2-8-18 by University Daily Kansan

THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

SPORTS

INSIDE Sports videos bring viral fame to amateur video editor p. 5

Udoka Azubuike makes progress in his performance at the free-throw line The University Daily Kansan

vol. 136 // iss. 9 Thurs., Feb. 8, 2018

Student arrested in connection to campus vandalism p. 2

SEE BASKETBALL • PAGE 7

Scholarship halls struggle to recruit Enrollment continues to drop in scholarship halls, yet the University’s plans to fix it are unclear

RYAN LISTON @RyanListonUDK Enrollment in the scholarship halls has decreased over the past several years, from 583 students in fall 2012 to 552 students as of last fall, according to a report by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Combined, the 12 scholarship halls can house 600 residents, so there were 48 vacancies as of last fall, which is about the same as one full house. Low enrollment has raised concerns that the Department of Student Housing may close a scholarship hall if enrollment continues to decrease. While multiple scholarship hall residents said they had heard these rumors, Steven Johnson, the complex director for the scholarship halls, denied that it was under consideration. “I don’t think we anticipate closing a scholarship hall,” Johnson said. Scholarship hall residents are expected to complete shifts, such as preparing meals and cleaning various areas in their hall. The University’s Housing website says that each resident completes four to six hours of shift work per week, but residents say the actual time allotment is lower when the halls are near capacity. Currently, low enrollment has manifested in residents working longer shift hours or having to take on extra responsibilities on

Bettina Bugatto/KANSAN Two students walk into Stephenson Scholarship Hall. Enrollment has been low for many older halls at the University. existing shifts. “Say your shift is cleaning the third floor bathroom,” said John Drees, a sophomore from Hays who lives in Grace Pearson Scholarship Hall. “Instead of it being done six days a week by three different people, it’s being done four times a week with two different people.” Nick Rose, a sophomore from Edmond, Oklahoma, who lives in K.K. Amini Scholarship Hall, serves as the orientation and recruitment chair for the scholarship halls and helps Housing recruit prospective residents. Rose sets up scholarship hall tours and assists with advertising, generally targeting high school students. Rose said the topic of low

enrollment has been prevalent at recent All Scholarship Hall Council meetings. “It’s been a topic throughout mainly this year,” Rose said. “It’s been a big concern for a lot of halls, particularly some of the older halls.” Christian Espinosa, a junior from Lawrence and president of Battenfeld Scholarship Hall, believes that recruiting and advertising missteps have contributed to the low enrollment. He believes that Housing has not been advertising the scholarship halls prominently enough across campus. “I’ve never seen a flyer that is advertising for scholarship halls,” Espinosa said. “I see it for dorms,

maybe the new ones, such as Self and Oswald.” Drees agreed that enough information is not being provided regarding scholarship halls. “I was lucky enough that when KU came to visit my hometown on one of the road shows, there was a girl who mentioned something about a scholarship hall.” Drees said. “When I went up and I asked her, I was like, ‘Hey, you mentioned something about a scholarship hall,’ and she was like, ‘Oh yeah, those are a thing.’ It was like, ‘OK, what are they?’ and she didn’t know.” Along with distributing informational flyers throughout campus, Espinosa thinks that the promotional video on the

Housing website should be updated. “I believe there should be a more realistic promotional video that would show all of the events and dinners and concerts that go on in the scholarship halls,” Espinosa said. “I think that those aspects are disregarded, and the focus is more on maybe the shift, completing the shift.” Johnson said Housing is taking steps to increase awareness of the scholarship halls, including updating the Housing website and collaborating with current scholarship hall residents. “If you visit our KU Student Housing homepage, you’ll find ‘Live in a KU scholarship hall,’ so

it’s front and center right now when students are accessing this space, which is a primary information hub and a place where we direct a lot of students for information,” Johnson said. “We’ve been working with our student leaders to help to push out messaging as well related to how do you articulate your experience of living here to the folks that you know who are interested in coming here.” Espinosa said, while he has used “word of mouth” to recruit people to the scholarship halls, the University should be responsible for increasing enrollment. “It’s not our job to put the scholarship halls on the map,” Espinosa said. “I personally have enjoyed and take pride in what the community is about, but it’s not my job, and it’s not any other student’s job. It’s up to the University to incorporate us more in their outreach.” Scholarship halls are cheaper than most other housing options. For the 2017-2018 school year, the average rate for scholarship hall residents is $4,011, while the lowest rate for dorms is $4,616 for a two-person room in Oliver Hall, according to the student housing website. The only cheaper rate for on-campus living is $3,766 for a four-person room in Jayhawker Towers B and C.

