THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
INSIDE
SPORTS Katie McClure uses competitive upbringing to fuel her success at Kansas soccer
The University Daily Kansan
vol. 137 // iss. 15 Mon., Oct. 8, 2018
SEE MCCLURE • PAGE 7
Faculty Rights Board rules on Architecture and Design chair removals p. 2 Former governor’s son uses art in public service, designs cleats for Kansas City Chiefs p. 3 Read more at kansan.com
Trump bolsters Kobach at Topeka rally HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon
Among a sea of red “Make America Great Again” signs, t-shirts and hats, President Donald Trump spoke to hundreds of Kansans at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka on Saturday evening. “Now you have a president that is standing up for America,” Trump said during the rally. “We are standing up for your values. We are standing up for Kansas — and we are standing proudly for our great national anthem.” The rally focused heavily on Trump’s support for current Kansas Secretary of State and Republican candidate for Kansas governor Kris Kobach. At the start of the rally, he also congratulated Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for being confirmed by the Senate and sworn into the Supreme Court. “I’m thrilled to be here with all of my friends on this truly historic night,” Trump said at the beginning of the rally. “I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people.” Kobach joined Trump on stage, addressing the large crowd of Kansans gathered inside the Expocentre.
Chance Parker/KANSAN President Donald Trump held a rally at the Kansas Expocentre on Oct. 6 in Topeka in support of Kris Kobach for governor. “To put it simply, I want to do for Kansas what President Trump has done for America,” Kobach said. “Thank you President Trump for making America great again.” Trump encouraged Kansans at the event to vote for Kobach in November. “Everybody get out and vote for my friend Kris Kobach on election day,” Trump said. According to a poll by Public Policy Polling, Kobach currently
has a narrow lead of one percentage point over Laura Kelly, the Democratic candidate for governor. When speaking about Kelly, Trump and Kobach discussed her views on sanctuary cities as well as guns. “My opponent voted for sanctuary cities,” Kobach said. “It’s time to put Kansans first, not illegal aliens.” Trump also asked Kansans to vote for Steve Watkins for Kansas’ second congressional
and illustration student group of KU are confused, embarrassed and quite frankly offended by the important matter of how Dean Mahesh Daas has handled our department. Our former chairman, Andrea Herstowski, is the one who many students hold dearly. We can count on her for career advice, academic help, and she is always putting her students first to advocate for their needs. With Andrea’s skills and expertise, she is a crucial member of the KU design department. However, according to the dean, her role within the department was not needed. Andrea plays a vital role in the overall success of
the design department, and it was a mistake to replace her with a less qualified and less involved chair. This is unacceptable, and does not reflect the values and character of the University of Kansas. Who will advocate for the student needs? … Who will consistently fight to keep the design program as strong as it is today? As students of the school of design, we feel that the new direction of the design program is to move it backward, not forward. We need our program and the University of Kansas to do better by bringing Andrea back to her former position as chair and continue paying her accordingly. This is not the school
district. “A vote for Steve is a vote for me and our agenda to make America great again,” Trump said. In addition to speaking about Kobach and Watkins, Trump thanked a variety of individuals at the event, including current Kansas governor, Jeff Colyer. “He’s a great guy,” Trump said. “You have one hell of a governor … Great governor, great man.” In addition, Trump discussed his achievements as president
“We are standing up for your values. We are standing up for Kansas — and we are standing proudly for our great national anthem.” Donald Trump President
at the event, speaking on a variety of topics, such as his current ratings,
“fake news media,” illegal immigration, standing up for American values and putting Americans — and Kansans — first, among other topics. “We finally are rebuilding our nation,” he said. Cheryl Sonnenberg, a resident of Garden City, said she was glad to see so many supporters attending the rally. “I love Donald Trump . . . There’s old, there’s young; there’s every walk of life,” Sonnenberg said. Mike Barnett, of Hope, said he is “very supportive” of Trump, and was happy with the variety of individuals who came. “I was really excited to see so many younger people here,” Barnett said before the event. At the beginning of the event, Trump said, due to Kavanaugh being confirmed into the Supreme Court, that the event in Topeka was almost canceled. Trump said he did not want to disappoint Kansans. “No way am I canceling Kansas,” Trump said. “I don’t have the courage.” Brad Parscale, Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, said Kansas is “Trump country,” before introducing Trump at approximately 6:20 p.m.
Architecture, design students voice frustrations CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0
Roughly 45 minutes into an assembly meeting of faculty members at the School of Architecture and Design on Friday, senior Beth Snow was recognized to speak. Snow said she wanted to read a statement from students in the prototype program in the design department and have it put on the record. The statement was directed at School of Architecture and Design Dean Mahesh Daas, who was chairing the meeting: “After recent events in the School of Design, the [outlook] is far from optimistic. We, the students of prototype, graphic design
Chance Parker/KANSAN Senior Beth Snow, a student in the School of Architecture and Design, voices her concerns during a faculty assembly meeting on Friday, Oct. 5.
“[I]f the standard of school keeps going down, I’m not sure I want my degree to have the university name on it, because it’s not going to mean as much as I thought it did.” Maddy Irwin Senior
of architecture. This is the School of Architecture and Design. Every single day, Andrea comes to class, she shows her students that she cares. Now, Dean Daas, show us that you care about the students in design too. It’s time that the dean realign his focus on both departments and that he is held accountable for his actions and misuse of power.” Snow’s statement, along with several comments faculty members directed at Daas, appeared to reference two Kansan articles that detailed a $125,000 payment to a faculty member for his agreed retirement and an apparent effort on Daas’ part to dissolve the design department and have the programs operate under the umbrella of architecture. One faculty member, who did not identify himself, directly asked Daas to comment on the Kansan’s reporting. He declined. Payton Prosser, a senior in the School, said students were so confused about what was happen-
ing, she came to the assembly meeting hoping to get more information. “I think a lot of us for a while have noticed that we’re not necessarily getting a lot of information,” she said. “So when the article came out, I was compelled to come out and try to get more information for the student body.” “There’s been no direct response to any of this,” Prosser said. “We really want an open path of communication with our administration and I don’t feel like we’ve had that or that he’s willing to make a path.” Prosser asked Daas during the meeting why there was money to pay a faculty member’s settlement, and money to increase the number of administrators in the school, but not to hire more professors. Daas said he would respond at another time. “I thought that he was unprepared. The article came out on Monday, today is Friday, (I thought) he would have had plenty of time to come out with
a statement or come out with some sort of response to student considerations and concerns,” said Norah Swift, also a senior in the School. “It seemed like he didn’t necessarily care and was just there because he had to be there. He didn’t really have a response for us, which was super disappointing.” Senior Maddy Irwin said students in the school had little to no idea about what was happening in the school — and still don’t, for the most part. “Students don’t know,” Irwin said. “They don’t know what the problems are, it’s all behind closed doors.” Ultimately, Irwin said she’s concerned about the direction the school is taking under Daas’ leadership. “I’m going to eventually get this degree that I’ve worked really hard for. But if the standard of school keeps going down, I’m not sure I want my degree to have the university name on it,” she said. “Because it’s not going to mean as much as I thought it did.”
