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without standout The University Daily Kansan
vol. 137 // iss. 7 Mon., Sept. 10, 2018
Montero SEE VOLLEYBALL • PAGE 7
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KU’s Budget Gamble
A Kansan analysis found that the University banked heavily on an increase in international students to fund its ambitious building plans
Chance Parker/KANSAN The Burge Union and Integrated Science Building were two of the larger projects in the University’s Central District Plan. A Kansan analysis found the University planned on a doubling of international student enrollment to help pay for the plan, but projections fell short. LARA KORTE, NICOLE ASBURY AND CONNER MITCHELL @KansanNews The University of Kansas faces a series of painful budget cuts because it relied on overly optimistic revenue growth estimates that counted on a doubling of international student enrollment to offset the multi-million-dollar costs of the huge Central District construction project, a Kansan review of records and interviews with top
university officials shows. In March of 2014, the University decided to aggressively pursue enrollment from international students, hiring an outside contractor to attract more of them to campus, where each would be expected to spend $40,000 to $45,000 annually in tuition and fees. The University’s end goal was to double that fall’s 2,283 international students. But instead of the increase of nearly 2,000 international students
forecasted in 2014 by the University and its contractor, Shorelight, the University actually lost 101 international students, as it watched its international enrollment slide to 2,182 by 2017, a drop of about 4 percent, according to internal data. One reason was President Donald Trump’s restrictive travel and immigration policies, which dropped international student enrollment — sometimes dramatically — on college campuses nation-
wide, according to a 2018 study from the National Foundation for American Policy. “We’re down about 7 percent nationally, and there’s certainly difficulty in getting visas that has created some challenges,” Chancellor Douglas Girod said in a recent interview. “The drop in the Midwest has been about 30 percent.” Compared with such large decreases elsewhere, he said, “We feel pretty fortunate. But we didn’t do anything close to what we
Davis tour pushes voter enthusiasm
Conner Mitchell/KANSAN Paul Davis speaks at the Kansas Union on Sept. 6, 2018. CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0 The University of KansaThe Democratic candidate for the congressional district that includes the University of Kansas emphasized the importance of enthusiasm and turnout from young voters at a campaign event at the Kansas Union last Thursday. “In order for us to address that we need to in Washington D.C., we have to change the people
that are in Washington D.C.,” said Paul Davis, a Lawrence resident and former candidate for Kansas governor. “That starts by participating in the election process. That starts by getting involved and getting out there to vote.” Joining Davis was Jason Kander, Missouri’s former secretary of state and founder of Let America Vote — one of the leading voting rights initiatives in the country. Kander said he was
supporting Davis simply because more politicians like him need to get elected. Kander said Davis truly believes in caring about people even if he doesn’t know them personally—a key principle of being a Democrat. “It’s just to give a damn about them, whether you personally know them or not,” Kander said. “I am proud to be somebody who cares about folks whether I know them personally or not. And I think you are too.” After Davis lost the gubernatorial election to Republican Sam Brownback in 2014, he was invited to a class at the University 10 days after the election. He asked the students how many of them voted — and one hand went up. “We can’t have that happen again,” Davis said. “We have got to be able to mobilize students, because if students show up and vote, we can win elections that people didn’t think that we could win. You can wield a huge amount of power to changing this
Congress and changing the direction that our country is going in right now.” Davis and Kander also emphasized the importance of making college tuition more affordable for students. When Davis attended the University, he said, a semester of tuition cost $650 for as many credit hours as a student wanted. “That probably buys you a credit hour today,” Davis said. “It is absolutely alarming what is going on with college tuition costs right now. Literally, people are being priced out of the ability to get a college education.” Ultimately, Davis said he’s running for Congress because the body is currently “disconnected” and “unresponsive” to the American people. “We have to fix it. And we have to fix it here in 2018,” he said. Davis is running against Republican Steve Watkins, who won a crowded Republican primary in August. The general election will be held Nov. 6.
were meaning to do a few years ago.” For the University’s budget, though, even the slight drop in international students when a large increase was needed precipitated the current budget crisis, requiring Interim Provost Carl Lejuez to announce emergency cuts of $20 million to the University’s current operating budget of $450 million in May. The cuts have forced departments to put off filling empty positions, eliminate others and make sometimes dramatic
cuts in areas, including academics. As part of the budget cuts, the University also announced a plan to offer buyouts to older professors who earn higher salaries. In a series of public meetings this summer and fall, students and faculty have expressed concerns that the cuts will hurt education at the University. “What we’re concerned about is that as we continue disinvesting into SEE BUDGET • PAGE 2
Vitter: “We made the right choice” LARA KORTE, NICOLE ASBURY AND CONNER MITCHELL @KansanNews The Central District was originally intended to be a beacon to attract high-achieving students from around the world who, as the University saw it, were looking for high-quality science and engineering facilities. The project was part of a strategic plan introduced by then-Provost Jeffrey Vitter in 2011 called “Bold Aspirations,” which sought to transform the University into a “top-tier public international research university.” Some of the University’s older STEM facilities were sometimes unsafe, and threatened the University’s accreditation, according to Vitter. The University touted its new buildings in press releases, calling them “a crown jewel that attracts innovators and collabo-
rators from the Midwest and beyond.” Chancellor Douglas Girod recently commended the Integrated Science Building as “a giant leap forward” for the University. “We believed the Central District to be a vital and important update to the KU campus, and it realized substantial savings by consolidating the needed improvements into one coherent project,” Vitter said recently in an email with the Kansan. Even now, with the $20 million cut lingering, Interim Provost Carl Lejuez believes the choices to update the Central District were still the in the best interest of the University. “There’s lots of ways you can do this job. I am a cautious person when it comes to budget and money, and I am a bit less flashy in the way I think about what things SEE VITTER • PAGE 2
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Monday, September 10, 2018
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KU student discusses pros, cons of Juuls HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon For Evan Satlin, “juuling” is a better alternative than the decision to smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products. “It was basically my senior year of high school, and I guess someone in my high school had a big party, and I went, and one of my friends had a Juul, and I had no idea what it was,” said Satlin, a sophomore from Los Angeles. “And I wasn’t really into that at the time, so I wasn’t sure how I felt, but then they kept coming up. I realized that they’re actually pretty cool, and I ended up getting one of my own.” Although the usage of tobacco products and vaporizers, such as Juuls, are not allowed on campus, according to Patty Quinlan, a registered nurse at Watkins Health Services, the ease of accessibility and lack of smell is seen as a positive for some individuals. “I certainly think it’s better than someone blowing cigarette smoke in my face,” said Satlin, who has owned a Juul for almost a year. “And it really barely leaves a trace; it barely leaves a smell. And I don’t know how bad it is for the environment, but you’ve got to believe it’s better than cigarette butts all over campus. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. And I think it’s a lot cleaner, a lot easier to use. It doesn’t leave a trace.” According to Lindsay Andrews, an outside spokesperson for the Juul company, cigarette smoking leads as the most preventable cause of death worldwide.