City pushed to improve safety after counterprotest KALLI JO SMITH @kallijosmith All seats were filled at the Lawrence City Commission meeting on Tuesday night as members of the community called for the city to take action after a protest on Massachusetts Street led to one arrest Saturday. The protest included over 100 counterprotesters whose goal was to protest the flag-dragging march that was originally scheduled to take place at the same time. Multiple Lawrence citizens who live around the area spoke at the meeting, saying they felt unsafe and threatened during the protest. Members of the LGBTQ community also voiced their concerns over the gay slur that a protestor had used to address a pedestrian during the march. Cam Cameron, a Lawrence resident who lives on Kentucky Street and is a member of the LGBTQ community, said it was chilling to be a white per-

son and watch what was happening on Saturday. “It was completely disheartening to see,” Cameron said. “Displaying an American flag is something, but displaying a Confederate flag is something else, and I want to be a part of moving forward, making sure these things don’t happen again.” Other residents complained that they felt unsafe for people of color in Lawrence. Christina Davis said the protest was unavoidable, and she didn’t feel safe letting her kids go outside. “I spoke to my, one of my neighbors of color, and she expressed how terrified she was and she had to keep her kids inside,” Davis said. “Given our rich, wonderful history, action needs to be taken. We do not welcome this sort of thing in Lawrence.” Other residents, like local farmers’ market vendor Natalya Lowther, voiced concerns about how protests like this could interfere with business. “This is our livelihood

Kalli Jo Smith/KANSAN During its meeting Tuesday night, the Lawrence City Commission spent 40 minutes listening to residents’ concerns following Saturday’s Defend Our Flag counterprotest. and if people are afraid to come to downtown events on Saturday mornings, farmers lose our livelihoods,” Lowther said. “I need to know what the community is going to do to protect me and my fellow farmers and customers on Saturday mornings at the downtown farmers’ market.” Trevor Stevens, who also lives on Kentucky Street, said he thought the protest did not seem like a peaceful one after he and his room-

mate went out to see what was going on. “We passed by one of these groups, and without engaging we were paraded, yelled at and even as a white male it felt very dangerous, and I can’t imagine what persons of color might feel like,” Stevens said. “I don’t want that in my community and I hope we can move forward and make a conscious decision that we will do things differently.” Lawrence City Commissioners listened to com-

ments from the public about the protest for over 40 minutes until regular agenda items were able to be addressed. City Commissioner Matthew Herbert said while the commission recognizes the issue and doesn’t want to make downtown an unsafe place for people and their families, the city still has to be open to free speech, even if it’s speech that others don’t appreciate or like. “Obviously this hit a real deep note with a lot of

members of our community,” Herbert said. “It’s an incredibly difficult issue, because ultimately we have a statutory obligation to protect freedom of speech whether or not we agree with that speech or not. But I do believe there are some things we could look out to make sure that free speech is carried out in a way that is not in any way violent, or promoting violence or creating chaos in the community.”

news

Thursday, February 8, 2018

staff NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Chandler Boese Managing editor Erin Brock Digital operations editor Brady Maguire Social media editor Nathan Mize Associate social media editor Emily Juszczyk ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Business manager Baylee Parsons Sales manager Cooper Scott SECTION EDITORS

News editor Emily Wellborn Associate news editor Katie Bernard Sports editor Shaun Goodwin Associate sports editor Michael Swain Arts & culture editor Josh McQuade Associate arts & culture editor Rachel Gaylor Opinion editor Danya Issawi Visuals editor & design chief Gracie Williams Photo editor Missy Minear Copy chiefs Gabby Cinnamon Emma Green ADVISERS

Chief financial officer Jon Schlitt Editorial adviser Gerri Berendzen The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of The Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS., 66045. The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0746-4967) is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year except fall break, spring break and exams. It is published weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue.

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

How secret is the Statehouse? The Kansas Legislature requires interns to sign a confidentiality agreement. Here’s what it applies to

TAYLOR W. SMITH @smithtaylorw Each semester political science students from the University intern in the Kansas legislature and, as the Kansas City Star recently revealed, sign extensive confidentiality agreements. Last month, the Star reported that, through an open records request, it had learned that interns at the statehouse in Topeka are required to sign a confidentiality agreement pertaining to activities that occur and subjects that are discussed amongst legislators and their staff. Catherine Gunsalus with the office of the Speaker Pro Tem told the Kansan that the intern confidentiality agreement, or non-disclosure agreement, applies only to policy-related discussions between a legislator, intern and other legislative staff. “The confidentiality agreement does not extend to sexual harassment complaints or any complaints regarding inappropriate behavior, nor does it supersede statutory protections or LCC policies,” Gunsalus said. “Interns are encouraged to immediately report any inappropriate behavior during their internship.” While the purpose of the agreement is not, officially, to limit avenues to report inappropriate conduct, employment professionals consulted by the Star expressed concern that the vagueness of the agreement could discourage students from reporting inappropriate behavior. With these concerns in mind, the Kansan set out to clarify what the the confi-

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Law professor Mike Kautsch discusses an assignment with his class. dentiality agreement does and does not cover, to reiterate to current and prospective statehouse interns what their rights are, how to report inappropriate or illegal conduct, and to whom it should be reported.