2
news
NE WS
Monday, October 8, 2018
staff NEWS MANAGEMENT
Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin
Managing editor Conner Mitchell
Digital operations editor Emily Cox
Audience engagement editor Grant Heiman
Associate audience engagement editor Arman Alhosseini ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT
Business manager Baylee Parsons
Sales manager Mitch Tamblyn SECTION EDITORS
News editor Lara Korte
Associate news editor Hailey Dixon
Sports editor Braden Shaw
Associate sports editor Maddy Tannahill
Arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman
Associate arts & culture editor Josh McQuade
Opinion editor Rebekah Lodos
Visuals editor & design chief Huntyr Schwegman
Photo editor Chance Parker
Copy chiefs Raeley Youngs Savanna Smith ADVISER
General Manager Rob Karwath
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.
KANSAN MEDIA PARTNERS
K A N S A N .C O M / N E W S
Male faculty tenured more than women SOPHIA BELSHE @sophia_654_ While women make up the majority of students on campus, those teaching classes often reflect a different demographic, data shows. According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, women hold the majority of non-tenure track positions but are the minority in tenured track positions. Of 426 tenured professors, 111 — or 26 percent — are women. However, in non-tenure track lecturer positions, women take 207, or 52 percent, of 393 spots. “It’s definitely obvious that there’s fewer [women] in this department ... There’s five of us, all tenure track, but that’s five out of 30 or so tenure tracks. That’s not half by any means,” said Elaina Sutley, an assistant professor in the civil, environmental and architectural engineering department. Sutley said throughout her career, her gender hasn’t limited her job options but that in her field, women are sometimes hired or included on projects mainly for diversity, which can be beneficial in that it increases job opportunity, but can also be “annoying,” Sutley said. “I’ve constantly heard from people that good things are going to happen to you, but not because you earned it,” Sutley said. “I don’t think that’s why I
Illustration by Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN have a job at KU or why I’ve gotten projects funded. I would say that it comes up in conversation, and some people really do make decisions based just off of that.” Jenny Robinson, assistant professor in the chemical and petroleum engineering program, said the gender gap increases as women move up the hierarchy. Across all departments, 12 out of 47 — or 25 percent — of tenured faculty administrators are women, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. “As a professor, I’m
starting to experience just a little bit more [push back], and that may be because of the numbers,” Robinson said. “All through my training in biomedical engineering, it’s been about 50-50 for undergraduates and graduates, but as you get to certain other positions, it is less.” While women are the increasing majority on college campuses, and continue to earn high level degrees at comparable rates to men, women hold only 30 percent of STEM degrees, according to a 2017 update by the U.S. Department of Commerce. “If you don’t see yourself
in those roles, you’re not going to continue on in those roles,” Robinson said. Robinson also said in order to bridge the gap, it’s important for women to continue to support each other. “There are still barriers, and I think the big thing right now is, as women, we help each other out,” Robinson said. “I always had women mentors, which was awesome, because I could see myself in them, in some sense. But I think the push now is we need women sponsors to put us up for awards, and to put us in the discussion.”
Robinson said that progress has been made in recent years to include women in the STEM field, which has been traditionally male dominated, but there are still ways to improve. “For me, it’s been really important that I make the statements that I feel need to be made,” Robinson said. “Naturally, it’s easier to just stay quiet and not make a case for, let’s say, female graduate students, female undergraduates — anything that’s important to ensuring females have an equal role in the training here at KU and in the future.”
Review finds Daas’ decision ‘abrupt and unilateral’ CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0 Editor’s Note: This story contains anonymous sources with connections to the School of Architecture and Design. The Kansan uses anonymous sources only in extreme cases, in accordance with the Kansan style guide. The sources in this story were granted anonymity due to concerns they would be retaliated against or their jobs would be in danger if their names were divulged. A June decision to remove two department chairs in the School of Architecture and Design was “inconsistent with the spirit of the University’s longstanding best practic-
es and principles of shared governance,” according to a decision from the University’s Faculty Rights Board. The decision, handed down on Oct. 3, said the move by Dean Mahesh Daas to replace chairs Andrea Herstowski and Jae Chang with associate deans was “abrupt, and largely unilateral,” according to a document obtained by the Kansan. The Faculty Rights Board handles appeals from University faculty who feel their rights have been violated. Eleven faculty members filed an appeal on behalf of Herstowski and Chang, hoping to reinstate their chairships, according to the document.
The Board said in its decision it was concerned about the “absence of meaningful input” Daas gathered from faculty before making the decision to replace the department chairs with associate deans, which the Kansan previously reported saved $35,000 from the school budget. Despite the concerns, however, the Board said it was handcuffed by specific University policies regarding department chairs, who serve “at the pleasure” of the dean who appoints them. Therefore, the positions are subject to Daas’ discretion. “Although the record reflects a troubling lack of collegiality in a decidedly hurried process, it is not
Check out KUJH-TV on Wow! of Kansas Channel 31 in Lawrence for more on what you’ve read in today’s Kansan and other news. Also see KUJH’s website at tv.ku.edu. KJHK is the student voice in radio. Whether it’s rock ‘n’ roll or reggae, sports or special events, KJHK 90.7 is for you. 2000 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence, Kan., 66045
editor@kansan.com www.kansan.com Newsroom: (785) 864-4552 Advertising: (785) 864-4358
K ANSAN.COM
Chance Parker/KANSAN Dean Mahesh Daas of the School of Architecture and Design talked to students and staff during a public staff board meeting on Friday, Oct. 5.
the Board’s role to second-guess the motivations of Dean Daas’ decision to rescind the offers of appointment prior to the beginning of the fiscal year,” the document reads.
