THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
The University Daily Kansan
Halloween Edition
vol. 137 // iss. 20 Mon., Oct. 29, 2018
Kansas beats Texas (Christian) in football JACK JOHNSON @JohnyJ_15
Since TCU’s inclusion into the Big 12 back in 2012, Kansas football has lost all six of its games against the Horned Frogs. That streak ended on Saturday in David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. After previous failures to finish out a strong fourth quarter in the past against TCU, the Jayhawks finally closed the deal in a shocking 27-26 upset over the Horned Frogs. Both of the teams had struggled mightily since the opening of conference play, coming in on multiple-game losing streaks. With that in mind, the result may not have been a complete surprise. To start the contest, Kansas received and put together one of its best drives of the seasons with an 11-play, 75-yard drive, resulting in a oneyard touchdown rush from junior running back Khalil Herbert to give the Jayhawks an early 7-0 lead. Similar to the first possession for Kansas, TCU had no shortage of production in marching down deep into the red zone. However, the Jayhawk defense stuffed the Horned Frogs on 4thand-1 at the goal line, turning them over on downs and presumably shifting the momentum heavily in the Jayhawks’ favor.\ Despite the actionfilled start, the remaining first half of football was rather silent, especially for Kansas. Netting only 14 total yards since its opening
vol. 137 // iss. 20
Monday, Oct. 29, 2018
Chance Parker/KANSAN
Fans rushed the field after a 27-26 Kansas win against TCU on Saturday, Oct. 27. drive, the dormant Kansas offense allowed TCU to take the lead on a 56-yard strike from quarterback Michael Collins to wide receiver Jalen Reagor. Heading into halftime, TCU had out-gained Kansas 279-89, yet only led by a mere three points. But it was the second half that told a much different story. Following a three-andout forced by the Kansas defense, the offense responded by flexing its passing game, headlined
by a 31-yard pass from senior quarterback Peyton Bender to sophomore wide receiver Stephon Robinson Jr. The large chunk of gains set up a scrambling seven yard touchdown pass to freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. to turn the lead back over to the Jayhawks, 14-10. The lead marked the first time Kansas held a lead in the second half of a conference game since 2016 — coincidentally when Kansas beat Texas.
said the office has seen an average of around 500 voters each day since advanced polling locations opened last Wednesday, which is above the normal average for midterm elections. He said it is possible the increase in advanced voting could create a decrease in voting on election day, but the number of new voters participating could predict otherwise. “At this rate, a lot of the vote may have occurred before the election, which is a trend that we’ve been seeing over the past couple cycles,� Shew said. “We’re seeing the level of activity we would normally see in a presidential election in a midterm.� Throughout the semester, a number of student organizations have been making efforts to register students at the University to vote, including the University of Kansas Young Democrats and College Republicans organizations, as well as Student Senate and the Student Union Association, among
others. “I think the 2016 elections defied a lot of people’s expectations,� Grace Stewart-Johnson, a senior from Wichita, said. “A lot of political science pollsters and stuff — things just happened that they weren’t expecting. So people have come to realize that, ‘okay, I might actually need to get involved in this because what I think about the world has kind of all gone topsy-turvy.’� Stewart-Johnson is currently interning for Loud Light, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to increase civic participation in Kansas among underrepresented populations. She has been active in registering students to vote as well as working with organizations on campus to encourage voting. “It’s kind of confusing; there’s a lot of misinformation out there about registering to vote and who can, and where you can, and how do you do it, and all of that,� she said. “So I think it’s
Just as soon as Kansas gained the lead back, it was lost yet again thanks to a couple of long TCU completions to set up a 2-yard rushing score by Collins. Heading into the fourth quarter, the pair of teams went back-andforth, interchanging leads from 17-14 to TCU, 2017 to Kansas, 24-20 back to TCU and finally the deciding 27-26 victory for Kansas. Williams found his way into the end zone once again, this time from 28
yards out for the final game winning score with just over six minutes left in the game. On the final drive for the Horned Frogs and the last chance to retake the lead, they maneuvered their way to inside Kansas’ 10-yard line, but coughed it up on a costly fumble with a little over a minute left the game. The students who stuck it out for the whole game piled onto the heart of the field in a frenzy of celebration the program
had not witnessed since 2016. The win pushes the Jayhawks to 3-5 and 1-3 in the Big 12. They will next host Iowa State on Saturday, Nov. 3 in hopes to win a second-straight Big 12 game for the first time in nearly a decade.
next game
vs. Iowa St. Sat., Nov. 3 11 a.m.
Douglas County mails out record number of ballots SYDNEY HOOVER @sydhoover17 The Douglas County Elections Office reported a record number of advanced ballots mailed out in its history for this year’s midterm election. The elections office posted on Facebook that a total of 12,146 advanced ballots had been mailed as of Wednesday evening. This topped both the 2014 midterms, with 5,597 ballots mailed out, and the 2016 presidential election, which had 7,948 ballots mailed out. “We are way ahead of anything we’ve ever mailed in the history of our county,� said Jamie Shew, the Douglas County clerk. Shew said that of the ballots mailed out, around 30 percent of those were either “brand new voters,� or voters who typically only voted in presidential elections. The office has also seen an increase in the age bracket of 18- to 24-year-olds voting with advanced ballots. Additionally, Shew
File Photo Illustration Douglas County voters are utilizing advanced ballots at a record high this year ahead of the midterm election on Nov. 6. helpful for people who, if they had already been meaning to do it, to have someone come up to them and be like, ‘here it is, it’s easy, just do it.’� Even with the push to register from many organizations on campus, Shew said the county has not seen an abnormal increase in voter registration as it has in voter participation.
While the office always pushes for voter engagement in the presidential elections, Shew said it is the state elections that will have more of an impact on college students. “Those are people that decide things like how much money KU gets, what tuition’s going to be, and things like that,� Shew said. “So their decisions
directly impact students, in some ways, more than at the federal level.� Students, faculty and staff registered in Douglas County are able to vote in advance at the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center the week of Oct. 29, and can find their election day polling location at douglascountyelections. com.
2
news
NE WS
Monday, October 29, 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
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 ANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M / N E W S
KU looks to house USDA agencies LARA KORTE @lara_korte
The University of Kansas is vying to be the next home of two new centers run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On Oct. 22, the USDA announced that the University was one of over 130 institutes that expressed interest in becoming the new home of the department’s Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Manhattan, Salina and Wichita have also thrown their hats into the ring. “The University of Kansas and its regional economic development partners are excited to pursue this opportunity,” said Jack Cline, the University’s director of federal relations. “We believe that KU and Lawrence together offer tremendous infrastructural and logistical advantages, competitive financial incentives and a talented workforce that make us a great option for the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.” The mission of ERS
Kansan file photo The University of Kansas is hoping to be the chosen location of two new U.S. Department of Agriculture centers. is to anticipate emerging issues in agriculture, food, the environment, and rural America, conduct research, and inform public and private decision making, according to its website. The office frequently works with high-profile clientele, including Congress and the White House. Similarly, NIFA provides leadership and funding for programs that advance agriculture-related sciences. NIFA collaborates with leading scientists, policymakers,
experts, and educators in organizations throughout the world to find innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global problems, according to the agency’s website. On Oct. 15, U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, who represents Kansas’ second Congressional district, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue voicing her support for the centers’ relocation to the University. “The community is strategically situated in
the geographic center of the United States with an outstanding regional transportation network,” Jenkins said in the letter. “The community also readily offers a highly educated workforce with more than 52 percent of the residents obtaining a bachelor’s degree or higher.” Jenkins also praised Lawrence’s proximity to Kansas City International Airport and the University’s connectivity abilities, saying it could provide secure IT infra-
structure that follows federal requirements for sensitive facilities. The USDA is expected to announce the new location in January. “We know this is a competitive application process,” Cline said. “And we are pleased to have the chance to showcase KU and Lawrence as a dynamic university community that is committed to education, research, economic growth and workforce development.”
long process and not a process someone should feel ashamed for. “This is not the first time in history that science is showing that something is harmful,” Jonsson said during the event. “When also at the same time, there is science that shows that something is healthy. So what’s the truth?” Jonsson used a parallel of the normalization of cocaine, cigarettes and alcohol to pornography during the presentation. “Science is catching up to truth with the porn industry,” Jonsson said. “They do not care about you as an individual. The thing they only care about is money and your attention. They want to exploit an uneducated brain, an uneducated brain to this topic. They do not want you to know about the harmful effects that porn has on the brain because they want you to consume ignorantly.” Jonsson defined two types of addiction: substance addiction versus behavioral addiction. “Pornography enters
through the eye; the reward center is then activated at an unhealthy level,” Jonsson said. “Chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin flood the brain at an unnatural level. So we have this spike in the reward center and then you have a low in the reward center because you’ve exhausted those chemicals.” Jonsson said the indus-
The argument for people who struggle with pornography to “just stop,” was marked invalid by Jonsson. “To white knuckle it through any addiction, it’s not going to work,” Jonsson said. “There’s a problem with self-diagnosis because there’s a progression of addiction, more like a dimmer switch versus an off and on switch.”
Overland Park, said she was drawn to the event because of how passionate one of her friends is about the movement. “He always wears his ‘Porn Kills Love’ shirt everywhere and is always up for having conversations with people about it, so I had to come out,” Maddock said. Jonsson encourages those who look at porn to think before they click. “Every time you click that screen to consume, you are not only hurting yourself, your relationships and your potential relationships, but the person on the other side of the screen as well,” Jonsson said. “It’s not only possible that you could be fueling sex trafficking, but it is also possible that you are consuming an act of sex trafficking. Hopefully the next time before you click, you think about what you are supporting.” Jonsson closed the presentation with challenging students, faculty and staff to start more conversations about usage of pornography. “The next step is to continue the education to change the conversation about porn and eliminate shame in the process,” Jonsson said after the event. “It does take a long time for regulation to take place, and there already have been about ten states that have declared pornography as a public outcry, and I think in ten more years, I bet more legislation will be in place. For the future of college campuses, I would like to see more people around campus to have these meaningful conversations.”
‘Fight the New Drug’ talks porn addiction NICOLE DOLAN @NIKKIDOLAN279 Although pornography may be an outlet for some, Garrett Jonsson, with the non-profit organization Fight the New Drug, discussed and led an informational presentation on the negative effects of pornography on the brain, heart and society as a whole last Wednesday night in the Kansas Union Ballroom. Students, faculty and staff were all invited by the St. Lawrence Catholic Center’s youth ministry Good Company to view the presentation. Jonsson opened with debunking common misconceptions about the organization as a whole. FTND is not affiliated with any religion and specifically wants to reach out to a large audience of people, especially those attending public schools, according to Jonsson and FTND’s website. The organization also emphasizes education to eliminate shame of porn users, acknowledging that freedom from addiction is a
“With porn consumption, you stop seeing a person as a person, and you start seeing them as an object.” Garrett Jonsson Fight the New Drug
try does not discriminate against gender or age, aiming at viewers as young as age 9. “To them, they think ‘the younger the better,’” Jonsson said. “They are getting in front of you as soon as they can. From first time exposure, young users start to seek that out more, creating it into a habit, into a compulsive behavior and sometimes even into an addiction.”
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
Elizabeth Will/KANSAN Garrett Johnson of FTND spoke at the University on Oct. 24.
Jonsson also described the difference between shame and guilt, and how the organization strays away from shaming users due to counter productivity. In addition, Jonsson described pornography’s effects on the heart and relationships. Supernatural stimulus caused by exaggerations was connected to how pornography uses pixels to draw users away from developing real, human relationships, creating an increase in dissatisfaction in those relationships, according to a study by Dr. Ana Bridges, a psychologist at the University of Arkansas. “With porn consumption, you stop seeing a person as a person, and you start seeing them as an object,” Jonsson said. “The part of the brain when you look at someone triggers the same part that deals with objects and then your brain relates physical intimacy with objectification.” Rose Maddock, a junior transfer student from
NE WS
K ANSAN.COM
3
Professor studies heat illness in marching band LUCY PETERSON @petersonxlucy A University of Kansas professor has teamed up with researchers in South Carolina to study how heat and dehydration affect marching bands. University professor Dawn Emerson and University of South Carolina professors Toni Torres-McGehee and Susan Yeargin are working together to test ten members of both the Kansas and South Carolina marching bands. The study will look at the risk factors of heat illnesses, such as amount of sleep, nutrition, hydration and how these correspond to the members’ physiological responses such as heartrate and core temperature while performing and practicing. “[Marching band members] have a lot of the same illnesses and injuries as athletes,” Emerson said. “I really wanted to look at the marching band because no one really has before and there’s not much about heat illness and the risks that these band members face during hot games and practices.” Emerson remembers her experience with heat illnesses as a high school and college band member. She said she witnessed multiple members collapse from the heat. Much like the athletes on the field, the band members are clothed in heavy attire and must carry around a heavy instrument with them for
Professor Dawn Emerson is studying the effect of heat on marching band members. hours at a time, putting them at a high risk of severe dehydration and heat stroke. To conduct this study, select members of the marching bands were given core-temperature pills that contained a radio transmitter before practices and games in order to measure their core temperature while they were performing. “Even during rehearsals, their core temperature was very high in comparison to football players, soccer players and other athletes who practice for hours at
a time,” Emerson said. The University’s marching band practices for hours on blacktop concrete, and as a result, researchers found their core temperatures were reaching 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and remaining at that temperature for the duration of their practice or performance. The band has little time in between rehearsals and performances on game days, only at most a few hours before they have to march down the hill and do pre-game performances. During
this time, the band members do not have access to water until they are able to sit down at the start of the football game, according to Emerson. This causes their core temperatures to reach extremely high numbers and stay that way without any hydration. Emerson’s goal is to continue the study over the next few years in order to gather more data and information. Unlike the University, the University of South Carolina marching band has its own athletic trainer that is readily
available at each performance to tend to members if they face ailments such as a heat stroke. Emerson hopes to integrate athletic training into the University’s marching band so that in emergency situations, their heat-related illnesses can be treated quickly. Matthew Smith, director of the Marching Jayhawks, said he thinks an athletic trainer would be beneficial for the marching band. A trainer would be able to help with knee and ankle
Rachel Griffard/KANSAN
injuries, as well as heat illnesses band members frequently face. Smith recognizes these illnesses that his band members face, and is hopeful for a positive outcome of this study. “I think this will help to promote future studies and hopefully generate more support systems to ensure the well-being of our students,” Smith said. “People don’t often realize that heat issues can lead to much more serious consequences than simply needing to drink more water.”
University moves to prioritize experiential learning JULIANA GARCIA @slim_jim09 Shortly after senior Razan Mansour switched her major from pharmacy to applied behavioral science with a focus in community health and development, she decided it was time to get hands on experience. “Being [an applied behavioral science major] made me think, ‘ok, if I’m community health and development but I’m not doing anything to help with community and develop a community, what am I really doing?’” Mansour, an Overland Park native, said. Mansour quickly sought out research opportunities to get her foot in the door. She has been involved with a youth violence protection program in Kansas City, Kansas, as well as research regarding the #MeToo Movement and the Willow Domestic Violence Center. Three new leadership positions were created as part of the University’s initiatives to support experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students, like the ones Mansour has had access to. Assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies and senior faculty associate of the Center for Service Learning are among the
positions of the new leadership team. At the University, the experiential learning group consists of the Center for Service Learning, the Center for Undergraduate Research, the Office of Fellowships and the University Career Center, said David Gaston, assistant vice provost for experiential learning. Soon, he said, the group hopes to include the Office of Study Abroad and other faculty members. Among his immediate goals, Gaston wants to bring together these on-campus partners to define what experiential learning means for the University and document what is already being done for experiential learning. “What we’re trying to do is find any activities that are related to helping students translate what they’re learning in the classroom and to be able to put that into practice,” Gaston said. Jomella Watson-Thompson, senior faculty associate of the Center for Service Learning, hopes to help the community understand experiential learning as a continuum of opportunity. Her part of the continuum, service learning, aims to help integrate student experiences with immediate application,
Juliana Garcia/KANSAN Senior Razan Mansour conducts hands-on research with a program called Together Reduce Youth Violence for Equity (THRYVE). she said. Watson-Thompson intends to act as a broker between faculty, departments and students by helping students identify and navigate to the appropriate experiential learning opportunities. Additionally, one of her main goals is continuous engagement. “For those who are already engaged, how do we continue to engage them,” Watson-Thompson said. “For those who may not be engaged, how
do we make those opportunities more immediate, how do we make them more accessible?” Watson-Thompson’s goals for her role align with what Gaston said is a main focus for the experiential learning group: to ensure students are aware of and have access to experiential learning opportunities. Ultimately, the vision Gaston said he and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies DeAngela Burns-Wallace have is
that each undergraduate student participates in at least one experiential learning opportunity before graduation. The benefits of these experiences for students are significant. “Research tells us that students who participate in experiential learning opportunities are more likely to graduate,” Gaston said. “You know, that’s a big piece of it, front and center. The other thing is it allows students to take what
they’re learning in class and apply it to a situation.” Mansour said her experiential learning opportunities led her to understanding her passion and her duty as a human being; to support underrepresented communities and provide them with equal opportunities. The ability to see things from a different perspective has also been a significant benefit, Mansour said. The coursework in Mansour’s Building Healthy Communities course aligns with the work she’s already been doing, and requires students to complete 14 hours of hands-on service per semester, according to Mansour. She said all University students should participate in an experiential learning opportunity with a community they truly care about. “I think that they should, at some point in their college career, join a research lab or volunteer their tie to an organization they love to help them in some way,” Mansour said. “Even if it’s just an hour or two a week, it is so important, so life changing, and so rewarding to be able to help a community that you care about.”
4
ARTS & CULTURE
arts & culture Monday, October 29, 2018
K ANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M /A R T S _ A N D _ C U LT U R E
Phoebe Robinson talks love and politics DEASIA PAIGE @deasia_paige
If someone wanted to write a book detailing the past two years in America, comedian and podcaster Phoebe Robinson already stole the best title — “Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay.� Robinson is adamant about laughing through the bad moments while celebrating the happier ones. Such was the case as she used comedy and social commentary to connect with the audience at the Lied Center on Friday night. Although the crowd only filled a quarter of the Lied Center’s auditorium, Robinson kept the audience thoroughly entertained with her wit and pop culture references. Before reading excerpts from her book, which was released this month, Robinson gave some background about her second book. She mentioned that the book is largely inspired by the rage she felt during election night in 2016 and the #MeToo movement last year, but Robinson said she was also inspired by the resistance and activism of college students. “We don’t deserve you all,� Robinson said. “That’s where the ‘But It’s Okay’ part of my book title came from. Her first excerpt was from “I Was a Size 12 for 27 Minutes,� which is an essay about body positivity and dating. She talked about a time she was dating a man who shamed her for her weight after they had sex. “That was the biggest nope I done noped in my entire life,� Robinson said. “Bigger than the nope that I feel when I see a grown ass dude wearing Crocs with socks.� Robinson ended that
excerpt by saying she didn’t have the confidence to defend herself against that type of insult from men about her body, and how that moment taught her how to find herself, accept her body for what it is and have zero tolerance for men who imply her body isn’t acceptable. She encouraged the women in the audience to do the same. “With this essay, I realized that no human should ever apologize for the bodies that they have and for taking up space in this world,� Robinson said. Highlighting the “not so trash� moments in her life, Robinson talked about the time she met Oprah Winfrey. After her first book, “You Can’t Touch My Hair (And Other Things I Still Have to Explain),� became a New York Times best-seller, Oprah left a voicemail on Robinson’s phone, which she played for the audience, to congratulate her on the book and how it was highly relatable for black women. Robinson, along with Jessica Williams, her partner on the podcastturned-HBO-special “2 Dope Queens,� was chosen by Oprah to host her “Super Soul Conversations� at the Apollo Theater in February. “She gave [Williams] and I hug, and she smelled like cookies and Black History Month as if it never ended,� Robinson said. “She was so sweet and wonderful, and the moral of the story with this one is that I feel like having that experience with Oprah couldn’t have been nicer and more gracious and people always say that women don’t support each other, but yes they do.� Robinson ended the night by introducing the
Contributed photo Phoebe Robinson is a comedian, writer, actress and podcaster. She appeared at the Lied Center on Friday, Oct. 27 to discuss her latest book, “Everything’s Trash, But It’s Okay.� audience to her boyfriend (who she nicknames British Bake Off) via FaceTime and talked about how she, as a 34-year-old black woman, deals with interracial dating and had to find herself after her last breakup. The night ended with a question and answer session.
Laura Hochman, who lives in Lawrence, asked Robinson during the show if she could send some words of encouragement to Hochman’s friend, who couldn’t be there that night. Hochman, who came to the show with a group of friends, said she liked
how women’s empowerment was at the center of Robinson’s set. “She started the show by motivating women and that set the tone for the rest of the show, so it was really empowering to be in a group of small women who came to this together as well as a large group of
women at the show who shared similar experiences,� Hochman said. Robinson’s set brilliantly highlighted her ability to use comedy to expose the highs and lows of being a woman in America.
the same time, what my mother brought to it and what I continued to bring to it was a very global feeling.� At first, Adorned Boutique was an African import shop, but has since added goods from multiple countries and continents. Sachedina said the shop has pieces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laos, India, Mali, Niger, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Afghanistan, Tibet, Nepal, Guatemala and other countries from the eastern hemisphere. “It spans this whole spectrum of beauty from things that are crude and unrefined to things that are modern, sleek and elegant,� Sachedina said. Although it’s time for Adorned Boutique to put
its long run in the brickand-mortar to a close, the store has left its mark on residents of Lawrence. Sahra Caldwell, who was born in Lawrence and now lives in Kansas City, Missouri, said she “always looked forward to [her] visit back home, which typically included visiting Adorned Boutique.� Caldwell said she appreciated the deep narrative behind the pieces and the expansive knowledge of the store’s owner and employees. “It adds a more c o m p re h e n s i v e attachment to the piece rather than just looks,� she said. Adorned Boutique will close at the end of October and is currently holding a store-wide closing sale.
33-year-old world import store to close its doors COLLIN BIERY @colbiery
Located just slightly off the path from Massachusetts Street and down a set of stairs on 7th Street sits a small store called Adorned Boutique. Adorned Boutique is a hidden gem of a shop, carrying jewelry, textiles and other crafts imported from around the world. Though it’s easy to miss, this shop has given Lawrence 33 years of global art and culture. Store-owner Alia Sachedina said due to changing shopping trends and the struggle to keep up as a small business, Adorned Boutique is closing its Lawrence storefront. It’s not the end, however, as the business plans to continue online and in other ways, such as opening local and regional pop-up locations. Adorned Boutique isn’t going away, but rather
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN Adorned Boutique in downtown Lawrence is closing after more than 30 years of business. evolving to meet the changing trends. While the location is imminently closing, Sachedina reminisces on the store’s rich history and its impact on the Lawrence community. Sachedina was born in eastern Africa where her mother, a backpacker, settled down and started
a family. Sachedina’s parents separated and relocated to her mother’s hometown of Lawrence, bringing a variety of art and jewelry she had collected throughout her time living in Africa. She eventually opened an import shop in 1985, then called African Adorned Boutique.
“It reminds me of the early days when we left east Africa and the difficulty of integrating into this community,� Sachedina said. “And at
340 Fraser | 864-4121 www.psychCLINIC KU EDU COUNSELING SERVICES FOR LAWRENCE & KU
Students and Non-Students Welcome Confidential
K ANSAN.COM
PUZZLES
Cryptoquip
ARTS & CULTURE
5
Sudoku
Crossword
?
F IND THE ANSWERS AND OTHER GREAT CONTENT AT
K A 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
6
opinion
OPINION
Monday, October 29, 2018
K ANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M /O P I N I O N
Yes, your vote matters.
Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351
Kansan columnist Aroog Khaliq argues voting in the midterm elections is more important than you think FFA of the Day: Nobody cracks on test days more than a poli sci class full of guys who think they’re above studying like bro whose educating who now “Hi, I have a mood disorder, nice to meet you” How is it that I go through a 50 minute lecture awake and not know anything they were saying “Old people are hot.” Being in Pitt last night made me realize im glad I go to KU and live in Lawrence “Two words: Helen Mirren” Mahomes makes me Mahoist! Today on Dumbest Shit I’ve Done: dropped a crock pot lid on my head and gotten a minor concussion I swear I just walked past someone pissing in the bushes along Jayhawk Boulevard... One a scale from 1 to Peyton Bender, how useless is your quarterback? “I’ll think about it once I drink my coffee.” *looks at Lysol* “What flavor is this?” KANSAS BEAT TCU IN FOOTBALL in case anyone forgot “Three dads one cup” I got my friend, who never juuls, to juul last night. I’m a CORRUPTER “yeah I’m pretty sure I like the number of arms I have” I have a habit of zoning out when my boss is talking to me it’s automatic How’s Carlton Bragg doing nowadays Grapefruit is the worst and most useless fruit don’t @ me “I trust you with my life” “That’s not wise” I just thought about having to work with real adults some day and my whole body froze in a panic “I told you not to vape” why are humans so weird like we pick a person and then that’s it, they have to be there all the time and give you affection
AROOG KHALIQ @aroog_twt As November approaches, political fever once again grips the American public. Every TV channel has the same cycle of smear ads to run, every pundit has the same voter turnout debate, and the University of Kansas’ campus is rife with enthusiastic voter registration booths. To the less politically inclined, this time of year is a nuisance, but to the activism-minded — it is a possible turning point in the political drama of the year. Yet we must not let the monotony of this season turn us to political nihilism, or worse, apathy. Every vote does matter, especially in light of the political scandals rocking the news cycle on a near-daily basis. When asked why political nihilism is so problematic, University philosophy professor Ben Eggleston replied that without hope, the democratic process doesn’t work as it should. “Any time you see people losing hope in the political process, it’s worrisome, because it makes the process less inclusive of a wide range of viewpoints and experiences. In a sense, any healthy political process depends on people having a sense of hope about it,” Eggleston said. This sense of hope is the essence of any political process that is inclusive enough to accommodate public opinions.
Madeline McConico/KANSAN Douglas County received a record number of mail-in ballots one day in advance of voting being opened. In Georgia, a historic race between Republican incumbent Brian Kemp and Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams (whose win would make her the nation’s first female, African American governor) reflects the importance of voting, and even more so the insidiousness of voter suppression. Between 2012 and 2016, the state of Georgia purged more than 1.5 million voters, and civil rights organizations’ lawsuits against Kemp’s administration for racially-biased voter suppression are still pending. These groups cite the disproportionate amount of African Americans in his pool of 53,000 pending voter registration applications, which could be the deciding factor in the neck-and-neck race he and Abrams are locked in. If voting in midterm
elections was as useless as the nihilists among us claimed, these sneaky suppressive practices wouldn’t be unnecessary. When asked why this nihilism exists, sophomore Amanda Nguyen from Overland Park, who studies biochemistry at the University, said she thinks there is a misconception surrounding voting — a perspective shared by many students. “People in our age group think their vote doesn’t matter, but it does. Only the President really gets elected by electoral votes, but everywhere else, it matters,” Nguyen said. The Georgia gubernatorial race is certainly reflective of this statement, and so, too, are the congressional races taking place right now. In Texas, Beto O’Rourke is holding his own against incum-
bent Ted Cruz. In Kansas, the fate of Kris Kobach and Kevin Yoder has never been less certain. Even if someone is unaware of the particularities of smaller municipal or state-level races, the congressional seats given to each state are crucial to making long-standing change at the national level. With their acrossthe-board control of the three federal branches, Republicans have a stranglehold on national policymaking, but votes for opposition members can tip the scales back toward equilibrium. Electing senators and representatives dedicated to upholding protections for transgender Americans, nominating qualified and dignified justices to the Supreme Court, and mitigating climate change is the only way these is-
sues can be resolved within the confines of our current system. Voting is not merely a civic duty, but a tool integral to ensuring that power is wielded for the sake of protecting all Americans, not an arbitrary subset. As autumn further unfolds, let’s lean into one of the simplest forms of political action and vote to amplify not only our voices, but the voices of the deliberately or unintentionally disenfranchised among us. For those registered in Douglas County, early voting can be done at a booth in the Office of Multicultural Affairs. For additional information visit vote. org.
Aroog Khaliq is a sophomore from Overland Park studying English and psychology.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Provosts condemn recent violence and hate CARL LEJUEZ Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor JENNIFER HAMER Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity Dear Campus Community: We are in a climate of escalating forms of violence and hate. In recent months and days, we have witnessed U.S.-based terrorist bomb attacks on national government leaders and public figures; immigrant children detained and separated from parents; Muslim travel bans; and efforts to erase trans identities through federal policies. This week, we must mourn the pointless and preventable loss of life from a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; the killing of a U.S. journalist; and the shooting deaths of two African Americans in a Louisville, Kentucky, suburb.
Contributed photo Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Carl Lejuez (left) and Vice Provost for Diversity and Equity Jennifer Hamer (right). Hate and violence devastate children, families and communities; spread fear and distrust; and restrict our capacity to build our best future. We may want to believe that these remote events, happening in other parts of the nation and the world, do not affect us, but that would be a mistake. Many in our community are feeling the impact of these tragedies. And all of us can work to ensure violence, discrimination,
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.
and other forms of human oppression are eliminated. As administrators, faculty, and staff, we have important roles in preparing tomorrow’s heads of state, CEOs, scientists, cultural workers and teachers. As students, we are the next generation of creative minds, innovative thinkers and global caretakers. Leadership is not a spectator sport, and we cannot afford to stand idle. Take a first step:
Become informed. At an institution of higher education, the best first step is to build your understanding and knowledge of the history and contemporary contexts of hate and violence. Visit the annual Tunnel of Oppression to engage in an immersive experience of scenes of oppression through interactive acting, viewing monologues, and multimedia. More information about this event is available at https://oma.
contact us Shaun Goodwin Editor-in-chief sgoodwin@kansan.com
Baylee Parsons Business Manager bparsons@kansan.com
ku.edu/tunnel-oppression. You can also link to http:// diversity.ku.edu/about to stay abreast of public events and opportunities to learn, and enroll in classes that expand your understanding of the complexities of social difference, equity, and justice. Take a second step: Build on this knowledge by participating in one of several workshops and skill development activities, such as the few listed below: Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity Safe Zone Training Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center Bystander Intervention Counseling and Psychological Services Outreach Presentations Take a third step: Engage where you are as an informed citizen and ally. For those we have lost and for those most vulnerable, your understanding, knowledge and action matter.
editorial board
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Conner Mitchell, Rebekah Lodos and Baylee Parsons.
K ANSAN.COM
SPORTS
7
Kansas sweeps individual races in TCU dual HENRY KLINE @henry_kline_
From the first race, the Kansas swim team set an aggressive standard, placing first and second in the women’s 200yard medley relay. From that point forward, the Jayhawks didn’t look back, winning every event and placing in the top three a total of 34 times, winning with a total score of 206.592.5. Highlighting the meet was freshman Kate Steward, who swam in her very first collegiate meet against TCU. The freshman won both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events, as well as the 200yard individual medley. Steward was thankful to help lead the Jayhawks to victory and help to build some personal momentum early in the season. “Being able to contribute to the score and the team, it feels really good, and builds a lot of confidence,� Steward said. Steward, who was injured for the first meet of the season, made an immediate impact with her three wins. Her performance in the 200yard IM saw her out-duel three of TCU's swimmers for first place, finishing with a time of 2:07.14. The 1000-yard freestyle was another strong event for the Jayhawks as sophomore Crissie Blomquist finished in first place with a time
Brooke Boyer/KANSAN Women’s swim team reaction after hearing the final 206.5-92.5 score against TCU on Oct. 27th at Robinson Natatorium. of 10:12.07, almost 13 seconds faster than the next fastest swimmer. Bloomquist also took home gold in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:58.64. Following Bloomquist and Seward's lead was junior Jenny Nusbaum, who won the 200-yard freestyle (1:49.41), the 100-yard freestyle (0:51.56) and anchoring the 400-yard freestyle
relay (3:29.41). The trio contributed to 63 points of the Jayhawks' final score. In diving, the roles were reversed as TCU finished first, second and third in the 1-meter diving competition, and first and second in 3-meter diving. Consistency was an issue for the Jayhawk divers as they struggled with performing their dive list to the best of their
capabilities. Diving may have been TCU’s biggest strength, but Kansas still saw freshman Alison Grass (225.90, 1-meter and 195.30, 3-meter) and junior Peri Charapich (186.38, 1-meter and 224.25, 3-meter) notch season-bests. “We have them listed on both [1m and 3m boards] to be really competitive," coach Clark Campbell
said. "But we have to be consistent, that is what we have to learn over the next few of weeks so when we get to [The Big 12 Championships] they can hit each and every dive." While diving was a setback for Kansas, the swim team outpaced the Horned Frogs in every race, proving to be the better team by a significant margin. Kansas will hit the
water next in Lincoln, Nebraska for a dual meet against Nebraska on Nov. 3. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
next meet
at Nebraska Sat., Nov. 3 2 p.m.
COLUMN
Kansas basketball's No. 1 ranking means nothing
FULTON CASTER @FCaster04 As we head into another college basketball season, preseason rankings were released by numerous media outlets. This season, Kansas was selected as the preseason No. 1 team in the country according to the AP poll, the most important ranking source in college basketball. This is cause for celebration and happiness, right? Actually, preseason rankings, and rankings in general, mean absolutely nothing in this day and age of college basketball. Just look at a couple of years ago. In the 201617 season between Jan. 23 and Jan. 29, AP top 25 teams lost 16 times. During that stretch, top-10 teams went 11-9 with only two of their losses coming to other ranked opponents, meaning that top 10 teams lost to unranked opponents seven times within a oneweek span. During that span, Kansas was the No. 2 team in the country. It went 1-1 that week, losing to thenNo. 18 West Virginia and winning against then-No. 4 Kentucky. No team is immune to this. So, why is this happening? Over the past few seasons, we have seen upsets on the rise, happening at unexpected times. Even more astonishing is the amount of these top-10 teams that have lost on their own floor. Last season, Villanova
Chance Parker/KANSAN Kansas coach Bill Self answers questions during Big 12 Men's Basketball Media Day Oct. 24. lost to St. John’s at home. Villanova came into that matchup at 22-1 (9-1 in the Big East) and St. John’s was 11-13 (0-11 in the Big East). By records alone, this upset should have never occurred, but it did. More importantly, it was the Red Storm's second win over a top-5 team that week because it had upset Duke the game before. Rankings mean nothing. It is that simple. As time goes on, the gap between the best and worst teams in the country shrinks game by game. Obviously, there are still talent gaps. Kansas has some of the best athletes in the country, while a team like the Campbell Fighting
Camels most definitely has less talent and athleticism. However, with the way the game is played today, and what teams know, any team can win at any time. The idea of parity in college basketball has grown and the smaller schools have learned how to compete with the bigger programs. Just look at the NCAA tournament. Upsets are all too common, and more importantly, fans absolutely love it. Last season, then-No. 16 UMBC defeated then No. 1 Virginia in the NCAA tournament, marking the first time in tournament history a 16 seed defeated a 1 seed. The game wasn’t even close either, with the
Retrievers winning 74-54. This is going to keep happening, and it's good for the sport. While fans love chaos and upsets, they do get upset when their team falls victim to the trend, but most think it's a great thing. In regard to the preseason Big 12 conference poll, a poll in which Kansas was picked to finish first, coaches themselves know it means nothing. They said as much at Big 12 media Day, where Texas coach Shaka Smart said everything will work itself
out in actual gameplay. “There is a lot of parity and a lot of people that beat up on each other in our conference. With that preseason poll, I know it’s a big deal right now, but it doesn’t matter,� Smart said. “Once the games start because it is going to be decided on the court.� Any and all polls don’t mean much, and coaches don’t pay attention to them. Kansas head coach Bill Self has made it known for years that he thinks preseason polls are meaningless. Even
though his team was picked above in-state rival Kansas State, he respects what the Wildcats could do this season. “I know K-State has a chance to be very good, having had an opportunity to coach against those guys three times last year and certainly seeing their players develop within their program and the experience that they possess," Self said at Media Day. “I certainly can’t see a reason why they’re not only a Big 12 contender, they’re a national contender, also.� Polls are fun to talk about and cause widespread speculation, but they shouldn’t be relied on as fact. As the season progresses, it is crucial to recognize that while a team may be ranked high, it doesn’t mean it is invulnerable to mistakes and upsets. Polls are just a talking point and should be treated as such. They are fun things put together by people trying to predict the future based off small sample sizes. At this point, being No. 1 means just the same as being No. 25. There is no such thing as playing to a team's ranking, a team just needs to play to its ability.
340 Fraser | 864-4121 www.psychCLINIC KU EDU COUNSELING SERVICES FOR LAWRENCE & KU
Students and Non-Students Welcome Confidential
8
sports
SPORTS
Monday, October 29, 2018
K ANSAN.COM
K A N S A N .C O M /S P O R T S
Dineen leads Kansas defense against TCU MADDY TANNAHILL @maddytannahill
The minimal crowd at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium fell silent as flags flew and a targeting call was announced following a hard hit by redshirt senior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr. at the Kansas five-yard line. As the Jayhawks’ defensive leader with 83 tackles and 6.5 tacklesfor-loss on the season entering Saturday’s matchup, Dineen being ejected would have likely proved detrimental to the Kansas defense. Fortunately for the Jayhawks, following a review of the play, the targeting call was overturned and the Preseason All Big 12 first team selection remained in the game, beginning an impressive defensive performance by Kansas that would result in a 2726 toppling of TCU. “I don’t really know what that rule [targeting] is,” Dineen said. “They’ll kick guys out for I guess anything and I thought I hit him with my shoulder and I’m glad they didn’t kick me out so I got to keep playing.” Leading all players with 13 total tackles, nine of which were solo, Dineen fronted a Kansas defense that from the first defensive drive of the game to the last produced major stops in critical situations. In the Horned Frogs’
Chance Parker/KANSAN Senior line backer Joe Dineen Jr. drops into coverage against TCU's offense. The Jayhawks defeated the Horned Frogs 27-26 on Saturday, Oct. 27. opening possession, the Jayhawk defense manufactured a goal-line stand on fourth down that would set the tone for the remainder of the game, allowing Kansas to lead for the first time this season in conference play. Facing a similar situation in its final defensive drive of the afternoon, the Kansas
defensive line yet again came up big in the red zone, forcing and recovering a fumble with 1:11 remaining. “When that ball came out, I was so excited,” Dineen said. “I didn’t know what to do with my hands. I did the Tiger fist pump I guess.” One of the most experienced players on the
roster, Dineen has seen only one other conference victory in his time on the roster – an overtime win over Texas in 2016 where he saw no action, making Saturday’s triumph a long time in the making. “Games break one way or the other, and to be on the side that it breaks for, it’s a little bit of a change. It’s exciting. I’m
really happy for our guys,” Dineen said. “All the stuff that we’ve gone through over the years, what people have said, the naysayers, the haters, whatever you wanna call them. It’s pretty cool to get a win.” Dineen and the Jayhawks will return to action next Saturday as they take on Iowa State at David Booth Kansas
Memorial Stadium, in search of their first back-to-back conference victories since 2007.
its third consecutive match (21-25, 21-25, 1725). For Kansas, the loss moved its overall record to 13-7, dropping the Jayhawks' Big-12 record to 6-3.
This is the first time since 2014 that Kansas has fallen in three straight contests. For the Jayhawks, the repeated issue continues to be offensive efficiency
and getting back to their old ways on the defensive front line. They would fail to see much progress in either of those areas in Waco, Texas, on Saturday, putting together just a
.178 clip on the attacking end and a mere four total blocks. “Even there, though, we got out-dug, out-blocked – there wasn't a phase of the game we didn't struggle at," coach Ray Bechard said in a Kansas Athletics news release. “After the match in the locker room, we put it on everybody. Everyone has a responsibility to create a little better opportunity for our team to be successful.” From the first serve, it was apparent that the match would be an uphill battle, with the teams exchanging points into a 10-10 deadlock. That would be followed by a crucial seven-point run for the Bears, putting them far enough ahead to secure a 25-21 first set victory. Even though Kansas dropped the first set, junior outside hitters Jada Burse and Ashley Smith were able to tally four kills each to lead the team’s offense. During a crucial second set, Kansas would go through similar struggles as it did in the first, only
hitting for a .156 clip in this part of the match. This set would also follow a back-and-forth feel, with there being a total of seven ties throughout the set. The latest would be a 2020 tie, only to be followed by Baylor closing the set on a 5-1 run. The closing third set would be the least competitive set, finishing with a score of 25-17 with Baylor on top. The Jayhawks' offensive performance would be their worst of the day, hitting for a .150 clip in the process. Aside from tying a match-high with 15 kills in the set, they struggled with consistency as they had nine errors to go with it. While Kansas sits in sole possession of second place in the Big 12 standings, this was a comeback match the Jayhawks wanted to win.
next game
vs. Iowa St. Sat., Nov. 3 11 a.m.
Kansas volleyball drops third-straight match DARBY HAYS @derbhays11
In the Jayhawks' first match in a week's time, Kansas fell to the Baylor Bears on Saturday, losing
Bettina Bugatto/KANSAN Junior outside hitter Jada Burse bumps the ball in the game against Texas on Wednesday, Oct. 10. The Jayhawks defeated the Texas Longhorns 3-1.
athletes of the week
Dedric Lawson Basketball
Kansas men’s basketball played in its first of two exhibition games on Thursday, Oct. 25 against Emporia State, with redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson the standout. Lawson led the team in both scoring and rebounding with 31 points and 15 rebounds in just 23 minutes in his first appearance as a Jayhawk, proving many people’s assumptions that Lawson will be the offensive focal point this season. Lawson also shot 11 for 16 in the 93-55 Kansas win.