WHAT IT COVERS:

When working with legislators, interns may be privy to conversations regarding the drafting and implementation of bills. This may include discussions concerning the content of a bill, how a legislator plans to rally support from their constituents or fellow lawmakers, and other legislative strategy. This, according to Mike Kautsch, professor of law at the University, is considered confidential information and is protected under a confidentiality agreement, but only “until action on the bill is taken,” or until it is formally introduced to the legislature. In addition to information conveyed to them by legislative staff, interns may

encounter what is known as “personally identifiable information,” which is defined by the federal government as “information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.” If this information were disclosed to anyone outside of a legislator’s office, it would be grounds for termination.

WHAT IT DOES NOT COVER:

Sexual harassment, as defined by the state is, under no circumstance, protected by a confidentiality or nondisclosure agreement. If an intern experiences sexual harassment at the hands of a legislator or statehouse employee, they should immediately report such behavior to their supervisor, the office of the Speaker Pro Tem and their supervising instructor through their university.

Discrimination in the workplace is not protected by a confidentiality or nondisclosure agreement. As stated in the Kansas Act Against Discrimination, individuals in the state of Kansas are protected from discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin or ancestry. This includes racial slurs or derogatory remarks based on the aforementioned categories, and should immediately be reported to a supervisor, the office of the Speaker Pro Tem and the intern’s supervising instructor. Finally, any other act that is illegal or criminal in nature must be reported immediately. This term may seem broad, but it is important. The term “criminal” may apply to conduct that is in violation of anything from campaign finance laws to conflicts of interest to unreported lobbying expenditures. If you suspect illegal or unethical behavior is taking place, you can verify the legality of the action with the

Kansas Government Ethics Commission by visiting their website or by contacting them directly. However, despite recent transparency concerns and outcry about the possibility of intern abuse, Mariah Black, a senior from Beaumont, Texas, and current intern with the office of Rep. Valdenia Winn (D-Kansas City), said that her experience with the legislature so far has been largely positive and empowering. “My personal experience is ... everyone’s ready to get to work. I think you especially see they’re trying to push more transparency in the Capitol ... from both sides, a bipartisan effort,” Black said. “For example, they do live-streaming now in committee meetings.” Ultimately, Black feels like public concerns regarding transparency are being taken seriously by the legislature and that steps are being taken to make sure everyone, students and staff alike, feel comfortable seeking help should the need arise. Additionally, Burdett Loomis, the political science professor who coordinates many of the University’s legislative interns, assures the Kansan that progress is being made and that increased concern from voters regarding the lack transparency and accountability within the legislature is leading to serious reform. “The legislature is in the process of revising its sexual harassment policies ... for everybody, not just for interns,” he said. “That has not been completed yet so ... there will be new policies but they’ll need to be put in place by the legislature.”

Student arrested in 6 vandalism cases EMILY WELLBORN @EmWellborn

File Photo/KANSAN The Stouffer Place Apartments have seen several vandalism incidents this winter.

A University student has been arrested for allegedly causing “tens of thousands” of dollars worth of criminal damage to properties under construction in the Central District. “In one case there was $7,000 (damage),” said Dep-

uty Chief James Anguiano with the KU Public Safety office. “In other cases there were $1,500, and it kind of goes up from there.” Cole Phillips, 19, from Middleton, Wisconsin, was arrested Monday night on six counts of criminal damage to property, six counts of burglary, two counts of possession of marijuana, two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of possession of certain stimulants, one count of theft by deception and one count of unlawful acts on a computer, according to Douglas County Jail booking logs. The six cases that KU PSO has linked Phillips to all happened on construction sites, including the Stouffer Place Apartments. Many of the sites had been tagged, had glass broken, and in one case, drug paraphernalia had been left behind. In another case, the suspect illegally used a “private computer to access por-

nographic content,” according to campus crime reports. The crimes began in December and were reported separately, including some reports on Saturday, according to Anguiano. “The officers conducted a criminal investigation since December and during the evidence and things like that,” Anguiano said. “That’s how they were able to piece together and come up with a suspect.” Since Jan. 7, there have been 13 property-related crimes reported to KU PSO, but Anguiano said that this is the only arrest that has been made. The investigation is still ongoing. Anguiano couldn’t say what motive Phillips allegedly had or if the damage would delay some of the construction projects’ scheduled openings. The case will now be turned over to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office for charges.