“The record reflects a troubling lack of collegiality in a decidedly hurried process” Faculty Rights Board review
“The Board therefore unanimously, though reluctantly, voted to dismiss the appeal as it pertains to the non-reapportionment of Prof. Herstowski and Prof. Chang.” Since the associate deans appointed to fill the chairships were put there on an interim basis, the Board said Daas should have — but didn’t — consult properly with faculty members before making the decision. In his initial response to faculty members after the decision, the board said Daas noted that “prior consultation with members of [Architecture and Design] would not have resulted in a different decision.” “Assuming the veracity of that statement, and the validity of such action, does not eliminate the need for prior consulta-
tion with members of the unit,” the document reads. “Thus, the Board recommends the required meaningful consultation occur as soon as reasonably possible for the interim appointments currently at issue, and for any appointments that may occur in the future.” The Faculty Rights Board is made up of five tenured faculty members, according to University policy. One member with a Juris Doctorate degree — the highest law degree in the United States — two faculty members, and a representative from the American Association of University Professors serve staggered three-year terms. A representative from the Faculty Executive Committee serves a one-year term. A faculty member in the School previously told the Kansan the decision to strip Herstowski and Chang of their chairships took away a position of advocacy for both faculty and students. “We are a professional school. When you start stripping out the significance of a department chair, that person represents us to the dean’s office,” the faculty member said. “He or she is not the voice of the dean’s office, which is what we have now with his new appointments.”
K ANSAN.COM
arts & culture Monday, October 8, 2018
ARTS & CULTURE
3
K A N S A N .C O M /A R T S _ A N D _ C U LT U R E
Politician’s son uses art for public service RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218
John Sebelius’ mother is the former governor of Kansas and the Health and Human Secretary of the United States. Sebelius’ paternal grandfather was a congressman; his maternal grandfather was the governor of Ohio and his father was a federal judge. Sebelius, however, took a different career path than that of his family: he became an artist. SeedCo Studios, located in the Warehouse district of Lawrence, houses Sebelius’ quaint space. It is about the size of a dorm room. But the studio is all he needs. “Working and getting into the studio every day is something,” Sebelius said. “Whether or not it’s good – that’s not important to me as long as it’s making something every day.” Sebelius’ next project is a massive one. He is painting cleats for the Kansas City Chiefs during the NFL’s Week 14 My Cause, My Cleats campaign, allowing players to wear custom cleats. He is painting 12 pairs, including a pair for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The players chose the cause, and Sebelius met with each of them to decide the design. “When you get the shoe it kind of changes everything up,” Sebelius said. “The texture of the shoe kind of forces what
Rachel Griffard/KANSAN John Sebelius, a local Lawrence artist, helps veterans by using art as therapy. that design is going to end up being. But it has been amazing.” Raised in Topeka, Sebelius trained at the Rhode Island School of Design before returning to attend the University of Kansas, where he earned his Master of Fine Arts in 2012. After finishing graduate school, Sebelius became a professor at Washburn University — teaching drawing and design. A friend of his was a doctor at Stress Disorder Treatment Program — a 7-week program designed to help veterans with
PTSD. Sebelius asked if he could volunteer and teach a painting crash-course to veterans. During his time there, over 200 veterans took his art class. “I love working with veterans,” Sebelius said. “It’s a community that desperately needs creative ways to express themselves — especially with all of the trauma they are dealing with. If I can provide that outlet they might not have known beforehand, that’s something that is really important to what I’m doing.” Sebelius is currently serving as the Art-
ist-in-Residence at the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment at the University. He offers a variety of projects involving painting, drawing, sculpting or other art forms. His art program received a Rocket Grant funded by the Spencer Museum, the Charlotte Street Foundation and the Andy Warhol Foundation of Visual Art to help keep the program funded for the next year. Jeromy Morris is the director of SeedCo Studios and current curator for the Cider Art Gallery. The
two met at a pop-up gallery downtown and now share space at the studio. “If his program helps one veteran with their struggles, it’s a win,” Morris said. It can be hard to live in Lawrence, Sebelius said, a town saturated with talented artists and new, compelling art. “Getting people to constantly buy your art is difficult,” Sebelius said. “You get wall saturation because you can only fill up a wall so much. I think that is a hurdle of trying to find new work that people find engaging.”
Morris said what sets Sebelius apart is the vibrancy of the colors he uses, his personal aesthetic with self-painted portraits on collared button-up shirts and a shoe painting game that is “on point.” Morris also said he has subconsciously been adding more, bolder colors and heavier textures to his art thanks to working with Sebelius. “I think a lot of artists have a hard time with self-promotion, but he embraces it,” Morris said. “He’s able to balance art as a business.” Sebelius said he hopes the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens continue their winning ways so their match-up during week 14 will bump the game into prime time, where his shoes can have a late-night spotlight. While the upcoming projects can provide Sebelius with publicity, he feels as if his most important pieces of art come from the work he does in his classes to aid those who are struggling and need help. “Every session that I work with them — within such a short period of time, at least one of them has been changed positively,” Sebelius said. “If they go home and get stressed with their family or work, they can pick up a pencil or a lump of clay, paint and they know how to express themselves in a creative way.”
KU alumnus, lecturer designs ESPN magazine cover RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218 Alex Anderson was surprised when he saw an email with an ESPN address in his inbox. Two years after an initial meeting with ESPN, Anderson finally got his chance. The company was in search of an artist to help design its cover for the annual NFL Preview feature. “I said that I would definitely be interested and I can definitely make time,” Anderson said. “It was a really cool opportunity.” Anderson graduated from the University of Kansas in 2013 with a degree in graphic design. He moved to Kansas City and worked at a brand firm for more than three years before returning to the University to teach and become a freelance designer. “Leaving my job was a huge leap of faith,” Anderson said. “You can never really plan for not having any source of income, but taking the leap from working in a studio where everything is set up for you to realizing you have to do all that stuff on your own is a huge ordeal.” Andrea Herstowski is the chair of the Department of Design in the School of
Architecture, as well as Anderson’s academic supervisor. She first met Anderson when he was an undergraduate and helped bring him back to the University to teach. “[Designing for ESPN] is a huge thing because he is just starting off freelancing,” Herstowski said. “I think it’s great for his portfolio to be able to get more work like that. I am very proud of him.” Anderson said he always had an interest in art and computers and didn’t realize the connection between them until he took a commercial art class in high school. “I needed to fill my schedule and [the class] sounded easy,” Anderson said. “I had a great teacher and she took me and said, ‘You are pretty good at this. I think you could make this a career.’” But Anderson said he was skeptical. “I didn’t think it was a thing that people do,” he said. He said his teacher kept pushing for him to consider graphic design and attend a school that offered the degree. Anderson’s main focus in graphic design is brand identity — helping companies establish themselves with logos or designs. “That’s what was cool about the ESPN thing,” Anderson said.
Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Alex Anderson, who teaches in the Department of Design at the University of Kansas, designed ESPN Magazine’s NFL Preview issue cover. “It was taking my love of brands and identity and combining it with sports which is another thing I’m super interested in. And when those two things meet, I think there’s a lot of interesting things that could happen.” Anderson said ESPN has designers who focus on the layout of the magazine, but he provided pieces of art for them to work with. “It’s really a tool kit that you pass onto them to make it what they want,” Anderson said. “It’s
a lot of individual pieces that they pull from.” Herstowski said having a client with ESPN’s notoriety could help jump-start Anderson’s career in freelance graphic design. She also said that she isn’t surprised by the opportunity, given his style and attention to detail. “All of his marks in his work look very complicated, but they’re very clean and well executed,” Herstowski said. “That’s what he brings to the classroom,
too.” Anderson said seeing his work out in the world is always weird, but seeing it on the platform of ESPN elevated his feelings to another level. “To see it on a national level is always an interesting change of pace,” Anderson said. “It’s super cool, obviously, to see stuff that you worked hard on go out and be seen by other people.” Anderson said he never thought graphic design would lead to this opportunity for him. He
said he thought that as long as he was working and making a living he would be successful. Now he sees teaching students as the most rewarding part of his job, regardless of the freelance opportunities. “I get to pass on this passion that I have for design or help them start to see that the more passionate you are about the stuff, the more it can lead you down paths you didn’t expect,” Anderson said. “Sometimes those are the most rewarding paths.”
4
ARTS & CULTURE
K ANSAN.COM
Gaga, Cooper electrify in ‘A Star is Born’ REVIEW
COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman
Judy Garland had “The Man That Got Away.” Barbra Streisand had “Evergreen.” Lady Gaga has “Shallow.” Garland’s torch song from the 1954 version of “A Star is Born” is considered one of the best musical performances ever captured on film. Gaga isn’t far behind. When Gaga’s character, Ally, takes the stage at the end of the first act, the audience knows what’s coming. The moment has been immortalized in the first trailer for the film. What we don’t see in the trailer is Gaga’s performance leading up to that moment. Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), Ally’s grizzled, world-weary love interest, coaxes her to step in front of the screaming crowd. Her palpable reluctance makes you forget you’re watching someone who has sold out stadiums all over the world. Lady Gaga is a classically-trained musician. She attended one of the world’s best performing arts schools before dropping out to pursue pop stardom. She’s been in the
Contributed This image, released by Warner Bros., shows Bradley Cooper, left, and Lady Gaga, right, in a scene from the latest reboot of the film, “A Star is Born.” entertainment industry for more than a decade. All of this is to say the current narrative — that we never could have seen her excellent turn in “A Star is Born” coming — is bull. We just weren’t paying attention. Cooper shines both as director and co-star. Every moment of his film is mag-
ic set to pop songs that feel like classics the first time they’re heard. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique paints the tragic heroes in gorgeous blue and red solar flares. The screenplay, co-written by Cooper, Eric Roth and Will Fetters, tips its hat to the previous three adaptations of the film while still tell-
ing a fresh story of stardom. It’s the performances that make the movie, however. Gaga has more or less been training for this movie her whole life, but she couldn’t have anticipated her chemistry with Cooper. After all, if she were in a room of 100 people and 99 didn’t believe in her,
Cooper would be the one person who does. “A Star is Born,” in all four of its iterations, is a story about toxic masculinity. Man achieves fame, man’s stardom begins to fade, man falls in love with woman, woman becomes successful, man gets jealous, man self-destructs. The movies don’t exactly
endorse this behavior, but they do romanticize it. This version, Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, does a little work to address the problematic nature of its source material. Jackson is essentially robbing Ally of her agency in the beginning of the film by continually pressuring her to perform, despite her insistence that she’s afraid. But a later bathtub conversation between the couple helps Ally reclaim some of her power. Addiction is central to the film. Jackson is destroyed by his dependence on drugs and alcohol — so, too, are his earlier “A Star is Born” counterparts. But this film is more sympathetic, acknowledging that what Jackson suffers from is a disease through no fault of his own. Cooper and Gaga are electric together. Jackson growls his way through declarations of love, and Ally receives them with heartbreaking earnestness. They’re every part doomed lovers, burning twice as bright for half the time. You’re stuck between wanting to crawl between them and wanting to tear them apart before it’s too late.
REVIEW
Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter V’ falls short of expectations Wayne has become in his career and as father to his four children. Throughout the album, the New Orleans rapper sheds light on the moments that led to his success. However, unlike Jay-Z on “4:44,” Lil Wayne raps about his life lessons in a way that refrains from the typical hip-hop standard dominated by sermon-esque singles about fame and wealth. Instead, Lil Wayne ascribes to a style highlighted by many shrugs followed by standout singles, which doesn’t typically fit in 2018. That isn’t to say that the album is lacking in quality, but it’s more of a continuation of what Lil Wayne does best — accelerating flows, thought-provoking lyricism and vivid storytelling. No song on the album does this better than “Mona Lisa.” With the help of Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne paints a detailed story of a woman — the protagonist, Mona Lisa — dealing with two different men at the same time. However, the woman is more involved with Lil Wayne and is basically just playing games with Kendrick Lamar’s character. The rappers do a brilliant job of tag-teaming
on the record to illustrate the two perspectives in the story. “Mona Lisa” is the perfect blend of storytelling, high-quality lyricism and messaging — every rap song’s utopia. The track is undoubtedly the song of the year, and it will be hard for any song that’s scheduled to come out this year to match “Mona Lisa’s” sovereignty. “Famous” is another song in which Lil Wayne goes in-depth about his feelings. Although it’s not as impressive as “Mona Lisa,” the single does a good job of clearly expressing Lil Wayne’s feelings. The song is preceded by the second of three messages from Lil Wayne’s mom, in which she warns him about becoming a young father, alluding to him having his first child when he was 16. That’s why it’s appropriate that the song features his first born child, Reginae Carter, on the chorus. Throughout the song, Lil Wayne challenges his prior beliefs about fame and fortune, rapping about how he initially just wanted the attention and how it forced him away from his family. He also raps about the relationships he lost because of fame, which could
partially allude to his feud with Birdman. The worst thing about “Tha Carter V” is that it’s too long. “Famous” and “Mona Lisa” are the only two songs really worth an analysis because the 23-track album features a lot of songs with similar messages that don’t really add to the album’s value. If Lil Wayne learned anything from his mentee Drake’s “Scorpion” — which boasted 25 songs, many of them unnecessary — this summer, it’s that when albums have more than 20 songs, at least 20 of them need to be impressive. While the Swizz Beatz-produced “Uproar” and “Let It Fly,” featuring Travis Scott, boast semi-impressive beats, the lyricism isn’t present and it’s very clear that the songs were produced a long time ago because they don’t really fit today’s musical climate. In fact, most of the songs are just like that, which proves the album being delayed for so long decreased its value. However, the album’s shortcomings don’t speak to Lil Wayne’s ability as a rapper. He has nothing to prove, so it’s fine “Tha Carter V” isn’t the best of Tha Carter series. And it’s also
ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) Support each other through changes or transformation. Partnership blossoms under this New Moon. Dive into a collaborative flurry over two weeks. Start another chapter together.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) This New Moon in Libra sparks a family, fun and passion phase. A romantic relationship transforms. It’s all for love and love for all.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) Fresh energy floods your work, health and vitality with this Libra New Moon. Nurture yourself before caring for others. Power into physical routines.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Wrap your love around home and family. A new two-week domestic phase arises with this New Moon. A seed planted long ago flowers.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) Adapt to unexpected news. Profit through communications. Breakthroughs arise in conversation under this Libra New Moon. Share gratitude and appreciation with those who’ve earned it.
DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige After experiencing several delays and false release dates for the past four years, Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter V” was finally released last week. The album was held back due to Birdman, founder of Cash Money Records, reportedly violating the contract’s terms regarding the album, which resulted in Lil Wayne wanting to part ways with the record label. While it wasn’t clear when “Tha Carter V” would be released, all hope was restored when Lil Wayne won his lawsuit against the record label in June. However, the album, which explores the rapper’s thoughts about his fame, family and personal issues, doesn’t exactly live up to the hype, and that’s OK. The best thing about “Tha Carter V” is that it was finally released. It’s an album that’s more defined by the context of its release than the actual quality of its content. The album starts with a message from Lil Wayne’s mom, Jacinda Carter, on “Love You Dwayne” in which she gets emotional about how successful Lil
horoscopes
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) Use creative communications for sales and marketing under this New Moon in Libra. Step into new levels of prosperity. Begin a new chapter.
Contributed Photo Rapper Lil Wayne appears on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Oct. 2, 2018. OK if this is Lil Wayne’s last album. He’s done more than enough to prove how his legacy should be cemented. “Tha Carter V” is good for the moment, and features an interesting list of artists, including Nicki Minaj, Ashanti, Nivea, Snoop
Dogg and XXXTentacion, although it a was missed opportunity for the album to have a Drake feature. It’s not the album of the year, but it’s certainly feels good to hear a new Lil Wayne album again.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) A new personal phase dawns with this New Moon in your sign. Take charge. Take your talents, capacities and skills to new levels.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) Take a team endeavor to new heights. Breakthroughs in friendship, social networks and community provide cause for celebration under the New Moon.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) Study with a master. Education, travels and exploration sprout with this New Moon. Consider new views and perspectives. Push your own limitations, boundaries and frontiers.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) Insights, breakthroughs and revelations sparkle under this New Moon. Discover something new about the past. Begin a two-week philosophical, spiritual and mindful phase.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) Professional opportunities shine under this Libra New Moon. Accept new responsibilities as you prepare. Develop a project from idea to reality over two weeks.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) Find creative ways to grow your family’s nest egg. Two lucrative weeks dawn with this New Moon. Launch a profitable initiative together. .
K ANSAN.COM
PUZZLES
Cryptoquip
ARTS & CULTURE
5
Sudoku
Crossword
?
F IND THE A NSWERS AND OTHER GREAT C ONTENT AT
KA NSA N.COM
H AV E A N Y I D E AS FO R UPDAT I NG T H E PU ZZLE PAGE? E M A I L E D I TOR@ K A NSA N.C O M W I T H I D E AS FOR NEW GAM ES, ST Y L E C H ANGES, AD D I NG A N SWERS, ETC.
2030 Burge Union | Jo Hardesty, Director
340 Fraser | 864-4121 www.psychCLINIC KU EDU COUNSELING SERVICES FOR LAWRENCE & KU
Students and Non-Students Welcome Confidential
opinion
K ANSAN.COM
Monday, October 8, 2018
Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351
OPINION
6
K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
In response to salary increase article
HANNAH BAILEY FFA of the Day: “I mean, if you arrest me, I don’t have to go to class today.” I love October because now every time I say “I crave death” I’m being festive instead of concerning looked up the program costs of studying abroad and now i’m crying thanks for asking I went to every single one of my classes this week. Please clap. I made a pact with myself to not spend any money on food all week and it’s been the hardest thing I’ve done in my life “Dungeons and Dragons? Is that some kinky shit?” Mitch McConnell looks like a snapping turtle when i was 14 I wanted to be president and change the world but now all I really want is a pair of reliable shoes “I don’t believe in god, but I believe in Shake Shack” “If you think I wouldn’t smash to ‘Cotton Eye Joe,’ you’re sadly mistaken” I hate bowling, it makes me feel poor “It piqued all of my interests as a Francophile wolf lesbian” “Have you ever watched videos of dolphins getting high?” if trump hits the juul i will hate him a little less Just mailed in my absentee ballot down with Ted Cruz I have my pitchfork ready “kansas is trump country” well it was nice knowing you all
I am writing in response to the article that Sydney Hoover wrote for the University Daily Kansan on Oct 2, 2018 entitled “Despite minimum salary increase, GTA contracts still have work to be done.” While I was happy to see that the UDK is drawing attention to issues related to graduate worker labor, I wanted to highlight a number of important gains from our most recent round of negotiations that weren’t mentioned in the article. In addition to three years of guaranteed raises, we made huge strides in our working conditions, including two weeks of sick and six weeks of parental work adjustments, which function as paid leave; improved grievance rights and a democratic process for those grievances; and an expanded non-discrimination clause which include protections around sexuality, race, ethnicity, and gender expression. We also fought for and won greater recourse against termination, including the right to review; protection against cancelled short courses during term appointments (meaning that we still get
paid if it doesn’t make enrollment goals); a new progressive discipline policy; the right to instructional resources including desks, office space, free printing, Internet-enabled computers, and more; support for research including paid release time for conferences and other professionalization; and $60,000 in matching funds to the Educational Opportunity Fund Child Care Grant. I agree that the University of Kansas has much work to do in terms of fair pay and working conditions for GTAs and other graduate workers. In the meantime, all of these gains are the result of the hard work of the GTAs who put in countless hours
surveying our unit in Fall 2017 to determine our priorities in negotiations, and then months of negotiations over Spring and Summer 2018. KU has estimated that we spent 190 collective hours in negotiations alone, not counting the time our team spent researching and preparing proposals. Our negotiations are an open and collective process and our team was comprised of unit members from across a number of departments. They fought for the things we said we wanted, and although we didn’t win on every issue, all of these successes have been achieved for graduate students who labor as GTAs
lic four-year institutions graduate a majority of their full-time students on time.” This is clearly a national problem. But what’s causing it? More students are enrolled in U.S. universities now than ever. In 1965, about 5.92 million students were enrolled in U.S. universities. The National Center for Education Statistics estimated 19.9 million students would enroll in U.S. universities in fall 2018. There’s overall population growth, of course, but it’s possible that more students are enrolling in universities because the current competitive job climate requires individuals to have degrees. Acceptance rates are quite high, too. According to the National Associa-
tion for College Admission Counseling, the national average acceptance rate for four-year colleges was 66.1 percent in the fall of 2015. With such a high average acceptance rate, a wide array of students with different academic capabilities are entering universities. It may take some students longer to fulfill graduation requirements simply because of diverse abilities. Universities also require students to take multiple prerequisites and courses that are not related to their major. This could be a contributing factor in the low four-year graduation rate — students have to take classes that they may not be interested in, and this can be discouraging. These prerequisites
secure and respected in our workplace, and that is exactly why we must stand together in union. If any GTA has questions about our contract, needs help with a workplace issue, are uncertain if it’s a “worker” issue or a “student” issue, or even unsure if it’s an issue at all, call your department union steward! If you don’t know your steward, you can email our Chief Steward Justin Preddie at justin.preddie@gmail.com. If you want to become a full member of our union, you can find the online form at tinyurl.com/joinGTAC or reach out to our Vice-President Neill Kennedy at nkennedy1995@gmail.com for a paper card.
