3-27-2017

NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

KU releases new app to improve campus safety

Three artists to be featured in INSIGHT art talk

Kansas’ season is over after a loss to Oregon

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MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017 | VOLUME 133 ISSUE 19

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

‘WE JUST CAME UP SHORT’

Missy Minear/KANSAN Senior center Landen Lucas hides his face in a towel in the final moments of Kansas’ 74-60 loss to Oregon in the Elite Eight on March 25.

JORDAN WOLF @JordanWolfKU

K

ANSAS CITY, Mo. – “We just came up short.”

The sentence repeated

by Kansas junior guard Devonte’ Graham countless times after his No. 1 seeded

Jayhawks fell to No. 3 Oregon in the Elite Eight was the perfect microcosm of the end of the Jayhawks’ season.

The Ducks had controlled almost the entire game handedly, until the Jayhawks grinded their way back in late, cutting the lead to as low as six.

The almost-entirely home crowd in Kansas City was roaring, as Kansas showed its first signs of life in what felt like ages. Kansas coach Bill Self called a timeout, regrouping his players from their excited stupor to deliver one more message of encouragement.

A comeback seemed

almost to be fate. This Jayhawks team was as talented as any, and had fought through more adversity than one can likely remember. A comeback of this proportion, after trailing by as much as 18 in the second half, would only be fitting — one last exciting run, one to propel them to

the Final Four, one to save their season.

And for a minute, there was hope. A window had opened for them to strike.

But the Jayhawks just came up short.

Kansas did not capitalize. After cutting the lead to six, the Jayhawks didn’t score again. The

Ducks finished the game on an 8-0 run, and won, 74-60.

While Oregon was cutting down the nets, Kansas sat in its locker room. A mask of melancholy had overset itself on the scene, as players wiped tears from their eyes and SEE LOSS PAGE 7

Rec considers service cuts Meet the firm that’s helping find KU’s new chancellor DARBY VANHOUTAN @darbyvanhoutan

For many student services on campus that receive funding through Student Senate, an increase in funding doesn’t always translate to increases in services offered. In fact, for recreation services, an almost $4 increase to their fee will lead to cuts.

The Ambler Student Recreation Center, which has been on campus since 2003, was brought to the University at the request of students, according to current Director of Rec Services Jason Krone. Today, student needs remain the biggest factor as the center decides which areas might have to be trimmed in terms of spending.

“The goal, the main goal is always to try to impact students as least as possible,” Krone said.

“Also keeping in mind faculty and staff and spouses.”

According to Krone, projected cuts to the rec include numbers of student workers at one

EMILY WELLBORN @EmWellborn

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Alyiah Plummer, a senior from Junction City, and McKenzi Davis, a junior from Denver, work out on the cardio equipment at the Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center.

time, opening and closing times, equipment purchases, towel services, floor refinishing, and the main one: closing the rec during University breaks such as winter, fall and spring breaks.

“Are there some strategic times that we could close? Maybe that would be between Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” Krone said. “Typically a lot of people are out running around and not thinking about working out so the numbers are probably a little bit lower, so maybe closing that week.”

While thinking strate-

INDEX NEWS............................................2 OPINION........................................4 ARTS & CULTURE..........................................5 SPORTS.........................................8

gically is a main factor in every decision regarding cuts, Krone said, thinking about the students who would be affected in each decision is also paramount.

Krone also said that it’s important to remember that these predicted cuts, even while being discussed by administrative staff, are also all speculative until the fiscal year ends on June 31 and the still-pending fee bill is passed by Student Senate.

After six years of no increase to their student fee, SEE REC PAGE 2

With a history of over 400 president/chancellor searches and hundreds of provost, vice provost and dean searches, R. William Funk and Associates use the connections they have built over time to help institutions like the University find perfect fits for higher administrative positions.

“Of all the firms out there, they are probably the best known and cast the widest net that is more familiar with the territory in the higher education arena for a Division 1, research 1 university,” said David Dillon, chair of the chancellor search committee.

Based in Dallas, Funk and Associates has assisted searches at institutions like the University of Southern California, Texas Christian University and Oklahoma State University.

They have helped the University

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of Kansas in 10 different searches, including the chancellor search that hired Bernadette Gray-Little, said R. William “Willie” Funk III, managing associate at R. William Funk and Associates.

The firm helps universities by compiling a pool of prospective candidates for a position that is based on a leadership statement given to them by the institution.

“Over the 10 searches we’ve worked on with the University, we’ve developed an identity with the KU and feel a deep sense of dedication to serve the institution as best as we possibly can. KU has become a special place for us,” Funk III said in an email.

KU Endowment is covering the cost of firm fees and travel expenses for candidates up to $183,500, since the University does not set aside money for the searches.

Funk III has been tasked

with helping the chancellor search committee look at potential candidates.

Funk III said some of these candidates come from “a mailing list of over 600 leaders in higher education.” He said that this network of connections is important to call on for potential candidates for a position.

“The key element is to begin a dialogue with as many talented leaders as we can to A) get the word out about the opportunity at KU; and B) begin attracting them, or people they may recommend, into the candidate pool,” Funk III said.

Dillon said that having a search firm assist with the process is important because the firm might be more familiar with the members of the higher education community.

“You can almost think of a real estate agent would be an interesting parallel,” SEE SEARCH PAGE 2

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KANSAN.COM/NEWS | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

KU introduces new campus safety app NOLAN BREY @NolanBrey

U

niversity students, staff and faculty can now download a free safety app called Rave Guardian to travel more safely on and off campus.

Students were made aware of the app in an email from the Office of Public Affairs earlier in March. The app is provided to students by the offices of Public Affairs, Public Safety and Student Affairs.

“Rave Guardian is another tool the University can use to enhance campus safety,” Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations for the University’s Office of Public Affairs, said in an email.

Rave is also the system the University has been using for text message alerts and emails, Barcomb-Peterson said. According to Rave Mobile Safety, its products and technologies are used at over 1,400 campuses, more than 40 percent of U.S. higher education institutions.