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

Social media strategist says goodbye to KU LINDLEY LUND @lindley_mae98

With one final “Rock Chalk” tweet, Katie McCurry, the longtime voice behind @KUNews, said goodbye to the University on Jan. 26. McCurry recently accepted a position with Citizens Bank in Boston as a social media and editorial strategist. As the University’s senior digital strategist for a few years, McCurry has made a large impact on the social media presence of the University. McCurry joined the University in 2013 and began operating the social media platforms, including Twitter, where much of the transformation she’s put into place occurred. “It was my favorite channel coming in when I started the position at the University in 2013,” McCurry told the Kansan at the end of last year. The University’s Twitter following has increased significantly since she took over, with a current following of 73 thousand, which is pretty substantial for a university. “Back before my time, social media was primarily used because that’s what you did. They were asking, ‘What should we post?’ each day, rather than developing a content strategy and focusing on

Photo courtesy of LeAnn Sarah Photography Katie McCurry, senior digital strategist, left the University after completely changing the University’s presence on social media. institutional objectives,” McCurry said. “When I came, my sole purpose was to build this strategy and give our social voice purpose.” McCurry produced a new model for social strategy, focusing on objectives and metrics to build a content calendar. Using Google AdWords, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, she consulted with the University

“They were asking, ‘What should we post?’ each day, rather than developing a content strategy and focusing on institutional objectives.” Katie McCurry Former KU senior social media strategist

schools and departments to develop their strategies and executed paid social marketing strategies. McCurry believes having a strong presence

on social media is important for a university that provides information for the prospective and current students if they have any questions or

concerns. “Standing out in the crowded social media space helps us contend as an AAU research university and help future generations of Jayhawks know they have a home on the hill,” McCurry said. With McCurry’s great achievements working for the University, a replacement decision will have to be made. “The search for a

successor will begin soon. In the meantime, KU will maintain a strong social media presence,” said Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, the director of news and media relations, in an email. Tyan Fairbank, a current senior at the University on a pre-med track, is currently filling McCurry’s shoes, with help from some members of the Public Affairs Office. McCurry has largely impacted the University’s social media platforms, as well as the staff and students. When scrolling through her Twitter account, @KUirishgirlie, there are many tweets wishing farewell and the best of luck to her in her next adventure. McCurry encouraged students to become more engaged with professors and advisors. “Whether that is talking to your professors, building relationships with mentors and advisors, or saying ‘hey!’ every once and awhile to the social media team of the university and your school or department, we’re all here to help you succeed,” McCurry said.

— Edited by Hannah Strader

opinion Thursday, February 8, 2018

Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or in the Free For All section on Kansan.com

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

Babb: Digital cash needs regulation

ADAM BABB @TheAdamBabb FFA of the Day: There’s nothing better than a nice crowded red 43 during flu season. “The point of a super bowl party is to get drunk, no one actually gives a shit about the game.” “If you can’t handle me at my lottery, you don’t deserve me at my game day.” - Marilyn Monroe, probably Ella Enchanted is some damn good cinema Now I’m watching This is Us because I love having my heart ripped out. my macbook broke last night and i dont know whether i should denounce capitalism or start crying or a mix of both Can I blame the stupidity that is office hours on the patriarchy? having my car break down on sunnyside boulevard is such a metaphor for the past month tbh My phone’s decision to always show how much sleep I’m going to get when I set an alarm is such a petty move never f--- with a guy that can wear shorts in this weather ok winter can be over now “I’m gonna cry and do my laundry, in that order” When I started college, I could read like three novels a week. Now getting through a Wikipedia page is hard. WTF. S/o to the sun for coming out and melting the snow. You’re doing amazing, sweetie. The new Snapchat update is absolute TRASH I genuinely get upset when my teachers ask me to do an assignment Y’all it’s the fourth week of class and I forgot what floor of Wescoe my class was on send help *clocks out early to go to the liquor store*

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, you’ve probably heard of the emerging cryptocurrency industry that’s erupting across the world. This push to virtually eliminate paper currency has received serious backing from big-time investors, but, as the idea of owning some form of untraceable, electronic capital becomes more mainstream, regular middle-class people have decided they want their share. Unlike how every fiat currency system works across the world, cryptocurrency has no central bank to regulate itself. Instead, it functions on a system of mining, which is basically a network of mathematical puzzles in which investors can “dig” for more bitcoin, furthering their investments. Although a laissez-faire monetary system may seem attractive and even logical to some, we need the regulation that a system like the Federal Reserve provides to protect our finances. Investors in a Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, known as Coincheck, learned this lesson quickly after $530 million of users’ investments suddenly disappeared last week. According to CNN, hackers stole from 260,000 investors, who are to be “partially re-

Associated Press A man walks past a poster of bitcoin displayed at a retail store in Tokyo on Jan. 19. imbursed,” as they plan to pull $426 million from their own funds to only cover 80 percent of what was taken. The exchange is currently under government supervision until it can figure out how to improve its strategy to make sure this never happens again. This heist surpasses the ravaging of the Mt. Gox exchange for $400 million in 2014, which until last week had been the largest cryptocurrency theft to date. It resulted in the exchange going bankrupt and leaving

The failure of these exchanges are tangible examples of why some form of government oversight needs to happen. the affected users uncompensated, which should serve as a good indicator of Coincheck’s future. The failure of these exchanges are tangible examples of why some form of government oversight needs to happen if we ever want the universal adoption of cryptocurrency to become

a reality. Although these heists aren’t the apocalypse of virtual cash, they serve as examples of what can happen when you have no regulation on crazy amounts of money sitting in an exchange. The hackers and thieves who have shown that they can penetrate these ex-

changes know more about this industry than the people who hold shares, which should be concerning whether or not you’ve invested. Cryptocurrency is an evolving technology with huge potential, but the responsibility of regulating and protecting others’ finances needs to be dealt with by the government, not tech entrepreneurs.