Why do so few students graduate in 4 years? MOLLY LANDOLT @mollylandolt Only about 48 percent of the University of Kansas’ 2013 incoming freshmen graduated in four years, according to University data. Do too many students test their fate walking through the Campanile before graduation or are there other factors that play into the situation? At first glance, this number seems low, but studies suggest that the University is actually ahead of the national average time it takes students to graduate. Only 19 percent of all full-time college students earn a bachelor’s degree within four years. According to the New York Times, “Nationwide, only 50 of more than 580 pub-
When will Amy Adams get her damn Oscar My favorite stressrelief activity is eating a whole loaf of bread peyton bender sucks thanks for coming to my ted talk just blew up like 10 balloons and my entire mouth tastes and feels like rubber Thought I saw a cat in the distance but it was only a squirrel, wtf is this shit
by regular people who are fighting for all of the same rights that all workers at any university should be afforded. Finally, regarding the issue of leave of absence that the article mentioned—I am happy to report that the right to a leave of absence is a long-standing provision achieved a number of years ago. It can be found in Article 5, Section 11 of our contract, which is available publicly at https:// tinyurl.com/2018GTAC. The fact that Brittany felt as though her job was threatened when she suffered an adverse life event is exactly why we need our union. Brittany and every other GTA deserve to feel
Sarah Wright/KANSAN School of Education graduates pass through the Campanile, holding their traditional blue balloons.
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.
“There is no simple solution to this national problem, but with fewer prerequisites and non-major credit requirements, students could actually graduate within four years.” may not even be beneficial to students’ overall education, but they certainly take up a lot of time and effort. Prerequisites can be challenging for students, causing students to retake courses. The Washington Post noted that “the average graduate had accumulated 138.4 credits by the time they received a bachelor’s degree, when 120 is usually sufficient.” This could be a consequence of failed courses, prerequisites, and students’ late decision about their majors. Universities also benefit financially from requiring students to enroll in classes that do not relate to their major — courses costing an estimated $361 per credit on average. Given all this, why is the University of Kansas ahead of the curve in its percentage of four-year graduates? It is estimated the University has a 93 percent acceptance rate, which is much higher than the national average. But even so, our four-year graduation numbers are comparatively large. This could be because the University offers a multitude of re-
contact us Shaun Goodwin Editor-in-chief sgoodwin@kansan.com
Baylee Parsons Business Manager bparsons@kansan.com
sources to aid students in excelling academically and graduating on time, such as the Academic Achievement and Access Center, the KU Writing Center, tutoring services, and advising services. The University also generously accepts transfer credits from other universities, community colleges, and AP exams, ensuring students do not have to repeat courses they completed before attending. There is no simple solution to this national problem, but with fewer prerequisites and non-major credit requirements, students could actually graduate within four years. Universities nationwide should also offer a multitude of resources for students to ensure they are on track to graduate on time. Before you walk through the Campanile early, remember that you could fall victim to the 52 percent of students at the University that do not graduate within four years.
Molly Landolt is a sophomore from Labadie, Missouri, studying strategic communications.
editorial board
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Conner Mitchell, Rebekah Lodos and Baylee Parsons.
K ANSAN.COM
SPORTS
7
Competitive upbringing fuels Katie McClure LOGAN FRICKS @LoganFricks
With her back to goal and a defender breathing down her neck, Katie McClure brought the ball into her control with a deft touch. She’d already scored four goals on the season, but the freshman had gone 27 days without a goal, and was feeling the pressure as Kansas soccer was approaching the end of a deadlock with Iowa State and second place in the Big 12 on the line. But McClure wasn’t going to let that pressure get to her. Swiftly turning, the Jayhawk freshman rounded the defender and sent a hopeful shot toward goal. Just as she’d done 27 days prior against Texas, McClure dragged the Jayhawks by the scruff of their necks and pulled them to victory with a game winner —within the final five minutes of a closely contested conference match-up. There was no way she was going to let a game within reaching distance slip away. Two years later, McClure, now a junior, has not changed a bit, growing into the unspoken hero for Kansas, refusing to quit and never giving up on her teammates. “I’ve always been competitive, even when I was young," McClure said. "I hate losing. It sucks. It’s always the fight to win, and this team has helped me bring out more.” McClure’s competitive edge has always been with her, even since the age of four when she’d play in the backyard of her home in Wichita with her two older brothers, D.J. and Cooper. Instead of staying indoors, playing with barbie dolls or dressing up like other girls her age, McClure said she would have rather been outside with a soccer ball at her feet, returning indoors with as much mud as she had bruises on her legs. Her love for sports didn’t dwindle as she grew up either — if anything, it grew stronger, and with that passion, so did McClure’s competitiveness. Throughout elementary and middle school, McClure tried her hand at a little bit of everything: volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer — you name it, she did it. But at 14 years old, McClure was forced into a decision she’d been dreading for years. Both soccer and softball ran during the same season, meaning McClure could only commit to one. “The intensity of softball was what got me hooked to it, but I’m glad
Sarah Wright/KANSAN Junior Katie McClure, forward for Kansas soccer has been previously featured as a University Daily Kansan Athlete of the Week. I chose soccer,” McClure said. McClure has always been known for her intensity and competitive nature throughout high school, especially because she had the goal of playing in college and beyond in the back of her mind. “I was just shooting to play for college, anywhere,” McClure said. “I could have gone JUCO, and I would have been happy.” Before addressing playing in college, McClure had one other goal while
Katie McClure
CAREER STATS
a hat trick in the Class 5A Regional Championship, he knew he was watching something special and offered her a chance to play soccer at Kansas. “I really liked her mentality going at people,” Francis said. “She took risks in the attacking end of the field, and she’s quick. We felt like we could improve her in terms of tactical awareness and in the attacking third, and her movement, how she finds the ball.” Following her com-
McClure said. "She’s always wanting to get better every day. She’s always putting in work. I look up to her a lot. She’s definitely a role model for me.” Hagan echoes the sentiments of McClure and how the pair has grown together as teammates. “I think coming in, I had to learn a little bit too," Hagan said. "It’s something hard for freshmen to come in. She might have played for it all of her life, but there’s still so much she could learn, and I think
a consistent rotation spot. After coming off the bench to start the season, McClure would go on to start the remaining 16 games. “It was crazy to see that I was starting the fifth game in and have been since,” McClure said. McClure said competition has always driven her, especially during her first year at Kansas when she was forced to compete for playing time with players such as now-senior forward Grace Hagan and now-redshirt junior forward Taylor
49 18 7 52%