Peyton Bender
next game at West Virginia Wed., Oct. 31 5 p.m.
Football At the center of Kansas’ 27-26 victory over TCU on Saturday, Oct. 27 was senior quarterback Peyton Bender, who has had an up-anddown season to say the least. However, Bender stepped up in the Jayhawks’ first Big 12 win since 2016, completing 19 of 29 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. This is also the highest passing yard total for a Kansas quarterback in 2018, and clearly Bender’s best game of the season.
Halloween edition
udk vol. 137 // iss. 20
Monday, Oct. 29, 2018
Illustration by Andrew Cadle/KANSAN
2
HALLOWEEN
KANSAN.COM
Atchison: A town built on the paranormal NICOLE ASBURY @NicoleAsbury
Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Kansas, Atchison remains a fairly small town of an estimated 11,000 residents. But recent local lore has given the town an even bigger presence on the map. Atchison has accumulated national attention for its alleged paranormal activity and haunted locations — so much so that it has its own tourism initiative specifically for the paranormal. From visits by Zak Bagans from “Ghost Adventures” and the “Buzzfeed Unsolved” crew, tourists have flocked in from across the nation for a night at one of Atchison’s haunted spots. Residents have been well-aware of the town’s myths since their own childhoods. Kendra Rodecap, a senior studying English and Italian from Effingham — which is about 23 miles southwest of Atchison — frequently heard talk about the supernatural elements of Atchison.
“I grew up hearing ghost stories about Atchison, like the way other people would hear about fairy tales in elementary schools.” Kendra Rodecap Senior
“I grew up hearing ghost stories about Atchison, like the way other people would hear about fairy tales in elementary schools,” Rodecap said. At this point, many of these stories have contributed to the town’s identity in itself, Rodecap said. “I think if you asked anyone in Atchison if
Contributed Photo Visitors enter the Sallie House on Oct. 28 for a self-tour. The Sallie House gained national attention following alleged hauntings by a young girl named Sallie. they actually believed in ghosts, they’d actually be skeptical, but a lot of people take a lot of pride in the stories about it,” Rodecap said.
MOLLY’S HOLLOW The story of Molly’s Hollow constantly changes depending on who you talk to, but the basis of it remains the same — a young woman named Molly tragically died in Atchison’s Jackson Park. In some versions, Molly was hanging from a tree. While in others, she fell to her death. Since then, visitors have reported seeing specters or hearing a young woman scream late at night in the park. Matt Chapman, a sophomore from Leavenworth, decided he wanted to visit with a close friend to check it out for himself in July of this year. He’d spent the night thinking his visit
was unsuccessful due to a lack of paranormal encounters. But after taking a photo at the park, Chapman noticed something odd when he was reviewing it — a line that looked almost as if it was in flames was pointing directly at him. Now, Chapman believes it was a specter, he said. “I remember I only noticed it after I got home and was like super freaked out the rest of the night,” Chapman said. “I was pretty sure I was going to get possessed or something.”
THE MCINTEER VILLA Known as one of the most picturesque haunted locations according to locals, the McInteer Villa was initially built in 1889 and inhabited by the McInteers — a family of affluent business owners from the 19th century.
Contributed photo An unexplained specter appears in a photo taken in Jackson Park in July 2018. University sophomore Matt Chapman, pictured, said he did not edit this photo. Since then, there’s been seven documented deaths in the villa due to natural causes and one suicide, marking eight total deaths. Locals said numerous unexplained occurrences have happened in the house,
like the random slamming of doors throughout the night, and random lights turning off in the tower of the home. Currently, the town is offering overnight stays and self-guided tours.
Contributed photo The Sallie House opened its doors for random visitors from across the nation on Oct. 27. Based in Atchison, the house accumulated national attention following alleged hauntings within its doors.
SALLIE HOUSE
The Sallie House in particular has stayed in the public eye after appearances on Buzzfeed and “Ghost Adventures.” The small, white house is allegedly haunted by a demon — who takes form in the shape of a young girl referred to as Sallie, though others claim Sallie is simply a young spirit in need of help. Now, even more spirits beyond just Sallie are rumored to be dwelling in the house. Visitors and residents reported being attacked and having scratches on their bodies. Objects have gone flying through the air, or entirely missing — only to appear in another location later. Other residents have reported hearing unexplained whispering and scratches against the wall during the day and night. While the validity of the myth is unclear, it remains a favorite amongst locals to tell, according to Rodecap. “When I was at a friend’s house that lived in Atchison, we would go over to the Sallie House just for the scares,” Rodecap said. “We just kind of grew up with it, you know?”
K ANSAN.COM
HALLOWEEN
3
Best horror films to stream on Netflix ALEX ROTHERS @Alex_Rothers
Halloween is approaching, which means October and spooky season are coming to an end. Luckily, you still have time to get into the Halloween spirit. Search no further for the best horror on Netflix — take my advice and watch these classic, emotional and sometimes disturbing films before the month ends. THE SHINING
Author Stephen King, director Stanley Kubrick and actor Jack Nicholson teamed up in 1980 to deliver one of the best and most disturbing movies of all time. The film follows a family living in the beautiful yet haunting Overlook Hotel. Jack (Nicholson), father of 6-year-old Danny (Danny Lloyd) and husband of Wendy (Shelley Duvall), is chosen to be caretaker of the hotel during its winter offseason. As the winter grows colder and the snow more entrapping, Jack spirals into insanity and slowly and unknowingly takes on the fate of the previous caretaker who murdered his entire family with an ax, which is foreshadowed early in the film. The audience becomes aware of Jack’s instability before his wife or son do. One of the greatest achievements of this film
Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic “The Shining” is available to stream on Netflix this Halloween season. is Kubrick’s ability to make the audience feel as trapped and fearful of Jack as his wife and son are. Though some parts are hard to watch, this is one of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen, which keeps me watching it over and over. This is your go-to horror film for the end of October; if you haven’t yet watched (or even if you already have) the film many critics consider the greatest horror film of all time, you need to take advantage of its current stream-
ing on Netflix. THE WITCH Witchcraft is not something to be taken lightly, especially for 17th-century Puritans. “The Witch” is about an American colonial family who was recently banished from its Puritan plantation because of a religious dispute. The parents and their five children take up their new home on the edge of a mysterious forest, which we find out early on is
Two characters in this film hear demonic voices and see visions of suffering children. One is a loving father, and one is a disturbing stalker. The stalker, who wears
a bright red tracksuit, clearly embodies the devil himself. He hears voices in his head that possess and convince him to do horrible things. Opposite the stalker is Jesse (Ethan Embry), a husband and father of a teenage daughter. Jesse is a painter who enjoys heavy metal music. Jesse’s physique unmistakably embodies Jesus Christ. Shortly into the film, similarities between Jesse and the stalker become clear; Jesse begins to hear the same demonic voices and does some very questionable things while “possessed.” The audience and Jesse’s family begin to question his fatherhood — is his purpose to protect his family or is it to listen and carry out orders from the voices in his head? Director Sean Byrne’s attempt to put a Jesus-like character opposite of a devil-like character is actually not as ridiculous or stereotypical as it sounds — it works well. This rock and roll-themed horror film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen and is worth streaming before October comes to an end.
“It’s cool to play our music with [Bowes and Schley] because they add a whole different flair,” Valle said. Blue False Indigo is eager to share their music with the world. They don’t believe their sound has changed much since they started, but they do feel that they’ve
developed as artists. “Over the past year I have really shifted my perspective whenever I’m performing to really thinking about what’s being said, because it has the power to really touch someone,” Scott said. “When you write something, it doesn’t always feel like it has that
home to an evil witch, or witches. The evil beings slowly drive the family to destruction through disturbing torment. “The Witch” is mysterious. Things occur without explanation, which adds to the horror. There are several disappearances and bewitchings in this film, but the real horror is the family’s suspicion that its own daughter and sister, Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), is a witch who cursed her own brother. You want to believe Thomasin is not responsible, as her love for her younger siblings seems genuine. However, it is hard to deny the possibility that she is, indeed, a witch herself. Filmed in Ontario, Canada with only the use of natural light, director Robert Eggers creates an eerie, hopeless feel for the entire film. Don’t miss this A24 gem on Netflix. THE DEVIL’S CANDY
Contributed photo “The Witch” is a 17th century based supernatural thriller about a young girl whose family becomes convinced she is responsible for their misfortune.
Contributed photo THE SIXTH SENSE
Though not your average horror film, there is no better time to watch “The Sixth Sense” than in the month of October. This film will make you scream, cry and maybe even laugh once or twice. “The Sixth Sense” is a rare horror/mystery film with a complex story about a troubled young boy. Cole (Haley Joel Osment) suffers from paranormal hallucinations, which you might have heard before with the classic line, “I see dead people.” Cole knows he’s a freak; he can’t even tell his own mother what he sees. The one person he slowly opens up to however, is Malcolm (Bruce Willis), Cole’s therapist, who serves as a mentor to Cole, and in some ways acts as a father figure. Toward the end of the film, it is Malcolm who needs Cole’s help. One thing I love about this film is the editing. The editor’s choice to cut scenes before their conclusion maintains suspense and creates an amount of uncertainty that is necessary for the payoff. Stream this film to experience the shocking twist at the end.
Blue False Indigo plays with ‘spooky folk’ sound ANNA KRAUSE @KansanNews When you experience Blue False Indigo’s performance, its self proclaimed genre “spooky folk” begins to make sense — the music makes chills race across the skin and the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Their music is characterized by stirring vocals and intricatelywoven harmonies. Blue False Indigo’s three singers’ lilt and howl mysteriously with accompaniment on drums and electric and acoustic guitars. Every song has a pulse, the music fluctuating, energy building and releasing in a way that can be described as hauntingly cathartic. Blue False Indigo was founded in Springfield, Missouri, when singer/ songwriter/acoustic guitaist Makayla Scott, singer Adrianna Jae Valle and singer Kara LePage attended Drury
University together. All three studied music, Scott and LePage each graduating with degrees in vocal performance and music therapy, respectively. They bonded through the Drury Singers choir program and started as a cover band, performing music by artists including MGMT, Florence + The Machine and Kimbra. As she began to write original music for Blue False Indigo, Scott cited Alabama Shakes, Mitski and Florence Welch as sources of inspiration. The band decided upon their “spooky folk” label because when Scott wrote music for them to perform, “it just had some haunting feel about it,” Valle said. “We started our band around Halloween, so I think that may have spurred the spook,” LePage said. The “spooky folk” label has yet to spread to other artists, but the
members of Blue False Indigo believe in the possibilities. “I think we’re the only people who consider ourselves spooky-folk, though we know of other spooky folk artists,” Scott said. “We just haven’t told them that they’re spooky folk yet.” Blue False Indigo expanded when Scott met McQuiston Bowes and Michael Schley at the record store Springfield Music. Bowes now plays the drums and Schley the electric guitar. The band released their first studio album, “More Light,” last September. “Recording is an undertaking,” Scott said. The album is the work of the three founding members, so it’s full of vocal harmonies, acoustic accompaniment and light percussion. When they play songs from the album “More Light” live, they add in drums and the electric guitar.
power, because it’s just coming out of you and it’s your personal tale or turmoil or whatever, but somebody listening might connect to that so it’s important every time to do it with heart and do it with the passion you wrote it with.”
Rachel Griffard/KANSAN Blue False Indigo, a folk band, performs at the Lied Center Pavilion on Oct. 22.
4
KANSAN.COM
HALLOWEEN
New stab at ‘Halloween’ takes feminist charge JOSIE LAPKE @KansanNews
It’s been 40 years since the release of John Carpenter’s original “Halloween” in 1978, and after many disappointing sequels, one was finally done right. A total of nine movies — eight sequels and one remake — have been made since the release of the original, all of which — before this latest follow-up — have been unfortunate additions to the popular movie franchise. Thankfully, director David Gordon Green and co-screenwriters Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley chose to ignore the fact that the other movies ever existed and have made the movie to act as the first sequel to the classic horror film. In the newest rendition, titled “Halloween,” Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the screen as Laurie Strode to masked killer Michael Myers — played by the original actor Nick Castle along with James Jude Courtney — except this time, it’s as if she’s portraying an entirely different character. After barely escaping Michael in the original film, Laurie is left with PTSD and has spent the past 40 years living in a constant state of paranoia. When Michael escapes during
a prison transfer on Halloween night, the revenge-seeking Laurie is exhilarated by the opportunity to take him down for good. Curtis does an outstanding job of transitioning her character from an innocent victim to a bloodthirsty badass. She portrays the character with depth that is easily recognized in the many levels of Laurie’s newly developed characteristics. Laurie is mindful about the fact her mental instability has caused strain on her relationship with her daughter (Judy Greer) and granddaughter (Andi Matichak), yet she is willing to accept their negative views of her if it means ensuring their safety. It’s impossible to ignore her irrational choices to booby-trap her entire house or have her daughter trained in combat as a young child, yet somehow you can’t help but empathize with her seemingly ridiculous ways. While the new sequel is a drastic improvement compared to the others, a big reason why it’s so good is because it does a fantastic job of paying tribute to the original. With a murder from the back seat of a car, a babysitter victim and what should have been a deadly fall from
Contributed Photo “Halloween” retcons much of the previous franchise mythology, picking back up with Laurie Strode 40 years after she first came face-to-face with Michael Meyers. a window resulting in a mysterious absence of the body, Green recreates the iconic moments from Carpenter’s movie to remind us why it will always be a horror classic.
Although the movie is filled with nods to the 1978 version of the film, it expresses a message of feminism that unmistakably makes it a modern film.
In a finale emphasizing female empowerment, Laurie, her daughter and granddaughter join forces to stand up against the masked male predator. A perfect ending for a movie
made in the #MeToo era. If you’re looking to be scared this Halloween season, the new “Halloween” movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.
HALLOWEEN
KANSAN.COM
5
14 songs to put you in a spooky mood Going to a costume party? Need to get in a trick-or-treating mood? The Kansan’s got you covered with a meticulously curated list of Halloween songs, perfect for any spooky activity.
“TEAR YOU APART” SHE WANTS REVENGE COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman She Wants Revenge’s second single from their debut album is a sexy ode to codependent relationships. The horror-movie bass-line makes the song. Set to heady lyrics about being so consumed by passion as to want to, well, tear a lover apart, the instrumentals evoke images of monsters stalking prey on a moonlit night.
“DISTURBIA” RIHANNA JOSH MCQUADE @JoshMcQuadeUDK Imagine: It’s 3 a.m. You’re walking down a dark alleyway. All of a sudden: “BUM BUM BEDUM” begins to echo off the walls. You start to run, until you notice a silhouetted figure at the end of the alley. It’s Rihanna. “Disturbia” may not have been created to be a horror song, but the eerie electro pop beat along with the stalkerish lyrics adds a spooky feeling to the single.
“BELA LUGOSI’S DEAD” - BAUHAUS GRACE MENNINGER @KansanNews The constant, twitchy beat of Bauhaus’ 1979 goth rock epic invokes the image of an undead vampire rising from their
coffin to feed on the blood of the helpless. The song is a homage to Bela Lugosi — a goth icon and a Hungarian actor who portrayed Dracula in an early horror film.
“FUNERALOPOLIS” ELECTRIC WIZARD GRACE MENNINGER @KansanNews A nihilistic, sludge metal song from the doom rockers Electric Wizard. The album cover depicts Satan smoking a bong if that’s any indication of this album’s tone. The lyrics speak of Earth as a planet full of zombie people with no reason to live, corporate maggots and flesh factories. The words of Jean-Paul Sarte ring true — Hell is other people.
“BACK FROM THE DEAD” - RIFF RAFF FT. SKEPTA
Contributed photo She Wants Revenge’s “Tear You Apart” is a must for any Halloween playlist.
“TO CARRY THE SEEDS OF DEATH WITHIN ME” THE BODY
JORDAN WOLF @JWolfAP
JAYA CHAKKA @jaiyaofthebees
The first fulllength song on RiFF’s “Balloween” mixtape, this track opens with an ominous piano melody that carries into the beat drop, the canvas for RiFF’s creeping, repeated hook and he and Skepta’s energetic verses.
Have you ever wished for a song that is 6.5 minutes of screaming and harsh noise but somehow gets more interesting as it progresses? Looking to scare away any potential trick-or-treaters? Look no further than this track. It may not have lyrics, but it sure is spooky.
“TUMBLING LIGHTS” THE ACID JAYA CHAKKA @jaiyaofthebees The Acid has a knack for crafting music that will give you goosebumps. Layered over the pulsing electronic beats are perfectly placed ambient noises: chains rattling, nocturnal animal sounds and unsettling chimes. The lead singer’s low crooning also contributes to the song’s atmosphere. Don’t listen to this alone at night.
“THRILLER” MICHAEL JACKSON NICOLE DOLAN @nikkidolan279 A 1980s classic that will bring the ghoul out of anyone. This song is the definition of a spooky and groovy time. Your bones will be rattling at the wicked Vincent Price’s dark and unruly cackle and narration, and your dancing feet will be a-shaking to the beat the whole tune.
“NIGHTCALL” KAVINSKY GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake The electro heavy song oozes 80s analog synthesizer magic and makes you want to throw on a denim jacket and drive your possessed, blacked out sports car into the fog-ridden night, unafraid of the dangers inside.
“OMNIVERSE” SURVIVE GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake This song is equally as analog as “Nightcall.” A lyric-free dive into the grimy sounds of pre1980s synthesizers and a tribute to the John Carpenter-composed scores, this song is a perfect addition to any Halloween party or latenight drive into the night.
“TIME WARP” FROM “ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW” RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218 The movie is a cult classic and this song is a fun and upbeat jam that introduces the viewers to the house characters. The dance along with it and the mix between the singing and speaking during the melody ooze the 1975 vibe that makes the song timeless.
“SUPERSTITION” STEVIE WONDER RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218 Stevie Wonder’s song begins with an iconic drum solo that sets up for the funky beat and melody. The iconic song gives a groovy and spooky vibe to any listeners ear. It’s a timeless classic that isn’t always associated with Halloween, but no one can complain if it pops up on a Halloween playlist once… or twice.
“HEADS WILL ROLL” - YEAH YEAH YEAHS COLLIN BIERY @colbiery
Heads Will Roll has an eternal spot on my personal Halloween playlist. It’s hard for me to choose between the original version and the A-Trak remix, which makes it into more of a dance beat. Karen O, you got what you wanted. Here’s a song I’ll be dancing to until I’m dead.
“OCTOBER” HECTOR VAE FT. LIL PEEP ALEX ROTHERS @alex_rothers
Lil Peep’s lyrics often give off mysterious, spooky vibes. In this song, Peep talks about being alone in the night with only his ghost by his side. The chilling echo of Peep’s voice, the highpitched screams, and the sinister instrumental by Hector Vue make this the perfect addition to your Halloween playlist.
REVIEW
‘The Haunting of Hill House’ showcases brilliant horror GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake
Mike Flanagan has had a busy few years in Hollywood. From prequel “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” to Netflix thriller “Hush,” to an adaptation of Stephen King’s “Gerald’s Game,” Flanagan has directed a long list of horror projects. His most recent effort is “The Haunting of Hill House,” a 10-episode mini series on Netflix, which sets to amplify the family drama storyline, while set in a haunted
house. The series, directed entirely by Flanagan, follows the Crain family during two separate times in their lives. One takes place in the 1990s and follows the family moving into Hill House, while the other takes place in modern times and takes a look at each of the five siblings and their current lot in life post-Hill House. When tragedy strikes, the Crains must come together once again to face their demons and the demons that haunt them all the way
from the Hill House itself.
Ever since creating “Oculus,” one of Flanagan’s first feature-length horror films, his ability to craft resonant family issues in solidly written characters has become a sort of calling card for him. Not a single film he’s directed hasn’t featured some of the most heart-wrenching drama, all while taking place in terrifying or disturbing settings. “Hill House” continues this trend, and marks Flanagan’s best depiction of fa-
Contributed photo The Haunting of Hill House is a modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s novel about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America.
milial tension yet. The story builds slowly and weaves in and out of flashbacks and present day with seeming ease. Many episodes take multiple viewings to truly catch every moment and its effect on each character. Flanagan and crew use long, breathtaking shots and the perfect blend of meaningful jump scares as well as frightening imagery that seeps into the screen or takes place in the background. One of Flanagan’s biggest strengths as a director is his ability to place creepy objects within the frame in a place that the viewer has to really look to see. Characters within frame often don’t see it, only the viewer. This method creates a sense of dread that far surpasses any jump scare, and Flanagan uses this technique with ease. On top of solid directing, the ensemble cast brings the heat in every episode. Carla Gugino and Henry Thomas are a perfect pair to portray the younger Crain parents, and Flanagan uses regulars from his other films and relatively new actors and actresses to play the adult versions of the
children. Other standouts include Victoria Pedretti and Oliver Jackson-Cohen as twin siblings Nell and Luke, respectively. Their individual episodes highlight themes of grief, depression, addiction and the inability to let go of the past. Each actor brings depth to their role, perfectly portraying a sister overcome with grief and a brother overwhelmed by the mistakes he made in his addiction-ridden past. Flanagan’s wife and frequent collaborator Kate Siegel turns in a solid performance as Theo, the middle child who could never really connect with her siblings. She does a great job of portraying a sort of estranged sibling who withholds so much from the people around her. Her arc develops in wonderful fashion in the second half of the season, as she and eldest sister Shirley (Elizabeth Reaser) hit a rift in their relationship. The few characters mentioned here only touch the surface of the large, near-perfect ensemble. In the end, this show is about the struggles within a fam-
ily that constantly faces tragedy, all while living in a place surrounded by supernatural mystery. If the cast and story weren’t enough, the musical score, composed by the Newton Brothers, adds another layer to the narrative. The central piano tune reflects past tracks from Michael Giacchino during his work on “Lost” in the mid-2000s. The piano-heavy tracks permeate each episode and queue the viewer in to moments of gravity, scares (but not jump scares) and downright sad scenes. The piano hums to each moment with grace and purity and makes for one of the most important aspects of the show. “The Haunting of Hill House” showcases itself as a masterclass of horror. It takes everything viewers want in a fright fest and creates some of the best iterations and subversions of horror genre tendencies. From the deeply thought characters to jump scares that never feel pointless or out of place, this show easily stands out as Flanagan’s best work yet.
6
KANSAN.COM
HALLOWEEN
5 Halloween video games for couch dwellers COLLIN BIERY @colbiery
Don’t feel like dropping unnecessary cash on a costume and going out this Halloween? Don’t worry, the Kansan’s got you covered. Here are five games that’ll get you into the Halloween spirit from the comfort of your couch.
“FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE GAME”
WINDOWS, XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 “Friday the 13th” is an open world multiplayer survival horror game based on the film series of the same name. “Friday the 13th” supports up to eight players, with up to seven players controlling the Camp Crystal Lake counselors. One player is randomly selected to play as Jason Voorhees. The game puts you in the shoes of either the cold-blooded masked
killer or his victims trying to escape. It does a commendable job at conveying the feeling of the corresponding roles in intense 20-minute matches.
“COSTUME QUEST”
WINDOWS, MAC OS, ANDROID, IOS, XBOX 360 PLAYSTATION 3 “Costume Quest” is for the more light-hearted crowd — those who’d like to relive their days of trick-ortreating. “Costume Quest” is a role-playing game that puts you in the shoes of a kid trick-or-treating with their twin on Halloween night. When your twin gets kidnapped by a monster, it’s up you to go around the neighborhood, form a party of other kids and embark on a grand quest to save your sibling. The different collectible costumes come into play in the game’s turn-based battle system, where your
character cast transforms based on the costumes they’re wearing. For example, a dinky cardboard robot costume turns a character into an giant mecha robot — a childhood dream of mine, personally. It’s a charming game for those who are still kids at heart.
“RESIDENT EVIL 7: BIOHAZARD”
WINDOWS, XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 “Resident Evil 7” is a survival horror game where you control Ethan Winters, a man searching for his wife inside of the Baker estate — an abandoned mansion that housed a family of cannibals. Collect weapons and items and use them wisely as you attempt to get through the estate’s many threats. You’ll encounter plenty of the series’ famously creepy men-turned-monsters, but the game is ex-
Contributed photo “Costume Quest” is a kid-friendly addition in a season full of terrifying video games.
Contributed photo PlayStation’s “Bloodborne” is an action role-playing game in which the player travels through the Gothic horror world of Yharnam, fighting enemies along the way. tremely well paced and its scares will come when you least expect it. “Resident Evil 7” also has a VR mode if you want to take things up a notch.
“BLOODBORNE” PLAYSTATION 4
“Bloodborne” is an action role-playing game set in the gothic city of Yharnam, where inhabitants have been inflicted with an abnormal plague. You play as the hunter as you explore the city and unlock its secrets, fight beasts, and finally pinpoint the source of the plague and stop it. “Bloodborne,” partially inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, creates an awe-inspiring medieval gothic world with much to unravel. “Bloodborne” has deep character progression systems and a satisfyingly difficult combat from developer FromSoftware’s
Dark Souls series.
“OUTLAST”
WINDOWS, MAC OS, NINTENDO SWITCH, PLAYSTATION 4, XBOX ONE “Outlast” is a first-person survival game where you play as freelance investigative journalist Miles Upshur investigating a psychiatric hospital located in Colorado’s remote mountains.
“Outlast” does a commendable job of creating a hopeless scenario. You’re playing as a journalist — not a trained combat specialist or anything of the sort. You can’t fight enemies; you can only run. Since it’s on every modern platform, it’s a solid and easily accessible scare.
Contributed photo The “Outlast” series from game developer Red Barrels is a first-person survival horror experience set in an asylum.
KANSAN.COM
HALLOWEEN
7
Alumna takes Halloween to next level RYLIE KOESTER @RylieKoester
Alicia Erickson loves Halloween. She celebrates for the entire month of October and will wear six different hand-made costumes this year. “I love Halloween very, very much,” Erickson said. For her costume this year, she and her husband, Brady Swenson, have constructed a couch-sized Beetlejuicethemed costume out of PVC pipes that can be disassembled, rolled, transported in their van and reassembled. It’s a replica of the magician who has been cut in half on a couch during the waiting room scene. They plan to enter a costume contest at the Power and Light district in Kansas City. “I think it’ll definitely be an attention-grabber,” Swenson said. Erickson’s love for Halloween began when she was young. Growing up on a farm, her parents celebrated Halloween by having a bonfire and
Contributed photo Left to right: Alicia Erikson, Brady Swenson and their children, Erik and Asha Swenson. The family chooses a theme every year for their costumes. costumes on. Her children decided on “Ocean” for this year. On Halloween day, her son will dress as a dolphin, her daughter as a jellyfish, her husband as a coral reef and herself as a school of tuna fish. She begins crafting the handmade costumes in September. “I spend a lot of hours doing it, but it’s really enjoyable time for me,” Erickson said. As for decorations, she handmakes those too. Erickson has collected bottles to create an apothecary mantle display. She and her children also each carve a foam jack-o-lantern each year, so she has built up a collection that is displayed on her front porch. “Getting to watch
the progression of their drawing and design as they get a little bit older is really fun,” she said. Swenson said he thinks Erickson’s love for Halloween is a beautiful thing. He said she’s been dressing him in his Halloween costumes since they started dating. Whether it be watching “Hocus Pocus,” going to the pumpkin patch or participating in the Lawrence Zombie Walk, Halloween has allowed Erickson and Swenson to create lasting traditions with their family. “It brings her a lot of joy and us too,” Swenson said. “We’ve all learned to love it as a family.”
Contributed Photo Alicia Erikson is a University alumna who spends the entire month of October celebrating Halloween.
and 7-year-old daughter in North Lawrence. Erickson and her family begin their month-long celebration by hosting a “Welcome to October” party in their backyard. They invite friends and family, play Halloween-related games and screen a Halloween movie. They rotate each year between showing “Halloweentown,” “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” “All holidays are really fun, but there’s something really unique about Halloween because it doesn’t feel fully claimed by obligations,” Erickson said. “You’re free to start your own traditions.” Each year, Erickson and her family pick a theme to base their
in Ambrose and friends Roz and Susie. Susie is portrayed by gender queer actor Lachlan Watson. Watson plays one of the first non-binary characters on television, but “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” doesn’t call attention to it. They are gender queer, and Sabrina, Roz and Harvey, portrayed here by Ross Lynch, do what they can to protect them from bullies and outside forces. The show is rich with other strong female characters such as Baxter High School teacher Mary Wardwell (Michelle Gomez) and Prudence Night (Tati Gabrielle), an orphan witch at the Academy of the
Unseen Arts — the school for young witches and warlocks. The performances from each actor anchor the show, but Shipka is the star. She brings an innocence and naivety to Sabrina the audience is used to, but also shows glimpses of inner darkness. The show is set in the same universe as the CW’s “Riverdale” but only makes reference to the town, not the characters. The potential for a crossover is intriguing, but there is enough going on in the town of Greendale that a crossover may feel overbearing. The show doesn’t need to lean on “Riverdale”
like others may. It’s doing just fine on its own. Part two, consisting of another 10 episodes, will drop in 2019. Part one is a
fun binge with just enough scares to make your heart beat, and just enough loose ends to make you long for more.
hayrack ride, which sparked Erickson’s passion. She and her mom also constructed their costumes by hand. In the fourth grade, she
made fake legs for an ostrich costume. Erickson, an alumna of the University of Kansas, lives with her husband, 3-year-old son
‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’ shows darker tone
RACHEL GAYLOR @raegay218
The first minutes of the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” let you know this isn’t the Sabrina of old. Yes, the story is about a teenage witch named Sabrina Spellman with a cat named Salem who lives with her two aunts Hilda and Zelda with a love interest named Harvey Kinkle. But the similarities end there. This current show is based on both the show and comic book created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. The dark tone of the story — much different from the 1990s 30-minute sitcom “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” is established in the first frame. This incarnation of Sabrina is portrayed by Kiernan Shipka, who earned a role on “Mad Men” as Sally Draper by age 8. Shipka is the key to the entire series as the titular character. And the 19-year-old shoulders the responsibility of fronting the show with poise. The show, set in the fictional town of Greendale, picks up a few days before Sabrina, whose warlock father married a mortal mother, turns 16, coinciding with Halloween and the blood eclipse. During this time, Sabrina will have to choose whether to remain
in the mortal world and lose her powers or give up her teenage life and sign her name into the Book of Death. Sabrina’s struggle between embracing her humanity or her destiny highlights the theme of the first season, listed on Netflix as part one. While trying to hide her secret life from her friends, Sabrina struggles with the darkness that accompanies the Church of Night — her family’s coven. The show’s tone is also highlighted by its dark humor — primarily in the form of the aunts Hilda and Zelda, portrayed by Lucy Davis and Miranda Otto, respectively. Their banter inside the family mortuary contrasts the more whimsical Hilda and no-nonsense Zelda. The first two episodes are packed with action with the middle six episodes taking their time to draw out the plot and set up for the final two episodes of the season. The slow burn gives the series a bit of a dragging feeling that can be a distraction at times, but the show is worth the wait. Shipka’s performance isn’t the only one of note. The series adds three new characters who were not in the original: Sabrina’s cous-
Contributed photo Salem is a former witch sentenced by the Witches Council to spend an indefinite amount of time as a cat that lives with Sabrina and her family.
Contributed photo Netflix’s “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is based on the comic book series of the same name, which also inspired the 1996 television series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.”
8
KANSAN.COM
HALLOWEEN
Meet the Wiccan witches of Lawrence KATIE COUNTS @KansanNews
Freshman pre-nursing student Abygail Okupsi is a witch. Not a cauldronbrewing, broomstickflying, pointy hat-wearing witch. Okupsi is a follower of the modernized pagan religion of Wicca. “It’s just the way I believe. Everyone else has their own beliefs,” Okupsi said. “Create harmony within the world. Don’t try to mess up the balance of what is going on.” These ideas of harmony and balance are what first drew Okupsi to Wicca. She was raised a Catholic, but as she got older she grew apart from the church. With the guidance of some friends in her hometown of Seneca, Okupsi decided to convert. For Okupsi, being a witch means wearing a fivepointed star, or pentacle, for protection, burning candles, consulting tarot cards for guidance, praying to the Greek gods and goddesses and reading from her spell book. But not every Wiccan practices this way. In fact, being a Wiccan and being a witch are two separate things. Wicca is a religion, but witchcraft is the practice of magic. “You’re supposed to make your religion what your religion should be,” local witch Kerry Johnson said. She uses witchcraft as an outlet for her Wiccan beliefs. Among her many titles, Johnson is high priestess of the Nine Roses Coven and an owner of local shop Village Witch at 1910 Haskell Ave., Suite 1. Regardless, the religion upholds one major value as written in their belief statement, the Wiccan
Rede: do no harm. Wicca is not supposed to be about black magic or hurting people; it’s about creating harmony. “All of those rules align the same way. Do unto others as you would do unto you. Whatever you do comes back to you. It’s just worded differently,” said Ashlie Christianson, Johnson’s daughter-inlaw and the owner of Green Goddess, which is connected to Village Witch. “It’s more so what makes you comfortable, what makes you happy, what gives you that reason for that energy.” Johnson teaches a number of classes at Village Witch, including a series on the basics of ritual. To complete this class, Johnson hosted a ritual in her shop on the night of Saturday, Sept. 15, and with her permission I was able to attend. I arrived at Village Witch around 7 p.m. but a couple of members were late so we stood around eating snacks for a bit. “How can you tell when it is midnight at the witch’s house? The 9 o’clock ritual is starting,” Johnson joked. There were nine women there, including myself, ranging in age and amount of witchcraft experience. Many of the women came from different religious backgrounds and were just there to learn. Unlike some faiths, Wicca does not actively seek to convert. “If you’re supposed to be here, you’ll find your way here,” Johnson said. We were to perform an earth-healing ritual, which is meant to send out good energy. The Wiccan Rule of Three states that whatever energy you put out will returned threefold, so it’s
Freshman Abygail Okupsi reads spell books and books on Wiccan history. important that witches expel positive energy into the world. The women gathered in a circle around a small shrine that held candles, mini pumpkin cakes, wine and two intricately carved statues of a woman and a man. Wicca is a polytheistic religion, but it traditionally recognizes one main god and goddess called the “Lord and Lady.” These gods can be pulled from any pantheon including Greek, Egyptian, Native American, Nordic and the traditional Celtic. These gods and goddesses can even be mixed — it just depends on the witch. The room was dark except for a few lit candles and the setting sun behind us. To begin the ritual, Johnson had to cast a circle of protection. She walked around the room blessing the cardinal directions with smoke and a blade. Each direction is represented by a different element: east
is air, south is fire, west is water, and north is earth. After blessing the space, Johnson invoked the Lord and Lady, and then we began the spellwork. The group circled around the shrine, moving clockwise while chanting a spell about the the elements until it had been repeated nine times. After chanting, we ate the cakes and passed around a chalice of wine. Johnson called this a sort of “Wiccan communion.” Once we finished eating, Johnson thanked the Lord and Lady and then uncast the circle. The atmosphere did not feel any different to me, but to the other women, including Autumn Blevins, a recent student of Johnson’s class, it seemed to have made an impact. “I literally had to move halfway across the U.S. to find something [that] would teach me like this and that I would feel comfortable like with,” Blevins said.
Katie Counts/KANSAN
Blevins is originally from Maryland and came to Lawrence for school. Growing up, she said she was taught that Wiccans were bad people, but as she got older she wanted to learn more. Blevins said she decided to take the class to find “the truth,” and what she found was a sense of community and freedom like nothing she had ever had before. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do for most of my life,” Blevins said. Blevins would like to continue her training and said she hopes to eventually join Johnson’s coven. But while Blevins is drawn to Wicca, not everyone feels the call or believes in magic. “Can I prove that magic works? No,” Johnson said. “Have I had spells work? Yeah. Have I had spells not work? Yeah. To me, spells are very much like prayers. You’re petitioning a higher power, and sometimes the answer is no.”
In Lawrence, most people have been pretty relaxed about her Wiccan beliefs, but both Johnson and Okupsi say that they have experienced some backlash. Johnson has had Bibles thrown at her, and she’s even had to kick threatening people out of her store. “It’s the ‘other,’” Johnson said. “We all hate the other. It’s just the way our society is.” She said she finds it particularly ironic that some Christians have a hard time with Wicca when holidays like Christmas and Easter actually come from pagan practices. But Johnson said she doesn’t care about what anyone else thinks. She said she believes there is no wrong religion, just wrong religions for you. She’s just happy that she gets to practice what feels right to her. “Just live and let live,” Johnson said.
out the passenger window and is greeted by the sight of a ghoulish face. Not long after, the same figure appears on the road before her, causing her to swerve into a ditch. “The Man” (Herk Harvey himself) becomes hauntingly omnipresent in Mary’s new life. She is also plagued by strange periods of time where she is invisible to those around her and goes temporarily deaf. By far the creepiest part of her scenario, however, is her neighbor John Linden (Sidney Berger), who incessantly tries to woo her. Looking back at early films in the horror genre, it’s often a bit difficult to take them seriously. The age before CGI, fancy stage makeup, and million dollar budgets often yielded results that seem comical by contemporary standards. While “Carnival of Souls” is far from immune to the effects of time, creators of the film crafted suspense and unease with more rudimentary methods. “There are only a couple of what I’d call actual ‘scares’ in it. It’s more of a mystery and all about atmosphere,” Niccum said. “It’s a weird little spooky movie, and I think it gains a lot of its power from the fact that it was shot in Lawrence and with a low budget. The scares were earned by being atmospheric, as opposed to having elaborate sets.”
Many of the plot devices in the film — especially the ending — may be predictable today, but they were likely quite innovative and surprising in the 1960s. Most traces of the filming process of “Carnival of Souls” have been lost over the years. Lawrence — Mass Street, in particular — has grown and modernized. The pavilion in Salt Lake City that Mary was inexplicably drawn to has been torn down. Reuter Organ Company has begun to fade into oblivion. Nonetheless, the connection of this horror film to Lawrence is forever preserved in an unexpected location: the Liberty Hall video store. Walking in, you might notice wood paneling hanging on the wall near the checkout desk. “Those are part of the organ that was actually used in ‘Carnival of Souls,’” said Thaddeus Haverkamp, a Liberty Hall employee. They were donated to Liberty Hall for display. Whether you’re just interested in Lawrence’s history or are a horror movie fanatic, “Carnival of Souls” is worth a watch for its influence more so than its quality. You may not be dazzled by the poorly aligned voice overs, but you’ll surely gain an appreciation for how much horror has evolved since the 1960s. There’s a good chance you’ll even be spooked a few times.
‘Carnival of Souls,’ the horror film made in Lawrence JAYA CHAKKA @jaiyaofthebees
“It’s funny... the world is so different in the daylight. In the dark, your fantasies get so out of hand. But in the daylight, everything falls back into place again,” said Mary Henry in “Carnival of Souls.” Lawrence is a town that undeniably boasts a great deal of history. Many of the buildings here have been around for decades — or even centuries. While Lawrence has its share of haunted locations, it is not a region most people explicitly associate with horror movies. Unbeknownst to many, part of a horror film that would later become a revered classic was shot right here in town. “Carnival of Souls” premiered in 1962 and was directed by University of Kansas alumnus Harold “Herk” Harvey. “Carnival of Souls” had an effect not only on Lawrence but on the very future of horror movies, according to University film and journalism lecturer Jon Niccum. “It was the first feature film to be shot in Lawrence using Lawrence filmmakers that got any kind of distribution or notoriety,” Niccum said. “It also had a really significant effect on horror movies in general and the iconography of what ghouls/zombies look like. ‘Night of the Living
Madeline McConico/KANSAN The panels hanging in the Liberty Hall video story are from the organ used in “Carnival of Souls,” a 1962 horror movie based and shot in Lawrence. Dead’ is clearly influenced by ‘Carnival of Souls.’” The film follows protagonist Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), who is first seen in a car with two of her friends on what is now Massachusetts Street. To a keen viewer, specific Mass Street landmarks can be recognized. Even if you can’t pick out any, there is definitely a sense of familiarity about the scene, Niccum said. “The Mass stuff is what leaps out,” Niccum said. “Mass Street looks the same; it’s just different businesses. You’ll see the Masonic Temple there and Weaver’s.” When the two men in the adjacent car challenge Mary and company to a drag race, tragedy strikes: the women’s car careens off the side of a narrow bridge
and plunges into the river below. As police survey the scene several hours later, Mary miraculously stumbles out of the water. She appears to be relatively unscathed — her friends don’t seem to be so lucky. Shortly after the accident, Mary accepts a job as a church organist in Salt Lake City. Before she leaves, she makes a stop by the organ factory in town to test one of their instruments, as they also manufactured the organ she will play in Utah. “They wrote her as an organist because they knew they could get into Reuter Organ Company. I’m sure if Google were here, they would have written her as a Google analyst. It was kind of screenwriting by necessity, by practicality,” Niccum
said. Reuter Organ Company is a pipe organ-building business which moved to Lawrence in the early 1900s. It has been abandoned since around when “Carnival of Souls” was shot, according to Niccum. Luckily, access to this location works in the film’s favor. A dark, atmospheric organ score by Gene Moore serves as the soundtrack, and it’s every bit as unsettling as one would imagine — especially during the suspenseful scenes. After boldly declaring her intentions to never return to Kansas, Mary sets off on the long drive. Close to Salt Lake City, Mary spots an eerie, abandoned pavilion in the dimming light. As if that wasn’t creepy enough, she glances