Adam Babb is a freshman from Evergreen, Colorado, studying finance and economics.

Van Dyke: KS proves tax cuts don’t work

MAX VAN DYKE @stealyoredbull

At the end of 2017, the U.S. Congress delivered President Donald Trump his first significant legislative victory. By a slim 51-48 vote, Republicans successfully passed sweeping tax reform that slashed tax rates for corporations, cut businesses taxes, and simplified and reconfigured the individual tax code. One of the tax bill’s biggest cheerleaders in the months leading up to the vote was a former economic advisor to President Ronald Reagan, Arthur B. Laffer. What’s interesting about Laffer’s advocacy of the Republican tax reform effort is that just five years ago, he was touting the same kind of reforms here in the state of Kansas. Conservatives often speak of the 10th Amendment and state’s rights as being a necessary test lab for public policy. Yet they spend curiously less time talking about the results of those experiments and what should happen to those states if those policies fail. For the past five years, Kansas has served as the best observable experiment for supply-side economic theory and the efficacy of tax cuts in relation to economic growth. In 2012, then-Kansas Gov.

Sam Brownback, with the influence of his then-economic advisor, Laffer, signed a bill that drastically cut taxes, including bringing the business income tax rate down to zero. Kansas Republicans hoped that the tax cuts would cause a boom in economic growth. Almost the complete opposite happened. Not only did Kansas not perform better than neighboring states, it didn’t even perform better than it had in years past. Since 2012, Kansas has ranked last among neighboring states in economic growth and second to last in non-farm employment growth. In the years following Kansas’ tax cut, the Sunflower State lagged behind the U.S. in terms of growth. In 2015, the annual change in gross domestic product for the U.S. was 2.4 percent. The annual change for Kansas during the same time was 1.4 percent, according to an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. While Republicans, who were gearing up for a presidential election, were calling the Obama-era economy slow and sluggish, their own policy prescription to get the economy booming again was failing miserably in Kansas. This past fall, while speaking about Kansas in relation to the GOP tax proposal, Senate Minority Lead-

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Associated Press Gov. Sam Brownback speaks to those gathered on Jan. 26 for the Kansas Day celebration at the statehouse in Topeka. er Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said, “It added so much money to their deficit over four years that they have had to figure out ways to raise taxes now, just as Ronald Reagan did in 1986.” Indeed, Kansas has been stuck in a perpetual budget crisis ever since the tax cuts were passed with cuts to public programs. Higher education received much of the burden inflicted by the lack of revenue. With this, it should be observable that tax cuts do not pay for themselves, as has been demonstrated by the experiment in Kansas and its now $900 million budget gap. Additionally, the New York Times

reported that, from 2013 to 2016, revenues in Kansas dropped 8 percent. With that, it’s no surprise that the Republican-controlled state legislature ended up reversing course, overriding Brownback’s veto to roll back the tax cuts in June 2017. Some members of the Kansas legislature went as far as to warn Washington not to repeat the mistake they made here in Kansas. If there’s anything to learn from Kansas’ experiment, it’s that, contrary to conservative orthodoxy, huge tax cuts do not lead to higher economic growth and increased revenues. They do not pay for themselves, and

Baylee Parsons Business Manager bparsons@kansan.com

the state of Kansas’ economy is now worse off because of the cuts and is being far surpassed by neighboring states. With that, it should have been crystal clear to Republicans in Congress that passing a bill that implements similar efforts nationwide would not be a wise course to pursue. If they were serious about states’ rights and the 10th Amendment serving as a test lab for public policy, they would have seen that the results they were expecting did not happen. Why, then, did they proceed with the bill anyway? Perhaps it has to do with their lofty campaign donations, such as Speaker Paul Ryan’s $500,000 payday from Charles Koch just days after the passage of the tax bill. Rather than learn from experience, Congress is now leading the country down a long road with no outlet to slash corporate taxes. If the states are the test labs of democracy, why should we expect the results of the new tax bill to be any different than what transpired here in Kansas? Reforms to our tax code are needed, but this is the opposite direction of where we need to go.

