaotic energy of the roasterie handing you the caps kind of build for their smoothies over like... the regular caps for iced coffee... is unparalleled as a vocalist i’ve witnessed on several occasions people just downing a whole bottle of honey Thinking about the fact that people put butter in their coffee has me shook current inner struggle is whether I should finish my research paper worth 30 percent of my grade or go to the hawk tonight

JAMIE HAWLEY @onlynarrative

This is a column about the apocalypse. It doesn’t have a beginning, because there is no beginning to the end of the world: the world has simply always been ending. It has ended for individuals, and groups, and all the life we have driven to extinction.

It has ended for those whose lives are lost due to climate change, gun violence, systemic racism, and late-stage capitalism and it will end for those who will lose their lives to these things tomorrow. Every day, we watch the world melt, bleed, starve and crumble into drywall dust. The world has always been ending, but it seems to be ending a little more as of late.

These apocalypses can be stopped. They are not inherent to our existence, and they can be reversed by a collective human effort.

But those in power do not believe in this effort, and they have a vested interest in the end of the world.

When the world ends for most of us, it does not end for those who can pay to save themselves. Part of the pain of living in a world on fire is watching others guzzle water.

We have fought this injustice for hundreds of years, and we will fight until there is no one left to fight against. But fighting is exhausting, especially when the progress we make appears so minuscule. It begins to feel like treading water while the tide comes in, and suddenly we’re fighting

“I’m not vegan or anything, but I saw a lot of cute pictures of cows on the Internet this past week...”

Electoral dysfunction?

Not in Student Senate.

Ever since the notorious Student Senate election occurred at the University of Kansas campus, there has been a significant amount of chatter surrounding its fairness and authenticity.

At this time in the United States, it has become easier and easier to simply point out the callous acts of individuals and unethical ramifications of certain bureaucratic processes. While things are constantly going wrong in politics, the average cynic must also face the facts: things are also constantly going right.

If some cynic digs deep enough to find some minute flaw in a system, they may just find some. However, it is they who are unethical, rather than the blamed institution, if they are tirelessly searching for dirt and indulging their blatant bias, ignorance, and anger towards a process that they know nothing about. The fact of the matter is that the Senate, in and of itself, is a high-functioning governing body on campus. This fact, however, was hotly contested in a recent Letter to the

what’s your best feature?” “my toes” I recently met someone who went to boarding school I didn’t know they actually existed just got in a google doc battle with a group mate because she tried to center align an entire 19 page essay. i am physically ill.

It’s 2:30 pm, I’m trying to take a nap, and the frat next door to me is blasting country western music. College. just saw same frat bros walking wearing cowboy boots and jorts

Illustration by Philip Mueller/KANSAN Columnist Jamie Hawley offers a poetic exploration of what it means to survive the apocalypses of the modern world, centering love as a revolutionary act. two enemies: the water and the temptation to drown.

This temptation is born not of malice, but self-preservation. Constant terror can be mind-numbing, and turning away is how we keep ourselves from breaking down. Therefore, when apathy is at its highest and the world is at its darkest, there is only one way to keep ourselves from slipping beneath the waves: to find the things we love and hold them tight. Let them be our flotation device.

I refuse to apologize for being cheesy. Saying love will save us has been and always will be a radical

statement. In the apocalypse known as late-stage capitalism, what we love is often taken from us, replaced with a forced loyalty to the job we have to have.

Romantic love is politicized, criminalized and used to keep us from fighting together. Amongst ourselves, we argue about the best and worst, the pure vs. the problematic, as though we don’t live in a world where every action can possibly harm others.

Opinions feel like chores as we defend the things that keep us alive, fearing alienation if our argument is not sufficiently persua-

sive. This cycle is poisonous, and although there are so many things to fight against, we must add this to the list. Love is a radical statement, and we deserve to love as wildly and freely as we please, without fear of judgement or scorn.

Whatever exceptions you may imagine to this rule do not exist. Love in the face of apocalypse must always be without boundaries. Even if it’s dumb, inconsequential, if no one else thinks it’s important, or if others think it’s “problematic,” you are allowed to love it wholeheartedly.

Embroidery.

Basketball.

Harry Potter. Succulents.

Jogging. The Avengers. The color blue. Your chem class.

Combat boots. Notré Dame.

Game of Thrones. The new T-Swift single. Grape juice.

Pokémon. Poetry. God. Your friends. Your family. Caring about things, and caring deeply, is the only way to keep ourselves moving forward.

Yes, it’s important to be critical. As exhausting as it is, it is our responsibility to make sure that we protect others from harm whenever possible, and sometimes the things we love can be harmful. But we are allowed forgiveness. We are allowed to be passionate about whatever it is that makes our lives worth living, even if it’s cringey, or cliché, or something as simple as the way light shines through the leaves on a tree.