“In the United States alone, more than 480,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses,” Andrews said in an email. “Juul is intended for current adult smokers only. We cannot be more emphatic on this point: no minor or non-nicotine user should ever try Juul. Our packaging includes a prominent nicotine label and clearly states for adult smokers.” Initially, Satlin said he was worried about the costs of owning a Juul. “My only reserve was that it would cost a lot of money,” Satlin said. “It would be probably a regular thing. I also wasn’t quite sure how I felt about owning it because of the whole nicotine thing, and how it had nicotine in it, and I wasn’t really that big into nicotine.” With Satlin hailing from the Golden State, he said he can see differences between Juul usage in Kansas when comparing it to California. “I feel like it’s not as big in Los Angeles because the age to buy tobacco is 21, whereas the age here in Kansas is 18,” Satlin said. “So less people [are] into it. Also, my friends back home are not as into nicotine products as some of my friends in Kansas.” However, the age to buy a device is 21, according to Juul. News outlets across the country have reported that Juul is targeting the wrong audience through advertising. However, Satlin said he has not seen this happening personally. “I think when it comes to advertising, I’ve never really seen it advertised as that they’re targeting a younger
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of The Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS., 66045. The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0746-4967) is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year except fall break, spring break and exams. It is published weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue.
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Chance Parker/KANSAN Stouffer Place apartments, constructed last year, were part of the University’s Central District Plan. BUDGET • FROM PAGE 1 educational services, we are going to experience even less competitive edge to bringing quality educators,” said Lev Comolli, a senior and president of the student group KU Against Rising Tuition in an interview with the Kansan. But according to Lejuez, there was no other choice. When the doubling of international students didn’t pan out, and with debt service up $21 million a year, the University had nowhere to turn to make up that revenue. The University rejected drawing down its budget reserves in favor of making cuts now, a move Girod described in a recent town hall meeting as “taking the bull by the horns.” While few could have
predicted the restrictive immigration and visa policies of the Trump administration, in 2015, the University’s bet on a big increase in international students prompted one financial analyst to sound the alarm 15 days before the University took out the loan for the Central District from a Wisconsin agency. On Dec. 7, 2015, Moody’s Investors Service, which rates the credit of big institutions like KU, changed its outlook on the University from “stable” to “negative.” Why? The University had made “optimistic revenue growth targets, partly from a large increase in international enrollment,” Moody’s said. “The future of KU, in my opinion, was fundamentally gambled between 2012
Sydney Hendin/KANSAN Juuls are a popular choice for smokers who are looking for an alternative to using tobacco products. audience,” he said. “So I feel it’s just the people who are picking it up are the people who I guess choose that as like a hobby almost.” Satlin said it’s ultimately up to each person on whether or not they want to start using a Juul. “If you don’t want to do it, you really don’t have and 2015,” said Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, a professor of aerospace engineering and president of the Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Barrett-Gonzalez has been one of the most vocal faculty members protesting the cuts. In February 2017, members of the University Senate Planning and Resources Committee also raised questions about whether international student enrollment projections were too rosy. At that meeting, Vice Provost of Finance Diane Goddard said that only 300 more international students were needed to make payments on the Central District project. Yet at the same meeting, Goddard said she had spoken with the campus deans about anticipated budget cuts, according to meeting minutes. Goddard and the University’s Office of Public Affairs did not respond to multiple requests for an interview with Goddard. “To be honest, I believe they were expecting a really significant growth in the international student population,” Girod said. “They took a lot of initiatives into that area to grow, and it hadn’t worked out as robustly as everyone had hoped.”
to,” Satlin said. “But I don’t think you should shame other people for doing it. I think it’s just a life decision.” Currently, Andrews said Juul is working on ending underage usage of Juuls, including working with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.
VITTER • FROM PAGE 1 the University right now,” Lejuez said. “It’s not productive to say it’s anyone’s fault. I can put myself in [previous administrators’] shoes; they cared about KU.” But the crown jewels came at a cost — about $21 million a year, according to the bond agreement with Wisconsin’s Public Finance Authority, which issued the money for the Central District. With Kansas continuing to cut back its funding for higher education, the University, led by then-Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, had to look elsewhere to pay back its debt.
“I firmly believe we made the right choice and the funding plan was sound.” Jeffrey Vitter Former provost
Gray-Little did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The Integrated Science Building cost an estimated $117 million, according to documents
“We want to partner and engage with policymakers, lawmakers, educators and parents to combat underage use,” Andrews said in an email. “We stand committed to working with those who want to keep Juul out of the hands of young people.”
obtained by the Kansan, and is the only building the University is paying for directly, according to Lejuez. The other components of the Central District Project — the new parking garage, Stouffer Place apartments, and Downs Residence Hall — are funded by different entities on campus, such as KU Housing and KU Parking, according to Lejuez, and don’t require payment from general funds. Funding for the Central District was expected to come from a number of sources annually. Housing would provide about $8 million, parking would provide $1.5 million, $1.2 million would come from the Burge Union, $7 million from Changing for Excellence (another initiative by Vitter designed to streamline administrative processes), and $6.5 million would come from international and out-ofstate student tuition. “The choice we had was to allow KU to decay or to invest in facilities that would move the institution forward,” Vitter said. “I firmly believe we made the right choice, and the funding plan was sound.”
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arts & culture Monday, September 10, 2018
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
Real black klansman visits Lawrence COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman
Ron Stallworth set the record straight at Regal Southwind Stadium 12 Movie Theater on Thursday. Stallworth, the real-life inspiration behind “BlacKkKlansman,” said the movie gets almost everything right: he was fluent in jive as well as “King’s English,” he used to have frequent phone conversations with former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, and he did spend the better part of a year in the late 1970s as an undercover cop in a white supremacist group. “BlacKkKlansman” is based on Stallworth’s autobiography, “Black Klansman,” published in 2014. The book went on to become a New York Times bestseller, and the story caught the attention of director Spike Lee. Stallworth said the amount of attention he’s received from the book and the film is unexpected. “I don’t feel like a celebrity,” Stallworth said. “It is a little bit overwhelming at times, but I will admit it’s a lot of fun. I especially like going to these fancy hotels and they say, ‘Can I get you a taxi?’ and I say, ‘No, my limo’s waiting right there.’” Every seat in the theater was filled for the Department of Film and
Media Studies’ annual kickoff event of the fall semester, Film Rally. “BlacKkKlansman” co-writer and film professor Kevin Willmott attended with Stallworth for a free screening of the film and a subsequent question and answer session with the audience. A University of Kansas film studies alumnus is typically invited back to campus for the Film Rally, but this year the department decided to focus on the success of Willmott’s film. “We see it as an opportunity to help our students see beyond graduation,” said Department Chair Michael Baskett. The Film Rally has previously been held on campus, but an exception was made this year, Baskett said. Because “BlacKkKlansman” is still playing in theaters, the department was unable to secure the rights to screen it privately. A line formed outside the theater ahead of the event’s 6 p.m. start time. Stallworth arrived early with his wife, both of them wearing Jayhawk t-shirts, and shook hands with everyone in line. “Did you buy the book?” Stallworth joked to the crowd. Stallworth joined the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1972, becoming their first black detective. He infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in 1978
Bettina Bugatto/KANSAN Left to right: “Black Klansman” author Ron Stallworth, and Film and Media Studies professor Kevin Willmott participate in an audience question and answer session after a screening of “BlacKkKlansman,” which is based on Stallworth’s memoir. and remained in the undercover operation for seven months. Before the film started, Baskett welcomed the crowd and introduced Stallworth, who spent about 20 minutes giving opening remarks and taking preliminary questions from the audience. “Do you still hear from David?” one man asked. Much of the movie’s comedy stems from the phone conversations Stallworth (John David Washington) has with David Duke (Topher Grace).
Of course, Duke has no idea that he’s speaking to a black man. He thinks Stallworth is another white supremacist. The conversations between Duke and Stallworth really did occur. According to Stallworth, Duke called him again a month ago for the first time in decades. During their hour-long talk, Stallworth said Duke expressed concern about his portrayal as a villain in the film. He also said that he enjoyed Stallworth’s book.
“I’ve been endorsed by the Grand Wizard of the KKK,” Stallworth said. Stallworth returned to the front of the theater with Willmott after the screening ended and spent an hour discussing the movie and taking more questions from the audience. One point they discussed was the concept of double consciousness from W.E.B. DuBois that is frequently mentioned in the film. Stallworth, both in the movie and in real life, said that he felt
like he had to split himself into two people: the man who was a cop, and the man who was black. “I always knew that once that badge and gun came off, once that uniform came off, I was a still going to be a black man in America no matter what. My police identity would no longer matter,” he said. “Hell, I owe a $25 parking ticket already in El Paso.”
— Edited by Grant Heiman
Jewish center promotes kindness with charity campaign
Courtney Bierman/KANSAN A Random Act of Kindness, also known as an ARK, is an initiative that allows people to fill up a small container with money and hand it someone in need. RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218 Shock, anger and sadness are common reactions to tragedy. But out of those feelings, a flow of kindness sometimes streams out. After the shooting on Mass Street in October of 2017 and the mass shooting in Las Vegas, the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Life at the University of Kansas responded with acts of kindness via the Good Card. Almost one year later, Chabad at the University has expanded on its acts
of kindness. The project, titled “Be the Change,” includes small, blue plastic ARKs, an acronym that stands for “acts of random kindness.” The ARKs act as mini piggy banks, allowing students to drop in loose change. Once full, students can take the change downtown, give it to someone in need and repeat the process. “Even the smallest gesture has a ripple effect,” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, director of Chabad. “That’s the idea.” Tiechtel said that while the Good Cards
were open-ended, the ARKs are action-oriented. “All you have to do is just do it,” he said. Daniel Shafton, a senior from Overland Park, is the director of the project, helping to develop the idea and put it into action. “I immediately fell in love with it,” Shafton said. “It is so beautifully giving and it has no motives besides just to create a movement where people are interested in giving.” Shafton said that Lawrence is the perfect place
for this project, containing a vibe that resonates with the theme of kindness. He said that the project is about more than the University but helping the greater community. “It’s just about giving,” Shafton said. “It doesn’t matter who you give to, and it doesn’t matter how much you give, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.” Chabad has teamed up with dorms, apartment complexes, Greek housing and local businesses to hand out the ARKs, giving away over 1,000 so far. “Without getting into the political analysis, there’s so much divisiveness,” Tiechtel said. “And this is one thing that unites anyone.” Tiechtel said while the Good Cards were a good start, he knew that more could be done to impact the community. “You always have to do more, always have to grow,” he said. “Never suffice with what we have.” The Good Cards launched in November 2017. By the spring semester, Shafton and Tiechtel started brainstorming different ideas before settling on the ARKs. They spent the whole semester figuring out what exactly the concept would be, the differ-
ent marketing ideas and where exactly they would get the ARKs from. The project is also a personal one for Tiechtel. University professor Neil Salkind passed away last fall. Tiechtel said that Salkind was a pillar in the Lawrence community and was the “epitome of goodness and kindness.” Some of the ARKs read “In Loving Memory of Neil, Soul of Love and Kindness” to honor him.
“It’s what this country was founded on; it’s what Judaism was founded on.” Daniel Shafton Senior
Shafton said that since there is so much political animosity, it’s nice to have a politically neutral act to bring people together. “It’s what this country was founded on; it’s what Judaism was founded on,” Shafton said. “To give, to come together and to put everything else aside and just try and make our community a better place.” The two hope that they can convince local businesses to get involved with the project
by having ARKs present in their stores for customers to drop their extra change into. “It’s really important for college kids at this age to learn those habits of community service and philanthropy,” Shafton said. “It’s important for us to explain to businesses why they should be incentivizing their employees to act like this because it’s good for business, it’s good for the community, it’s good for so many different reasons.” Shafton stresses that there are no hidden motives or a hidden agenda. The ARKs are simply a way to do good in the community and bring people together to make a difference. “We often view ourselves as individuals and forget the impact we can have if we come together,” Shafton said. “One quarter on its own may not be very much. One vote in an election on its own may not be very much. But 27,000 quarters or 20,000 votes can sway an election, or can change somebody’s life.”
— Edited by Shaun Goodwin
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ARTS & CULTURE
K ANSAN.COM
Alumni open downtown axe-throwing business RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester
Ryan Henrich and Matt Baysinger, two of the minds behind escape room business Breakout Lawrence, are bringing one of their newest ideas to Lawrence: an axethrowing shop called Blade & Timber. Blade & Timber, located at 809 Massachusetts St., will have its grand opening Friday, Sept. 7 at noon. The store already has two locations in Kansas City, with several more to open across the country, but co-founders and co-owners Henrich and Baysinger have a special connection to Lawrence. “Lawrence has always been really close to our hearts,” Henrich said. Henrich and Baysinger attended high school in Lawrence and the University of Kansas together. Henrich and Baysinger built their first axethrowing lane to test-run the idea about two years ago at their business headquarters in Kansas City. Staff were able to throw axes during their lunch breaks or after work and they gave feedback to Henrich and Baysinger. However, Henrich said he wasn’t sure about axe-throwing
until he tried his hand at it. “The first time that I stuck an axe after I threw it, and it stuck in that target, it was like my inner Paul Bunyan crawled up my spine and just took over,” Henrich said. “It was just the best feeling in the world.” After Henrich’s first experiences with axe throwing, he and Baysinger wanted to find out if it would appeal to a wide audience, so Henrich tested it with his mom. Henrich’s mother came to the opening of Blade & Timber’s first location in West Bottoms in Kansas City, Missouri. Henrich said his mother was nervous about throwing at first, but after being trained, she hit a bullseye on her first throw. Henrich said she reacted the same way he did when he hit a bullseye. “If my mom loves this, then everyone is going to love this,” Henrich said. Austin Anderson, a senior from Topeka, went to Blade & Timber last month for a retreat with his Young Life group. He has been to a Blade & Timber in Kansas City before and has thrown axes recreationally in his backyard. But he said the sport took some time to
get used to. “I was a little nervous that I was going to hit someone or something or myself, but I was more determined to beat my friends,” Anderson said. Henrich said the store isn’t just for throwing axes. Customers can order drinks and small snacks, buy axes and merchandise, and build targets to take home. They are calling this combination of retail and entertainment “retailtainment.” The store accepts walk-ins when lanes are available, but reservations take priority. The Lawrence location with four lanes is the smallest Blade & Timber store. Customers can reserve a lane online for an hour and a half for $120, and up to six people can throw in that lane. All customers are also given one-on-one training with a certified coach before throwing. Blade & Timber will be open Sunday through Thursday from 3 to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to midnight. — Edited by Jordan Vorndran
Bettina Bugatto/KANSAN
Blade & Timber opened last Friday in downtown Lawrence. Owners Ryan Henrich and Matt Baysinger started the business two years ago in Kansas City.
‘The Nun,’ latest ‘Conjuring’ film, lacks depth, intrigue GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake
“The Conjuring” series has had a meteoric rise in the horror genre. There are two films in one leg of the franchise, the “Annabelle” films, based on a doll that has about five minutes of screen time in the first “Conjuring,” and now with “The Nun,” we have a spinoff based on the infamous nun character from “The Conjuring 2.” “The Nun” aims to add even more background to the Warren Family’s endeavors into the
supernatural with creepy scares and an international backstory. “The Nun” takes place in Romania in 1952. A convent once protected by nuns faces an evil so powerful that the remaining sister dies by suicide to keep the evil at bay. Upon hearing this, the Vatican calls on Father Burke (Demián Bichir) and Sister Irene (Taissa Farmiga) to see what exactly lies behind the stone walls. The evil they find has no intention of going away quietly and it taunts the father and sister until it can silence
them for good. Overall, this franchise has had more hits than duds. Both “Conjuring” films brought surprising character depth and jump scares that were a result of haunting camera work and acting as opposed to loud musical cues and shots of scared faces. Even “Annabelle: Creation” puts the focus on a small family that feels grounded in reality, allowing for the more conventional horror aspects to run their course without being too boring or not scary. Unfortunately, “The
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
“The Nun” is the fifth film in “The Conjuring” series.
Nun” offers none of what the three films before it have. For starters, the characters lack much depth outside of expository scenes. More often than not, these scenes are too dramatic to take seriously. The film starts out with an intriguing setup for the main characters, with creepy visuals and a legitimate sense of dread. But by the time the protagonists show up, the tone shifts and scenes become focused on exposition and bad jump scares. Farmiga and Bichir give their best effort, but most of the time their moments together are either dramatically over the top or played off as humorous. In both cases, the scenes generate more laughs in the audience than feelings of drama or fear. On top of the poor character depth lies a story that has neither the time to be told properly,
nor the intrigue for it to even matter. The film attempts to give the evil nun a backstory rooted in medieval times, when witches and demons were more easily accessible. Unfortunately, the backstory feels shoddy and poorly thought out, as if the writers just found the most basic background plot line they could think of and went with it. The main storyline itself makes little sense as well. Characters see frightening things in the shadows, then follow that shadow again later on with no reasoning behind their actions. The actual scenes of horror play out as meaningless jump scares that do nothing to propel the plot or enhance the story. The final act’s attempt to tie the story into the original conjuring at first seems like an interesting idea, but instead of expanding on this idea the film just cuts to a scene from the original
film and abruptly ends. At just over an hour and a half long, the film is choppy and poorly cut together. So many sequences could have benefited from a few more minutes to finish out plot points and enhance character development. Instead, character arcs either end abruptly or go nowhere. This dulls the scares and leads only to a casual viewing experience without any thought or introspection needed. “The Nun” is just another cheap horror prequel with very little going for it. Some initial scares in the beginning bring out a sense of dread and horror, but these eerily-shot moments are almost immediately replaced by cut and paste jump scares and thin characters, leaving an overall bad experience in its way.
— Edited by Raeley Youngs
horoscopes ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Professional challenges seem to dissolve with Capricorn Saturn direct now, and advancement progresses in great strides. Set your sights high and go for it.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) Monitor and track money. Put love into your home over three weeks with Mercury in Virgo. Decorate, beautify and add ambiance. Music and lighting work wonders.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) Your physical labors, services and work get farther, faster with Saturn direct now. Discipline with fitness and health goals produces extraordinary results.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) Home projects surge ahead with Capricorn Saturn direct. Elbow grease gets farther. Disciplined, steady actions get results. Make plans to adapt to domestic changes.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) Review budgets and accounts. Advance your career through creative communications over three weeks with Mercury in Virgo. Share and engage a wider community.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) An emotional barrier dissolves with Saturn direct. Complete old issues and release excess baggage. Care for antiques and heirlooms. Envision the future and make plans.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) Avoid impulsive distractions. Travels and studies get farther with less effort now that Saturn is direct. Plan your schedule and coordinate to fit everything in.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Partnership comes easier now that Saturn is direct. Embark on bold new collaborative ventures. Work together for a bigger impact. Regular practice strengthens your heart.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) Collaborate together. Your natural communicative gifts and artistic creativity get enhanced over three weeks with Mercury in your sign. Speak out powerfully. Make important connections.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) Get the word out! Communication channels flow with greater velocity and ease with Saturn direct. Launch campaigns, writing and recording projects. Your message goes further now.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) Expand your territory with Saturn direct in your sign. It’s easier to get farther. Consistent focus develops your studies and travels in fascinating directions.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) Watch the road ahead. Teamwork surges ahead with Saturn direct. Persistent practice takes you to new heights together. Pool resources to get further.
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opinion
OPINION
Monday, September 10, 2018 Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351
FFA of the Day: is there a way to disown your father? hey if anyone would be willing to brutally murder me before my finance test lets link up “I was too busy pretending to look busy” Great British Bake Off out of context is quite dirty. “Alack. I’ve got the taste of nuts coming through.” KU parking is about as incompetent as it’s football team. “My first thought when I found out Burt Reynolds died was, ‘Oh, that’s sad.’ My second was, ‘Lucky.’” One of my suitemates from freshman year is in one of my discussion sections can i die now “I’m thinking of being a street pharmacist” Yeah death is bad but have you ever been in an auditorium full of freshmen because that’s kinda worse. “I think I have tendinitis from swiping left.” “Call your girl fat until she isn’t” “anyone have tequila with them?” I wish upon a star that my family was liberal Burt Reynolds dying means that yesterday he was still alive and I wasn’t aware of that. I can’t deal with sorority girls today. “My Cthulhu mask is in the way.”
“Sodomy is butt stuff.” I am approximately 9 hours away from the weekend and I’m ready to shank anyone that stands in my way I really need to stop eating pure sugar cubes.
K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
Khaliq: Nike is trying to erase its past AROOG KHALIQ @aroog_twt
“Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.” That’s the final line of Colin Kaepernick’s controversial Nike ad, which pays homage to the 30th anniversary of the brand’s iconic slogan: “Just do it.” Kaepernick is a fitting choice to deliver this line. His career as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback was effectively dismantled following his 2016 decision to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. Those who opposed him wildly misinterpreted the meaning behind Kaepernick’s protest, with many conservatives insisting he was protesting the anthem itself in an attempt to disgrace the American armed forces. This willfully inaccurate framing of his protest continues nearly two years on. Kaepernick’s Nike ad, in many ways, is a brilliant rebuttal to the very people that ousted him from the sport he loved, and for Nike, a marketing decision that makes social justice very, very profitable. Within three days of the ad’s release, Nike’s online sales jumped 31 percent. These sales aren’t all thanks to Kaepernick’s supporters; some of his opposers are protesting his unyielding activism by buying Nike merchandise and defacing or burning it, then uploading videos of the act on social media to garner witnesses. This counterintuitive (and frankly, stupid) protest methodology reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of meaningful protest. To boycott a company requires making a significant dent in their profits; to attack a capitalist machine, one must aim
Associated Press Colin Kaepernick shaking hands with a fan at the San Francisco 49ers before he opted out of his contract following his decision to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality. for the pockets. Symbolic protests, in this case taking the form of cutting off the nike symbols on socks or burning $100 pairs of shoes, hold meaning when the defacement isn’t at a significant personal cost to the protester. Kaepernick taking a knee during the anthem or consumers refusing to buy from Amazon during the 2018 Prime Day boycott are symbolic acts that hold meaning precisely because they draw attention to an issue without wasting resources. Ineffective protesting may generate social media hits, but it does not stick in the broader American consciousness the way effective protests do. Kaepernick’s career is a testament to that. Yet in a broader sense, Nike’s commodification of social justice is not entirely laudable. Kaepernick’s voice being amplified on
a national stage with the backing of a billion-dollar brand intimately linked with the world of sports engenders a feeling of poetic justice, but corporations do not do good for goodness’ sake — they do it for social media hits and sales spikes. Using Kaepernick’s social justice work for an ad campaign is just as much an optics tool as it is a marketing tool. This advertisement constructs a positive association in the socially-conscious consumer’s mind between Nike and liberal activism. This association, in turn, erases the well-documented association between the brand and its unethical, brutal working conditions. In 1997, when Nike was under fire for the death of sweatshop workers in Indonesia, the company’s spokesperson cavalierly replied, “We don’t make
shoes.” Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong died making Nike shoes. His death was the jumping point for college protests against the brand’s use of sweatshop labor in the early aughts, during which CEO Phil Knight waged a funding war against the Oregon and Michigan universities to quash these protests from the inside. Concessions made to union demands were eventually overseen by the Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), an independent group dedicated to safe labor practices, but as recently as 2017, Nike denied the WRC access to their facilities in Vietnam and Honduras, where they have previously been accused of using sweatshop labor. Kaepernick’s dedication to the crusade against police brutality, as well as a myriad of other causes he supports with his per-
sonal wealth, reflects a desire to protect and foster humanity at any cost. His Nike deal pushes him back into the spotlight, and where he goes, so does his activism. Yet despite the good that this deal can accomplish, it is important to remember that a corporation is not a person, but a mechanism for generating profit at the lowest possible cost. Nike has made this mechanism cost human lives. This deal is as much a triumph of social media buzz for them as it is for Kaepernick, as it helps obscure their dark past and murky present. It is up to the watchful consumer, then, to ensure that the future remains clear.
of dread. People who suffer from borderline personality disorder — a mental health condition that causes intense relational problems and episodes of anger and depression — were found to avoid looking in a mirror as a way to cope with their symptoms, according to a study published in BioMed Central. The study suggested that BPD patients, who “expect and perceive social rejection stronger than healthy individuals,” shifted their focus from themselves
onto others as a way to escape their intense feelings of social rejection. In 2013, a study found that people who use more first-person singular pronouns, such as “I” and “me,” scored higher on depression tests than those who emphasized the plural pronouns “we” and “us.” But we hardly need studies to tell us that. “I feel so self-conscious” is a common way to express negative feelings of unease, and current culture is obsessed with developing the ability to not care. The wildly popular selfhelp book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” centers on that very advice: don’t worry about how others perceive you. Live life like it just doesn’t matter, because we’re all dying anyway. Easier said than done,
my friend. There might be an alternative to developing a flippant middle-finger attitude to yourself and everyone else, one that may help with the curse of being too self-aware. What if you understood that everyone else is just as horrible, awkward and strange as you are? It’s not that you don’t matter, or others don’t matter — we’ve all met the jerk who needs a giant shot of “know thyself” in their vein — it’s just that we’re all bumbling idiots trying to make it in a complex world. Focusing on your unique awfulness not only tortures yourself but makes you less empathetic to the other equally awful people around you. That’s why the researcher in the pronoun study concluded that a
probable explanation for the “I” users’ connection to depression was that it made them distinct from everyone else. On the other hand, the “we” users saw themselves as one of many. Even in our self-consciousness we aren’t alone. I’d wager you’re not the only person in your close circle of friends who’s pathetically obsessed with themselves. You were just too focused on your shortcomings to notice. All of us are the worst, and you’ll be fine. The subtle art of pessimism.
Aroog Khaliq is a sophomore from Overland Park studying English and psychology.
Lodos: The subtle art of pessimism
never sue anyone because the lawyers fighting you are extra when you feel yourself starting to get a bit crazy and you have to sit down and have a talk with yourself about appropriate responses to life
K ANSAN.COM
REBEKAH LODOS @Rebekahlodos If there’s something on your mind, shoot an email to rlodos@kansan.com. Self-awareness is inextricably linked to anxiety. Social anxiety often feels like an acute awareness of the way in which others see and judge what you do or look like. Similarly, obsessive examination of our inner motivations and thoughts can trigger a whirlpool of shame that will drag the best of us into a spinning episode
how to submit a letter to the editor
LETTER GUIDELINES: Send letters to editor@kansan.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the email subject line. Length: 300 words
The submission should include the author’s name, year, major and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters.
contact us Shaun Goodwin Editor-in-chief sgoodwin@kansan.com
Baylee Parsons Business Manager bparsons@kansan.com
Rebekah Lodos is senior from London studying journalism and political science.
editorial board
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Conner Mitchell, Rebekah Lodos and Baylee Parsons.
K ANSAN.COM
SPORTS
7
Volleyball falls in Kansas Invitational final
Despite dominating in both hitting percentage and blocks, Kansas volleyball fell to Loyola Marymount 3-1. JORDAN WOLF @JWolfAP In the final action of the Kansas Invitational, Kansas fell to Loyola Marymount in four sets (20-25, 26-28, 25-23, 25-20) on Saturday, as it was once again unable to execute in key situations. The Jayhawks fought the Lions close, but were only able to prevail in the third set. It’s a problem that’s plagued Kansas coach Ray Bechard’s squad all season — being able to play with anybody in any given set but struggling to close the door late. “Other teams are making plays at the end of sets,” Bechard said. “We’re not. As a staff, as coaches, we’ve got to get our team more comfortable in situations like that.” No set dipped below a final margin of more than five, and the second and third sets were locked in a tie heading into the 20s. Save for that third set, though, Loyola Marymount seemed to always simply be a leg up on Kansas late, capitalizing in situations the Jayhawks failed to all day. For Bechard, there is no easy fix for this, but he knows that if the team can consistently execute better throughout sets, the problem could maybe be shored up. “We keep talking about it. How can you play a little better, a little longer?” Bechard said.
Bob(Jiatong) Li/KANSAN Junior outside hitter Ashley Smith spikes against LMU's defense. Smith racked up six kills in the match.
“Other teams are making plays at the end of sets. We're not.” Ray Bechard head coach
“Because it seems like there’s opportunities for us in sets. If there’s a four or five-point nap we’re taking, that’s really going to be critical. We’ve got
to be truer to our ceiling longer.” Not all to be taken away from Saturday is negative, though. The attack performed well overall, led by junior outside hitter Jada Burse, who finished with a team-high 15 kills on an efficient .222 hitting percentage. Senior right side Gabby Simpson had eight kills of her own, on an even sharper .429 clip. Kansas actually outhit Loyola Marymount .278
to .246 as a team, showing its offense’s relative success throughout the day. Still, it wasn’t enough to earn the victory. “You hit .278,” Bechard said, “You should win the match.” The defense held strong up front, too. Freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs had a career-high eight blocks, and the team as a whole had a whopping 13. Again, though, this stifling front
line wasn’t enough. “You out block them 13-to-3, you should win the match,” Bechard said. Langs wasn’t the only freshman to shine, as setter Camryn Ennis orchestrated the efficient attack with 30 assists in just her fourth careerstart and fifth careerappearance. Ennis only began to see playing time last Saturday in the Bluegrass Battle, but seems to have earned a regular starting spot at
least for now. Sophomore setter Annika Carlson didn’t appear in any of the weekend’s matches, and was described as day-today by Bechard. Kansas will next head to North Carolina for its last non-conference tournament of the season beginning on Friday with a 5 p.m. tilt against Elon.
— Edited by Conner Mitchell
COLUMN
Kicker Gabriel Rui is essential for football success
Kansan file photo Senior kicker Gabriel Rui kicks a field goal at the spring football showcase on Saturday, April 28. FULTON CASTER @FCaster04 Kickers: A position that is lamented when they fail and ignored when they succeed. The position of kicker
is an aspect of football that is often put on the back burner when discussing the sport. Some even go as far to say that kickers aren’t even real football players. Personally, I disagree.
Kickers serve an incredibly valuable and underappreciated role in the game of football. Think about it. If you have a kicker who can’t hit reliably from beyond 40 yards, your scoring
area of the field has shrunk to the opponent’s 23-yard line or closer. Whereas if you have a kicker who can hit from 50 yards reliably, the scoring area of the field has now increased to the opponent’s 33-yard line. This may not seem like a big deal at first, but being able to score from a farther distance from the end zone increases the efficiency of your offense. Now let’s take this to a more specific example: Kansas senior kicker Gabriel Rui. Rui is the primary place kicker for the Jayhawks, and he has evolved into one of their best offensive weapons. The best example is the team's most recent game against Nicholls State in which Rui hit a career-long 54-yard field goal. Not only did Rui make the field goal, but it was hit so cleanly that he possibly could have made it from as far as 60 yards. That is undeniably impressive and important. Let’s present a hypothetical situation now. Let’s say Rui is able to comfortably hit a field goal from 57 yards and shorter consistently. In that case, the Jayhawks' scoring area of the field has now increased to the opponent’s 40-yard line. You have already
created a larger area of the field to score from, thus decreasing the burden on your offense. You can look at it this way. The average drive for a team will start on the 25-yard line with the increase in touch backs on kickoffs and new rules allowing a fair catch on kickoff returns. In that case, if you have a kicker who can hit from 57 yards and
“Outside of all the numbers and math presented, the point is very simple: kickers are more important than you think.” shorter, your offense only needs to gain 35 yards to enter scoring territory. In the same way, you would need to gain 50 yards of offense to make it to the opponent’s 25-yard line if your kicker could only hit from 42 yards or closer. Simply put, a kicker with range makes your offense more efficient. A team that needs to gain only 35 yards to reach scoring territory could average four yards a play and need nine plays to reach their goal. In that same vein, a
team needing 50 yards to make it to their scoring territory, while averaging four yards a play, would need 13 plays to reach their target. While a fourplay difference may not seem like a lot to most, any football coach will tell you that they strive for the fewest amount of plays needed to score, which increases efficiency. Outside of all the numbers and math presented, the point is very simple: kickers are more important than you think. Rui is more important to this Jayhawk football team than a lot of fans probably realize. He is somebody with consistent 50-plus yard range. Rui led the Big 12 in field goal percentage last season at 85 percent as well. He is an accurate kicker with a big leg and a lot of confidence. That makes him an important player that can easily boost the scoring potential of this Jayhawk offense.
— Edited by Conner Mitchell
8
sports
SPORTS
K ANSAN.COM
The wait is over Monday, September 10, 2018
K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S
Kansas football won a road game for the first time in 3,283 days, defeating Central Michigan 31-7.
Courtesy of Kansas Athletics Pooka Williams Jr. runs into the end zone for one of his two touchdowns against Central Michigan on Sept. 8, 2018. Kansas won 31-7. MADDY TANNAHILL @maddytannahill
As senior cornerback Shakial Taylor produced a pick-six off the hands of Central Michigan quarterback Tony Poljan to give Kansas a 28-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, the end of a daunting 46-road-game losing streak was well in sight. 3,283 days in the making, the Jayhawks’ 31-7 toppling of the Chippewas on Saturday ended the longest road losing streak in FBS football history. Having held the Chip-
pewas to a single touchdown, the Jayhawk defense led the era-ending effort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Spearheaded by senior linebackers Keith Loneker Jr. and Joe Dineen Jr., who combined for 23 tackles on the day, Kansas' defense limited Central Michigan to 12 first downs and only 103 yards on the ground. Impacting the game on both sides of the ball, the Kansas defense corralled four interceptions for 57 yards and a touchdown. Offensively, the Jay-
hawks struggled early, putting up only seven points in the first half following a 31-yard touchdown pass from senior to senior as quarterback Peyton Bender connected with wide receiver Kerr Johnson Jr. With Kansas in need of an offensive spark-plug heading into the second half, true freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. delivered. Playing in his first collegiate game after having sat out against Nicholls St due to non-disciplinary matters, Williams ran for 125 yards
those first two losing sets. She would replicate her first two sets in the third and fourt sets of the game, finishing with a team-high 30 assists, along with five kills and seven digs. Ennis had not seen any court time until a strong fourth set last Friday against The College of Charleston in the middle of the Bluegrass Battle. Her performance was able to earn her a start against Kentucky the following night, the first of her career. Since then, she has started all three ensuing matches of the Kansas Invitational at Horesji Family Athletics Center. Part of the increase in her playing time is due to the strapped availability of Kansas’ setters, with senior Gabby Simpson not at 100 percent and sophomore Annika Carlson being unavailable all
weekend. “It was still a good opportunity for us to see how it looked,” Bechard added about Ennis being thrown into the rotation. Another freshman who had a strong day was middle blocker Rachel Langs. Langs racked up five blocks in the first set along with a pair of kills. She would finish the match with a career-high eight blocks, yet only two kills, leading Bechard to believe there is room to grow for Langs. “Rachel — we gotta get her more involved on the attacking side, I thought her defense was very good," Bechard said. Freshmen liberos Lacey Angello and Audrey Suter also saw action on Saturday, with Angello picking up the start and Suter making at least one appearance per set behind the service line.
against the Chippewas, posting two touchdowns. The Marrero, Louisiana, native, dubbed the “Louisianimal,” picked up his first touchdown at the 10:13 mark in the third quarter following a quick 20-yard run into the Chippewa end zone. An interception at the Kansas 48-yard line by Dineen Jr. set up Williams’ second touchdown of the third quarter. With Dineen Jr. turning defense into offense, Williams ran for 41 yards to put the Jayhawks up 21-0 with 8:58 to go in the third quarter.
Momentum in the hands of the Jayhawks following Williams’ impressive third-quarter performance, Kansas dominated the remainder of the second half. Having fought through a first quarter plagued with three penalties and only three first downs, the Jayhawks turned the game around on their feet, conjuring up 152 rushing yards through the second half. As promised by coach David Beaty since the start of the season, both Bender and sophomore transfer quarterback Miles Ken-
drick took snaps at the quarterback position. Showcasing the pair’s diversity, Bender threw for 130 yards on the day, completing 65.4 percent of passes while Kendrick added 14 yards on the ground with four carries. The momentum of an era-ending victory on its side, Kansas will return to action at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 15 as it hosts Rutgers at 11:00 a.m., in search of its first victory at home this season.
KU volleyball's young talent shines despite loss DARBY HAYS @derbhays11
To end the Kansas Invitational, Kansas fell to Loyola Marymount in four tough sets on Saturday afternoon. All sets ended with tight scores, with the largest deficit being a 2520 Kansas loss in the first and fourth sets. In spite of the loss, a bright spot for Kansas was the play of all four active freshman, especially that of setter Camryn Ennis, who has seen plenty of playing time in the early stages of the 2018 season. “I think Camryn had a really good weekend,” Bechard said. “I’m very proud of her. That was the first time she has ran the one-setter system.” Ennis was able to tally three kills in the first set alone, followed by a six dig second set. Consistently, she had 15 assists through
athletes of the week
Pooka Williams Football
In a 31-7 victory on the road, true freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. led the charge offensively for the Jayhawks, rushing for 125 yards and two touchdowns on the day. After missing the home opener against Nicholls State, Williams Jr. became the only freshman since James Sims in 2010 to collect over 100 rushing yards in his opening game.
Bob(Jiatong) Li/KANSAN Freshman libero Lacey Angello passes the ball during Kansas volleyball's 3-1 loss to Loyola Marymount on Sept. 8. All four players have been impactful for the Jayhawks so far, and it isn’t going unnoticed by the upperclassman. “I think they’re doing good, it’s always hard
to hop in and step up to the plate," said Simpson. "I think they’re doing as good of a job as they can in places that we are lacking."
Zoe Hill
Next, Kansas will face off against Elon in the last non-conference tournament of the season in North Carolina. That match is set to start at 1 p.m.
Volleyball Despite the Jayhawk volleyball team finishing 1-2 at the Kansas Invitational, junior middle blocker Zoe Hill earned All-Tournament honors following a 31-kill weekend. Opening the tournament with five kills in the Jayhawks’ first set against American, the junior highlighted the stat sheet the remainder of the weekend, accumulating 16 blocks alongside her 31 kills. Hill was the only Kansas player to make the All-Tournament Team roster.