Max Van Dyke is a senior from St. Paul, Minnesota, studying communications and religion.

editorial board

Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Chandler Boese, Erin Brock, Danya Issawi and Baylee Parsons.

arts & culture Thursday, February 8, 2018

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

From fan to amateur filmmaker After a Royals video went viral, Brad Henson gained internet fame for his videos of iconic Kansas teams

Ian Dominguez/KANSAN Brad Henson creates videos of Kansas sporting events. He has over 3,000 followers on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. and he decided to take matters into his own hands. “I was like, you know, I’m gonna make a video,” he said. Henson never planned to post the video; he felt that no one would be willing to sit through the full 35 minutes and 42 seconds. It was a personal project, born of a love of sports and genuine personal interest. However, showing the video to a friend eventually changed his mind. “My friend saw it, and he’s got tears going down his eyes,” Henson said. “He’s like, ‘You’ve gotta put that thing on YouTube.’” Titled “30 Years in the Making: The Playoffs Story of the 2015 Royals,” the video was an instant success. Within a day, it had wracked up 10,000 hits — an incredible feat considering Henson’s hesitation to upload. Today, the video has almost 135,000 views. Since then, Henson has posted 26 more videos to his YouTube channel. With the birth of Brad Henson Productions, he expanded his social media presence to Facebook and Twitter. Henson now has 2,681 YouTube subscribers, 2,586

Facebook likes and 2,618 Twitter followers. He has even gained enough attention to be interviewed by Chiefs Wire, an offshoot of USA Today focused on the Kansas City football team. Henson is also a local celebrity. People at sporting events often recognize him, coming up to him to request a selfie or praise his work. His video skills have even allowed him to meet some of the athletes. “I met quite a few of the Chiefs players, and they’ve seen my videos,” he said. “It’s just very humbling.” Henson makes an active effort to interact with his fan base whenever possible. He responds to comments on his YouTube videos and on Twitter, but Facebook is his main form of outreach, where he encourages fans to tell him what they like or dislike. Responses, whether negative or positive, help him shape future projects. “It’s not about me, it’s about them,” Henson said. “If they don’t like it, it’s kind of counterproductive.” Creating content worthy of public approval is difficult, but Henson rises to the challenge. He uses his

prior experiences with music, especially a lifetime of singing, to choose the most effective music placement. Paired with smooth transitions, well-placed text and catchy graphics, the final products are incredibly polished. “I’m a perfectionist, and I’ve got to make sure something’s right,” Henson said. “If I’m going to put Brad Henson Productions’ name to a video now, I want it to be high quality.” His fans certainly seem to think that the videos are high quality. Cheryl Jensen, a friend of Henson’s who has followed the project from the beginning and helped Henson create his Facebook page, is continually impressed by his video creations. “Brad has an incredible talent for blending the right music with the right video and text/fonts to add special dynamics, which combined all tell a story in a way that leaves the viewer smiling, laughing, cheering, and even crying tears of joy. Brad has an eye for detail that most of us don’t think about but appreciate when we see the final product,” Jensen said in an email with

the Kansan. “Whenever he creates a video, when he’s in the process of editing, he has shown me the unfinished products to get feedback, and I think that it can’t get any better than this, but then he takes it a step further and makes it even better than before.” Surprising as it may seem, Henson has no professional experience in video editing or production. Everything he knows, he’s learned from YouTube tutorials. His platform of choice is Adobe Premiere, which he uses to piece together clips. As of right now, Henson doesn’t record his own videos, but instead uses a video capture card on his computer to obtain footage. He hopes to change that soon. “I don’t want it to just be sports. I want it to be everything and expand to everything,” Henson said of future subject matter. Of course, filming original videos will require Henson to attend even more sporting events than he already does. Attending every game can be difficult even for the most avid fan. He attends Royals and Chiefs games frequently, but he

hasn’t been to a Jayhawks’ basketball game recently due to the price of tickets. “I haven’t been to a Kansas game in forever. I would love to go to a Kansas game again. There’s nothing like the atmosphere,” Henson said. Henson is clearly passionate about what he does, and he encourages others to invest in their passions as well. For those interested in getting into video editing like him, he suggests seeking out YouTube tutorials or even classes. Heavily recommending Adobe Premiere, he promises that it’s not as hard to use as it first seems. Repeated practice with the program makes using it “like muscle memory,” he points out, comparing video production to the practice and performance of pro athletes. More than anything, Henson emphasizes the importance of taking a chance. “Be inspired,” Henson said. “Don’t ever give up on your dreams.”

