The University Daily Kansan 11/08/2018

THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

INSIDE

SPORTS Freshman guards impress in season debut against Michigan State

The University Daily Kansan

vol. 137 // iss. 23 Thurs., Nov. 8, 2018

SEE FRESHMAN • PAGE 7

Watkins slides past Davis to win 2nd District p. 2 In 1970, two alumni set off on a 4,000-mile trek across the Sahara Desert — and lived to tell the tale p. 3 Read more at kansan.com

‘KU students did this’

After record turnout, KU Young Democrats celebrate Laura Kelly’s gubernatorial victory

Supporters of Laura Kelly erupt in celebrations as her win is announced on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

NICOLE ASBURY @NicoleAsbury More Kansas voters turned out than usual at Douglas County polls on Tuesday in a historic midterm race, Douglas County Election officials said.

Polls showed the race was consistently tight between Democratic gubernatorial candidate Laura Kelly and Republican candidate Kris Kobach before election day, but following Tuesday’s election, Kelly emerged victorious. With mass efforts by campus and local groups to up voter turnout, many organizations believe young voters were part of the rea-

son Kelly won.

Jamie Shew, a Douglas County clerk, said about 47,000 people voted in Douglas County on Tuesday, which is close to the 50,000 average votes during a presidential election. On average, an estimated 39,000 people vote in-person on midterms.

“I will tell that just by looking at the numbers, college students was extremely high for a midterm.

It doubled,” Shew said.

However, official data from the Douglas County Elections Office will not be out for a few more days, Shew said.

Amy Schumacher-Ruth-

erford, a Ph.D. student in the University’s communications department, has conducted a number of non-partisan initiatives to get more people registered to vote over the past months. Schumacher-Rutherford said the results were “very exciting.”

“It’s incredibly validating. There were so many people out there pushing to get people to vote,” Schumacher-Rutherford said. “We were all so passionate about it, and the fact that people took that on their own and that they showed up — it’s very exciting.”

Schumacher-Rutherford said she hopes this turnout

is just a starting point for voters in Kansas.

“People showed up now, and we can’t lose this enthusiasm,” Schumacher-Rutherford said. “We’ve got to keep showing up.”

After her victory speech Tuesday night in Topeka, Kelly acknowledged the KU Young Democrats organization in the crowd when she said, “Look at my young people.” Her acknowledgement was met with cheers from those in attendance.

Nick Hinman, a sophomore from Olathe, was a campus organizer over the course of the fall 2018 semester on behalf of the Kansas Democratic Party.

Sarah Wright/KANSAN

Following Kelly’s victory, Hinman was in disbelief, he said.

He said University students had a critical role in Governor-elect Kelly’s victory.

“What can students anticipate [from Kelly’s

win]? Hope,” Hinman said.

“A feeling that they’re not living in place that hates them. A feeling that they actually have control over what’s going on. A feeling that their voice matters — because KU students did this.”

Illustration by Huntyr Schwegman/KANSAN

Kobach: ‘We fought as hard as we could’ LARA KORTE & JULIANA GARCIA @Lara_Korte @slim_jim09

TOPEKA — It was solemn in the ballroom of the Capitol Plaza in Topeka on Tuesday as Kansas Republicans learned Secretary of State Kris Kobach had lost the governorship to Democrat Laura Kelly.

“This has been a battle to the finish looking at county by county, it’s really

been, as it has always been in Kansas, a very close governor’s race,” Kobach said.

“Headwinds all the way for our team, but that’s alright. We fought as hard as we could into those headwinds. We were outspent by $2.5 million approximately.”

Kobach, who focused his campaign on cutting taxes and fighting illegal immigration, fell to Kelly by more than 50,000 votes.

By 10:30 p.m., Kobach had

Chance Parker/KANSAN Kris Kobach addresses his supporters after losing the gubernatorial race in Kansas on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

secured only 43 percent of Kansas voters compared to Kelly’s 48 percent.

Kobach said his loss follows a pattern of party leadership that Kansas has seen for decades.

“For the past 54 years, no Republican has succeeded a Republican administration in Kansas and no Democrat has succeeded a Democrat,” Kobach said. “So it looks like that pattern will continue for another four years and we’ll see how long it goes before it’s broken.”

For many supporters, the loss wasn’t surprising, but still came as a blow.

“I’m kind of disappointed in how it ended up,” said Caleb Schletzbaum, a freshman at Kansas State.

“I was kind of not very confident coming into it, but I’m most surprised by the margin of his loss.”

Schletzbaum attributed Kobach’s loss to the reputation of former Gov. Sam Brownback, who left office

in January to take a position under President Donald Trump.

“I know there were a lot of people who were really concerned [Kobach] would be like Brownback,” Schletzbaum said. “I know Brownback was highly unpopular. I knew it would be a lot closer than what you generally suspect for an election in Kansas.”

Kobach gained early support from President Donald Trump, who came to stump for the secretary of state in early October.

“To put it simply, I want to do for Kansas what President Trump has done for America,” Kobach said at the rally.

Valentin Lobatos, a Kobach supporter and paid campaign volunteer at the watch party on Tuesday, said while he thinks President Trump’s endorsement came late, it was crucial in Kobach’s win over former Governor Jeff Colyer in the primaries.