Whatever you love, love it loudly. Scream it from the rooftops and pin it to the top of your Twitter feed.

We are all fighting this fight together, and loving things visibly and audibly is a way to show others that we haven’t succumbed. By loving each other and loving in general, we give each other strength. We remind each other that we are not alone, and we are in turn grounded and centered and, despite it all, still here. This is how we survive the apocalypse.

This is revolutionary.

Jamie Hawley is a junior from Salina studying English, political science and communications.

Senate’s election procedure isn’t the problem SARAH GRINDSTAFF @KansanNews

“I used to be athletic, now i eat too many scooby doo fruit snacks”

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

Whatever you love, love it loudly

Jesus turns water to wine. Turn A’s into beer

“what happens to your twitter when you die?

Do your dank memes go to MoMA?”

KANSAN.COM

Editor.

In an attempt to gain more insider information on Senate affairs, it only seemed appropriate to speak with Max Schieber, a freshman from St. Joseph, who was recently elected University Affairs Chair.

Schieber took issue with the recent piece, saying it had “spread multiple inaccuracies and misinformed opinions,” arguing that the Senate’s mandate to govern was legitimate, and derived from “the Chancellor, the Board of Regents and the student body.”

The issue of low turnout, Schieber claimed, was not so bad in comparison to other schools. After all, he said, “K-State, a similarly sized university, had less votes cast for their president-elect than ours.” The process for running and voting in elections is transparent and open, claiming that “the only election rule that has changed is that senatorial candidates do not have to obtain student signatures to run for office.”

The fundamental issue, he concluded, was “a general apathy towards student government, and it will take much more than minor rule changes to fix [that].”

This false criticism also

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Maggie Gould/KANSAN Crimson+Blue members pose outside of Strong Hall. They have made history with Tiara Floyd being the first woman of color student body president. personally resonated with me, due to experiences I had with exploring Senate operations at the start of the fall semester. At the start of the semester, freshmen flocked to the Senate informational tables that were omnipresent at KU orientation events. As a fellow freshman, I particularly remember how accessible the information about Senate proceedings was and how inviting the veteran Senators were toward interested freshmen.

At the first meeting, several freshmen were elected to leadership positions on

committees within Senate, simply because they had the interest in the position and the drive to actually run. For students interested in learning more, a mentorship program was also available to apply for.

Ultimately, if you are interested in learning more about Senate and have heard the misinformed rumors spreading around campus, feel free to speak to one of your senators or committee members, come to a Senate committee meeting, or visit the Student Senate’s website. The Student Senate is an insti-

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

tution comprised of driven students fighting for your best interests.

Much to the chagrin of many a cynic, there are not any new structural flaws with the Student Senate, and complaining about it in such a way is, quite frankly, a waste of paper, as there are so many other notable causes and institutions to critique. There is no electoral dysfunction in our Student Senate.

Sarah Grindstaff is a freshman from Columbia, Illinois, studying political science.

editorial board

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

KANSAN.COM

SPORTS

7

Track and field earns 3 wins at K-State LOGAN FRICKS @LoganFricks

Kansas track and field walked away from the Ward Haylett Invitational in Manhattan with three victories, including two coming from one participant.

The pre-conference meet consisted of athletes fighting for a spot in the Big 12 Championships. A short list of qualified Jayhawks competed in the meet.

Sophomore hurdler Darius Releford won both the 110-meter hurdles and the 400-meter hurdles. Releford’s victories are the first time he has won an outdoor event since the Ward Haylett Invitational last season.

In the Big 12, Releford sits at 12th in the 110 hurdles and 13th in the 400 hurdles, putting him right on the edge of qualifying for the Big 12 Championships.

The other lone victor for the Jayhawks was sophomore pole vaulter Khristen Bryant. Bryant was one of only three competitors to clear a height.

Bryant’s personal record of 4.12 meters qualifies her for the Big 12 Championships; however, she has struggled to come close to that mark since setting it on April 6.

Right behind Bryant was freshman Samantha Van Hoecke. Van Hoecke

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Sophomore Darius Releford prepares for the start of the 400 meter hurdles at the Kansas Relays Saturday, April 20. tied a personal-best jump in her second-place finish with a leap of 3.65 meters.

Middle distance runners senior Wumi Omare and sophomore Catherine Liggett set personal bests in the 800-meter run. Liggett took second with a time of 2:10:31 while Omare took third with a 2:12:01 run.

Kansas State’s Cayli Hume won the event, but the Jayhawks took the next consecutive five spots, finishing second through sixth.

Sophomore Morganne Mukes took third in both the 100 and 200-meter dash. Both events had the same top three with Kansas State’s A’keyla Mitchell winning both events

followed by Asha Cave taking second in both events.

Mukes sits in 24th in the Big 12 in the 100-meter race and will miss out on the Big 12 Championships.

Sophomore distance runner Ethan Donley took second in the 800-meter run. He took second to Travis Hodge

who ran unattached and took fifth in the Big 12 Championships in the event last season.

Donley currently has the 12th best time in the Big 12 in the 800-meter run giving him an opportunity to compete for a Big 12 Championship.

Three other Jayhawks set personal records in the meet, giving Kansas

a positive finish to the pre-conference season.

next meet Big 12 Championships Sun. May 12

KU softball swept in final conference series JORDAN VAUGHN @JVSmoove14

In the final two games of the regular season, Kansas softball could not overcome Iowa State dropping both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. Despite the result, Baylor’s loss over the weekend means Kansas clinches the final Big 12 Tournament spot.

Game one was a pitcher’s duel between Kansas senior Brynn Minor and the Cyclones’ senior Savannah Sanders that ended with a 1-0 Iowa State victory.

The pitchers were stellar with both going for complete games, but Sanders and the Cyclones prevailed through a second inning RBI single off Minor for the game’s only run.

The Jayhawks’ recent offensive struggles continued on Saturday as they only managed three hits and left four runners on base in the first game.

Only needing one win to secure the final spot in the Big 12 tournament, Kansas got off to a fast start in game two with a solo home run by freshman Morgyn Wynne in the first inning.

Minor started in the circle again for Kansas in game two, but allowed a game tying home run in the bottom of the first to Iowa State sophomore Talyn Lewis.

Wynne again gave the Jayhawks the lead with a third inning double that scored redshirt freshman shortstop Sydnee Ramsey.

Freshman Lexy Mills

Chance Parker/KANSAN Junior third baseman Madison Sykes fields the ball against Texas. The Jayhawks fell to the Longhorns 4-2 Sunday, April 28. replaced Minor in the third and pitched a scoreless inning, but Iowa State responded for a second time in the fourth with senior Kirsten Caudle’s RBI single.

The Jayhawks will take the final spot in the conference tournament and will play fourth seed Texas Tech.

Kansas threatened Iowa State in the seventh with runners on first and second with no outs, but

could not push across the leading run off senior Emma Hylen, sending the game to extra innings.

The Cyclones brought Sanders out of the bullpen for the eighth, and she promptly delivered a three up, three down inning to add to her already dominant senior day performance.

Mills returned to the circle in the eighth and after a pop out, a walk and then a strikeout, had a 3-2 count on junior Sami Williams. However, the payoff pitch was launched over the left field wall and gave the Cyclones a 4-2 walk-off win.

Kansas ends the regular season with a 15-35

overall record and a 3-15 conference record. The Jayhawks will take the final spot in the conference tournament and will

play fourth seed Texas Tech. The winner of that game will take on the top seed and No. 1-ranked Oklahoma.

next game

Big 12 Championships Fri., May 10

sports

SPORTS

8

Monday, May 6, 2019

KANSAN.COM

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

KU cheerleader makes US National team HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon

For the first time since 2015, the University of Kansas Spirit Squad competed at the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Competition at the beginning of the spring semester.

Jadyn Ray, a junior from Augusta, and Zach Reyes, a senior from Chicago, Illinois, are two spirit squad athletes who competed at nationals as both a duo and with the whole team at the competition.

“So it was an amazing experience to see all the teams from the Big 10, Pac-12; everybody was there competing,” Reyes said. “So it was definitely eye-opening to see how big the cheer world is at the collegiate level.”

The duo placed seventh in the partner stunt category this year, Reyes said.

In addition to cheerleading at the University, Ray also made the U.S. National Team after tryouts.

“...It was definitely eye-opening to see how big the cheer world is at the collegiate level.”

Zach Reyes KU cheerleader

“It’s a very intense process,” Ray said.

Ray, along with the rest of the national team, which is composed of cheerleaders from across

Contributed photo Junior Jadyn Ray made the USA National Team in addition to cheering for Kansas.

the country, won the International Cheer Union World Championship this year.

The team competed against other squads from around the world.

Ray said she began her cheerleading career after suffering from a gymnastics injury.

“So my mom was like, ‘Well, we want to keep her in some type of activity similar to it. Maybe she’ll be able to go back,’” Ray said. But, unfortunately, I never went back to gymnastics.”

She said she wanted to attend the University since she was in middle school.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to go to KU since I was like in seventh grade,” she said. “At this point, I just started cheerleading. I wasn’t really thinking about it long-term.”

Ray started going to University recruitment clinics while in high school.

“I just kind of fell in love with the team here,” she said.

One of the best aspects about cheerleading, Ray said, is the strong bond between the athletes.