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19) The next two days favor travel and exploration. Push your boundaries and frontiers and try new ideas, cultures, flavors and points of view.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20) Get twice as far with the help of a partner. Find efficiencies by sharing the load. You can profit now from a dreamer’s vision. Collaborate.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22) Plan some fun for the next few days. Physical action gets results. Raise the level of your game with practice. Save time for romance.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22) Get your message out and it travels farther than expected. Passions are stirred up... stay respectful. Keep digging and find a valuable clue.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21) Use your power and confidence to advance a personal dream. Move quickly and get farther. Find valuable efficiencies and shortcuts.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18) Pull together as a team. Together you can advance farther than expected. Many hands make light work... invite your crew to participate.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20) Take action to grow shared financial accounts today and tomorrow. Make investments, set up automatic deductions or revise budgets. Discover unexpected savings.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22) Your talents are getting popular. Reduce stress by scheduling carefully and guarding time for exercise, healthy meals and rest. Postpone non-essential tasks.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22) Pour energy into a domestic project for long-lasting results. It’s amazing what a coat of paint can do! Transform your home with decisive action.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21) The next two days could get especially profitable. Actions taken now can have long-term benefit. Push to gain more authority and income.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19) If you push too hard you can burn out... slow down and recharge batteries. Strategize and plan for simple solutions. Envision and dream.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20) Crazy dreams seem possible. Follow a professional ambition with decisive action to reach new levels. Strategize, and then move the pieces into place.

JAYA CHAKKA @jaiyaofthebees Art comes in many forms: some expected and some unconventional. Video editing may not be considered a traditional art form, but watching the videos created by local internet sensation Brad Henson leaves little doubt about the skill, effort and passion behind his creations. These are traits undeniably characteristic of an artist, and Henson’s videos are definitely masterpieces. A resident of Overland Park, Henson, age 39, has been making video edits for two years. His videos revolve around athletics, encompassing a variety of teams and sports. Henson keeps the subject matter mostly local, covering the Royals (baseball), the Chiefs (football) and the Jayhawks (basketball and football). The inspiration for Henson’s first video was the Royals winning the World Series in November 2015. The team hadn’t won the World Series in 30 years, since 1985. Henson noticed that no one had jumped on the chance to make a video of the monumental event,

— Edited by Alexandra Martinez

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SPORTS

Azubuike improves at free-throw line

Missy Minear/KANSAN Junior guard Lagerald Vick reacts to an and-one by sophomore center Udoka Azubuike in the second half against TCU on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The Jayhawks defeated the Horned Frogs 71-64.

MICHAEL SWAIN @mswain97 As sophomore center Udoka Azubuike stepped up to the free-throw line, the tension in Allen Fieldhouse was palpable. With only 2:47 remaining and Kansas leading TCU 64-60, the two free throws could swing the game. “You could hear the TCU players telling him to miss it,” senior guard Devonte’

Graham said after the game. Azubuike stepped up confidently and drained both free throws. The free throws meant more than just two points for Kansas during Tuesday night's game, which the Jayhawks won 71-64. The free throws symbolized the work Azubuike has put in since a 1-for-8 performance from the free-throw line against Oklahoma — a loss in which Azubuike’s missed

free throws were major factors. “He has been working so hard since the OU game,” Graham said. “He has put up I don’t know how many free throws.” After the Oklahoma game, Azubuike made a major change to the mechanics of his motion. The change centered on making his shooting elbow and knee line up with the basket. Azubuike is used to

hearing opponents try to put him out of his comfort zone, whether it's players telling him he is going to miss or student sections making as much noise as they can. In Tuesday’s case, nothing was out of the ordinary. “I wasn’t paying attention to nothing they were saying,” Azubuike said. “I hear it all the time.” Azubuike has now shot more than 50 percent from

the line in two consecutive games, shooting 4-for7 against both Oklahoma State and TCU. After Tuesday's performance, the Nigerian native is now shooting above 40 percent from the line. Before the game, Kansas coach Bill Self had been critical of Azubuike's play in general, citing the big man's lack of production on the glass and as a rim protector.

Although Self was pleased with Azubuike's performance on Tuesday, he prefers Azubuike focus first on making sure he makes his presence felt in the paint and second on his free throws. “If you worry about the right things, you’ll make more free throws,” Self said. Kansas will travel to Waco, Texas, to take on Baylor on Saturday at 1 p.m.

KU track & field clinch 22 personal records

ANDREW ROSENTHAL @Rosentrotter

Against the most competitive field the Jayhawks have seen this season, which featured two ranked squads in Kentucky and Virginia Tech men’s teams, Kansas men’s track and field squad finished the Rod McCravy Memorial meet in third place out of six men’s teams with 95 points. The women's team also tied for second among women’s teams with 89 points. The Jayhawks earned 22 personal records as well as recording five wins. "I thought we did good today, but not great. We had some really good performances, and that is great to see,” Kansas coach Stanley Redwine said in a Kansas Athletics press release. “Going against some tough teams from other big conferences will hopefully get our athletes to turn things up a little bit as we continue the season and head into the conference meet in a few weeks." Competing with Kentucky's Olivia Gruver, who is now ranked No. 1 in the NCAA among Division I collegiate women pole vaulters, Kansas’ senior vaulter Laura Taylor improved on her quest for the program’s indoor pole vault record.