“I think that’s why we need this red wave,” Wyandotte native Lobatos said early in the night. “We need good governors and good congressman to back the policies that [Trump is] bringing in.”

By the end of the night, many in the ballroom were solemn. Others were simply angry.

“Kansas is not ready for what’s about to hit them,” said one woman, who only gave the name Celia.

“They’re not ready for the population that’s about to leave. I mean why would they stay here, with taxes rocketing? Why would they do that?”

“Is this more about anti-Trump than anti-Kris, anti-Kobach?,” she added.

Michael Jacobson, a 15-year-old from Gardner, Kan., said Kansans will realize Laura Kelly is a “disaster” for the state by 2022.

He said Tuesday night was a disappointing one for Kansas Republicans — and said

the outcome proves polls are not always reliable.

“Kansas Republicans just didn’t show up,” Jacobson said. “Or, I don’t really know what happened to Kansas tonight. It was an unexpected result, definitely.”

Kobach thanked the crowd for their support and said he was proud of the effort they put into this campaign.

“We fought the good fight. I think we fought really well. We put together a team that did an extraordinary performance on the field and I’m so pleased to have fought side by side with so many great Republicans,” Kobach said. “The state of Kansas has a bright future ahead. Republicans are going to be fighting for the values we hold dear regardless of which offices we Republicans hold.”

“I just want to end by saying God bless Kansas,” he said.

2

news

NE WS

Thursday, November 8, 2018

staff NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Shaun Goodwin

Managing editor Conner Mitchell

Digital operations editor Emily Cox

Audience engagement editor Grant Heiman

Associate audience engagement editor Arman Alhosseini ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Business manager Baylee Parsons

Sales manager Mitch Tamblyn SECTION EDITORS

News editor Lara Korte

Associate news editor Hailey Dixon

Sports editor Braden Shaw

Associate sports editor Maddy Tannahill

Arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman

Associate arts & culture editor Josh McQuade

Opinion editor Rebekah Lodos

Visuals editor & design chief Huntyr Schwegman

Photo editor Chance Parker

Copy chiefs Raeley Youngs Savanna Smith

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.

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

Watkins defeats Davis in 2nd District SOPHIA BELSHE @SophiaBelshe

At the Douglas County Democrats watch party Tuesday night, early hopes for a Democratic victory were dashed as Republican Steve Watkins gained a late lead over Paul Davis.

Davis was leading for most of the night by an increasingly thin margin, but was eventually surpassed

by Watkins. The crowd thinned as the other major races wrapped up, and the 2nd District race turned in Watkins’ favor.

Remaining attendees were excited about earlier results, but disappointed about the result Davis’ campaign.

Davis gave a concession speech around 11 p.m., in which he announced the end of his time running for public office.

He was optimistic about the victory for gubernatorial candidate Laura Kelly, saying Democrats “have something to celebrate tonight.”

Watkins celebrated his victory at Kobach’s watch party in Topeka, minutes after Kobach gave his concession speech.

“A year ago, I launched a campaign to bring conservative Kansas values and military leadership to the politicians on Capitol Hill,” Watkins said.

“Since that day, tens of

Chance Parker/KANSAN Steve Watkins delivers a victory speech to supporters in Topeka after winning the 2nd Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 6. thousands of Kansans across the 2nd District have rallied behind my campaign to usher in a new generation of political leadership.”

“The victory is not mine, the seat is not mine, it belongs to the people of eastern Kansas,” Watkins said. “God grant me the wisdom to serve.”

Watkins said he had the utmost respect for his opponent Davis.

“Putting yourself out there in public office is not an easy thing to do,” Watkins said.

Cathy and Claire Hersh, a mother-daughter

pair from Wichita, said they were optimistic as early results came in at the Democratic watch party. Other attendees shared their hopeful attitude.

“We are hopeful — very hopeful — that it’s going to be a good night,” District 44 Rep. Barb Ballard said to the crowd around 8 p.m.

The crowd remained joyful as other Democrats won across the state and country. Eyes were on gubernatorial candidate Laura Kelly, who earned overwhelming support from the crowd when

shown on the CNN broadcast. The biggest cheer of the night came when her victory was called.

“I think [Democrats] will take us in a better direction,” said Patti Welty, a Lawrence resident who attended Davis’ party.

Secretary of State candidate Brian McClendon and State Treasurer candidate Marci Francisco made appearances early in the night, both excited about early returns from western Kansas.

“We have people

who are running really good races,” McClendon said. “It looks good for Democrats.”

They both lost their races, but Francisco, who’s currently the state senator from the 2nd District, said in her speech that she could accomplish her goals as a senator or treasurer.

The end of the night was bittersweet for many attendees following the Davis loss.

“Just because these elections are over doesn’t mean we quit,” Douglas County Democrats chair Curtis Hall said.

back to how our state was,” said Barbara Ballard, a state representative whose district includes the University of Kansas.

“I think Kansas said today that it believes in the Constitution and that all people are created equal and that you can have liberty and pursuit of happiness. We believe that people should have opportunities and we don’t like people who limit those opportunities.”

Ballard appeared to be referring to Kelly’s opponent, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has established himself as a staunch supporter of controversial voter identification laws, strict

immigration policies and a strong advocate for Trump.

“We have never had government that went after immigrants. We have not had this before. And I don’t think our state liked it. They want us to go back to being a very open state where there are opportunities for everyone, not just a few,” Ballard said.

“To have another person come along saying they want to go back to how it was — we remember how it was, and we were scared and terrified. And that’s not how we want to run a state.”

Kelly’s win echoed through Maceli’s Banquet Hall, where dozens of local Democrats gathered to watch pivotal election

results roll in. Marci Francisco, who currently serves as a Democratic state senator, lost a race for state treasurer to Republican Jake LaTurner. But, since Kelly won the governorship, Francisco said she is excited to return to the Senate chambers since that seat was not up for re-election.

“I don’t want to be in the Senate without her as my governor,” Francisco said. “I think that people saw that we had really good candidates that we had a strong message of moving Kansas forward, and a party that had a lot of people working for it.”

From a policy standpoint, Ballard said she is encouraged about state legislative initiatives moving forward under Kelly’s leadership.

“We have to finish funding K-12. The state Supreme Court has said that is your priority,” she said. “We’ve had two shots at it, and they’ve gone along with it, but this time there will be no more. We’re going to have to accomplish that.

We know that. The whole state knows that.”

Ballard, who has been an advocate of overturning the state statute which allows individuals to carry guns on college campuses, promised that legislation would again return to the statehouse chambers when representatives convene in January.

“I have been on it for four years,” she said. “When

I introduced it in the first part of this year, it only went down by 16 votes …

My bill is being drafted, and I will be back again. I think we stand a better chance.

But I have to be realistic … it will be introduced again.

Certainly if we can get it through, we don’t have to worry about it being vetoed.”

Kansas Democrats faced disappointment with the loss of the 2nd Congressional District, which includes the University. Democrat Paul Davis was assumed to have a decent chance at winning the seat, but he ultimately came up short by about 4,000 votes short.

Davis announced it would be his final run for public office, after serving 12 years in the state legislature and running for governor in 2014. He celebrated Kelly’s win, saying the 65-year-old Democrat would be “an excellent governor.”

“While I’m disappointed with the result tonight, my heart is really filled with gratitude right now,” Davis said.

“Your belief in me and your belief in this cause is something that I will never forget,” Davis said. “Tonight marks the conclusion of my last run for public office.

It’s time for me to turn a page in the next chapter of my life, but I’m not going to back away from the things I believe in.”

Hope remains, local Democratic leaders say CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0 After two years of turmoil that reverberated through the upper ranks of the Democratic Party, there was a strong sense of hope among Douglas County Democrats on Tuesday night, Nov. 6.

Two members of the Kansas delegation — Laura Kelly and Sharice Davids — gained seats from Republican counterparts in a midterm election that proved to be a clear rebuke of President Donald Trump both in the state and across the country.

“Our top priority in this state was to get a Democratic governor so we could go

KANSAN MEDIA PARTNERS Check out KUJH-TV on Wow! of Kansas Channel 31 in Lawrence for more on what you’ve read in today’s Kansan and other news. Also see KUJH’s website at tv.ku.edu.

KJHK is the student voice in radio.

Whether it’s rock ‘n’ roll or reggae, sports or special events, KJHK 90.7 is for you.

2000 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence, Kan., 66045

editor@kansan.com www.kansan.com Newsroom: (785) 864-4552 Advertising: (785) 864-4358

K ANSAN.COM

Conner Mitchell/KANSAN Douglas County Democrats watch election results come in at Maceli’s Banquet Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

K ANSAN.COM

arts & culture Thursday, November 8, 2018

ARTS & CULTURE

3

K A N S A N .C O M /A R T S _ A N D _ C U LT U R E

‘Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity’

In 1970, two KU alumni embarked on a journey across the Sahara Desert. Now, a new documentary tells the tale ALEX ROTHERS @alex_rothers While traveling by car across the Sahara Desert, two hitchhikers, both of whom graduated from the University of Kansas in 1969, almost crashed into a camel crossing the road.

“At this point we realized, yeah, we’re not in Kansas anymore,” Steve Ewert said.

Ewert and Dick Russell are the subjects of a documentary directed

by Scott Petersen, titled “Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity.” Petersen, Ewert’s nephew, tells the story of how the two University graduates ended up hitchhiking across the Sahara Desert.

As a child, Petersen visited his uncle’s photography studio in Chicago. Years later, Petersen urged his uncle to tell him more about his hitchhiking trip across Northern Africa.

Years later, when Ewert showed Petersen his photos from the trip and informed him of Russell’s 3-inch thick, single-spaced, typewritten journal from the trip, Petersen knew he had a story to tell.

“As a documentary filmmaker that appeals to me, that there’s all these documents that I can refer to and look at and use,” Petersen said.

Through the process of making the film, Petersen learned about the history and politics of Northern Africa at the time, the personal relationship between Ewert and Russell and the dangers they faced.

“I didn’t really realize how close they came to dying,” Petersen said.

The plan in 1970 was to have Russell write and Ewert take photos for a weekly column called New Perspectives for the Topeka Daily Capital.

Russell, a sports writer at the time, had dreams of covering something more important.

“I guess in my junior year I woke up to the fact that there was something

else going on; there was a Vietnam war and the civil rights movement, and a good friend of mine was a hippy,” Russell said.

Russell had the initial idea to pick up and leave the United States. He had secured a job with Sports Illustrated after graduating, but he quit after nine months. He wanted to write about something other than sports. So he packed a bag and his portable typewriter, bought a one-way ticket to London and left without knowing if he would return home. “[Russell] had this wild idea to take this trip, and I was just like, ‘Well, why not?’,” Ewert said. “There was nothing else in my way because I wasn’t going to go get a job.”

Russell made plans with his bandmate, Ewert, to meet him in Europe.

Ewert was the drummer and Russell the lead vocalist of their band Vanilla Abstract. Russell arrived in London in June 1970, and Ewert met him that fall.

Contributed photo In 1970, alumni Steve Ewert and Dick Russell spent four weeks hitchhiking across 4,000 miles of the Sahara Desert. something,” Russell said.

Ewert and Russell decided to hitchhike across the Sahara Desert — a 4,000 mile, month-long journey from Algiers to Accra, Ghana.

“He was a photographer, and I was a writer, so we would see if we could just go wherever the spirit moved us to write and photograph stories together.”

Dick Russell documentary subject

“He was a photographer, and I was a writer, so we would see if we could just go wherever the spirit moved us to write and photograph stories together,” Russell said.

Russell and Ewert found Europe to be uninteresting. They wanted to pursue some of the American revolutionaries, like Eldridge Cleaver of the Black Panthers, who had been exiled to Northern Africa. So they hopped on a plane to Algiers, Algeria.

“At that point we didn’t know what else to do except, let’s take off across the Sahara Desert, and maybe we can do a story for the National Geographic someday or

“There wasn’t really anything else to do but hitchhike, and besides, hitchhiking was an adventure,” said Russell.

“You met lots of interesting people, and then the idea of hitchhiking across the Sahara was unique — you know, people hadn’t tried to do that. And we barely made it.”

The pair arrived in Algiers in December 1970.

Russell had “idealistic” dreams of covering and even working for some of the Black Panthers, who had fled to Africa from the United States.

“What happened was the Panthers didn’t want anything to do with us really, you know, young white kids from Kansas,” said Russell.

Contributed photo In 1970, alumni Steve Ewert and Dick Russell spent four weeks hitchhiking across 4,000 miles of the Sahara Desert.

The documentary shows Russell and Ewert’s encounters with the Niger military, the Mamponghene (meaning “leader”) of the Kingdom of Ashanti in Ghana, and several moments that had them questioning whether they would make it out alive.

“I was scared in the Sahara while we were hitchhiking,” Russell said.

“One of the cars broke down, and we were out of water, we were out of food, and we hadn’t seen another car going the other way for two days.

It was scary. I mean, we didn’t know if we were going to make it.”

According to Ewert, one of the main storylines of the documentary is how his and Russell’s differing personalities created conflict throughout their journey.

“Dick was an extraordinary extrovert, and I think he would say I’m sort of an introvert. He had been a successful sports writer in the 1960s. He was making about $6,000 or $7,000 a year, and he drove a Corvette, and he lived in a fraternity,” Ewert said.

“And I lived in the attic of an old building, and I was studying engineering. He was fearless; he would ask anybody anything and go anywhere. And I had to learn how to be a part of that.”

Unlike Russell who said he was “forging ahead like (he) was Marco Polo or something,” Ewert was worried about his film being destroyed by the sand and heat, as well as whether his girlfriend back home would still be around for him.

“I was under a lot of stress because I was supposed to get married when I got back. And I was out of contact with her because in those days there were no cell phones,” Ewert said.

When the hitchhikers finally made their way to Ghana and checked into a motel, Ewert suffered from acute anxiety and hallucinations as a re-

Contributed photo Scott Petersen’s documentary, “Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity,” explores his uncle Steve Ewert’s 4,000-mile journey made in 1970 with with friend Dick Russell. sult of built-up anxiety over his film and fiance back home. In the documentary, Ewert describes how in the middle of the night, he thought bugs were crawling out of his mouth and all over his body.

“I thought I was losing my mind,” Ewert said.

At the end of the film, Ewert and Russell sit down, over 40 years after their trip, and reminisce. They look through Ewert’s photos and Russell’s journal. Russell talks about how what he learned was less about politics and more about how people can learn to cooperate and learn about the world.

What Ewert learned he said he will use for the rest of his life.

“Sometimes when you’re shooting pictures, you’re going to be making people uncomfortable, and you’re going to have to take risks, so I learned

how to take more and more risks to grab the picture that I wanted to grab,” Ewert said. “And I’ve used that for the rest of my life because I’ve been a photographer ever since.”

Russell said their trip was one of the most remarkable experiences of his life.

“I learned a lot about how to live with another person, when you’re night and day together and just trying to go through a lot of difficult experiences.

But it was great,” Russell said. “And we’re still very good friends to this day.”

Screening dates and times “Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity” can be found on its website.

The film is also available to stream on iTunes and Amazon and for purchase for public screening purposes.

4

ARTS & CULTURE

K ANSAN.COM

Spencer Research Library celebrates 50 years

JOSIE LAPKE @KansanNews

Since its opening, the Kenneth Spencer Research Library has served as a resource on the University of Kansas campus by housing rare books, archives and manuscripts. Now in its 50th year of operation, the library is celebrating its documentation of the last century with an exhibit unlike any they’ve done before.

‘50 for 50: Celebrating Fifty Years of Kenneth Spencer Research Library,’ is currently on display in the library’s North Gallery.

It features the favorite items of people who have used the library’s materials, as well as items that have left an impact on patrons. The items were suggested by people who have previously done research as students, scholars who used the material to conduct extensive research and former library staff.

“We had a lot of things to pick from, and we wanted to pick from across the collections and to try to showcase some really interesting things that people may or may not know about,” project director Beth Whittaker said.

Unlike previous exhibits featured at the library, which have typically focused on one topic, the collection is made up of a variety of materials stemming from

Rachel Griffard/KANSAN The Spencer Research Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an exhibition of materials selected by patrons. different areas of focus.

“Usually we do exhibits around a theme or a subject, or we’re trying to portray something about an event or an occasion,” said Sheryl Williams, a committee member who helped put the show together. “In this case, it’s a very disparate group of material that’s just been brought together by people’s use of the collection. I think that makes it unique.”

Some of the items on display displayed include a “Jayhawker” yearbook from 1930, a bird’s eye view photograph of Lawrence from 1880, a photograph of the KU football team in 1909, a nearly 3,000-year-old papyrus scroll from Egypt, and an approximately 3.7 billion-year-old moon rock. Each piece also features a story written by the selector explaining the significance of the item

along with their reason for choosing it. “[The exhibit] shows the diversity of things that are here, and everything is so interesting,” Williams said.

“Every single thing that’s in the exhibit has its own backstory and can raise all kinds of questions.”

To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the library will host a celebration on Thursday, Nov. 8, 50 years to the day the library opened.

It will involve speakers, including Whittaker, University English professor Jonathan Lamb and Dean of Libraries Kevin Smith.

Along with the ‘50 for 50’ exhibition, the library is also offering other opportunities for visitors throughout the entirety of their 50th year. According to Whittaker, the current display will be taken down after this coming holiday break, and a new one will

be installed in its place.

The second exhibit of their anniversary year, “Meet the Spencers: A Marriage of Arts and Sciences,” will focus on Kenneth and Helen Spencer, the donors whom the library and Spencer Museum of Art are named after.

Weekly guided tours of the library are being offered every Friday at 1 p.m. until the end of the academic year.

MOVE the CONVERSATION FORWARD. YOU

Help select the 2019-20 KU Common Book.

CHOOSE

Each year, one book is chosen to spark common discussions throughout campus. What do you want to talk about?

Submit your KU Common Book nomination by Nov. 25. firstyear.ku.edu/nominate

K ANSAN.COM

PUZZLES

Cryptoquip

ARTS & CULTURE

5

Sudoku

Crossword

?

F IND THE A NSWERS AND OTHER GREAT C ONTENT AT

KA NSA N.COM

H AV E A N Y I D E AS FOR 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 FO R 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

Thursday, November 8, 2018 Text your Free For All submissions to (785) 289-8351

FFA of the Day: Gentle reminder Kansas is blue, and a strong woman is our governor.

The only elevator in murphy hall that goes from floor 1 to floor 5 is broken Happy Monday Rock Chalk just walked into the men’s restroom by mistake and panicked when I saw urinals I’m so quirky lol what will I do next Kansas, the wheat state, got that bread on election night “Can you imagine Beto O’Rourke in the White House? Shit, I just got a boner.” hey it’s bonfire night who wants to make effigies of their exes and burn them with me A student came into the library and asked for the doctoral exam binder and then when she saw how big it was started crying and left and that’s an honest mood I always feel pressed for time to get things done, but then when I have free time I feel overwhelmed from everything I’ve already done, so I don’t do anything. It’s a dangerous cycle.

I need 4 Xanax pronto House of Cards season 6 is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my goddamn life i know i always joke that i’m a shell of a woman but like if y’all don’t actually vote today i will genuinely be a shell of a woman. i will not exist. my life force will literally be sucked away.

I can finally breathe for the first time since Kobach announced his run for governor #NoKrisKobachKansas we stan a politically active sister “Tag yourself: I’m the death of American democracy.”

Tasks for today: 1.

Vote like your lives depend on it because they do 2. Take your respective anti-anxiety medications while waiting to see if we’ll still have a democracy after tonight 3. Stay hydrated!!

Going to get in the class I need so I won’t have my graduation delayed!!!

K ANSAN.COM

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

Being the blue sheep in a red family GANNON MILLER @gannon_miller13

Every family has a dreaded black sheep — the member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace to them. A black sheep is an outcast, and in some cases, a disappointment.

A stereotypical example of a black sheep is the emo kid: a rebel teen who plays the guitar too loudly, skips school and smokes upstairs while the family is saying a prayer before their designated supper time.

Think Kylo Ren in the Skywalker family from “Star Wars.” Blessed with the gift of the force, Kylo Ren uses it for the evil dark side. Such a shame.

It’s become apparent to me only in the last few years that I’m seen as the black sheep in my family. Except it’s not for being an emo kid, or a rebellious Jedi Knight.

I come from a small town in rural Kansas.

There are about three thousand inhabitants.

A Sonic, a Casey’s and a Pizza Hut anchor the town’s business, just as any other small Kansas town. There are also a grand total of three stop lights. Cherokee County, where my hometown is located, has been a red county in every presidential election since 1992. When you register as a Democrat in that county, the registration team looks at

Illustration by Regan Smith you almost in shock and awe. My family, as you’ve probably guessed, are a bunch of Republican elephants.

They are all intelligent, hard working and generous. But they are also right-wing hawks — something I only noticed in my last few years of residing there. When Obama was president, my step-grandpa would show me edgy political videos and photos.

During family gettogethers on my dad’s side, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, we all go to my grandma’s to eat, chat and open gifts. The topic of politics gets brought up frequently, of course, especially since my recent graduation to the “adult” table. It was the focal point of our conversations during

the 2016 presidential election.

It was then that I made the mistake of telling them who I supported, and wow, that was not a great idea. The wolf pack attacked me like a fresh deer carcass. The arguments were heated; as hot as the turkey I nervously picked at while avoiding eye contact. My poor grandma looked as sad as the day I told her I got a tattoo.

I remember talking about “crooked Hillary” and Mr. Trump, and in my family, Trump’s side was winning the argument.

My grandma told me she would rather have the lesser of two evils, and someone in office who “wasn’t a politician.”

I asked if she would prefer someone who wasn’t a surgeon to

is the repetition of historical patterns and a desire for more moderate conservatives.

This election was relatively on par with the historical norm. Nationally, the party of the president generally loses ground in Congress during midterms according to a Gallup poll.

In Kansas, governors have mostly switched back and forth from Republican to Democrat each election for around 50 years.

When your party is in power, you naturally become more content with the political climate. It follows that the other party gets four to eight years’ time to build up resentment toward the status quo and push for change. Like many things in nature, political power oscillates.

Kansans seem to have favored Kelly not just because we turn from red to blue every eight years, but out of a search for moderation in politics.

In the state, there’s still a strong conservative presence. According to 2014 data from Pew Research, 39 percent of Kansas adults are conservative, 31 percent are moderate, and 27 percent are liberal. In 2016, 56.2 percent of voters cast their ballots for Trump,

versus the 35.7 percent for Clinton.

This year, the four statewide elections for secretary of state, state treasurer, insurance commissioner and attorney general, were each won by the Republican candidate, receiving well over 500,000 votes in each race. This makes it clear the red majority in Kansas isn’t gone. Given that Kelly won with a total of roughly 490,000 votes, if everyone who voted red in the other races supported Kobach, he would have won.

Instead, conservatives in Kansas were seeking moderates, so much so that they were willing to cast their votes for Independent and Libertarian candidates.

This was foreshadowed by the razor thin margin between Kris Kobach and moderate Jeff Colyer in August’s primary.

“I did not like Kobach’s rhetoric, particularly towards immigration. I voted for Colyer in the primary, and I think he would have appealed to more moderate voters had he been our nominee,” said Ana McMullen, president of the University chapter of Young Americans for Liberty. McMullen is a senior studying political science, Spanish and economics.

perform surgery on her.

She looked shocked.

I received a couple of laughs, but the argument continued, referencing Clinton’s practice of hiding her emails. The topic shifted to Trump grabbing female genitalia, and that was rationalized with the interpretation that Trump was “independent” or “courageous” or the usual locker room talk spiel.

I couldn’t believe the issue didn’t cause the women of the table to yell like mad men.

They are understanding people, and my family doesn’t hold a grudge against me. But, in the topic of politics, I will always be the one opposition in a family full of right-wing flying, elephant riding conservatives.

I noticed I had been ignored for the entire discussion up until that point. Of course, a black sheep sticks out like a sore thumb, but standing up for something you believe in is also a way to win respect, and that’s what I want to leave you with. It may not be in politics, but sometimes it is truly best to stray away from the crowd.

On November 6, Kansas elected Laura Kelly for governor. We have long been known as a red state — a state that will never change, no matter what. But we also did the previously unthinkable: we elected an openly gay Native American woman, Sharice Davids, to Congress.

Kansas is regarded as a “flyover state,” but our results shocked the nation. The United States isn’t perfect. We still have racial injustice, poverty and privilege in America.

Kelly and Davids both came up fighting for every inch, facing barriers, and finally reaching their goals through hard work.

They were once seen as black sheep, as different, and now they are both in positions to bring serious change to the state.

Gannon Miller is a junior from Columbus studying business and pre-law.

Kelly’s not my choice, but could unite Kansas SCOTT JOHNSTON @scottawatomie As the results came in Tuesday night, it was clear the national election did not bring the blue wave Democrats were hoping for, but it wasn’t a clear victory for Republicans either.

Instead, Republicans seem to have strengthened their hold on the Senate while Democrats gained control of the House. Gridlock, here we come.

Kansas played a part in this outcome by electing Republicans in the 1st, 2nd and 4th Districts and flipping the 3rd Congressional District blue by voting in Democrat Sharice Davids.

Furthermore, the governorship was won by Democrat Laura Kelly in a tight race between five candidates, including her main contender Republican Kris Kobach.

While the combined results of the national election — as well as the race here in Kansas — may have given the impression that the people are retaliating against President Trump, this isn’t necessarily true.

The era of former Gov. Sam Brownback had a more direct effect on Kansans than Trump’s less-than-two years in office. The more likely cause of this reversal

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.

Chance Parker/KANSAN Democrat Laura Kelly was elected Kansas’ next governor on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

McMullen also expressed a distaste for Laura Kelly, referencing Kelly’s endorsement by the Planned Parenthood Great Plains Group. “I truly wish her the best as she leads our state as governor, but I hope she comes to understand the importance of protecting the basic right for life,” McMullen said.

It’s issues like these that underscore the fact we have conservatives in Kansas who don’t always feel at home with the candidates who are running.

As long as that remains the case, we will have outcomes that don’t necessarily reflect the political feelings of the majority of the state.

But now is the time to put that behind us and work towards bettering our state.

contact us Shaun Goodwin Editor-in-chief sgoodwin@kansan.com

Baylee Parsons Business Manager bparsons@kansan.com

The race was long and hardfought, and it’s likely the next one will be too, but for the time being we should all pull for the governor-elect to make the right choices for Kansas.

Kelly has shown promise since the results came in Tuesday night, vowing to earn the trust of Kansans regardless of who they voted for. If she manages to succeed in that vision and bring together people from both sides of the aisle, then she will leave a lasting legacy of leadership and bipartisanship. I wish her the best of luck.

Scott Johnston is a senior from Berryton studying microbiology.

editorial board

Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Shaun Goodwin, Conner Mitchell, Rebekah Lodos and Baylee Parsons.

K ANSAN.COM

SPORTS

7

Freshman backcourt impresses in debut BRADEN SHAW @bradenshaw4real

As freshman guard Quentin Grimes walked off the court with his Kansas teammates, a smile swept across his face, exhaling a sigh of relief after a 92-87 victory over No. 10 Michigan State at the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday.

Kansas held a 14-point lead at halftime, which was eventually whittled down throughout the second half as the Jayhawks were less than stellar from the free throw line (20-for-33) and Michigan State continued to chip away with outside shooting, ending the night with 12 threepointers.

However, with the freshman guard duo of Grimes and Devon Dotson, the Kansas offense was able to stay afloat during the season opener.

Grimes finished the game with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from three-point range, while Dotson finished the night with 16 points, three assists and three steals.

Though they may not have the best statline on the team — redshirt junior forward Dedric Lawson finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists — Dotson and Grimes showed to have the most poise under stress for the Jayhawks.

Dotson had four turnovers and Grimes made some unforced errors, like dribbling into a double team or missing free throws late. But those can mostly be chalked up to freshman mistakes to be used as a learning experience and simply a byproduct of playing on a national stage against a top-10 team for their first

Kansas Athletics Freshman guard Devon Dotson goes for the layup against Michigan State. The Jayhawks defeated the Spartans 92-87 on Tuesday, Nov. 6. collegiate contest.

In fact, this was a night filled with numerous errors. Lawson shot 5-for18 (27.7 percent) from the field, with 10 points coming from the free throw line. Junior center Udoka Azubuike scored 17 points, but got into foul trouble and couldn’t

Devon Dotson

freshman, guard

1-2

FREE THROWS

convert at the foul line once again, shooting 3-for-7.

This wasn’t a perfect game for Kansas, and that shouldn’t have even been the expectation for a team still trying to match its on-court product with the off-court expectations, projections and potential

MINUTES

33

16

3

REBOUNDS

STEALS

POINTS

that fans and pundits alike have placed, fairly or unfairly, on the Jayhawks.

Even with that, the freshman duo stood out the most, quite possibly being the true catalysts for this team to reach that sky-high projection of Kansas possibly ending its season in Minneapolis,

Minnesota at the Final Four.

Grimes’ shooting is an initial point of emphasis and praise, something that was a major concern for this Kansas team.

Again, Grimes made six threes, looking confident with each attempt and technically sound from

Quentin Grimes

freshman, guard

2

1-2

FREE THROWS

setting his feet through his release.

This was a huge improvement from exhibition play, where Grimes shot 2-for-7 from behind the arc, looking uncomfortable at times and not quite adjusted to the college game.

Dotson also looked quite strong, albeit with four turnovers and just three assists, both of which he’ll look to improve as he becomes more acclimated to Division I pace of play.

Whether it was in transition or just simply needing a bucket to regain momentum, Dotson was able to attack offensively, with circus shots and timely three-pointers from the outside, where he was 3-for-4.

One other note is that both Dotson and Grimes played over 30 minutes Tuesday night in their first game, showing the amount of faith coach Bill Self has in them, reaffirming his confidence from exhibition play.

“They’ve been as good as anybody back there,” Self said after the exhibition game against Emporia State. “Those two have separated themselves a bit.”

If these two can tighten up on the defensive end and become slightly more patient on offense, the Kansas backcourt can be one of the more dangerous tandems in college basketball.

Dotson and Grimes will mature on the court as time goes on, but this test against a top-tier opponent should instill confidence in Self and Kansas fans that the duo can carry the torch of past play from Jayhawk guards, which is pretty good company if memory serves.

MINUTES

30

21

1

1

STEALS

POINTS

REBOUNDS

Beaty emotionally reflects on successes of his team MADDY TANNAHILL @maddytannahill

When reflecting on Jayhawk football coach David Beaty’s tenure at Kansas following his dismissal this week, his 6-39 record immediately comes to mind.

However, as Beaty addressed reporters at an emotional media availability on Tuesday, Nov. 6, this is not the only statistic achieved by the Kansas football program during his fouryear tenure at Kansas.

Both on and off the field, Beaty leaves his team in a better state than he found it. Prior to taking questions from the media, Beaty called attention to the many accomplishments achieved by his players over the last four years.

“In 2018, we’ve had five Big 12 Players of the Week. That’s the most in a single season since our

Kansas Athletics Coach David Beaty wipes his eye during the game against Nicholls State. Kansas was defeated by Nicholls State 26-23 on Saturday, Sept. 1. inception into the Big 12,” Beaty said. “We’ve had 10 Big 12 Players of the Week over four seasons. That’s second most behind coach (Mark) Mangino’s era. We’ve had one unanimous All Big

12 selection in Dorance Armstrong, several All Big 12 First team selections, and 23 players have earned All Big 12 honors.”

Though these various accolades showcase

improvements made by the struggling Kansas football team on the gridiron, it is the accomplishments made outside of David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium — both in the

classroom and in the Lawrence community — that fuel Beaty’s pride in his team.

“Some of the things I’m most proud of is our guys, because it really is based on how we wanted to build our program, which was building one good man at a time, is basically putting the right things first,” Beaty said. “Who you are as a man is who you are going to be on the field, so we put a lot of time and effort into that, and our guys have been first class from day one.”

Since Beaty began his coaching career at Kansas, he cited 62 players through 2017 have graduated, 20 of which went on to pursue post-graduate degrees.

“95 percent of our seniors who have exhausted their eligibility here have graduated,” Beaty said. “240 players have been named to

the Athletic Director Honor Roll. We posted the highest graduation rate on record at 81 percent, and we posted the highest graduation rate in a three-year period in school history after taking over what was a dangerously low 936 [Academic Progress Rate].”

Though the team’s successes have not translated to wins on the field, Beaty made clear he is proud of what he and his players have achieved over the last four seasons.

Despite being at the forefront of much criticism during his tenure, Beaty choked up discussing his players and staff as he reflected on how much this program means to him.

“I’ll miss them,” Beaty said, fighting back tears as he concluded the press conference.

8

sports

SPORTS

Thursday, November 8, 2018

K ANSAN.COM

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

Football Gameday Kansas vs. Kansas St., Saturday, Nov. 10, 11:00 a.m.

Senior tight end Mavin Saunders catches a pass against Iowa State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cyclones 27-3 on Saturday, Nov. 3.

MADDY TANNAHILL & BRADEN SHAW @KansanSports

Beat Writer Predictions: Maddy Tannahill: Kansas 27-21 Kansas State

KANSAS (3-6, 1-5 BIG 12)

Jack Johnson: Kansas 17-23 Kansas State

KANSAS ST. (3-6, 1-5 BIG 12)

Pooka Williams

Alex Barnes

★★★★

★★★★

freshman, running back

junior, running back

Undoubtedly the most explosive weapon on the offensive side, Williams has become a nuisance for opposing run defenses in his first season with the Jayhawks. Averaging 6.1 yards per carry and totaling 711 yards on the season, the standout freshman will need a breakout performance in each of the team's final three games to surpass 1,000 rushing yards, which would make him the first Jayhawk to do so since 2013 (James Sims, 1,110 yards).

The feature of a run-reliant Bill Snyder offense, Barnes currently leads the Big 12 in yards per game at 102.0 and most rushing touchdowns (9). A 2018 Maxwell Award watch list member, the Pittsburg native quickly became the second fastest player in Wildcat history to achieve 1,000 career rushing yards after redshirting his first season.

Steven Sims Jr.

Skylar Thompson

★★★

★★★

Peyton Bender

Duke Shelley

★★

★★★

senior, wide receiver

sophomore, quarterback

It hasn’t been the breakout season that fans nor Sims projected heading into 2018, but nonetheless, he remains the top target for senior quarterback Peyton Bender.

Recording 37 catches for 360 yards and three touchdowns heading into Saturday, the big game Sims has been looking for will need to come in the coming weeks.

His involvement will be an important factor with the focus likely shifted to shutting down Williams.

After receiving Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year votes following his 2017 campaign, Thompson returned to Manhattan after averaging 119.5 passing yards per game. Improving to 150.6 yards per game this season, while tallying eight starts, Thompson has thrown for 995 total yards, including five touchdowns.

senior, quarterback

senior, cornerback

Bender has not shattered the records or expectations set for him when he arrived on campus last year, but he has become one of the more reliable quarterbacks the program has seen since Todd Reesing left. Although only throwing 10 touchdown passes on the season, his two interceptions have prevented the Jayhawks from early quarter disasters in Big 12 play that epitomized Beaty’s previous teams.

quick hits

Chance Parker/KANSAN

Recording 37 starts over his last three-plus seasons, Shelley has defended 39 passes since 2015, ranking him fifth among current active players. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound has additionally corralled three interceptions this season, ranking him third in the conference in interceptions per game. Shelley leads a Wildcat secondary that has logged at least one interception in 41 of the last 59 games.

SOCCER

CROSS COUNTRY

MEN'S BASKE TBALL

The number of seasons, including 2018, that Kansas has advanced to the NCAA tournament

Runners earning Academic All-Big 12 honors

Points scored by newcomers in the Jayhawks' 92-87 victory over Michigan State

Senior Janet Koch's ranking in the ITA Preseason poll

KANSAN.COM/SPORTS

KANSAN.COM/SPORTS

PAGE 7

KANSAN.COM/SPORTS

8

14

65

TENNIS

124