“The great thing about cheerleading is that everybody just wants everybody to be successful,” Ray said. “It doesn’t matter what school, what part of the country you’re from. Everyone just wants you to be successful. So I just really enjoy that camaraderie ... We all have something in common, and that’s something that we can all share together.”

Spirit Squad coordinator Cathy Jarzemkoski

Contributed photo Junior Jadyn Ray and senior Zach Reyes perform a stunt at the NCA Partner Stunt Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida. said coaching these athletes is great because of their character and personalities.

“She’s a hard worker. She’s respectful and kind,” Jarzemkoski said of Ray. Before Reyes joined the squad, he had no experience, but he said the transition into the sport was quick.

“I played football, la-

crosse, always lifted. So it all came naturally,” he said.

During one semester, in addition to being on the spirit squad, Reyes was a football manager while taking 18 credit hours.

“It was just time management,” he said. “You really grind and work your hardest when you’re balancing your passions.

eran trio of Koch, Khmelnitckaia and Rychagova.

“I was telling [Rychagova] that it’s crazy they basically did it without us,” Koch said. “It’s good to see our younger ones picking it up for us, getting to see that we can just play free and they will have our back and step up in the big moments.”

With this win, Kansas will return to action next weekend in the Sweet 16 against Stanford. Coming off a big win in front of a home crowd, Chapman is confident in his squad’s ability to survive and advance.

“I think we’re talented enough to lineup and compete against anyone in the country,” Chapman said. “But then again, we have to go out and play, so I think we don’t focus on where we can go long term, we just focus on the next team.”

Chance Parker/KANSAN Freshman Sonia Smagina celebrates after clinching the match against Florida during the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks defeated the Gators 4-2 Saturday, May 4.

So whatever it takes, you’ll make it work.”

Reyes, who is graduating this year, said the people completed the sport for him.

“It’s the people. I mean, that’s what makes it sad leaving,” Reyes said. “These people truly became family to me.”

TENNIS TO SWEET 16 FROM PAGE 1 she calmed down and played tennis. but there for awhile we were battling emotions, but that happens with a freshman,” Kansas coach Todd Chapman said of Smagina’s comeback. “It’s a big match, a big situation, and she wanted to win so badly I think that sometimes it keeps you from doing the things that you want to.”

Beginning Saturday with doubles at the Jayhawk Tennis Center, Kansas set the pace early, picking up the doubles point over the Gators by virtue of wins on courts one and three. The Kansas tandem of junior Maria Toran Ribes and freshman Malkia Ngounoue claimed the first victory of the day, besting Florida’s Zein and Sydney Berlin 6-3

athletes of the week

to give the Jayhawks the edge.

While the No. 2 duo of senior Anastasia Rychagova and freshman Sonia Smagina was unable to outlast the Gators, falling 6-3, Kansas’ top-ranked team of seniors Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch picked up the slack, handling McCartney Kessler and Victoria Emma 6-3 to clinch the doubles point.

Entering singles play with a 1-0 lead, Kansas took advantage of the momentum from doubles, quickly extending the lead to 2-0 thanks to Toran Ribes. Competing on court six, the junior made quick work of Berlin, toppling the Gator 6-2, 6-3 for the first singles win.

At risk of a sweep, Tsveta Dimitrova got Florida onto the board, handing Khmelnitckaia a rare 3-6, 2-6 loss at the No.

5 spot, cutting the Gator deficit to a slim 2-1 margin. However, Kansas freshman Plobrung Plipuech reopened the gap on court three, defeating Emma 6-2, 6-3 to put the Jayhawks up 3-1.

The Gators’ final point

“I think we’re talented enough to lineup and compete against anyone in the country.”

Todd Chapman coach

of the day came on court two, where Koch rounded out a struggle-filled day for the senior class, falling 7-5, 6-4 to Kessler.

Fortunately for the Jayhawks, the freshmen came through in an unusual off-day for the vet-

Sonia Smagina Tennis

Despite trailing 1-5 in the first set, freshman Sonia Smagina battled all the way back against Florida’s Marlee Zein, taking the first set 7-5 on Saturday at the Jayhawk Tennis Center. Defeating Zein in the second set 6-4, Smagina clinched the overall match for the Jayhawks 4-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, sending Kansas to its first Sweet 16 since 1998.

Ryan Cyr

Baseball In his fourth complete game of the season, redshirt junior righty Ryan Cyr tossed a complete-game shutout to the Texas Longhorns to fuel the Jayhawks to a 1-0 victory on Saturday afternoon, clinching the series.

Cyr’s complete-game shutout was the first for Kansas since Ben Krauth on March 11, 2016, where he held South Dakota scoreless through all nine innings. Following the performance, Kansas coach Ritch Price dubbed Cyr “one of the best competitors” he has ever coached.