Barcomb-Peterson said the Uni-

versity has a three-year subscription to the app, which is available to both graduate and undergraduate students, as well as staff and faculty.

“Campus safety is of the highest importance to colleges and universities,” a spokesperson from Rave Mobile Safety said in an email. “Rave Guardian empowers students, faculty and staff to be proactive about their safety.”

The app enhances safety in several ways.

“Rave Guardian increases personal safety because if a student is walking alone at night, they can set a safety timer on Rave Guardian Campus Safety App to alert friends or Campus Safety if they don’t make it to their destination and need help,” the spokesperson said.

In addition to an alert inbox and a 911 call button that shares the user’s GPS location, the app includes a safety timer. If a safety timer expires, the user’s guardians will be notified. The app allows group messaging and photo sharing.

The app promotes communica-

tion with law enforcement through tip texting.

“Rave Guardian enhances Campus Safety because students also can submit anonymous tips discreetly through the app, creating an instant 2-way connection between concerned students and Campus Safety,” the spokesperson said. “Additionally, the Rave Command View gives Campus Safety supervisors an easy way to clearly visualize the Rave Guardian Safety Timer sessions and anonymous tips on a secure, web-based map.”

The app is currently available on the Apple App Store and on the Google Play Store. To get started, users will need to enter their ku.edu email and their phone number. Students will also have to create a PIN, which is used to activate safety timers.

Contributed photo The Rave Guardian app is provided to students by the offices of Public Affairs, Public Safety and Student Affairs.

Lawmakers, KU take on opioid epidemic ANGIE BALDELOMAR @angiebaldelomar

With the country in the middle of an opioid epidemic, people at the University, as well as in the Kansas legislature, are working to cut down on overdoses.

Opioids are a class of drug that include prescription painkillers and heroin. In 2015, more than 33,000 people in the United States died from an opioid overdose, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Kansas, opioid overdoses killed 329 people.

Earlier this month, the Kansas House of Representatives approved a bill that would allow first-responders to treat people overdosing on opioids with reversal drugs.

The Senate is now considering the bill.

At the University, the School of Pharmacy trains students about opioids in different ways.

Karen Moeller, a clinical associate professor, said students initially learn about opioids their first year.

During their second year, they learn more about the

FROM REC PAGE 1 which funds general operations, sports clubs, facilities maintenance and a phase two expansion bond, the rec approached the Student Senate fee review with three options: an $8 increase to keep services exactly the same, a $3.50 increase that would mean cuts or no increase at all that would ultimately mean trouble.

According to Krone, a depletion in the center’s savings, unexpected repairs and the cost of living all contributed to the rec’s financial needs.

“As students when you guys vote for you know, a rec center or whatever, you now become somewhat owners of that building and owning and operating buildings are expensive,” Krone said.

“Expenses change, utilities go up. We’re doing everything we can to keep them down.”

Junior Taylor Zabel, who serves as chair on the 12 person Fee Review Committee as well as chair of the

Photo illustration by Baxter Schanze/KANSAN

pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of opioids.

Moeller teaches a class on drug abuse, where she tries to teach the warning signs of addiction and overdose.

“I really try to hit harder on this and make sure they understand the signs and symptoms of an overdose,” she said. “I quiz them a lot on that so that they can recognize this.”

Students also learn about the chemical component of opioids, Thomas Prisinzano, a professor and chair of medicinal chemistry, said.

Under the proposed law, first-responders would be able to administer “opioid

larger Finance Committee, was one of the people who ultimately helped decide on a $3.75 increase to the current student recreation fee, making it $66.25.

“The primary goal in mind is how we can best utilize funds paid by students for those students,” Zabel said. “Some of the factors that go into that is how will this impact students’ perception of their time here at KU, how will it impact their ability to graduate and in general what debate completely goes around is do we feel like this important for students to contribute towards.”

Not only are students the main factor in what services are cut at the rec, but also a vital part of the millions of dollars being distributed to student services each year, Zabel said.

“We can discuss this fee all semester and that’s fine, that’s the goal,” Zabel said.

“It’s such an important opportunity that students get.”

antagonist” drugs like naloxone, which work as a reversal, stopping fatal symptoms of an opioid overdose. The law will also allow pharmacists to provide the drug without a prescription, as well as grant immunity from any civil or criminal liability in administering the drug.

“If someone has a family member that struggles with drug addiction and they are just worried that they’re going to be in that situation where they find them unresponsive, not breathing, a family member could go to the pharmacy and get that and have it on hand in case an emergency happens,” Mo-

FROM SEARCH PAGE 1 Dillon said. “A real estate agent is familiar with all of the real estate in the area you’re getting ready to go move to and they also learn and become familiar with you and they try to find the combination that works best.”

Dillon also added that, while the firm has many connections to candidates, the firm represents the institution they were hired by first.

“They play a role, but they represent us, they don’t represent the individual candidates,” Dillon said.

“They represent us in the process, but they have become friends with many of these folks and so they pretty much know the lay of the land.”

Funk III said it is important for institutions like the University to use a firm.

“Colleges and universities typically only conduct president or chancellor

eller said.

Prisinzano said one cause of the epidemic is the liberty doctors have when prescribing prescription painkillers.

“What we’re seeing is that doctors have been pretty free on prescribing prescription opioids ... and then when it happens they get addicted, they are expensive and so then they immediately switch to heroin,” he said.

Between 1991 and 2013, the number of opioid prescriptions escalated from 76 million to nearly 207 million, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Since then, states have created regulations to control prescription abuse.

Rachel Saylor Crowley, a medicinal chemistry graduate student who works with Prisinzano researching opioids, said that drug abuse is cyclical, so when law enforcement officers crack down on a type of drug, people will look for a different one.

“If you close one door, they’re going to find a way to figure out a different way,” she said.

Crowley said the ideal solution is to find non-addic-

searches once every seven or eight years or longer, hence, they don’t have the internal expertise or the organization to conduct these searches themselves,” Funk III said.

Dillon said Funk and Associates have developed a connection to the University and that is why the Kansas Board of Regents hired them to help with the search.

“If I were doing it myself from the beginning, Funk is who I would go hire based on the experience we’ve had so far,” Dillon said.

Dillon also said he trusts Funk and Associates with the search because of their commitment to finding a good fit.

“I’m really pleased that the regents decided to use a search firm, and I’m really pleased at the choice they made in the Funk search firm,” Dillon said. “So far he’s proving his value.”

tive chemicals to create painkillers. This process is in the very early stages, however, so it will take a while for it happen, she said.

“One of the things that we look at in our research is we look at developing treatments for pain that don’t have addictive properties,” she said. “But we also look at developing therapies for people that are already addicted.”

MONDAY, MARCH 27TH

Open Mic

FRIDAY, MARCH 31ST

Dolewite

TUESDAY, APRIL 4TH

88er Throw the Goat Hatchet Game

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5TH

Pride

FRIDAY, APRIL 7TH Andy Frasco & The UN

Kosha Dillz

Lucas Parker Band

SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH KJHK's Farmers Ball

SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH The Goddamn Gallows

Koffin Kats Viva Le Vox

MONDAY, APRIL 10TH

Open Mic

3

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

Online shopping not harming Mass St. businesses EVAN LAY

@KansanNews

R

etailers and restaurants across the country have struggled in the past year. It seems every week there’s a new report of a retailer closing stores or filing for bankruptcy.

The list of big-name retailers planning to close stores in the coming year is ever growing: JCPenney, Sears and Kmart, Macy’s and Abercrombie & Fitch, just to name a few.

Many have attributed the fall of retailers to the prevalence of online shopping, especially with sites like Amazon. For example, over the last two years, Amazon stock has more than doubled and the S&P Retail stock index is down 15 percent, according to Google Finance, as of March 15.

Restaurants have been no exception. The Restaurant Performance Index, a composite index run by the National Restaurant Association, has fallen over the last two years.

But this market downturn is not just limited to Wall Street businesses. Massachusetts Street in downtown Lawrence is mostly made up of two types of businesses: retailers and restaurants.

Here in Lawrence, a few businesses on Massachusetts Street have shuttered recently, including TCBY Yogurt and Billy Vanilly.

Hotbox Cookies also moved from its Massachusetts Street location.

Corey Rimmel, owner of Hotbox, said the downtown

File photo/KANSAN Unlike some national retailers, Massachusetts Street businesses say they don’t feel pressure from online shopping.

store was bigger than they needed and that the new location at the Oread Hotel was more centrally located for cookie deliveries.

These events have raised some concern regarding downtown. However, Massachusetts Street businesses don’t seem to be in line with national trends.

“I think Mass Street is doing fine,” said Morgan Mattison-Fellers, owner of Eccentricity, a women’s boutique downtown, and president of Downtown Lawrence Inc. Mattison-Fellers said most of the businesses downtown that she had talked to had a great holiday season.

The numbers agree. Lawrence finished 2016 with the best sales tax growth in all

of Kansas, a great indicator of retail strength in the area. For perspective, Kansas’ most recent economic growth numbers are above the national average.

Katlyn Conroy, manager at ACME T-shirt shop, had a similar sentiment.

“From my perspective, working here in the corner of downtown, I haven’t personally noticed a really big drop in [crowds],” Conroy said. “Of all people to look out their window and tell if the downtown crowds are changing, ACME’s location on the corner of 9th and Massachusetts leaves her pretty well qualified to make that assessment, she said.

Neither her nor Mattison-Fellers seemed worried about recent closings.

Mattison-Fellers emphasized that stores can close for a multitude of reasons. She mentioned that most of the businesses that had closed “just didn’t have anybody that wanted to do it or got burnt out. So it wasn’t necessarily, for the most part, that they felt like their business was plummeting.”

Conroy felt that while a few stores had closed, she emphasized that it’s the normal course of business and that businesses open and close regularly.

“I feel like some of the really staple places that have been here forever are still here. You have really cool places like Ladybird opening up and they can do well,” Conroy said.

A big part of Massachu-

setts Street’s success, according to both of them, is the experience downtown brings.

“This is the destination spot. When people come into town, this is where they’re coming,” Mattison-Fellers said.

According to Conroy, the experience is what’s helped keep downtown from being consumed by online shopping.

“Mass Street itself is kind of like this cool enigma of local, kind of like the heart of the city. There are probably more people drawn to that, and are more likely to go into these stores and spend their money than if they were just to say, ‘Okay, I’m just going to order this online,’” she said.

Part of what has differentiated Massachusetts Street from the rest, according to Conroy, is the litany of specialty stores.

“We always have good traffic because it’s something that’s really different,” she said. “You can order custom shirts online, but can you be up close and personal designing with somebody and be real particular about it and see your shirt in person?”

The in-person experience is especially important to keep people coming in stores instead of buying online.

Boone Bradley, professor of finance at the University, talked about what makes Massachusetts Street different and special.

“Mass Street is full of independent shops where you can’t find the same item with a barcode and a 10 second search online, and you can have the experience of getting personalized service or knowing a store owner by name,” Bradley said. “That’s something Target or Amazon can’t offer. Not that being a retailer on Massachusetts Street is easy, but I think a certain type of person or business can thrive there.”

As for students, Mattison-Fellers emphasized that spending dollars here goes to help our community.

“Again, it’s your sales tax. That money is going elsewhere when you’re not spending your money in your own town,” she said.

Engineering hires associate dean to focus on diversity HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon

To expand on creating more diversity and inclusiveness, the School of Engineering recently hired Andrew Williams, professor and director of Humanoid Engineering & Intelligent Robotics Lab from Marquette University, as the school’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion.

“This would be the first time ever that the School of Engineering has had an associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Arvin Agah, School of Engineering associate dean for research and graduate programs.

Other positions like this

Hannah Edelman/KANSAN The School of Engineering at the University hired Andrew Williams to be the school’s new associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion.

have sprung up at the University, like one within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“I can say that it is exciting to see the College [of Engineering] and schools move in this direction,” Jennifer

Hamer, acting vice provost of diversity, equity and inclusion, said in an email.

“The KU community will benefit from the attention that multiple leaders can bring to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I look forward

to working with him and collaborating on goals shared across units.”

Agah said that the School of Engineering completed a national search to find someone to fill this position.

“He does have a Ph.D from KU, so he is very familiar with the student body at KU,” Agah said.

Agah said that Williams will lead strategies, policies and administration of diversity and inclusion, advise and assist the dean of the School of Engineering in inclusion policies and also work on diversity-related recruitment and retention.

“He has a superb record when it comes to work with underrepresented groups,” Agah said. “That’s why we

were very excited to have him join us.”

For Evelyn Vila, a transfer student majoring in mechanical engineering from Overland Park, she said that she hopes the School of Engineering will now focus more on programs that center around women.

“Since I am a student of color, I feel like that’s not something that’s an issue,” Vila said. “It’s mostly being a woman in engineering.

It’s something that you just really don’t see, and like as a transfer student, that’s something that’s even harder for me because it’s already harder for me to make friends.”

Agah said Williams is expected to join the University

in the new position in July.

Agah said the School of Engineering is working on expanding diversity efforts in the graduate student programs.

“We’ve had a lot of focus in the past on undergraduate students, and diversity among undergrads, but we would like to do a better job with diversity among our graduate students,” Agah said. “So this new person will be able to help assist us sort of recruiting and retention of graduate students from underrepresented population.”

Agah said that in addition to his associate dean position, Williams will likely teach within the School of Engineering.

opinion FREE-FORALL ›› WE HEAR FROM YOU

KANSAN.COM/NEWS | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

The black napping chairs in the library are my best friend and worst enemy Today I got back a paper I forgot I turned in, all I had written on it was “No” and I got 100%. It’s quite possibly the most college thing to ever happen to me.

Fun fact: the udk got verified on twitter before the WeRateDogs account I love college! I talk to dogs more than I talk to humans!

The intro of Moves by Big Sean sounds like a dying whale The paint fumes in this room are taking me on a trip I didn’t know I was taking this spring break.

I went to every single one of my classes this week I want an award.

Associated Press President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington.

Liston: Legislative ‘buck’ doesn’t stop with Trump

My drug of choice is monster.

I’m living my spring break through other people’s Snapchat stories It should be considered a talent to somehow accidentally slam your car door on your foot twice in one day.

Carbonated water just tastes like a burp.

Going to the store on gameday is very similar to going on thanksgiving because it’s so crowded.

Is it just me or does Donald Trump Jr. look like a really, really, REALLY unattractive version of Jason Sudeikis?

RYAN LISTON @rliston235

A

fter House Republican leaders pulled their health care bill from the floor without holding a vote, blame was placed on everyone from the Democrats to House Speaker Paul Ryan to President Donald Trump. Many

How do I make ‘garbage person’ a personal brand? just got back to my suite, one of my suitemates had BIFM on and was crying

To send in an FFA, text 785-289-8351

READ MORE AT KANSAN.COM @KANSANNEWS /THEKANSAN KANSAN.NEWS @UNIVERSITY DAILYKANSAN

people off of healthcare, according to the Washington Post.

Yet in this case, as with many other governmental functions, the buck does not stop with the president.

Trump should not be the only person held responsible for the failure of the health care bill. To say that the buck stops with Trump in this instance allows other parties to take a smaller share of the blame.

Ryan should be criticized for his role in constructing and bloviating about the GOP healthcare bill. Republicans in general should be criticized for attacking Obamacare for the past seven years without

having an effective replacement plan. The buck stops with all of them. They are all responsible.

Presidential power is limited by checks and balances. With most governmental functions, the president does not have autonomous power, so the buck does not stop with them. Our politics are shaped by the struggles, compromises and interactions of people within the government and throughout the country. No president can or should be allowed to mandate all aspects of government.

Although blaming a president for governmental failures can be tempt-

ing, everyone should take a critical look at the key figures involved with the issue. When we identify who contributed to a problem and the systems that allowed that problem to arise, we can effectively address the problem. In terms of healthcare, realizing that Trump, Ryan and the GOP are all to blame should lead constituents to oppose the reelection of these officials and to criticize any further attempts to damage healthcare.

Ryan Liston is a sophomore from Lawrence studying journalism and political science.

Munoz: Health care debacle a cautionary tale

Is now an acceptable time to black out?

On any given day I ask myself, “Just to f--- with Brownback, how can I be more gay than I already am?”

in the media who cast or insinuated blame on Trump were quick to revive the phrase “the buck stops here,” which was popularized by President Harry Truman during his tenure and means that responsibility ultimately ends with the president.

Trump does need to take some responsibility for the failure of the GOP health care bill. One of his major campaign promises was to repeal and replace Obamacare early on in his term, despite his insistence that he did not make such a claim. He pressured the GOP into hastily crafting a bill that could have thrown between six and 24 million

VINCE MUNOZ @vmunoz_18

Paul Ryan stopped a vote on Friday, March 24 about his own bill the American Health Care Act, because it lacked enough support from members of his own party in order to pass. Congressional Republicans have had seven years to craft an Affordable Care Act replacement bill that a majority of their members could get behind, so why did they choke now that they finally have a unified government?

The answer presents a cautionary lesson to Democrats as much as to Republicans.

Republicans oppose the ACA by tying it to Obama, rather than trying to provide

an alternative to the bill. If Democrats continue trying to sink every piece of legislation by tying the policy to Trump, rather than providing clear alternatives, they will find themselves unable to govern once they win back Congress and the White House. A brief overview of how the ACA was passed and the Republicans’ response to it will demonstrate this.

Former Obama speechwriter and foreign policy advisor, Ben Rhodes, best summarized conservatives’ conundrum. In a quote tweet from Edward-Isaac Dovere saying, “House Rs voted over 60x to repeal Obamacare while Obama was president.

They voted 0 times on it under Trump, and are now ready to move on.” Rhodes adds, “Almost makes you think it wasn’t ever about the policy itself.”

Therein lies the GOP’s problem: they opposed the man, not the policy. This was both out of political convenience and because of how the ACA was made. Despite contemporary narratives, the Obama Administration and

senate Democrats effectively hijacked the idea from a 1989 Heritage Foundation report.

The Heritage Foundation is a conservative think tank that promoted the individual mandate as an alternative to single-payer healthcare.

Moreover, other aspects of the bill were taken from Mitt Romney’s 2006 Massachusetts reform.

“

Conservatives may control the levers of policymaking now, but they are unable to govern because they opposed Obama, not his ideas.”

This gave Republicans a difficult choice, either support the bill providing Obama with a major bipartisan political victory ahead of a crucial midterm election or oppose the policy while abandoning their past position.

Republicans put party

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before country and chose the former.

In the short term, this turned out to benefit the party beyond their wildest dreams. Many pundits wrote off the GOP’s chance of victory in 2010, but they managed to flip the House of Representatives following a massive loss two years earlier.

Conservatives may control the levers of policymaking now, but they are unable to govern because they opposed Obama, not his ideas. The same mistake could cripple progressives in the future. Trump’s ideology started well before he ran for president and it will outlast his administration. After all, figures like Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Milo Yiannopoulos have been at the fringes of American politics for years trying to find the right vehicle to spread their beliefs. They won’t stop after their next election loss; in fact, they’re just getting started.

If Democrats want to both take back control of Washington and be able to reverse damaging policies, they need

CONTACT US Lara Korte Editor-in-chief lkorte@kansan.com

Tucker Paine Business Manager tpaine@kansan.com

to prepare alternatives in real time rather than procrastinate as the GOP has. Beyond that, they need to address interparty differences as they go along. For example, Bernie Sanders announced that he will introduce a single-payer bill to congress shortly, but if he doesn’t engage with party moderates, his bill could suffer the same fate as the AHCA. Clearly, it’s not enough to be a party of no. Democrats have the luxury of watching the GOP learn this the hard way, but four years is a long enough time to forget this.

Party leaders should keep President Trump accountable, but they also need to be preparing for their next chance at governing. Ignoring this lesson for political victories in the short term will doom the Democrats to the same fate as today’s Republicans.

Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications.

THE KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Lara Korte, Christian Hardy, Tucker Paine and Vince Munoz.

arts & culture HOROSCOPES ›› WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?

KANSAN.COM |MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

3 artists to be featured in INSIGHT art talk LIBBY FLOOD

Aries (March 21-April 19) Consider dreams, fantasies and visions. Notice symbols and patterns. Surprising moves can catch you off guard. Discover what you’re most committed to.

Make plans.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your team motivates you to go for a dream. Coordinated actions make it possible. Build solid infrastructure. Your friends are there for you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Bold action can realize a dream. Angels guide your actions. Take on more responsibility. Let your imagination soar. Jump on a hot career opportunity.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Visit somewhere you’ve always dreamed about.

Travels provide mysterious revelations. Study new cultures, philosophies and ways of thinking. Eat what the locals are having.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Discuss dreams with your partner, and find those you share. Make action plans and budgets. Collaborate for increased efficiency and income. You’re powerful when inspired.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Bold action reaps bold reward. Talk to your partner about an opportunity you see. With collaboration, a dream seems within reach.

Share secrets and confidences.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Get your body moving for spiritual renewal. Go run or walk out in nature somewhere. Your best insights come while exercising or in the shower.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Romance takes you by surprise. Play along with it.

Flirt and tantalize. Share dreams, confidences and plans with someone adorable. Savor the sweetness.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Tend your garden. Physical action reaps satisfying rewards with home improvement projects. Create something you’ve been dreaming about. Surprise your family with a treat.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your creativity with words sparkles. Write your dreams and visions. Tell your story with symbolism and innuendo. Share it far and wide. Surprising results arise.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Your ideas are attracting attention, and it’s getting profitable. A dream is within reach. Hop on a lucrative opportunity, and discover hidden treasure.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Accept divine inspiration, with the Moon and Neptune in your sign. You’re especially creative. Articulate a personal vision and share it. Energize others into action.

@libbyflood13

T

he Lawrence Arts Center will host an INSIGHT Art Talk featuring local artists on March 27 at 7 p.m. The event’s speakers, Hong Chun Zhang, Bill Bowerman and Justin Marable, will have their work featured in the annual Benefit Art Auction Exhibition.

This is the second art talk featuring artists of the exhibition.

Zhang was born and raised in China, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts.

She moved to the U.S. to continue exploring her artistic style, something she said she felt she couldn’t do in China.

Zhang has lived in Lawrence for more than 10 years. She said she feels a harsh contrast between urban Beijing and rural Kansas, and the juxtaposition inspired her to create her “Two Cultures” series.

It is her “Hairy Objects” series, though, that she

Contributed photo Hong Chun Zhang’s “Happy Friday” is a Chinese ink and watercolor on rice paper. It was created in 2016, and donated to the Lawrence Art Center’s 2017 Benefit Art Auction Exhibition.

will be speaking about and will be represented at this year’s art auction exhibition. Her work primarily deals with day-to-day living, and how that varies across cultures, she said.

Miranda Clark-Ulrich/KANSAN The 2017 Benefit Art Auction Exhibition began on March 10 at the Lawrence Arts Center.

“My identity as a Chinese woman is in my long hair,” she said. “I thought about combining that [identity] with my everyday life in Lawrence.”

This year, Zhang said she also will donate 100 percent of the proceeds from her piece “Happy Friday” to the Lawrence Arts Center.

Bowerman has been active member in the art community since the mid 1980s, focusing mainly on painting and drawing.

His newest work, though, involves what he calls scanography, “photogra-

phy using a flatbed scanner for input instead of a digital camera.”

“

I thought about combining that [identity] with my everyday life in Lawrence.”

Hong Chun Zhang Artist

Marable is a printmaker whose work is heavily influenced by the rural Midwest. His website describes the process of

printmaking as labor intensive using photography, stenciling and, “the physical process of printing.”

The Art Talk will include conversations on the three artist’s careers, works of art and the opportunity to see some of their work. Those interested in purchasing a piece can do so in the silent auction or by purchasing a ticket to the April 8 live auction.

More information can be found on the Lawrence Arts Center’s website.

Art in Focus: ‘The Listeners’ examines the high-pressure world of crisis center volunteers GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake

When University film professor Robert Hurst began looking into ideas for his next documentary, he didn’t think he would end up looking into the world of suicide hotlines.

But, when work on his then current documentary led him to the Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence, he decided to embark on a two-and-a-half-year journey to tell the story of volunteers that take calls for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at Headquarters.

“I’m interested in films that have some sort of social component to them,” Hurst said. “I got interested in the idea of suicide hotlines because I had been working on another project about veterans, mental health and PTSD. So, it sort of naturally segued into this project.”

Although Hurst wasn’t particularly interested in films about mental health, he said that this story had enough of that social component to really be worth taking the time to tell.

His now-released documentary, entitled “The Listeners,” takes a look at young adult volunteers going into the suicide hotline program and the rigorous training required to be an official volunteer.

Andy Brown, Headquarters’ executive director,

Contributed photo Current volunteers at Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence.

found Hurst’s involvement with the specific trainees to be the most noticeable aspect of the whole film process. “[Hurst] basically came in and followed a training staff of volunteers from the start all the way to the finish,” Brown said. “He then checked up with them about a year later to see where they were.”

These students go through extensive training.

Scenarios include having to answer situational phone calls from people with guns to their heads, in order to truly test their ability to withstand pressure and keep their composure in such serious situations.

Hurst said that witness-

ing this aspect of the training was tough to take in at times.

After participating in part of the training himself, he said it really brought weight to all that was going on.

“

[Hurst] basically came in and followed a training staff of volunteers from the start all the way to the finish.”

Andy Brown Headquarters executive director

“It’s pretty challenging when you’re doing role plays and pretending and the

phone rings and someone says, ‘Well, I’ve got this gun here and I want to blow my own head off.’ That’s pretty scary, even when it’s not the real thing.”

Despite the challenges, Hurst found the volunteers’ care for others and desire to do good as something worth capturing.

“It’s interesting in the sense that, at every age, there are people who care deeply about one thing or another, and are really taking action,” Hurst said. “All of the people in the documentary were really interested in helping other people. They’re all interested in being in the helping professions. So that was really cool to see. They’re all

very mature people.”

Hurst also said that the students he documented had to deal with some problems themselves from answering the calls. However, he didn’t see this as a problem, necessarily, so much as an asset to their job.

“They’ve been through some stuff, which is actually positive when it comes to volunteering and relating to people who are in crisis,” Hurst said. “A lot of people have learned to deal with it, and the result of that is they didn’t shut down, they want to help other people.”

— Edited by Casey Brown

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Dzwierzynski: Don’t blame Self for tournament loss BRENDAN DZWIERZYNSKI @BrendanDzw

A

ssigning blame is one of the first things that happens after any sort of shocking or disappointing loss, regardless of the sport.

Everyone needs to determine why something went wrong, and who’s responsible for the failure.

When it comes to Kansas’ exit in this year’s NCAA tournament in the Elite Eight, don’t pass the blame off to coach Bill Self.

Self doesn’t need anyone to defend him because his record speaks for itself. His regular-season credentials are as good as anyone else in the country. His March record is stellar as well, despite some naïve onlookers’ continued criticism of it.

Inevitably, because it seems to happen every year, a select group of fans and pundits will label Self as a choke artist, completely ignoring that he coached a fine game against Oregon in the Elite Eight. His team played poorly in its final game, but not because of anything he did wrong.

Let’s put it this way: If you came away from Saturday’s game thinking Oregon’s Dana Altman outcoached Self, then you weren’t watching the same game as

FROM LOSS PAGE 1 struggled to string together the right sequences of words. There was no laughing, joking or dancing as there often had been with this team, as those emotions were instead replaced by immense dejection.

One of the biggest crowds of reporters had appropriately formed around Graham, one of the team’s biggest stars. He’d just played possibly the worst game of his career, a three-point, two-assist performance in which he shot 0-of-7 from the field.

But nobody was blaming him. For he was not the Jayhawks’ only blemish, as many key performers had struggled to get things going. All season, they’d gone without having such a showing, one in which nobody seemed to have it all together for the whole game, and almost everything went against them.

This team had everything

Missy Minear/KANSAN Coach Bill Self walks off the court after a loss in the Elite Eight to Oregon.

the rest of the nation.

Self can’t be blamed for an uncharacteristically terrible shooting day for the Jayhawks, nor the shockingly poor individual performances. Don’t let your lust for a poignant narrative get in the way of the truth.

The coach is always an easy target for blame, and sometimes it’s deserved.

Kyle Shanahan, former offensive coordinator for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, deserved a ton of blame for the Falcons losing Super Bowl LI. Scott

Drew’s generally-successful career with Baylor men’s basketball has been marred by horrifically bad late-game clock management. These are examples of coaches who rightfully need to shoulder blame for their respective team’s disappointments.

Kansas’ loss to Oregon in the Elite Eight is not an applicable example.

If you were on Twitter after the game Saturday, you probably encountered three things in particular in the wake of the loss: general sadness and despair

on its side to make a push for the national title, but fell victim to one bad night.

And for Graham, this is what hurt the most.

“We felt like we had all the pieces to the puzzle, you know, just didn’t get to the Final Four,” Graham said, “And today, we just came up short.”

It certainly was an uncharacteristic night.

The trio of Graham, senior guard Frank Mason III and freshman guard Josh Jackson had all had their respective off-nights throughout the season, but never like this. Never had they suffered such consequences.

Blame is not to be put on these three, or anybody for that matter.

Sometimes, things just don’t go the right way.

Kansas had a drastically off-night shooting the ball, and Oregon was on fire.

Several of the Ducks’ late shots were befitting of only a game like this, a classic March heartbreaker in

which the victorious team has everything fall in its favor, and the opposition is helpless.

can win that game, if you can get over it, it’s gonna be a special run for you. And today was our crappy game,

This was their last chance at joining a particular company, one achieved only by bringing a national title to Kansas. They’ll leave the school and the program without raising a banner in Allen Fieldhouse, and without any national championship rings. What was likely conceived as the perfect ending to their careers won’t materialize.

Their younger teammates carried extra motivation to come out on top for the seniors this season, shown on several occasions. But in the end, they weren’t able to get it done. And for that, they’re heartbroken.

“We wanted to do it for them so bad,” Graham said.

“Landen and Frank, Tyler,” Jackson said. “I’m gonna miss those guys.”

The feeling is mutual.

“It didn’t end the way I wanted it to,” Mason said.

Much of the attention after the game shifted to Self, and his repeated struggles in the Elite Eight.

“

I’m disappointed more for them than I am for me. These guys put us in a situation to play for the highest stakes, and today, we just came up short.”

Bill Self Kansas coach

But, as Jackson knows, despite being only a freshman, that’s how the tournament goes.

“Everybody gets one crappy game,” Jackson said.

“You could play as good as you want throughout the whole tournament, but you’re gonna have one crappy game. You’re gonna have a game where stuff just doesn’t go your way. If you

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and we just didn’t come out on top.”

It’s equal parts unfair as it is unexpected. Most of the Jayhawks will get another crack at the title, should they decide to pass on going to the NBA. But for Mason and fellow seniors Landen Lucas and Tyler Self, this is the end. There are no more second chances, no more next time. This was it.

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He’s made it to the round seven times, but only advanced on to the Final Four twice.

But Self doesn’t care about that. He couldn’t care less about his individual record.

He knows the work his team put in this season, and commends how successful they were. But the NCAA tournament is, by nature, an unforgiving beast. An off-night like that of the Jayhawks’ on Saturday is almost always fatal. And that, not his personal reputation, is the sole cause of Self’s disappointment as his season ends.

“I’m disappointed more for them than I am for me. These guys put us in a situation to play for the highest stakes,” Self said, “and today, we just came up short.”

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from Jayhawks fans, encouragement sent to senior guard Frank Mason III and senior center Landen Lucas in reaction to their downbeat tweets, and a few ludicrous demands to have Self fired.

The vitriol is easy to ignore, considering most of it is spewed by irrational fans with single-digit follower totals and/or eggs as profile pictures.

However, the problem arises when people in positions of relative power force these tired and generally bad takes on the masses.

Only five active coaches have a higher NCAA tournament winning percentage than Self. Jim Boeheim is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has coached Syracuse for 41 years and has one national title.

Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, often regarded as one of the best coaches ever in March, has the same number of national championships as Self: one. How often is he blamed for the Spartans’ tournament losses?

Being upset about Kansas failing to reach the Final Four is understandable.

Trying to rationalize it by seeking out a scapegoat is natural for many. But don’t let Self bear the brunt of your frustration, when Self did nothing wrong.

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sports KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, MARCH 27, 2017

‘We just came up short’: KU season ends in Elite Eight SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports

K

ANSAS CITY, Mo. — An opportunity for Kansas’ 15th Final Four appearance slipped away as the top-seeded Jayhawks missed crucial shots in a comeback attempt.

The Jayhawks’ season ended, Kansas coach Bill Self lost his fifth career Elite Eight game in seven tries, and the team was eliminated Saturday night at Sprint Center. The Oregon Ducks, instead, head to the Final Four out of the Midwest region, 74-60.

“These guys put us in a situation to play for the highest stakes, and today we just came up short,” Self said. “...

But the one thing that did happen today, it’s hard to admit, the best team did win today. Today, I don’t think we ever really gave our — put our best foot forward like we have very consistently all season long.”

A desperation foul from junior guard Svi Mykhailiuk spelled defeat for Kansas in the final minute. Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey made both free throws. Though Kansas fans stayed to the end, Sprint Center grew quiet aside from cheers of “Let’s Go Ducks” in the minuscule green rectangle of Oregon fans.

With the loss, Kansas’ quest to leave Kansas City with a regional title failed.

About 15 minutes prior to the final buzzer, Sprint Center boomed with the cheers of Kansas fans trying to will a comeback.

“It felt like we were right there every time we would take a rebound,” junior

Missy Minear/KANSAN Freshman guard Josh Jackson drives to the basket in the second half against Oregon on March 25. The Jayhawks fell to the Ducks, 74-60.

guard Devonte’ Graham said.

A comeback for the Jayhawks looked possible when Kansas trailed only six points with just under three minutes left. The persistent scoring — the dagger threes from a talented Ducks backcourt — ensured it wasn’t going to happen.

“It wasn’t from a lack of — I can’t believe how hard our guys tried,” Self said. “We just couldn’t really get out of our own way today very well.”

Oregon finished the game shooting 51 percent and 44 percent from three.

Senior guard Frank Mason III carried the team but didn’t have the scoring sup-

port early on.

“When we just don’t have it sometimes, Frank is always there to carry us,” freshman guard Josh Jackson said.

“

Today, I don’t think we ever really gave our — put our best foot forward like we have very consistently all season long.”

Bill Self Kansas Coach

Mason finished with 21 points, but only four in the

second half. The second half, however, was when Mason’s teammates improved.

“I think we started the game really tight,” Mason said. “We didn’t take good shots... we should have just moved the ball and draw the ball downhill and created easy shots for each other.”

The Josh Jackson that Kansas fans have learned to expect appeared in the second half. After a scoreless first half, Jackson heated up in the second frame and finished with 10 points and five rebounds. Jackson struggled mightily to contain Oregon forward Jordan Bell on defense. Bell scored 11 points and hauled in 13 rebounds on the night. He added eight

blocks.

Jackson’s impact was limited from the start. He picked up two early fouls that forced him to the bench.

“It took me out of a rhythm, made it harder for me to get into a rhythm when I got back into the game,” Jackson said. “I was playing a little bit timid, just worried about picking up a third foul.

I couldn’t be as aggressive as I wanted to be.”

Kansas took to the locker room at halftime under an ominous 11-point deficit.

While Kansas ended the first half with two turnovers, Oregon finished the period with two Dorsey three-pointers.

The Ducks played best all night at the end of the shot

clock.

“Kind of deflating when they throw up something with one second left on the clock and bank it in or get an offensive rebound off it and they hit a three,” Graham said. “That’s just stuff that kinda killed us.”

Oregon’s Dorsey shot 4-of-6 from three during the first half. The Ducks shot 40 percent from three in the first half.

And so concludes a National Player of the Year campaign and Kansas career for Mason. The Towsoncommit-turned-star ended the season averaging 20.9 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Kansas coach Bill Self sent Mason and senior center Landen Lucas off with his thoughts on their careers.

“Frank had the best year of anybody I’ve ever coached, and he’s as tough as anybody I’ve ever coached,” Self said. “He loves this place as much as anybody I’ve ever coached, and I hurt for [the seniors]. Certainly, they’ve left their legacy and certainly should be very proud of their accomplishments.”

On Lucas, Self added: “Landen has had an unbelievable last two and a half years playing for us, unbelievable, and he does so many things that doesn’t get recognized.”

The Ducks will head to their first Final Four since 1939. The Jayhawks missed out on their first Final Four since 2012.

“We felt like we had all the pieces to the puzzle and we just didn’t get to the Final Four,” Graham said. “And today we just came up short.”

Just: Frank Mason III deserved a Final Four, not this AMIE JUST @Amie_Just

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Frank Mason III didn’t deserve his college career to end like this.

The tenacious bulldog of a senior guard shouldn’t have to feel like his life is over. He shouldn’t have to fight back tears and congratulate another team on a Final Four berth. But alas, here we are.

Mason’s slightly inaccurate Wikipedia page was changed minutes after the final buzzer, reading: “Frank Marvin Mason III is an American basketball player who played for the University of Kansas.

He was the starting point guard for the Jayhawks.”

As sad as that is, Mason’s middle name isn’t actually Marvin: it’s Leo. In other words, we’ve arrived at the end. A wrongful end, but the end, nonetheless.

Mason’s myriad accomplishments is nothing to shake a stick at.

Off the court, he’s the inspiration for two rap songs, a unifying not-safe-for-work social media hashtag and the name of an actual bulldog.

On the court, he was named Big 12 Player of the Year and is likely to take home multiple National Player of the Year distinctions during the Final Four weekend.

But Mason has said

time and time again that he doesn’t care about accolades.

He wanted the Final Four.

He wanted a team trophy.

He wanted a ring and a banner. Not for him, but for the team.

“It would mean a lot to me,” Mason said on Friday of possibly making a Final Four. “But it’s not all about me. It’s about my team. I think it would mean more to everyone else than me.

[I] just want to see my teammates happy, fans and family, so whatever to do to make that happen, that’s what we need to do.”

Over Mason’s four years, happiness wasn’t the resounding emotion at season’s end.

“

[I] just want to see my teammates happy, fans and family, so whatever to do to make that happen, that’s what we need to do.”

Frank Mason III Senior guard

Kansas has faced early exits in the NCAA tournament at the hands of Stanford, Wichita State, Villa-

nova, and, now, Oregon. All four years had similar stings, but this last one has pain that shoots the strongest.

After the devastating loss to Villanova, there was at least one more year. This go around, it’s over. It’s done.

Frank Mason III’s eligibility has officially run out. And it’s a shame.

Five players sit ahead of Mason on the Kansas all-time points leaders list: Danny Manning, Nick Collison, Raef LaFrentz, Clyde Lovellette and Sherron Collins. Mason joins only one of them — LaFrentz — in having not made a Final Four.

“Frank had the best year of anybody I’ve ever coached,” Kansas coach Bill Self said after the loss. “And he’s as tough as anybody I’ve ever coached. He loves his place as much as anybody I’ve ever coached and I hurt for [him].”

It’s hard to summarize Mason’s contributions to Kansas basketball. Recency bias is certainly at play here, but it’s not far off the mark to immediately consider him as one of the greatest of alltime to don the crimson and blue, possibly the best to not play the final weekend of the NCAA tournament.

This season alone, Mason averaged 20.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.2 rebounds.

He’s the first player in Big 12 history to finish a season

Missy Minear/KANSAN Senior guard Frank Mason III gets fouled on the shot late in the first half against Oregon in the Elite Eight on March 25. The Jayhawks fell to the Ducks, 74-60.

averaging 20 points and five assists. Mason played more than 1,300 minutes this season: a feat that only three Jayhawks have done. The other two — Danny Manning and Tyshawn Taylor — did so with 38- and 39-game Final Four and National Championship appearance seasons compared to Mason’s 36-game season.

Because of these efforts and more, he could become Kansas’ first consensus National Player of the Year.

“I gave it my all every day and I’m a Jayhawk for life,” Mason said at the end of locker room availability.

No. 0 has definitely proven that. But unfortunately for Mason and Co., absurd statistics and inhuman athleticism can fall victim to the merciless NCAA tournament. The NCAA tournament takes pity on no one and rarely plays favorites.

There’s no remorse. It’s unforgiving and heartless.

With only one winner, in the end, everyone else goes home with shredded hearts, tear-stained cheeks, and unachieved goals.

One player can’t do it all, but Frank Mason III sure tried.

His 753 season points

accounted for 25 percent of Kansas’ scoring efforts on the season. And his 21 points in the Elite Eight made up more than a third of the Jayhawks final score.

You can’t say Mason doesn’t have the heart. The tears he shed on Senior Night prove just how much the otherwise un-outwardly emotional leader cares about Kansas.

It’s wrong that Mason’s college career ends like this.

It’s a damn shame that the best collegiate player in America isn’t suiting up on April 1.