at Maize High School: a state championship. However, McClure would never achieve this goal, finishing as the 6A runner-up during her sophomore season and third in the 5A state tournament during her senior season. Unable to earn hardware in high school, McClure found success with her club team OFC 98, winning three championships between 2013 and 2015. Even on a championship-caliber team, McClure still managed to stand out, causing OFC 98 coach Sammy Lane to alert Kansas coach Mark Francis of his high-flying forward. Francis went to watch McClure play on two occasions during her high school sophomore year, and after seeing her bang in
STARTS
GOALS
mitment to Kansas mere weeks after being offered a spot, McClure would go on to break the Maize High School record in career goals, picking up 6A/5A All-State first team honors three times along the way. Entering her freshman season at Kansas, McClure took some time to transition to the speed of the college game. But, having spent the summer practicing at Kansas before the season started, McClure already had a leg up on her peers in adjusting to a higher level of play. “I don’t think I would have been able to do the school part just going straight into preseason,” McClure said. However, like most freshmen, McClure needed time before jumping into
Sarah Wright/KANSAN Junior Katie McClure chases down a ball against Utah on Friday Aug. 31. Kansas defeated Utah 2-1.
ASSISTS
SHOTS ON GOAL
that is something you should really emphasize in any freshman. She has so much potential and has been living out her potential since she got here.” Although McClure is a year younger than Hagan, she said McClure has taught her some important lessons in both sports and life. “What Katie has taught me is that you should never quit in any game, no matter the circumstance,” Hagan said. “I think in any game, she’s not super loud, yelling at players, but you can
Christie. Hagan has known McClure since they were young, with the pair playing on the same fields throughout their hometown of Wichita. Yet, the two had never truly known each other on a personal level until McClure arrived at Kansas in 2016. Now, three years into their playing time together, the duo has chemistry that has gone unmatched. “I learned a lot from Grace, playing with her, playing against her. Her work ethic is unbelievable,"
Under 21 Welcome
just see it in her eyes. She’s going to play and hustle until the last minute. Even if we’re up by three or we’re down by three, she would always go at people.” The pair’s playing career isn’t just limited to their time in the crimson and blue of Kansas, either. For the past two summers, McClure and Hagan have returned to Wichita to play for the same club team, FC Wichita, to keep up their fitness and competitiveness. While Hagan and McClure have formed a formidable partnership, the importance of Christie can’t be overlooked either. Coming off the bench, Christie offers a strong third option up front when Hagan or McClure need a quick rest. “I was able to look up to [McClure] as a player," Christie said. "She leads by example, works hard every practice and every game, so I am able to match her energy during the game and feed off of her and just learn from how hard she works. I think coming onto the field, getting fresh legs in, she can feed off of my energy, and hopefully that can push her to get in that extra step to a pass or something.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Vegan and Vegetarian food
Tuesday Night Open-Mic
Friday & Saturday Night Live Music
Meeting room Available 2228 Iowa St, Next to West Coast Saloon Open 7am - 11pm
High-speed Wifi
8
sports
SPORTS
Monday, October 8, 2018
K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S
KU football falls to West Virginia JACK JOHNSON @JohnyJ_15 Heading into Saturday afternoon's contest between Kansas and West Virginia, Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen took a shot at the Jayhawks recent success in forcing turnovers. When asked about the turnover margin, Holgersen replied “that's coming from Rutgers,” referencing the Jayhawks six turnover outcome against the Scarlet Knights in week two. Saturday's box score against West Virginia will go down as just another defeat for the Jayhawks, with their 38-22 loss, but the numbers don’t at all tell the story of how things shook up in this one. The offense was once again lethargic in the first half, aside from senior quarterback Peyton Bender leading a crisp drive that lead to an 18yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Mavin Saunders to pull Kansas within a score after finding themselves in an early 14-0 deficit halfway into the first quarter. However, the first half wasn’t quite indicative of how it really looked on the field. Although the Mountaineers led the Jayhawks 21-7 at half, Kansas had converted a 4thand-2 on a wild fake punt, picked off Heisman front runner Will Grier three times in the end zone —
Kansas Athletics Junior safety Hasan Defense runs the ball back after intercepting a pass against West Virginia. The Jayhawks fell to the Mountaineers 38-22 on Saturday, Oct. 6. two coming from junior safety Hasan Defense — and remained within striking distance on just 78 total yards of offense. The surge by Clint Bowen’s defense not only was rather stingy for the first 30 minutes of play, but the three turnovers forced likely hurts, if not completely dashes away, any shot of Grier winning the prestigious Heisman trophy award. In a game where freshman safety Ricky Thomas and junior safety Mike Lee sat out with injuries, the Jayhawks were heavily reliant on Defense and junior safety Jeremiah McCullough in containing one of the top prolific passers in the NCAA in the secondary. The defense didn’t
necessarily limit in terms of yards gained, but managed to not let the game slip away early despite being pinned against the wall due to a handful of costly turnovers by junior quarterback Carter Stanley, which led to Benders entrance into the game. To start the second half, the Jayhawks made things even more interesting, as they punched it into the end zone on their first possession, resulting in a 31-yard touchdown burst from junior running back Khalil Herbert to pull Kansas to within seven at 21-14. On the ensuing drive by West Virginia, the Jayhawk defense struck again, forcing a fumble on a sack of Grier on 3rdand-20 to turn it right
themselves. “They settled in,” coach Ray Bechard said. “We were a little hurried defensively, trying to be all over the place. We settled into what we were trying to be true to all week.” That hurried feeling arose before the match even began, when Bechard recalled his players asking, ‘Where’s 22?’ in reference to Baylor’s star hitter, sophomore Yossiana Pressley, who was not at the match. Bechard said the team had no idea Pressley wouldn’t play in the match, which naturally befuddled its game plan as she is No. 4 nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12 in kills per set at 5.13. While the Bears certainly missed Pressley’s presence in the attacking game, Bechard knew her absence didn’t necessarily lay an easier path like one may think. Still, it’s hard for any team to keep its composure when faced with such a massive loss. “I think sometimes doubt creeps in a little bit when you’re without one of your best players,” Be-
chard said. If that doubt was just beginning to seep into Baylor’s mind after the second set, it solidified after the third. The two teams were bunched up early, never leading by more than three or four points. But then, Baylor edged out a 23-18 advantage, seemingly putting Kansas on the ropes. Once again, Kansas rallied. In danger of falling behind 2-1, the Jayhawks instead launched a 6-0 run to close the set, taking the 2-1 lead for themselves and seizing every ounce of momentum in the gym. Baylor still had two entire sets to fight its way back, but based on the way the match was trending, that looked to be quite the uphill battle. “It would be tough, knowing that you had the set in hand on the road, now you’re down 2-1,” Bechard said. “So yeah, I think it would create a little bit of self-doubt.” Kansas finished with 16 total blocks in another impressive defensive
K ANSAN.COM
back over to Bender and the offense. Unfortunately, for as stout as the defense performed in forcing four turnovers and sacking Grier five times, the untimely missed tackles, poor substitutions and not getting off the field on crucial third downs led to the Jayhawks winding up on the losing side of a 38-22 outcome. If Kansas had been a little more clinical on a couple of its tackles, there just might have been a stunning upset in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Saturday. Next week, the Jayhawks will have their bye-week before hitting the road to take on Texas Tech down in Lubbock, Texas on Oct. 20.
MCCLURE • FROM PAGE 7 With a team motto of “Who do you play for,” McClure simply wants to get the best out of her teammates. “I think if I keep being competitive and the teammates around me continue being physical and doing all the little things, it will help [the freshmen] see what it really takes to win,” McClure said. Her teammates and coach recognize she may not be the most vocal player on the team, but her presence and work ethic push fellow teammates to do their best. “You could see it towards the end of last year that she had those leadership qualities,” Francis said. “Her mentality on the field, she gives it absolutely everything, so I think that is more by example, but she’s become more vocal. She’s not extremely vocal, but when she does it's extremely important. She knows what to say at the right moments.” With over two years of collegiate experience under her belt, McClure’s intensity still shines through — sometimes a little too strong, resulting in fouls and the occasional yellow card. “She doesn’t like to lose,” Francis said. “I think she takes it very personally. If she didn’t convert on an opportunity or the game was close but we didn’t quite win, she takes a lot of that onto her own shoulders.”
Off the field, McClure is goofy and light-hearted, poking fun at her coaches. But on the field, McClure is the player willing to take the final shot to win the game. “We have a really good relationship," Francis said. "We joke around with each other a lot. Katie is a very happy kid ... She also knows when it’s time to buckle down and get to business. She’s the first one ready to go.” Francis also said that, since coming to Kansas, McClure has made concerted efforts to be the best she can be. “To be the best at something, you really have to work at it every day,” Francis said. “You can’t take a day off, if you do that, you can be good, but you won’t be the best. I think she epitomizes that now.” McClure is said she is currently unsure of her future, whether she follows her educational path and becomes a physician assistant, or she decides to go pro and play overseas. When her collegiate career is over and she walks off the field one last time as a Jayhawk, McClure hopes to have a Big 12 title on her resume. But no matter her decision following graduation, McClure will always look back to the moments she spent in her backyard with a ball at her feet and bruises on her legs, and the doors that were opened for her due to her love and passion for competition.
KU volleyball defeats Baylor for seventh-straight win JORDAN WOLF @JWolfAP The Jayhawks' undefeated Big 12 season lives on. After dropping a backand-forth first set, Kansas surged back to knock off No. 23 Baylor in four sets (23-25, 25-18, 25-23, 2521) Saturday afternoon, moving to 4-0 in Big 12 play and extending its winning streak to seven matches. A slow start put the Bears ahead 1-0 early, as they swung for a .282 hitting percentage and kept away any Jayhawk attempts to rally. Kansas had battled, but heading into the second set, it felt like Baylor had full control of the match. But then, as has happened many times this year, the Jayhawks flipped the switch. Baylor swung for just a .026 clip in the second set as Kansas’ defense tightened up, allowing the Jayhawks to begin to chip away at the momentum. By the end of the set, the Jayhawks won 25-18 and were beginning to defensively look like
athletes of the week
Emma Pravecek/KANSAN Kansas celebrates after winning the third set against Baylor. The Jayhawks won 3-1 on Oct. 6. showing at the net. Leading the charge was once again freshman middle blocker Rachel Langs, who had 10. Offensively, another big game from junior hitter Jada Burse anchored an attack that was otherwise shaky. Burse finished with 19 kills on 41 swings, picking up just three errors on her way to a very efficient .390 hitting percentage.
Allie Nelson Volleyball
Junior libero Allie Nelson played an integral role in Saturday’s victory over Baylor, contributing six consecutive serves to lead the Jayhawks in a 6-0 scoring run when trailing 23-19 in the third set, leading Kansas volleyball to its seventh straight win. The junior has additionally provided a consistent source of defense for the Jayhawks, recording double-figure digs through the last six matches, including all four conference match-ups.
“I just give all the credit to my teammates, honestly,” Burse said. “Without them, I wouldn’t be as good. Them motivating me and them depending on me helps me.” The Jayhawks now sit at 4-0 in Big 12 play, putting them tied with the Texas Longhorns for first place in the conference. They’ve probably still got a ways to go before earning looks to be ranked, but the win
Anastasia Rychagova
over a strong Baylor squad and West Virginia earlier in the week bodes well for them moving forward. “A good week for us, to win a couple matches at home against good teams,” Bechard said. Kansas doesn’t have much time to celebrate, however, as a date with No. 4 Texas awaits Wednesday night. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Horejsi Family Athletics Center.
Tennis On Friday, senior Anastasia Rychagova became the first Jayhawk tennis player to advance to quarterfinals in the ITA All-American Championships at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California. The senior, ranked No. 6 nationally, defeated Stanford’s No. 13-ranked Melissa Lord in two sets (6-2, 6-3) to reach the round of eight. Rychagova then dropped her quarterfinal match to No. 7-ranked Fernanda Contreras of Vanderbilt (6-1,6-1).