Taylor set a personal best with a mark of 4.38 meters (14-foot-4.5) improving on her previous best of 4.35 meters (14foot-2.75). After her performance on Saturday, Taylor is now ranked No. 5 in the nation. For his second straight win, senior vaulter Hussain Al-Hizam vaulted 5.35 meters (17-foot-6.5). Al-Hizam is coming off a 5.48 meter (17-foot-11.75) performance at the home Jayhawk Classic, where he set a personal best to tie him for ninth place in the nation. Al-Hizam was backed by freshman Kyle Rogers and senior Nick Myer, who finished second and third to give Kansas 24 points for the event. Also getting her second win, freshman Adia Eberle cleared a personal-best 1.76 meters (5-foot-9.5) in the high jump to slot her No. 7 in the conference. Though she is tied for No. 42 in the nation, Eberle is less than two inches away from becoming a national qualifier. Remaining unbeaten in 2018, sophomore Bryce Hoppel ran a time of 1:48 in the 800-meter run to move him into eighth in the nation and second in the Big 12. Kansas’ 400-meter

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Senior Laura Taylor pole vaults at the Jayhawk Classic on Friday, Jan. 26. Taylor broke the pole vault record for the Anschutz Sports Pavilion. teams also ran well in both men’s and women’s heats. Junior Ivan Henry led the way for the men, who took 19 points in the 400-meter dash, the second highestpoint-total of the day. Henry ran for a personal best 47.36 seconds alongside four additional Jayhawks for the men, as well as three runners for the women. Still leading the nation

in the 600-yard, junior Nicole Montgomery was looking to crack the top 16 in the 400-meter dash, an event she had only run one other time this season. Racing against two national qualifiers, Montgomery nearly matched her previous best of 54.07 seconds, finishing fifth overall with a time of 54.14 seconds.

Her previous time at the Jayhawk Classic ranks her No. 35 in the nation, with Purdue’s Chloe Abbott sitting at No. 16 with a time of 53.50. By nationals, Montgomery will need to surpass Abbott, or whoever sits at No. 16 at that time. Kansas has three more weekends of meets before this year’s Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Champion-

ships on Feb. 23 and 24. Next weekend, Kansas will split its team, with some athletes traveling to the University of Arkansas for the Tyson Invitational and others heading to Ames, Iowa, for the Iowa State Classic. Both meets are two days long with events starting Feb. 9.

sports

Thursday, February 8, 2018

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

Basketball Gameday Kansas at Baylor, Saturday, Feb. 10, 1 p.m.

Missy Minear/KANSAN Senior guard Devonte’ Graham drives to the basket in the second half against Baylor on Saturday, Jan. 20. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears 70-67. SEAN COLLINS & MICHAEL SWAIN @seanzie_UDK & @mswain97

Beat Writer Predictions: Sean Collins: Kansas 78-71, Michael Swain: Kansas 77-72

KANSAS (19-5, 8-3)

BAYLOR (14-10, 4-7)

Devonte’ Graham

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr.

★★★★★

★★★

senior guard

redshirt senior forward

Coming off a 24-point performance at home against TCU on Tuesday, expect Graham to keep the momentum rolling. His involvement with the team continues to expand past a scoring and distributing role. Graham is grabbing rebounds and making huge defensive plays.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. was the best Bear in the first meeting between these two teams. For Baylor to pick up a win, Lual-Acuil will need to grab a handful of offensive rebounds, protect the rim and chip in on the offensive end with at least 15 points.

Svi Mykhailiuk

Manu Lecomte

★★★★★

★★★★

senior guard

Mykhailiuk only took two shots against the Horned Frogs, a stat that had Graham puzzled. The TCU defense was able to disturb Mykhailiuk along the perimeter, but coach Bill Self said the Jayhawks didn’t run enough plays for him. Look for the Jayhawks to get the senior going again on Saturday.

Manu Lecomte did not play to his potential earlier this season. The Belgium native shot a dismal 3-for-12 from the field and 1-for-8 from three against Kansas on Jan. 20. Don’t expect to see a stat line like that after Saturday’s game. Lecomte will be rearing to go at home so expect a much more efficient day from him.

Mitch Lightfoot

Nuni Omot

★★★

sophomore forward

senior forward

After starting his first game as a Jayhawk, Lightfoot continues to bring energy to the floor. Junior guard Lagerald Vick has struggled, but Lightfoot brings the Jayhawks a rebounding advantage the starting lineup lacked. Expect Lightfoot to block shots and make hustle plays.

quick hits

TR ACK & FIELD

BASKETBALL

Omot dominated off the bench for Baylor in the two teams’ previous meeting. He scored 14 points, seven of which came from free throws. In addition, Omot went 3-for4 from the field but only snagged two rebounds. For Baylor to pull off the upset, Omot will need to amplify what he did on Jan. 20.

GOLF

FOOTBALL

Personal-bests broken by KU athletes at the Rod McCravy Memorial

Udoka Azubuike’s free throw percentage against TCU

Former Jayhawk golfer Gary Woodland won the Phoenix Open on the PGA Tour

Players announced as Kansas football signees on National Signing Day

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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS