3-9-17

NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

Students turn cooking oil from dining halls into biodiesel fuel

Lawrence baker named national award semifinalist

Kansas suspends Josh Jackson for one game

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THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 | VOLUME 133 ISSUE 16

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

KU, Lawrence join Women’s Strike solidarity event HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon

Buford M. Watson Jr. Park was abuzz on Wednesday as the Lawrence community came together for the LFK International Women’s Strike Solidarity event and International Women’s Day. While at the event, the audience was able to hear various speakers and performers focusing on women’s issues and energizing one another. Tables from community partners and food booths were also present.

The event, which drew over 100 people, was organized by Meghan July and Melissa Johnson, Lawrence residents, and Paulette Blanchard, a University graduate teaching assistant in the geography department.

“We decided to come together for this project to continue the momentum from the Women’s March,” Blanchard said. “And also to be very conscientious of the intersectionalities of different women and femmes.”

For July, who comes from an activist family, she said she hoped this event allowed everyone to hear and support one another, from all walks of life.

“We all deserve to be treated with respect and dignity,” July said. “And I just want to hear one another and share a positive experience.”

In addition to bringing the community together for a positive experience, July said a goal of the event was to garner the needs of Lawrence residents.

“We can’t turn our back on one another, and we have to make sure and prioritize those people who have the

Miranda Clark-Ulrich/KANSAN Ellie and Brooke Tourtellot browse buttons at the International Women’s Day Strike while Brianne Grimmer waits in line at Watson Park on March 8.

“

I feel really fortunate to live in a community with these fierce warriors.”

Meghan July Activist

most intersections where people are not treating them with respect and dignity that they deserve,” she said.

University Director of News and Media Relations Erinn Barcomb-Peterson said in an email she was unaware of any professors or faculty members striking on Wednesday. However, Randy Laggart, a lecturer in the Health, Sport and Exercise Science department, cancelled his women’s self-defense class so students could attend the event if they

Lara Korte/KANSAN Nebula Child and Ian attend the International Women’s Strike Day in Watson Park on Wednesday.

wished to do so.

“Giving my students an hour off to reflect on/participate in the empowerment and protection of their gender seemed like an acceptable reason to cancel class,”

Laggart said in an email.

At the event, there were speakers and performers alike. Micha Cox, a University student from Augusta, performed by singing and playing the guitar. She also

read a poem to the audience.

Frank Angel, a junior from Garden City, spoke at the event on his Native American background.

“I came out to speak because I was invited by one of

the organizers of the event, Meghan July, to speak about being two spirit and Native American culture,” he said.

Angel said that he thinks it is important to keep in mind that everybody is different.

“Whenever I say that, I mean that you need to support all women, not just a very particular type of women,” he said. “You need to include disabled women, you need to include trans women, you need to include non-binary people who are femme.”

Angel said though he is a male-identifying person who does not want to speak about what women need best, he thinks keeping it intersectional at all times is a good starting place.

In addition to University individuals being involved at the event, members of the Lawrence community were active as well.

“I think really coming to events like this and showing support for women and for trans folks is really important, because we know of the high rates of folks who have experienced sexual trauma and abuse,” said Rachel Gadd-Nelson, director of Community Engagement at the Lawrence Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center.

Overall, July said that she is thankful for all the support for this event from the town of Lawrence.

“I’m just so grateful to the women and femmes in this town, to the support of allies and the organizations, the performers and the speakers, they’ve been amazing,” July said. “I feel really fortunate to live in a community with these fierce warriors.”

— Edited by Allison Crist

STEM group takes on gender gap City reaffirms ‘welcoming’ status ANGIE BALDELOMAR

NOLAN BREY

@AngieBaldelomar

@NolanBrey

In the male-dominated science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, women often have difficulty breaking into leadership positions. A new University program hopes to help bridge the gender gap.

Jayhawks Breaking Barriers, a semester-long project aiming to increase awareness of the gender leadership gap in STEM fields, is focusing on empowering female STEM students, after receiving a $4,800 Campus Action Project (CAP) grant from the American Association

Ashley Hocking/KANSAN Hannah Kinmonth-Schultz, a postdoctoral researcher at the University, leads a Jayhawks Breaking Barriers workshop on March 6.

of University Women.

Alex Erwin, CAP grant writer and doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology, said that since the project is a pilot, they decided to start small, re-

INDEX NEWS............................................2 OPINION........................................4 ARTS & CULTURE..........................................5 SPORTS..........................................10

cruiting 18 undergraduate students.

“We tried to recruit from underrepresented SEE STEM PAGE 2

The Lawrence City Commission unanimously voted to proclaim Lawrence a “welcoming city” at a commission meeting Tuesday night. Despite requests from several groups in the community, the city decided not to become a sanctuary city.

At the meeting, the commission heard testimony from citizens regarding six suggestions for additional protections for minority students and citizens.

The commission adopted all six suggestions, which included proclaiming Lawrence a welcoming city,

KANSAN.COM TOP OF THE HILL: Your Lawrence favorites, chosen by you. Vote on Kansan.com by March 31.

drafting a letter to encourage the University to expand legal resources for undocumented students and sponsoring a community presentation on immigration in conjunction with the University.

The suggestions came from multiple sources, including the University’s Student Senate, Lawrence High School students, city staff members and the City Attorney’s Office.

The commission also heard testimony in support of making Lawrence a sanctuary city. However, the city would lose $42.7 million in federal and state funding — almost 42 percent of the general operating fund revenue — for adopting such

a policy, said Casey Toomay, assistant city manager, in a presentation to the commission.

Toomay said this money is used to fund a plethora of programs and departments around the city.

“I think when we talk about the jeopardizing of funds, we need to make sure that what we’re really jeopardizing is the programs that we use those funds to pay for,” Vice Mayor Stuart Boley said during the meeting. “It’s not that we would not just jeopardize the funds. We would jeopardize our citizens.”

SEE SANCTUARY PAGE 2

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news Kansan Staff

NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief Lara Korte Managing editor Christian Hardy Digital operations editor Matt Clough Social media editor Emily Johanek Associate social media editor Emily Juszczyk ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT

Business manager Tucker Paine Sales manager Mitch Tamblyn SECTION EDITORS

News editor Chandler Boese Associate news editor McKenna Harford Sports editor Amie Just Associate sports editor Skylar Rolstad Arts & culture editor Omar Sanchez Associate arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman Opinion editor Vince Munoz Visuals editor & design chief Roxy Townsend Photo editor Missy Minear Copy chiefs Candice Tarver Brendan Dzwierzynski Ashley Hocking ADVISERS

Chief financial officer Jon Schlitt Editorial adviser Gerri Berendzen

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KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

KU turns food waste into biodiesel fuel PEYTON KRAUS @peytonkraus12

The University has a laboratory dedicated to helping the environment and allowing students to experience hands-on learning.

The students test and produce biodiesel fuel from recycled vegetable oil leftover from the dining halls on campus. The program hopes to grow in the near future to get more of the University running on recycled oil that can help to increase the quality of the air.

“It’s a little different because it is more stable,” said Courtney Crain, a junior chemical engineering student and the head lab manager for the KU Biodiesel Initiative. “We’re less in the research stage and more in the production stage.”

Students run the lab themselves, although Susan Michelle Stagg-Williams, an engineering professor, oversees the production.

Each week, about 25 student volunteers pick up the vegetable oil from each residential dining hall on campus and produce the biodiesel.

In the spring and summer months, the students

FROM STEM PAGE 1 backgrounds, and we also tried to have a good mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors,” Erwin said.

For Anushka Bhattacharya, a freshman studying electrical engineering from Mumbai, India, the goal behind the group — to empower women in STEM fields — compelled her to apply and join Jayhawks Breaking Barriers.

“Being part of a group like this, I can make changes by taking steps and taking initiatives, by training myself I can help others get better at their leadership qualities,” she said.

According to Erwin, the

FROM SANCTUARY PAGE 1 A “welcoming city” differs from a sanctuary city, as sanctuary cities can have their funding removed by the federal and state governments, Toomay said.

The Lawrence proclamation was written so that state and federal funding would not be rescinded. A welcoming city carries no legal weight and is just a statement showing that the City has a welcoming attitude toward immigrants.

“Reaffirming our current proclamation that deals with a welcoming city seems to satisfy the fact that we don’t believe that the funds we receive from the state will be jeopardized because we’re a welcoming city — just so that it’s in the record — we are not declaring ourselves a sanctuary city,” said City Commissioner Mike Amyx during the meeting.

In December, Student Senate passed a resolution that asked the city to declare its support for undocumented students. City staff met with Student Senate multiple times in recent months, said Stephonn Alcorn, the

produce about three batches of a mixture of biodiesel and diesel fuel each week, which equals about 120 gallons. The standard mixture for the fuel is 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent diesel. This then goes into ATVs, lawn mowers and other machinery on campus.

The Biodiesel Initiative started this project almost a decade ago to increase sustainability across campus.

“Biodiesel is a lot more energy-friendly because it is easily obtainable and renewable, and it doesn’t produce nearly as many emissions either,” Crain said.

The University’s dining halls paired up with the students to help these efforts.

“Certainly, we didn’t pioneer the idea, it was something that was already happening in plenty of places,” said Jim Schilling, assistant director of residential dining.

However, KU Dining did join the efforts mostly for the environmental benefits, as well.

“It helps with the sustainability effort and it certainly is a slight, not a tremendous, but there is a slight money savings be-

project consists of four main components to help undergraduate students develop leadership skills: leadership training, mentoring and networking, data collection efforts and a final event in April.

The grant helped organize five leadership training workshops, as well as funding the final event.

Bhattacharya said she has already received feedback from professionals on how to present herself in the professional world.

One the most interesting parts for her so far, Bhattacharya said, was hearing Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little talk about her experiences as part of the second workshop.

“When other people

student body president at the University.

“By bringing in the Student Senate and now the city of Lawrence into the conversation in the supporting of undocumented students, we can all work together to make Lawrence a better place,” Alcorn said.

“

I feel like these issues are pertinent to the livelihood and experience for students at KU who are undocumented or international students.”

Stephonn Alcorn Student Body President

Alcorn said that Lawrence can still show support for marginalized students while keeping its funding. Alcorn was pleased by the outcome of the commission meeting.

“I’m happy they made those decisions,” Alcorn said after the meeting. “I feel like these issues are pertinent to the livelihood and experience for students at

Missy Minear/KANSAN Dining halls, like Mrs. E’s, recycle their used cooking oil to make biodiesel fuel for campus use.

cause any of that oil that is diverted into petroleum production for biodiesel is then not something we would have to pay an oil recycling company to come pick up,” Schilling said.

Schilling believes the residential dining halls produce about 50 gallons of vegetable oil a week from their fryers, only 24 of which are currently used, so there is plenty to go around in order to have more vehicles and equipment run on biodiesel on campus.

“Our future plans are really to just facilitate more growth through communication between KU as a whole, so we can hopeful-

ly get biodiesel used more in different KU facilities,” Crain said. “In theory anything that runs diesel should be able to run biodiesel.”

However, there are currently no plans to bring the biodiesel to the buses at the University, Crain said. The Biodiesel Initiative spoke to the University’s Transportation department, but decided not to pursue it because it might require changing parts of the engines on the buses or cause other mechanical issues.

share their experiences, you can relate to it and learn from those things,” she said.

“They set an example on how to overcome obstacles.”

al mentors and work with graduate and doctoral students in this data collection, creating a professional network earlier in their careers, Erwin said.

She said another goal for the project is talent retention in the Kansas and Missouri area, especially considering the big number of STEM opportunities found in this area.

Ultimately, all these efforts will help provide students with the tools to take on leadership roles, Erwin said.

“We hope to encourage women to be confident in taking on leadership positions and hopefully giving them the skills so they could be successful in those roles,” she said.

“

We hope to encourage women to be confident in taking on leadership positions.”

Alex Erwin Doctoral student

Through the data collection portion, Erwin said, the goal is to explore the gender gap in the region, so that they can bring awareness to the issue. Students are paired with profession-

KU who are undocumented or international students.”

More than a dozen community members addressed the commission in regard to sanctuary cities.

The city staff will continue to work on and develop the

— Edited by Allison Crist

suggestions passed during the commission meeting in the future, the commission said.

— Edited by Sean Collins

Spring 2017

Grad Fair

Everything You Need for Graduation in One Place

Tuesday, March 14 & Wednesday, March 15 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Kansas Union Ballroom (Kansas Union, Level 5) Cap & Gown

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Desktop Diplomas

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Faculty Fine Regalia

Or check out the KU Edwards Campus Grad Fair, KU Bookstore at Jayhawk Central, March 28, 2 p.m - 7 p.m.

The ONLY Store Giving Back to KU.

Not graduating in May? Check our website for additional information: KUBookstore.com/Graduation For disability accommodation, please submit request 5 business days in advance to Lisa Eitner: 785-864-2481, leitner@ku.edu,TTY: 711

3

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

Anonymous donor provides funds to KU staff in need JEN SMITH

@hawkglamour

A

s part of their continued effort to support staff members across the University, the Department of Human Resource Management has worked throughout the past year to develop and introduce a charitable fund to aid University staff in need.

The Rosalie Lanier Gray KU Staff Assistance Fund is privately funded, and managed by human resources.

The newly-established fund seeks to provide financial aid to University employees following personal or familial crises. According to Ola Faucher, director of human resources, providing additional support to staff members in times of strife is the fund’s primary purpose.

“We have a lot of staff who, when they are in emergency situations, may not have ready access to funds, and this is sort of a stopgap measure where they can quickly get some money to help with an immediate need,” Faucher said.

This financial assistance is specifically directed toward individuals whose need results directly from personal or natural crises.

“It’s not for those kind of normal expenses that someone may have,” said Holly Zane, human resources’ employee relations senior specialist and one of the fund’s primary organizers.

Qualifying personal or natural disasters, as specified in the fund’s guidelines, include the loss of one’s home to a natural disaster

Ashley Hocking/KANSAN The Rosalie Lanier Gray KU Staff Assistance Fund provides emergency financial assistance to University faculty and staff who are struggling due to an emergency situation or hardship. The Human Resources Management, which is located in Carruth O’Leary Hall, oversees the fund.

or fire, expenses associated with domestic violence, complications resulting from the death of an immediate family member, life-changing accidents, and critical or life-threatening illness or injury.

“Certain things are expected,” Zane said. “Long in the tooth you might pass away, but no one expects a young child to be shot, and no one expects their house to be burned down to the ground.”

The fund also aims to provide support solely for eligible University staff. The fund is geared toward fulltime employees or part-time employees who have been at any of the University’s campuses for at least six months.

“There are so many employees that give their life’s blood for the University that are so dedicated and it just seems [that] as part of that University family, when they get into problems we should

be willing to provide them some assistance,” Zane said.

“We’re all in the same boat, and if in that boat someone falls over a little bit, we want to hand them that rope and pull them in and support them.”

“

We should be willing to provide them some assistance.”

Holly Zane HR employee relations specialist

The fund’s goal follows the will of its founder. Donated by an anonymous individual, the Staff Assistance Fund has been developed and sustained by the seed money granted to them by the donor, who specified that the money be used to help staff members in financial need.

“We are fortunate enough to have a donor who is willing to help out in emergency situations,” Faucher said.

“That demonstrates the fact that we as the University do care about the people who are part of our community and are able to find creative ways to occasionally help out on a personal basis.”

Following the benefactor’s donation, the project to establish the fund itself was spearheaded by Zane, along with others in Human Resources. They considered the program to have launched this past fall. The policy, however, did not receive final approval by Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little until last month.

The program has already received requests from six applicants since its introduction, and funds have already been awarded to two individuals.

“They’ve been very, very grateful for the assistance,”

Zane said. “In the small amount of time we’ve been in existence [they] have been extremely sweet, extremely grateful for the efforts to try to help them.”

Presently, the fund relies exclusively upon the sum provided by its founder. So, to ensure that they continue to be able to help those in need, a $1,000 award is available to recipients once every three years, and no employee may receive more than $3,000 in their lifetime, according to the fund guidelines.

“We would like to be able to raise those, but it’s based on the small pot that one has,” Zane said. “There might be more flexibility if the fund was larger.”

Though the fund may hope to expand its reach long-term, the focus right now is simply on maintaining the fund.

“The long-term goals would be to try and sustain

the fund and hopefully make it grow a little bit so that if more money is available, then we can help more people, but it’s just the money that’s there so if it’s gone, then this fund stops,” Faucher said.

Zane, Faucher and others from Human Resources remain optimistic and hope that individuals both inside and outside of the University community will donate to the fund.

“I think everything starts in the heart and that [the] connection between employees, students, [other] employees [and] faculty shows that KU has a heart and wants the best for its employees,” Zane said.

More information about donating to the fund or applying for its benefits can be found on its website.

— Edited by Paola Alor

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opinion FREE-FOR-ALL ›› WE HEAR FROM YOU

KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

Munoz: The myth of the ACA replacement

You know it’s a Monday when you finally realize there’s a bunch of stains on your t shirt at 3:30 pm.

I do feel connected to dying fruit, it is a living think just like me!

If my roommate can have loud sex when I’m trying to sleep, then I can have loud parties when she’s trying to sleep I have something called slight hypochondria Changing my KU password f---- me up for at least a month Do you think phone companies hire people with really big hands for advertisements to make their phones look smaller in comparison?

Maybe I’ll meet my future ex at this place Wait, I’ll just ask my parents what’s hot on Etsy right now If a midterm is supposed to take 2 and a half hours, professors should at least provide food.

Aladdin is so underrated.

Josh Jackson is lowkey ruining my life.

I’m really a f--- girl at heart.

My warrior name is Beyonce Pad Thai.

Level of struggle right now: baked on a buttery crispy flake.

I had a great day just because I saw a lot of dogs.

Putting the KINK in Kinkos.

My first amendment class is going over a case where a guy got in trouble for sending dirty pictures in the mail. Imagine having to buy a stamp to send nudes.

VINCE MUNOZ @vmunoz_18

O

n Monday, House Republican leaders released a bill to finally repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

Named the “American Health Care Act,” it is undoubtedly a radical departure from the policy of the past seven years. Though experts will parse the various provisions costs and benefits, one provision already tells me that, if enacted, the bill is doomed to fail: the continuous coverage incentive.

Despite the legalistic name, the continuous-coverage incentive is fairly easy to understand. If someone is uninsured for more than 63 days, they will have to pay a 30 percent increase in their premiums for a year after they regain coverage.

In other words, go without coverage for two months and you’ll have to pay an extra monthly fee for a year. This is designed to replace the individual mandate — the tax penalty uninsured Americans have to pay under the Affordable Care Act. Politically, it is a smart move for the GOP to eliminate the provision. Only 35 percent of Americans support the individual mandate, but it is one of the most important provisions.

For private health insurance companies to function financially, they need more healthy clients who draw less expensive insurance claims.

Because the Affordable Care Act outlawed companies’ ability to turn down patients with pre-existing conditions, these more expensive patients signed up for in-

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

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

surance. To keep this from causing prices to skyrocket, the law requires everyone to buy insurance — including healthy, cheaper patients who otherwise would risk going without it to save money.

However, the new bill does not fully eliminate the effects of the mandate. The continuous-coverage incentive replaces a tax with a fine.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) criticized the bill in saying, “You will no longer have to pay a penalty to the government, but you will have to pay a penalty to your insurance company.”

So how does this make

the situation worse?

Well, Republicans are trying to have it both ways with an individual mandate.

They simultaneously want to incentivize healthy individuals to buy insurance to prevent a spike in prices, but they want to avoid the political backlash that Obamacare prompted. To accomplish this, they lowered the penalty for being uninsured and turned the tax into a private fee. Therein lies its fatal flaw.

The Affordable Care Act never had high enough penalties to balance out the system. Pundits even created terms to describe 20-some-

thing patients who chose to pay the tax over insurance companies, “young invincibles.” The continuous-coverage incentive has even lower fines so clearly even less people will sign up.

Fundamentally, healthy people pay for sick people’s healthcare; it’s unavoidable given the realities of the healthcare system. This has always been the case. It’s true in both private and public healthcare systems.

In the former, healthy insurance customers pay more money to the insurance company and their extra cash pays for expensive, sicker pa-

tients. In the latter, healthy citizens’ taxes pay for expensive sick citizens. Until politicians are honest about that fact with their constituents, neither political party will be able to successfully craft and implement a long-term healthcare overhaul that the nation so desperately needs.

Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying Political Science and Strategic Communications.

– Edited by Sean Collins

Shafton: Legislature should end gerrymandering

I bet CVS has seen some shit.

I really enjoy my morning political rants with the lady that signs the athletes into class.

Illustration by Erica Gonzales/KANSAN

DANIEL SHAFTON @DDshaft

Disclaimer: Daniel Shafton is currently an intern for Representative Brett Parker (D-29).

Recently, an amendment to the Kansas Constitution was introduced in the state legislature, which will finally take politics out of redistricting and give a greater voice to all voters in Kansas.

Currently, the task of re-drawing district lines is done every ten years after

the census by the entire state legislature. The problem with this is by allowing the entire legislature to work on re-districting, politics is essentially forced to come into play. Drawing district lines is supposed to be based on numbers gathered from the census, there is nothing that should be considered political or be influenced by politics.

If there was a large increase or decrease in the amount of people who lives in a particular city or neighborhood that is what should be reflected. Instead, what we often see is the party that’s in control at the time of the re-districting gerrymanders, and thus fundamentally and unfairly influences the results of the next ten years of elections.

I strongly believe that

gerrymandering is one of the largest issues currently facing our country. I’m not alone in this stance; recently, President Barack Obama formed the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which he asked former Attorney General Eric Holder to chair.

The goal of this committee is three fold: one, direct resources into winning targeted state elections, two, form legal challenges on existing maps and three, to push ballot initiatives for nonpartisan district drawing commissions.

That last point is exactly what the amendment, HCR 5011, aims to do. This amendment is the definition of common sense reform which is probably why it has so much bi-partisan support with 28 co-sponsors current-

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES: Send letters to editor@kansan.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the email subject line.

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ly on board. This bill helps in three areas: increasing voter turnout, making elections more fair, and thus, making elections more competitive.

In a country that is seeing all time lows in voter turnout from national elections all the way down to county elections, we need to give something to the people of our great nation to be hopeful about, something that makes them feel their voice is being heard.

“

We need to give something to the people of our great nation to be hopeful about,”

I had the opportunity to spend my summer working

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

Tucker Paine Business Manager tpaine@kansan.com

with MainStream Educational Foundation going door to door with the sole purpose of increasing voter turnout.

Whilst talking to person after person, a trend began to develop. No one wanted to vote in the local election because they felt their vote did not matter. I can’t count the amount of times I heard something on the lines of, “Oh well I don’t plan on voting in the primaries because my vote doesn’t matter where I live, so-and-so will win no matter what”. By showing the citizens of Kansas that their votes are being more strongly and accurately voiced, maybe we will see an increase in voter turnout.

Daniel Shafton is a junior from Overland Park studying psychology.

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?

Aries (March 21-April 19) Don’t go yet. Take time for romance, fun and games over the next two days.

Hold your temper if frustrated. Savor relaxation with friends and family.

KANSAN.COM |THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

From ‘obsession’ to artistry: Local baker is semifinalist in national competition

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Home projects inspire you today and tomorrow. Don’t be rushed into buying anything. Plan and budget carefully. Ask family for feedback. Make a Pinterest board.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Write your latest discoveries. Share information and data today and tomorrow. Obstacles block the road... wait to take major actions. Don’t disturb a watchdog.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Make plans and estimates for profitable upcoming efforts. Today and tomorrow are good for making money. Launch after laying the groundwork. Otherwise, things could get expensive.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) You’re getting stronger today and tomorrow. Wait to jump into action. Potential barriers diminish later.

Wait for confusion to pass.

Consider personal matters.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Look back for insight on the road ahead. Notice your dreams over the next few days. Settle somewhere peaceful to rest and recharge your batteries.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Develop a team strategy through tomorrow. Proceed with caution, to avoid accidents or errors. Discuss priorities and who will do what. Organization saves time and resources.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) A career opportunity arises over the next few days.

Stay objective in a tense situation. Polish your presentation for an upcoming pitch. Keep things simple.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Plan your trip before dashing off. Travel and adventure calls to you today and tomorrow, but traffic may be fierce (especially today). Consider alternative routes.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Discuss financial strategies with your partner over the next two days. Expect delays and obstacles. Don’t take action until plans are clear and coordinated.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Let someone else direct the show today and tomorrow.

Consult a good strategist.

Today is better for talk than action. Work out priorities. Support each other.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) There’s plenty of work today and tomorrow, with possible chaos or busy flurries. Allow extra time for traffic or avoid it to begin with.

Ashley Hocking/KANSAN Taylor Petrehn owns and operates 1900 Barker bakery with his brother, Reagan. Taylor Petrehn is a semifinalist for the category of “Oustanding Baker” in the James Beard Foundation’s Restaurant and Chef Awards.

BRIANNA CHILDERS @breeanuhh3

A

t 1900 Barker Bakery and Cafe on a Tuesday afternoon, Taylor Petrehn starts the process of making a tart. He puts long pieces of dough through a press to thin it, and once he moves it to another station, he lays it out and folds it over so that it’s about two layers thick.

To perfect the signature pastry, his hands knead into the dough in a firm, yet fluid motion. After, he presses a circle cutter into the dough, cutting perfect circles for the tart shells, which will later be used for quiche. He moves with determination and focus. Petrehn, baker and co-owner of 1900 Barker Bakery, makes baking an art form.

Petrehn is being recognized for his baking abilities through the James Beard Foundation, whose mission is, "to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse and

sustainable for everyone,” according to its website.

Each year, the foundation holds the Restaurant and Chef Awards, which will be held on May 1 this year, in Chicago. Chefs from across the country are honored in 21 different categories.

Petrehn is nominated in the “Outstanding Baker” category and is one of 20 semifinalists.

Petrehn said he was not aware of his nomination and selection until the semifinalists were announced. The five finalists for every category will be announced on March 15, and will be selected from 24,000 total entries. The national contest winner is determined by regional judges, who can cast their votes for any nominee whose food they have tasted.

Petrehn said he spends nine to 12 hours at 1900 Barker Bakery every day.

“We are continuing to do our thing and just do the best we can, which we would have done anyways,” he said.

1900 Barker Bakery

is an artisan bakery and coffee shop. They specialize in all organic, artisan bread and french style pastries.

For coffee, the bakery is a “multi-roaster,” which means they source beans from all over the world.

Reagan Petrehn, head barista, co-owner of 1900 Barker Bakery and Taylor's brother, said Taylor's baking is unique and focused.

“He is more bought into what he is doing than anyone else I know, which gives him a leg up,” Reagan said. “He is incredibly smart and talented and has a very large creative presence.”

Taylor has been baking and cooking professionally since he was 19 years old.

He attended Johnson County Community College and received his associate's degree in applied sciences with an emphasis in culinary arts.

During college, he knew he wanted to cook, but baking was nowhere on his radar at the time.

After college, he started working full-time at restaurants around Kansas

Ashley Hocking/KANSAN Taylor Petrehn prepares tart shells at his bakery, 1900 Barker. The tart shells will later be used for quiche.

City and spent a year in Napa Valley, California, where he worked as a kitchen manager.

It wasn’t until he started working as a pizza chef at Trezo Vino in Overland Park that he realized baking was the path he wanted to follow.

“I didn’t bake during school at all, and I was just put in charge of a pizza station working for a really great chef,” he said. “I was responsible for making that station shine. I started researching all I could about pizza and took it on as an obsession of mine.”

He said from there he started baking his own bread and began taking baking jobs wherever he could. He spent three years working at both a baking job and as an apprentice for another baker in his free time.

When Taylor moved to Lawrence, his dream of opening his own place became reality when he found the building at 1900 Barker.

“I think why I really wanted to open my own

place was so that I could have the ability to focus on every detail I wanted to,” Taylor said. “When you work for someone else they are the ones that are focused on the details and have their own way of wanting to execute things or have their own opinions on what is best.”

Taylor said at the outset, they wanted to create a place that really belongs to the community and the neighborhood that it resides in.

When experiencing the brothers’ work, Reagan said he wants everyone to feel like they have found something new and that they have been truly welcomed.

"We think it’s a special story to tell, and it creates transparency in the food,” Taylor said. “It’s something we value and if you come in here and sit at the counter from the time we open to close you can see everything we make from start to finish.”

— Edited by Erin Brock

Here’s what’s happening in Kansas City this weekend JOSH MCQUADE

@L0neW0lfMcQuade

Kansas City Auto Show @ The Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities This year’s upcoming lineup of cars will be on display at the Kansas City Auto Show from Wednesday, March 8 at 5 p.m. to Monday, March 13.

According to the Visit KC website, about 500 cars and trucks will be available for attendees to observe. Dodge, Ford, Chrysler and Jeep are just a few of the about 35 brands in attendance at the show. Not only will there be cars and trucks to admire, but the Kansas City food truck group Food Truck Mafia will also be in attendance.

There will be seven food trucks that will be parked at the Kansas City Auto show: Bochi, Road Kill, KC BBQ Truck, Monk’s Roast Beef, Twisted Tater, Savanna Jane Lemonade, and Ohana’s Shaved ice.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster for $11.

Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship The Big 12 Men’s Basket-

ball Championship is once again coming to the Sprint Center, from Wednesday, March 8 until Saturday, March 11.

The tournament may be all weekend, but the first game people are waiting for will be Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

The Jayhawks will play the winner of the matchup between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Should the Jayhawks win their quarterfinal game, they will play Friday at 6 p.m. The final game of the championship would be at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Tickets for the games, which are generally most expensive when the are Jayhawks are playing, will run upward of a few hundred dollars each game. Tickets can be purchased on the Sprint Center website.

The communications manager of Visit KC, Toni Alexander, said she recommends the College Basketball Experience facility for college students. During the Big 12 Tournament, the College Basketball Experience will have discounted tickets for those wearing Big 12 gear.

On Thursday, tickets will be $4 off, while Friday and Saturday tickets will be $2 off.

Contributed photo “Shoot from Downtown” is one of the many games offered at the College Basketball Experience.

Tickets can be purchased at the door.

John Prine @ The Midland Country and folk singer John Prine will perform at the Midland on Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m., as a stop on his current tour.

According to Prine’s website, the singer-songwriter has worked with the likes of Johnny Cash, George Strait and Bruce Springsteen. Prine is 45 years into his music career and has two Grammy awards. He is best known for lyrics that discuss life's troubles, while remembering the positives. He discusses a range of themes, such as

drug abuse in the song “Sam Stone” and vivid dreams in “Angel from Montgomery."

Tickets for Prine’s Saturday performance can be purchased at the Midland’s website, starting at $62.50.

Billy Currington @ Uptown Theater Saturday, March 11 at 8 p.m. country singer-songwriter Billy Currington will perform at the Uptown Theater as a stop on his “Stay Up ‘Til the Sun" tour.

According to Country Music Television’s website, the musician from Georgia has been signed to Mercury Records since 2003. Currington’s first single, “Walk

a Little Straighter" peaked at number eight in the Billboard Hot Country Singles list. That same year, Currington released his self-titled debut album. Currington has gone on to record six albums, including his most recent album, 2015's “Summer Forever,” which debuted at number three on Billboard's Top Country Album charts.

Tickets for Currington’s Saturday show are available for purchase at Uptown Theater’s website for $35.

— Edited by Erin Brock

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ART IN FOCUS:

HUNTER HARDING, STUDENT FILMMAKER

Contributed photo An image from one Hunter Harding’s productions. Harding is a senior from Montgomery, Texas, who is majoring in film, hoping to one day produce music videos and commercials.

Student filmmaker melds music and film JOSH MCQUADE

@L0neW0lfMcQuade

In a blend of traditional movie clips, rhythmic music and jarring edits, student filmmaker Hunter Harding creates short films for his experimental production class.

Harding, a senior from Montgomery, Texas, is majoring in film, but had originally planned to attend the University as an aerospace engineering major. However, Harding made the decision to switch to film after working on skit videos in high school.

“My dad’s a pilot, my grandpa was a pilot, so obviously that was the road I was steered down,” Harding said. “But I felt like I would regret it if I didn’t try [studying film].”

Harding most recently created the films “Trippy Fire Dance” and “American, 21." The two films are between one and two minutes each, and consist of various YouTube clips cut together to elevate the intensity of the video.

“It was a way to blend

those YouTube memes and adolescent videos into something that is a bit more respected,” Harding said.

In “Trippy Fire Dance,” Harding opens the film with fans creating a column of fire, but the video progresses to volcanoes erupting and a forest fire.

“

I really like doing things that are rhythmically cut and rhythmically edited.”

Hunter Harding Student filmmaker

To make his videos, Harding edits his own footage in the Adobe AfterEffects program.

Harding said AfterEffects allows filmmakers to be similar to DJs, in the sense that they can take any visual effect and put it into their film — similar to how DJs can take any sound and integrate it into a song.

Both “Trippy Fire

Dance” and “American, 21” rely on the beat of the music within the films.

Even the tick of a drum has Harding entering a new effect into the film, whether it’s changing scenes or flipping the scene upside down.

“I really like doing things that are rhythmically cut and rhythmically edited,” Harding said.

He added that he would like to produce music videos or commercials before diving into feature films. He said he loves to watch the video mold together with the music, creating its own art form.

“American, 21” displays Harding’s talent in creating unorthodox films around the rhythm of the music. The film features music created by Mark Robinson, a University senior from Tecumseh.

Harding and Robinson first met as roommates and quickly began promoting each other's projects through their own platforms.

“American, 21” was the first collaboration between the two artists,

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but the two said it is not expected to be the last.

Robinson said at the start Harding contacted him to supply music for a new film Harding had been working on because he knew Robinson created his own music..

“We put together this new album idea, EDM, kind of dance music, and I showed [Harding] a few [songs],” Robinson said.

Harding is currently working on an eightperson film, “Thumb Drive”. Harding said “Thumb Drive” will focus on a teenage girl who uses flash drives in order to hack into her victim’s computers and obtain their medical records. If the victim matches a certain blood type, she sells that person’s information to black market dealers who then harvest the victim’s organs.

The idea of the film is similar to Jordan Peele’s new movie, “Get Out,” he said, in the sense that it will be fighting stereotypes. While it is not about racism, it

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— Edited by Ashley Hocking

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Looking back, Harding said he believes he made the correct choice between aerospace engineering and film, as he has experienced more

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Kansas bullpen holds off Nebraska-Omaha WESLEY DOTSON @WesDotsonUDK

K

ansas coach Ritch Price knows his team’s greatest strength.

“The best part about our team is our bullpen,” Price said after Wednesday’s game against NebraskaOmaha.

Price used his strong bullpen effectively en route to Kansas baseball’s win at Hoglund Ballpark on Wednesday, which was highlighted by the efforts of junior reliever Blake Weiman and senior closer Stephen Villines.

Kansas (5-7) held onto a 6-5 lead to defeat Nebraska-Omaha (1-12) for the second time this season. The Jayhawks previously captured a win over the Mavericks at home, 11-1, on Feb. 21.

Weiman, who has arguably been the team’s best pitcher this season, was, again, virtually untouchable. He went two scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out one batter. He lowered his ERA to 0.84, and was especially effective in consistently throwing his changeup and curveball for strikes.

“When I’m doing that, I usually have pretty good success,” Weiman said.

Then came in Villines, who entered the game in the top of the eighth inning with two outs and Nebraska-Omaha outfielder Cole Patterson on first base.

Weiman said handing the ball over to Villines with a lead is “huge” for the team’s success.

“Not only for momentum for the offense, but you always want to put up zeros when you get to the bullpen,” Weiman said. “It also keeps tax on [Villines’] arm. You don’t want your closer out there throwing three innings.”

Villines was limited to 1.1 innings of work and excelled in capturing his second save of the season.

He retired all four batters he faced, including a strikeout.

Price echoed Weiman and also said using both Weiman and Villines at the end of games to preserve leads is essential to Kansas’ success.

“We’re trying to use Weiman when the game is tied or when we have the lead, and we’re only trying to use Stephen [Villines] when we have the lead,” Price said. “If we can get the ball to Weiman’s hand and Villines’ hand then we have a really good chance to win at the back end of

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Coach Ritch Price talks to the umpires and the Omaha coach before the game. Kansas defeated Omaha 6-5, on March 8.

games.”

However, the bullpen’s successful efforts did not come in the middle frames of the game.

When Kansas junior reliever Tyler Davis entered in the top of the sixth inning, he was nothing short of erratic.

Davis had a 6-3 lead to work with, but he allowed two hits and two earned

runs in 2/3 innings. His ERA plummeted to 11.81.

“We’ve got to get Tyler Davis going,” Price said. “He’s throwing his breaking ball at a higher percentage for strikes and he’s throwing his fastball … He got himself into trouble by not being able to locate his fastball today and he’s got way too good of stuff.”

Price said he still believes Davis has the potential to be a regular middle-innings reliever for the Jayhawks, despite the early-season struggles.

“If we can get him to start commanding the ball better and finish guys with that slider, he can be a sixth inning guy that sets us up to hand the ball to Villines and Weiman late

in ballgames,” Price said.

Next, Kansas will open up a three-game series and host Houston Baptist (7-4) at Hoglund Ballpark this weekend. First pitch for Friday’s opener is scheduled for 3 p.m.

— Edited by Brenna Boat

Khechfe brings KU swim and dive season to a close

Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN Junior diver Nadia Khechfe takes her run in the one-meter dive on Sept. 30, 2016.

SHAUN GOODWIN @ShaunGoodwinUDK

Junior diver Nadia Khechfe brought Kansas’ swimming and diving season to an end Tuesday afternoon at the Mizzou Aquatic Center in Columbia, Missouri. Khechfe competed in the NCAA Zone D Diving Championship's one-meter springboard dive, and finished No. 37 in a field of 44 divers.

Khechfe, from Lincoln, Nebraska, racked up a total of 232.10 points over the course of six dives, improving upon her score of 204.35 the day before in the three-meter springboard dive, which landed her at No. 40 on the leaderboard.

Despite not finishing in the top 18 and qualifying for the final, Khechfe was a lot more competitive

in the one-meter springboard dive than her performance in the three-meter springboard dive. In the three-meter dive event on Monday, Khechfe would have needed 19.4 to reach her nearest competitor.

The same point total in the one-meter dive would shoot her up to No. 28.

"Her comfort with the dive list was pretty solid and I think it showed," said diving coach Gabe Downey.

Downey said he believes that right now, Khechfe is Kansas’ best diver, and freshman Peri Charapich shows great potential.

With these two divers, along with the rest of the team, Downey is hopeful that Kansas will be fighting for NCAA final spots in the 2017-18 season.

“We have pretty lofty aspirations going forward,” Downey said. “We im-

proved significantly this year and we should be fighting for the NCAA finals next year and expect to be in the finals for the Big 12."

All the signs point toward improvement next year for the swim and dive team as a whole. For the second straight year, Kansas recorded its program-best points total in the Big 12 Championship, finishing second with 683.5 points. Several strong swimmers and divers will be returning to Kansas next season, bolstering Kansas’ chances of fighting for a Big 12 Championship and NCAA qualification spots.

— Edited by Frank Weirich

SPORTS

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Women’s basketball season recap: top 5 moments SEAN COLLINS AND JARED ANDERSON @KansanNews

K

ansas women's basketball went 8-21 on the 2016-17 season, but the Jayhawks had several impressive performances and outstanding showings. Here are the top five moments from the season: No. 1: Kansas’ first Big 12 in nearly two years There is no denying that the peak of the 2016-17 Kansas women’s basketball season was its 66-60 Big 12 win against Texas Tech. While approaching nearly two years since their last conference victory, the Jayhawks were determined to not let their 0-18 regular season Big 12 record define them. The win featured a 24-point, four-rebound performance from redshirt-junior guard Jessica Washington, and sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich added 14 points and four boards.

After consistently struggling to generate added scoring opportunities in previous games, the Jayhawks were finally able to get things going offensively. Kansas’ triumph was not only a milestone for the program but will undoubtedly resonate with this season’s seniors for years to come.

No. 2: Schneider’s first KU road win against Memphis

To call Brandon Schneider’s first-ever road win as Kansas’ coach memorable would be an understatement. While Kansas’ 6858 win over Memphis was noteworthy, the fashion in which Kansas captured the victory will likely never be forgotten. Midway through the second quarter, Washington and Memphis redshirt-junior guard Breigha Wilder-Cochran got tied up after a dead ball, resulting in a scuffle between the two.

Several Kansas players rapidly left the bench reacting to the incident and, consequently, eight Jayhawks were ejected. With just six eligible players remaining in the game, Kansas was somehow able to manufacture an improbable win.

Redshirt-sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert and junior guard Chayla Cheadle propelled the Jayhawks behind their 21-point showings. Although this victory may not have been ideal, there’s no question that it was a substantial highlight of Kansas’ 2016-17 season.

No. 3: Kansas’ conference win over Oklahoma State After losing to Oklahoma State 74-70 earlier in the year, the second meeting, coming inside Allen Fieldhouse, was a highly anticipated matchup. The Jayhawks picked up their second conference victory of the season with a win over the Cowgirls, 67-49, in front of an energetic home crowd.

Caitlynn Salazar/KANSAN Redshirt-junior guard Jessica Washington scored 12 points in Kansas’ Feb. 8 game against Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowgirls 67-49.

With Oklahoma State junior center Kaylee Jensen leading the Big 12 in points and rebounds, Kansas held its own in the paint, out-rebounding Oklahoma State 43-42. Team play — an idea that Schneider strived to instill in his players all season — was on full display in the win, as bench players in sophomore guard Aisia Robertson and Timeka O’Neal both notched double figures.

Although Kansas fell short in its third battle with Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2017 Big 12 Championship, this second regular-season Big 12 victory solidified the gradual improvements the program has made.

No. 4: A force to be reckoned with Gaining Russell Westbrook comparisons for more reasons than wearing a protective facemask, Washington had many great performances that earned her the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.

In the Jayhawks 90-75 home loss to the Iowa State Cyclones, Washington put on a show and proved why she can be such a dynamic player. Scoring a career-high 36 points on 12of-19 shooting, Washington put on a clinic. Luckily for the Cyclones, no other Jayhawk scored in double figures, because they had no answer for the scoring

exhibition Washington put on. This moment would’ve been higher up on the list had the Jayhawks won, but her 36 points were enough to solidify a spot.

No. 5: Career high on senior day “Save the best for last” was more of a reality than a saying for Jayhawks senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen. Despite falling short against Kansas State in her final game wearing crimson and blue in historic Allen Fieldhouse, Manning-Allen may have had her best game.

The Wildcats prevailed over the Jayhawks 61-54, and much of the Jayhawk

team struggled to score all night long. Although never truly being a scoring threat in her four-year career at Kansas, Manning-Allen provided an efficient 9-of12 from the field, and a career-high 21 points along with six rebounds and two steals.

For only playing 21 minutes, Manning-Allen’s value on the floor was unmatched.

— Edited by Allison Crist

sports KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

Jackson suspended from first Big 12 tournament game CHANDLER BOESE @Chandler_Boese

K

ansas freshman guard Josh Jackson is set to appear in court later this month for hitting a car in a parking lot on campus. Coach Bill Self has suspended Jackson from the first game of the Big 12 Championship as a result of the incident.

According to a clerk at the Lawrence Municipal Court, Jackson has three traffic citations: hitting an unattended vehicle, inattentive driving and improper backing. The incident occurred on Feb. 2, his court date for the charges is set for March 27.

In a news release from Kansas Athletics, Self said Jackson hit an unattended car in a parking lot and left without leaving his contact information.

“Although Josh has ac-

knowledged his responsibility and has handled it himself, he didn’t tell me about it until Monday,” Self said in the release. “He should have left his contact information at the time and notified us immediately.”

A clerk at the court said the incident happened on campus, in lot 103, which is located west of Self and Oswald residence halls on Daisy Hill.

Kansas is scheduled to play Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. They will play the winner of the Wednesday evening game between TCU and Oklahoma.

Jackson is also facing an unrelated misdemeanor charge for a December vandalism. His court date for that incident is set for April 12.

— Edited by Frank Weirich

Missy Minear/KANSAN Coach Bill Self talks to freshman guard Josh Jackson on the sidelines of the game against Duke. Kansas won 77-75.

Maicke: Westbrook is absolutely the NBA MVP

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Senior guard Frank Mason III goes up for a three-pointer. Kansas defeated Oklahoma, 73-63, on Feb. 27.

Tracking KU basketball’s postseason accolades JORDAN WOLF @JordanWolfKU

As the college basketball postseason kicks into full gear, Kansas constantly receives countless awards and honors.

The recognition should come as no surprise. This year’s Kansas team is one of the most successful in recent memory, and will likely carry the No. 1 overall seed into the NCAA tournament.

Unfortunately for the sake of Jayhawk Nation’s sanity, not every award is announced at once. Conference honors, nods of individual publications and the countless “official” awards are distributed across the entire postseason, with seemingly little coordination.

To better understand and fully realize the swath of accolades Kansas has received, the Kansan has compiled a comprehensive list that will be updated as the postseason progresses and more are announced. Check back here periodically to stay updated on the Jayhawks’ accomplishments during awards season.

SENIOR GUARD FRANK MASON III Big 12 Player of the Year (Unanimous) AP Big 12 Player of the Year All-Big 12 First Team (Unanimous)

AP All-Big 12 First Team (Unanimous) USA Today All-American First Team Sporting News All-American First Team NBC Sports All-American First Team (Unanimous) USBWA All-District VI Team USA Today National Player of the Year Sporting News National Player of the Year NBC Sports National Player of the Year Bleacher Report National Player of the Year USBWA District VI Player of the Year Finalist/Semifinalist for: -Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award – Announced April 7 -Wooden Award (National Player of the Year) – Announced April 7 -Naismith Trophy (National Player of the Year) – Four finalists announced March 19 -Senior CLASS Award – Announced during Final Four FRESHMAN GUARD JOSH JACKSON Big 12 Freshman of the Year AP Big 12 Newcomer of the Year All-Big 12 First Team AP All-Big 12 First Team Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (Unanimous) Sporting News All-American Second Team

Sporting News Freshman All-American USA Today All-American Second Team NBC Sports All-American Second Team USBWA All-District VI Team Finalist/Semifinalist for: -Wooden Award (National Player of the Year) – Announced April 7 -Naismith Trophy (National Player of the Year) – Four finalists announced March 19 -Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award – Announced April 7 JUNIOR GUARD DEVONTE’ GRAHAM All-Big 12 Second Team AP All-Big 12 Second Team SENIOR CENTER LANDEN LUCAS All-Big 12 Honorable Mention AP All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Sports Illustrated All-Glue Team COACH BILL SELF Big 12 Coach of the Year AP Big 12 Coach of the Year USBWA District VI Coach of the Year Finalist/Semifinalist for: -Naismith Coach of the Year — Four finalists announced March 16 -Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame — Announced April 7

Associated Press Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook goes up for a shot between Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J McCollum and forward Al-Farouq Aminu in the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game.

MIKE MAICKE @MJ_Maicke

Recently, I can’t tell if people are just not educated about what it means to be the MVP, or if everyone on major sports networks are just trying to rile people up with their hipster takes about who is truly the most valuable player.

A couple weeks ago, Houston’s James Harden was being touted as the favorite to win the award by the majority of broadcasters, analysts and even Las Vegas.

Yesterday, it was San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard who was the surefire MVP after the horrible clown show that is SportsNation irresponsibly wore an egregious bias on their sleeve, as a banner was held the entire 30 minutes saying “Kawhi for MVP.” Don’t get me wrong, I love Leonard. He’s a pivotal part of the team that I’ve been picking to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals since October. He’s a fantastic defender and arguably the best two-way player in the league, and any other year he’d have a damn good case for MVP. But not this year, not with Westbrook doing what hasn’t been done since 1961.

It’s an age-old ambiguity.

What exactly is the “Most Valuable Player?” Should

we just give it to Cleveland’s LeBron James every year because he’s still the best player on the planet?

This isn’t called the “most outstanding player;” the word “value” is in there for a reason. So while James, Leonard and Harden are all fantastic and important to their teams, they simply don’t have the comparative “value” to their teams that Russell Westbrook has.

“

They simply don’t have the comparative ‘value’ to their teams that Russell Westbrook has.”

The supporting cast around James, Harden and Leonard is so drastically better than what Westbrook has to deal with in Oklahoma City. In fact, I’d say that the average fan couldn’t name another player on the team after Durant left.

That’s what makes Westbrook’s 10 assists per game so remarkable. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get an assist on the Thunder nowadays?

The Houston Rockets lead the NBA in three-point shots made, the Cavaliers are

second. Westbrook and the Thunder come in at 26. I’m saying this because Westbrook does not have the luxury of simply driving, having the defenders collapse on him, then kicking it out to an effective shooter like Harden and James do.

Most of the assists that Westbrook gets are results of his unbelievable athleticism and vision, not the result of the general manager bringing a lot of shooters to the team.

Averaging a triple-double on such a mediocre team is the most impressive individual feat that we’ve seen in our generation. With 32 points and just over 10 rebounds and assists per game, Westbrook’s player efficiency rating clocks in at 30.22, which is absurdly high.

Leonard, Harden and James are all fantastic players, but when you hypothetically take them away from their respective teams, they would suffer a fraction of what OKC would suffer if Westbrook was gone.

Remember, it’s the most “valuable” player, and Westbrook adds more value to his team than anyone in the league.

— Edited by Frank Weirich

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