NEWS
ARTS & CULTURE
SPORTS
Find out more about the Elections Commission, the referees of Student Senate elections » page 3
KU hosts Q & A and screening of award-winning ‘Out in the Night’
Devonte’ Graham to stay for his senior year
» page 5
» page 8
MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017 | VOLUME 133 ISSUE 23
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
SENATE ELECTI O N 2017
KU chooses its next student senate administration on Wednesday and Thursday. Before you vote, read about the candidates, coalitions and their platforms.
Final debate focuses on inclusion, representation DARBY VANHOUTAN @darbyvanhoutan
Editor’s Note: The Kansan worked with the Elections Commission to help coordinate this debate. The writer of this story was not involved in the planning.
The seats in Woodruff Auditorium were filled with students waiting for answers on Friday evening as the final debate of the elections season was held by the Elections Commission and University Daily Kansan.
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
KUnited, TrueKU, Onward and OneKU presidential candidates, Tomas Green, Chancellor Adams, Chance Maginness and Mady Womack, respectively, were each asked the tough questions regarding platform feasibility and representation by moderator Garrett Farlow, chair of the Elections Commission. Questions produced beforehand by the commission, as well as ones fielded by the Kansan from individuals watching on Facebook and Twitter, were posed to the four candidates. Similarly to the first debate, candidates held fast to their stances on hot button issues such as a $50 fee for union renovations, which all but Maginness said they
Sarah Wright/KANSAN Student Senate presidential candidates Chancellor Adams, Tomas Green, Mady Womack and Chance Maginness answer the first questions of the night.
would vote no to, as well as issues such as campus carry and the current $2 newspaper readership fee. The discrepancies came, however, in regards to how representation and inclusion would be considered by candidates. “A lot of students leave this University because they don’t feel like they belong,” Green said during the debate. “That belonging is critically important and it needs to begin with how can we prioritize student safety, how do we make sure that
we’re investing and informing these students.”
UNION REFERENDUM DEBATE The presidential debate, which lasted an hour and drew a crowd of approximately 50 students, was followed by a debate between the Redo Your U campaign and KU Against Rising Tuition (KUART). The debate, which was included plenty of back and forth between the two student groups, aimed to present both the “for” and “against” sides of
Are the platforms doable? DARBY VANHOUTAN @darbyvanhoutan
The platforms of Student Senate coalitions are more than hot-button issues to get votes, they’re plans and policies involving student fees and the future of the University. This year, the feasibility of these platforms appear fairly solid, based on feedback from professionals at the University as well as presidential candidates themselves. Joseph Harrington, an English professor and president of University Senate, has experience in how Student Senate accomplishes the goals they publicized to voters during campaign season. “Both faculty and the administration try to be as open as possible to student ideas,” Harrington said. According to Harrington,
many of these plans are accomplished through fees which are a part of the almost $20 million allocated by Student Senate each year. However, by both honing in on specific, top-priority platforms, picked by the presidential candidates themselves, as well as examining the policies they involve, voters can get a sense of how feasible the platforms coalitions are running with are.
ONWARD According to Onward’s presidential candidate Chance Maginness, two of the most important platforms to Onward are their wet campus and music festival platforms. “The other platforms are nice because they fix a lot of problems that we have but I think these particular platforms really speak to
INDEX NEWS............................................2 OPINION........................................4 ARTS & CULTURE..........................................5 SPORTS.........................................8
parts of the KU experience and being a student and just kind of speak to more of the fun aspects of the campaign which I think are often left in the dust,” Maginness said. The first platform calling for a wet campus would not be impossible to accomplish. “It’s simple in the sense that it can be done easily but difficult in the sense that it’s going to require the most persuasion on behalf of students,” Maginness said. Student Affairs would not comment on the feasibility of this plan. However, there are other factors involved. Alcohol on campus is currently not allowed by state law. Harrington also adds that any change like this would, as a final step, have SEE FEASABILITY PAGE 2
the referendum being presented to the student body in the upcoming election regarding a $50 Union fee. Lev Comolli, president of KUART, and Tommy Finch, vice president of KUART, represented the group at the debate, arguing that students should vote no on the upcoming referendum due to the lack of transparency from the Redo Your U campaign as well as the overall “excessiveness” of the fee. “We agree that the Union is an important building on
campus and should be kept in good condition,” Comolli said. “However, this bill is not a renovation but an expansion of Union revenue operations.” Recently, KUART filed a complaint against the Union referendum on the basis of bribery and early campaigning. After hearing this claim, the Elections Commission forced the Union referendum to remove campaign items and halt campaigning, a decision that was stayed pending a Court of Appeals hear-
ing Monday. The Union referendum was represented by group members Kassandra Valles, a senior from Mission, and Garrison Krotz, a senior from St. Louis. The two argued that students should vote yes on the referendum in support of the fee in order to make necessary renovations but also to make the Union more accessible. “To say that what we’re doing here isn’t conducive of a healthy atmosphere at the University or the fact that it’s not creating a place that students want to come to school is simply not true,” Krotz said. “What we’re doing is creating a place that’s more accessible to students and to create a place for students to work and come together.”
VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
The three-part event ended with a debate among three out of the four vice-presidential candidates. In attendance were KUnited vice-presidential candidate Zoya Khan, TrueKU vice-presidential candidate Andrew Davis and OneKU vice-presidential candidate Mattie Carter. Onward vice-presidential candidate Logan Miller was absent from the debate SEE DEBATE PAGE 2
Editorial: Onward the wrong choice for KU KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD @KansanNews
Student Senate is a tricky institution. Although many students dismiss it, Senate has a great deal of power compared to other student governments. And by power, we mean money. Each year, Student Senate is responsible for distributing nearly $20 million of student money across campus. Not only is this a huge responsibility because it’s a large sum of money, but because Senate has the power with this money to make meaningful and lasting changes to the campus. That is why we, the Kansan Editorial Board,
KANSAN.COM ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Read more about coalitions’ responses to our voters’ questionnaire at Kansan.com
believe that if the power should go to anyone, it should go to the people who intend to advocate on behalf of the student body. Student Senate members need to be professional, mature, even-tempered and ethically upright. The Onward coalition has been none of these things. The Kansan Editorial Board did not come to this conclusion lightly. It is rare for the Kansan to issue Student Senate endorsements, much less oppositions. However, we believe that in this circumstance, it is necessary and in the best interest of the student body to be transparent about our opinion. In our assessment
of the coalitions, we determined that despite differences, each had its merits, except for one — Onward. Student Senate can be a vessel through which politically passionate students can find a place to improve things for their fellow classmates, or it can be a resume booster for people who, despite interest in their own status and notoriety, are otherwise apathetic individuals. Onward’s main platforms of a wet campus and a music festival are perhaps the most blatant forms of pandering in recent Student Senate SEE ONWARD PAGE 4
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KANSAN.COM/NEWS | MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017
Senate coalitions and what it will take to accomplish their platforms
O n wa r d WET CAMPUS Change the University’s policy on alcohol from a dry campus, not allowing alcohol, to a wet campus.
WHAT IT TAKES
1 2 3 4 5 6
Talk with other schools about their wet campuses Plan out implementation at the University Create a policy change proposal and get feedback Submit proposal to provost’s office Present agreed-upon policy change to chancellor for approval Lobby state legislature to amend current law banning alcohol on college campuses
FROM FEASABILITY PAGE 1 to be approved by the chancellor, a position that will be changing this summer. Their other platform proposes a music festival be held at the University yearly. The festival, though no extensive planning has been done, would be held over two days and feature local and national artists, Maginness said. According to members of Student Union Activities, a student group that has experience organizing multiple music event each semester, the idea is feasible.
KUNITED Presidential candidate for KUnited Tomas Green said that the platforms he considers most important to the coalition were inspired by policy and with the success of all students in mind. The first of these platforms is that of a student success center. According to Green, this platform is proposing a physical place be built on campus that houses services, some already functioning, to students all in one place. This would make it so that the large amounts of services already available to students be put in an easy-to-access one-stop shop. “These programs are already working, they already exist,” Green said. “They’re a great asset to the University, but students may not really know about them or how to access them.”
FROM DEBATE PAGE 1 due to personal conflicts, according to Maginness. “Logan had a personal reason for not being here tonight. I accepted that reason as legitimate,” Maginness said after the debate. The vice-presidential debate was focused mainly on platforms and saw little discussion or argument between candidates. However, the candidates running for vice president appeared through their answers to
KU n i t e d STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER Create a physical space for all students to go to in order to access student services.
WHAT IT TAKES
1
Hold focus groups in order to identify barriers to accessing resources.
O n e KU
T rue KU
PROJECT CALLISTO
SAFEBUS EXTENSIONS
This platform proposes bringing the app Project Callisto, which offers a venue for reporting sexual assault, to the University.
WHAT IT TAKES
1
Make an implementation plan with IOA and SAPEC
2
Work with Project Callisto to implement on campus
4
Identify a place for this center to be housed
3
Get funding
5
Plan and coordinate a site for a pilot success center
4
Bring the app to campus
2 3
Get funding
Work with campus offices to establish the services the center will offer
The provost’s office would not comment on the feasibility of this center. However, according to Harrington, it would “depend a lot on where they want to do this.” The second platform important to KUnited is a graduate student orientation. This platform calls for an orientation that would provide resources, tips and assistance to University graduate students through an orientation before they start their classes. “It’s a massive undertaking but it’s a fairly simple idea, to just welcome graduate students to campus and connect them with the resources that they need,” Green said. The University already has a functioning orientation for freshmen and new students, so this platform is possible.
One of the major platforms of OneKU, according to presidential candidate Mady Womack, is implementing the mobile app Project Callisto. The app is an already functioning entity that operates at many universities around the country. The app allows anonymous sexual assault reporting, data from which would be made available to the public and administration. The Kansan reached out to the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access (IOA), which handles sexual assault complaints, for comment regarding feasibility
but they declined to speak on the subject. Funding would arguably be the most important part of this platform’s success. “We would prefer this did not come out of students’ pockets, so we are pursuing money from donors and other grant-based efforts,” Womack said. If the app is not funded by donors, it would be a student fee, likely housed under IOA. This is similar to the implementation process of another platform, a campus partnership with Uber. The coalition says this will bring free and discounted Uber rides to students at the University. Womack said this partnership would subsidize SafeRide on some nights of the week, ideally popular ones like Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Wichita State University has a similar partnership with Uber. It operates on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and is free, up to $14, for WSU students. According to sophomore Zachary Kelsay, Student Senate transportation coordinator for KU On Wheels, the proposal would be modeled after the one being used by WSU. “Ideally, they would start out with implementing the Beak ‘Em Bucks for Uber. That would be the first step and take place in the fall,” Kelsay said. “Then, after that they have no intention of replacing SafeBus, only phasing out or maybe subsidizing the safe ride.”
be willing to admit some faults within the chambers of Student Senate. “I think we all need to own that Student Senate has some major issues in the way it runs, way it functions, way it works,” Carter said during the debate. During the final debate, candidates rearticulated many of the points made prior by their running mates. One main difference came in how the vice-presidential candidates not only provided platforms but also cited which issues these
platforms address and the communities they hope to serve. The answers provided in each segment of the debate served the purpose of not only educating the student body as a whole but also keeping the people seeking office accountable, Farlow said. “I’m very impressed,” Farlow said after the debate. “I have a very positive outlook in regards to what Student Senate will look like next year with all of our candidates that are
ONEKU
Add additional buses and bus stops to the already functioning SafeBus program through KU on Wheels.
WHAT IT TAKES
1
Work with KU on Wheels to establish cost
2
Get funding
3
TRUEKU TrueKU’s paramount platforms, according to presidential candidate Chancellor Adams, are expanding SafeBus and SafeRide, as well as creating a multicultural union fest. The platform proposing an expansion to safe services offered by KU on Wheels was created with student safety and University jobs in mind, Adams said. “We don’t have to go out and find privatized companies and take jobs from other people. All we have to do is work with what we have. It’s about making it better and more efficient,” Adams said. This platform would mainly focus on adding a safe bus to already existing routes. According to Kelsay, the platform is feasible through funding. “If they’re willing to advance those policies and do decide to implement that legislation, I think that adding a safe bus, they’re perfectly capable of doing that if they increase the right amount of funds,” Kelsay said. The second platform lays out a Multicultural Union Fest. According to Adams, this event would be similar to the already functioning Union Fest during Hawk Week. “It’s designed for multicultural and marginalized groups. Their organizations and scholarships and opportunities that are given toward them can be all in the Union and it’s not con-
running.” The debate was made available via livestream by the Elections Commission, who also made a poll available on its Twitter in order to take the temperature of where voters stand now before the elections on April 12 and 13. “I hope anyone was able to walk away feeling more informed and more comfortable with their decision as they move forward and vote next week,” Farlow said.
Purchase new buses and add them to already working routes
voluted with all of the 600plus opportunities and organizations here that students get told about during Union Fest,” Adams said. Similar but smaller versions of this have been done in the past, usually occurring at night after the Union Fest.
3
NEWS
KANSAN.COM
What to know about the Elections Commission DARBY VANHOUTAN @darbyvanhoutan
D
uring a Student Senate campaign season riddled with violation complaints and weekly hearings, the people responsible for monitoring and carrying out the elections have been busier than ever. In comparison to last year when the Elections Commission saw no violation complaints, this year’s commission has heard several violation complaints against each of the four coalitions running for Student Senate. So far during the campaign, there has been a total of nine complaints filed against coalitions that have resulted in hearings and one filed against the Redo Your U referendum. The current commission is comprised of four individuals, all undergraduate students from varying backgrounds. According to Student Senate Rules and Regulations, the commission has several main jobs: to advertise and promote the election, administer the election and ensure that the elections remain fair. Senior Garrett Farlow, who serves as current Elections Commission chair, said his role as leader of the commission has been one of mainly delegation and leadership. “My role is mostly leading the commission
and delegating responsibilities as we go, being the spokesperson and the guide for all the bumps along the way, and there’s always bumps,” he said. Farlow described how his previous roles on Student Senate provided insight into things he does now on the other side of the process. “When I look back on my time in Student Senate I realize that I was going against the grain. I was trying to fight it from within,” Farlow said. “I decided that the role of the Elections Commission is really the accountability that the Student Senate needs and that’s why I joined.” His previous roles on Student Senate include university affairs associate senator as a freshman, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences senator as a sophomore and the first ROTC senator as a junior.
“
...the role of the Elections Commission is really the accountability that the Student Senate needs...” Garrett Farlow Elections Commission chair
Jesse Burbank, a senior from Quinter, served as Elections Commission chair last year, a year in which not one complaint was heard by the Elections Commission.
Caitlynn Salazar/KANSAN The elections commission, made up of four undergraduate students, is responsible for holding hearings for complaints made against coalitions.
“The contrast is pretty striking. Last year you had one coalition fielding candidates, one coalition did field presidential and vice presidential candidates,” Burbank said. “It makes it much more competitive when there are dozens and dozens of people and lots of different ideas out there competing for attention. This year there’s no shortage of that.” Freshman Tyler Heinen is another member of this year’s commission, serving as Elections Commission Liaison chair. Heinen, who got on the commission fairly late in the game, said the position is supposed to be about communicating
rules to each of the four coalitions’ liaisons. Heinen said that one of the most important things he has gained as a member of the Elections Commission is “sticking to your mind and not being persuaded easily.” Heinen has many times been the only voting member present at hearings due to either other members being absent or because other commission members brought complaints forward and therefore had to recuse themselves as voting members. The other two members of the Elections Commission are seniors Taylor Austin and Harrison Baker. However, it’s not
only students on the commission who provide insight at these hearings and in the decision making process. Jane Tuttle, an advisor to Student Senate as a whole, serves as an advisor to the Elections Commission as well. “My job is to give them perspective if they need it, which they often don’t, and to ask questions like ‘Who’s not at the table’ or ‘What are we not thinking about,’ ‘Have you considered this,’” Tuttle said. Tuttle, who is not a voting member on the commission, has been serving as an advisor to the Elections Commission both the past two years and off and on in years
prior, providing insight to each individual charged with keeping the elections fair and equitable. Burbank himself summed up each job on as the commission as “a very unpopular position, a pretty thankless position, but a necessary position.” The commission will continue to monitor the elections until voting takes place on Wednesday and Thursday. After polls close, the Elections Commission is responsible for tallying votes and announcing a winner.
— Edited by Casey Brown
opinion FREE-FOR-ALL ›› WE HEAR FROM YOU
KANSAN.COM/OPINION | MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017
PSA please do not feed bread to ducks bc it is bad for their health. now let’s all feel guilty about all the times we have done this. What are the chances of me sleeping with a sitting president, because that’s kind of goals. I live for the days that I get stuff for free on campus. I do not like avocado. tbh i’m hoping yung Joe Biden runs in 2020 It’s really funny if you’re in high school or blasted. For some reason, my friends always get me involved in their drama yet I have no relation to it whatsoever.
Miranda Clark-Ulrich/KANSAN A student committee is leading the Redo Your U initiative. The initiative is asking for students to vote yes to renovations for the Memorial Student Union.
Munoz: Vote ‘No’ on the Union referendum
the stress of finals week is already getting to me and it’s still april few things make me as happy as potato-based foods do. HARRY STYLES HAS RELEASED A SOLO SONG. TODAY IS THE NEW START OF MY LIFE. It’s only 11 and I’ve already petted three dogs today, nothing can hurt me. Millennial motto: Let’s make an app. The worst part of dartying is being dungover. Ever gotten drunk and booked a flight to a foreign country? Because I have. Followed DILFs of Disney on instagram i’m starting on my week’s homework on a sunday at 4:30 i must be sick or something this is unheard of. My beer Olympics is 5 people playing beer pong with a 24 pack of bud while I do homework. 13 reasons why f----- me up in ways I didn’t think were ever possible.
To send in an FFA, text 785-289-8351
READ MORE AT KANSAN.COM @KANSANNEWS /THEKANSAN KANSAN.NEWS @UNIVERSITY DAILYKANSAN
VINCE MUNOZ @vmunoz_18
O
n April 12 and 13, students will have the opportunity to decide whether or not to raise student fees $50 per semester for the next 30 years to pay for a renovation to the Memorial Union. As a member of the Kansan’s editorial board, I co-authored an editorial calling for the Elections Commission to suspend the vote or nullify the results due to unfair and potentially illegal campaign activities. While I still stand by the aforementioned position, I also believe that stu-
ONWARD FROM PAGE 1 history and are a poor way to spend student fees. Introducing alcohol to campus would require convincing both the University administration and the Kansas legislature, given that there is currently a law that forbids it. We are extremely skeptical of the University’s willingness to take on alcohol on campus considering the safety measures it would require. In a recent Kansan article, Lisa Kring, director of Building Services at the Union, said the legislature has been historically conservative on the issue of allowing alcohol on campus. Right now, the University is grappling with the legislature to keep tuitions costs low. It will look imprudent and childish to request funding and
dents should oppose the fee increase for the good of the University. There are three primary reasons students should oppose the fee increase on substantive grounds: the referendum is unfair to future Jayhawks, it puts the University at political risk in Topeka and the additional amenities are unnecessary. First, the question itself is unfair to future students, regardless of the specific campaign tactics employed by the current groups. The fee increase does not go into effect until fall 2019 meaning that, most likely, more than half of the electorate has the power to approve the fee without having to pay for it. Our country was founded, in part, on the principle of no taxation without representation, and yet University officials are asking us to abandon that principle in deciding this question. It would be one thing
if only students who are likely to pay the fee could vote on the issue, but those who support the increase ensured that the votes would be stacked in their favor. Secondly, the University’s involvement in campaigning for the fee increase jeopardizes its ability to advocate against budget cuts in the future. The University is currently asking the state legislature to restore the $10.7 million cut since 2016, “so we can continue serving students and Kansans.” It is simultaneously asking the student body to voluntarily accept an unnecessary $50 fee increase. How can University officials go before lawmakers begging for more money to avoid tuition increases then turn around and ask students to rubberstamp higher invoices on themselves? Any conservative in the Kansas Legislature could justifiably point to this bla-
tant hypocrisy and vote to further cuts. University officials should try to focus on how to make attendance more affordable while preserving academic opportunities rather than trying to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the Union. Finally, where is the dire need to build “three times the amount of student lounge and study space currently available?” Anyone who walks into the Union as is can see that the current lounge space is rarely occupied, barring a special event hosted there. While many, including myself, would concede that the proposed efficiency upgrades to more critical infrastructure, such as the, “mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems,” could be worth funding, that is not the current focus of the fee increase. Rather, supporters boast of the new amenities like, “major retail space upgrades,” and “an
entertainment venue and pub,” as if the shiny new features can distract us for the downsides of the fee increase. As with any proposal, the devil is in the details — and the details of this plan merit a “no” vote. Most of the voters will be unaffected by the fee increase. Moreover, the University’s support comes at a precarious time in the Kansas Legislative session, where more budget cuts could be possible. On top of all of that, while the critical infrastructure may need some upgrading, the additional features are unnecessary and fiscally irresponsible. In light of all this, I urge the student body to vote “no” on the Union referendum.
resources for a wet campus and a music festival when some of our students are leaving due to the lack of affordability. Aside from the practical problems with these platforms, we would like to pose two questions to the student body: What kind of lasting and meaningful impact is selling alcohol on campus going to have on students? And, how will a music festival help mend the deep social rifts that exist on our campus? These platforms are fun and they are sexy, but they absolutely do not belong in student government. There are serious, extensive problems that exist on this campus. In the recent KU climate survey, 37 percent of people said they seriously considered leaving at some point, usually due to lack of support, lack of a sense of belonging and
diversity-related issues. We believe the other coalitions have platforms that will be more beneficial to students than those of Onward. For example, platforms such as KUnited’s freshman senate internship program and common scholarship application, OneKU’s Uber SafeRide initiative and sexual assault reporting app, or TrueKU’s prioritizing of diversity and inclusion, would all be of tremendous benefit to the University. The incoming Student Senate administration should not be focused on music festivals, but on giving students sustainable resources like the platforms above that allow them to stay on campus. Student voters should also consider the type of campaign this coalition has run before deciding to vote for them.
Onward has led a campaign that continually lobs baseless, immature insults at the other coalitions. This type of behavior, however minor it may seem, indicates that the coalition, Onward, lacks maturity, temperament and the ability to work with others. One of the most important roles of the Student Senate is to formally represent the University on the Board of Regents and to the state government. With serious issues such as rising tuition and guns on campus being discussed in these bodies, it is imperative that the individuals representing us exhibit the highest form of professionalism. We believe that Onward’s behavior during this campaign indicates they would be unable to work peaceably with those who disagree with them, and
would cause unnecessary turmoil and embarrassment if elected. It appears to us that the Onward coalition has had one goal from the start: to win no matter the cost. It has not been the goal of the coalition to help students, nor to make campus a better place, but to be the victor. And they have employed any means necessary — like promising a wet campus and a Coachella-like music festival — to achieve this. The Kansan Editorial Board urges the student body not to validate the pandering immaturity of this coalition by electing them.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR LETTER GUIDELINES: Send letters to editor@kansan.com. Write LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the email subject line. Length: 300 words
The submission should include the author’s name, year, major and hometown. Find our full letter to the editor policy online at kansan.com/letters.
CONTACT US Lara Korte Editor-in-chief lkorte@kansan.com
Tucker Paine Business Manager tpaine@kansan.com
Vince Munoz is a junior from Topeka studying political science and strategic communications.
The Editorial Board consists of Lara Korte, Tucker Paine, Christian Hardy and Vince Munoz. — Edited by Paola Alor
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) A partner’s collaboration really matters today and tomorrow. Coordinate actions. Review statements for errors with Mercury retrograde over the next three weeks. Reaffirm your commitments. Taurus (April 20-May 20) It’s getting busy behind the scenes through tomorrow. Begin a three-week revision phase with Mercury retrograde in your sign. Review communications. Determine what’s working and what’s not. Gemini (May 21-June 20) Have fun today and tomorrow with someone special. Guard against communications breakdown. Review the data to find the truth over the next three weeks with Mercury’s retrograde. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Have fun today and tomorrow with someone special. Guard against communications breakdown. Review the data to find the truth over the next three weeks with Mercury’s retrograde. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Get the word out, especially today and tomorrow. Misunderstandings and mechanical breakdowns cause delays over three weeks with Mercury retrograde. Aim for clarity and simplicity. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Work out the budget today and tomorrow. Plan your itinerary with Mercury retrograde. Disagreements spark easily. Keep confidences and secrets. File papers early, especially regarding academics. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Pamper yourself over the next few days. Expect delays with travel, transport, invoices and collections. Review financial data with Mercury retrograde for three weeks. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Resolve misunderstandings with a partner over the next three weeks with Mercury retrograde. Support each other. Regroup and go again. Enjoy peaceful productivity today and tomorrow. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Coordinate teamwork today and tomorrow. Delays, misunderstandings or mistakes with Mercury retrograde frustrate the action over three weeks. Slow and clarify. Maintain equipment in good repair. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Career has your focus through tomorrow. Romantic overtures could backfire over three weeks with Mercury retrograde. Work out misunderstandings right away. Keep your sense of humor. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Study and explore through tomorrow. Clean, sort and organize over three weeks with Mercury retrograde. Go through old papers, photos and possessions. Backup files. Refine domestic infrastructure. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Manage shared finances through tomorrow. Take extra care with communications for three weeks with Mercury retrograde. Clear up misunderstandings right away. Do the homework.
KANSAN.COM |MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017
‘Out in the Night’ documents controversial gang assault charges involving black LGBTQ+ women LIBBY FLOOD @libbyflood13
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n Thursday evening, the Spencer Art Museum hosted a Q & A and screening of the award-winning documentary looking into the story of four African-American lesbians who were controversially charged with assault, "Out in the Night." Director and producer blair dorosh-walther, who identifies as gender non-conforming and uses the pronouns "hir" and "ze", and Patreese Johnson, one of the film’s subjects, hosted the Q & A session. The documentary tells the story of a group which, during a night out in the LGBTQ-friendly West Village of New York in Aug. 2006, were "sexually and violently" harassed by an older man. When the women attempted to diffuse the man’s advances by telling him that they were gay, he became angry and threw a lit cigarette at them while screaming sexually explicit threats, promising to turn them straight. The documentary includes security footage of the altercation that shows the man yanking dreadlocks from a woman’s head and pinning a woman to the ground by her throat. Johnson, who was afraid her friend was "about to die," pulled a knife out of her purse and stabbed him in the stomach. "I carry a knife because my brothers always told me to," Johnson said in the doc-
umentary. "They were always saying, 'Patreese, you’re so small. How do you expect to protect yourself when we're not there?'" The man’s puncture wound lead the women to be rounded up and charged with "gang assault, assault and attempted murder," according to the documentary. There were seven women present that night, all in their late teens to early twenties and came from a low-income neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. Three of the seven pleaded guilty to avoid a lengthy trial. The remaining four, however — Johnson, Renata Hill, Venice Brown, and Terrain Dandridge — plead not guilty and stood by their right to self-defense. "Out in the Night" tells the story of the legal fallacies and media storm that followed this decision. dorosh-walther said Thursday that ze was initially involved as an activist before deciding to approach the women to make a documentary on their experiences. "I initially didn’t feel like it should be a white person telling this story," ze said. "But the story wasn’t being told and I couldn’t get it out of my head." The New York Post titled its coverage "Attack of the Killer Lesbians" and called the group a "seething sapphic septet." New York Daily News began referring to the group as a "lesbian wolf pack." For dorosh-walther, the headline that held hir attention was: "Man is stabbed af-
Sarah Wright/KANSAN Director blair dorosh-walther poses with Patreese Johnson, one of the women featured in the film during a reception after the screening.
ter admiring a stranger." "I was struck by that," dorosh-walther said to the audience. "It was shocking that this man was seen as a potential suitor and not a threat." All four women were convicted of various levels of assault as a result of the fight. Johnson, the only one charged with attempted murder because of her weapon, was acquitted of that charge, but found guilty of assault and gang assault. It was the charge of "gang assault" that activists believe spurred the media storm that followed, which largely referred to the group of friends as an organized gang or a pack of wild animals. "Under the law, if three or more people are involved in beating someone, it’s gang assault," said arresting officer Christopher O'Hare, in the documentary. All four women were giv-
en sentences ranging from three-and-a-half to 11 years. Johnson, who received the longest sentence of 11 years, was released in 2013. Since then, she has been traveling with dorosh-walther’s documentary to raise awareness. "Nobody ever asked us our side of the story," Johnson said. "We stood our ground, and look at the consequences." dorosh-walther also shared the biggest criticism of the film and its apparent bias. "I have a problem with objectivity," ze said. "I don’t care about [the attacker’s] side of the story. His side was written across mainstream media. His side was held up in a court of law. I’m interested in the other side." Emily Wen, a first-year University student in the audience, found the film particularly "empowering" for her. "As someone who is part of the LGBT community and
who is a woman of color, [the film] really resonated with me," she said. "This is something you really never see, something that aligns with you [as a minority]." dorosh-walther highlighted issues that must move to the forefront of LGBTQ+ activism, including the right to feel safe on the streets, the right to defend yourself without fear of imprisonment and the right to exist as a queer person of color without experiencing violence. dorosh-walther added that the documentary has largely been "preaching to the choir," but Johnson hopes it will reach a larger audience as well. "People need to stop feeling like this is not their issue because they’re not in it," Johnson said. "It wasn’t your daughter or your sister this time. But it could be one day."
Hunninghake: The Chainsmokers reflect millennial culture GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake
When I sit down at night, after a long day of class and work, and I’m in a mood to contemplate life and the important things in it, I lately have been thinking about hit band The Chainsmokers. But before my mind wanders, I often first think about music's past greats. I think about founding member of Pink Floyd Syd Barrett shredding his guitar and belting out lyrics that reflect deep themes of mental illness, greed, and loss of time. He dissected these issues on just one album, 1973's “The Dark Side of the Moon.” Take the single "Time," for example. In between wailing guitar solos, Barrett goes into detail about realizing how time has gotten away from him as he continues to age. This track reflects a sort of regret for not grabbing life by the horns, and also a realization that the only way to make good use of time is by living a full life, not waiting around for something to happen. I also think about Kanye West, who, at the start of his career, spent time writing lyrics about family ties, loss, corruption and the best person in the world: his mom. He spent time not only crafting smart lyrics but sonically interlaying beats that complemented his songwriting. After enjoying the good music that I always seem to go back to, I then look at trending charts, and my good
Contributed photo The Chainsmokers perform in concert. The dup has tour dates scheduled through the end of August.
vibe slowly turns sour. Like when you are having a great day, but then work calls and says you need to come in 30 minutes to fill a three-hour shift. This is when I almost always see a song by The Chainsmokers, and I think about their first hit, “#Selfie.” With the song’s annoying basic bitch-like voice talking about her basic day being the sole source of lyrical content intercut between a catchy house beat, the single had something to say about millennial culture. In its own annoying way, “#Selfie” provided a sort of satirical commentary. In this case, how kids are glued to their phones. After a few sparse hits with “Kanye” and “Roses” — both of which were bland — the group shot into chart-topping fame with “Closer,” a song featuring vocals from Halsey. Vocals that are about, well,
millennial romance, I guess. But, what’s really wrong with their music? Here's the thing: Music is about so much more than selling a product. Music is primarily an art form, and art is about unique expression. Discarding that to just sell a product is disrespectful and wrong. Before I get too soap boxy, let’s break down their 2016 summer hit "Closer." We get a couple of things from the first few lines. A boy starts telling a girl about how just dandy his life was pre-interaction with her; he tells her that he’s drunk and that her friends are cool, but not really; and how he never wants to see them again. These lines deliver two very important themes to listeners: angst and relationship troubles. But the track never gets deep past this encounter. Names never get put on faces. And in the end, there’s
no resolution to the conflict between these two. The song discusses the fact that the girl, left in her “broke down car,” didn’t return the boy’s calls, and then the rest of the song is about never growing up. Literally. They just keep reminding listeners that they will never get older. If their relationship is founded on not returning calls and running away, I’m inclined to believe them. The problem with The Chainsmokers is that every song they’ve released can’t seem to break past surface level emotions and stories. But that’s what their listeners, primarily millennials, love to hear. Music consumers care less about hearing deep, personal lyrics, and more about catchy beats and lyrics that everyone can relate to in a small, often obscure way. Even if it sacrifices nuance and vulner-
ability, if there are angst and relationship drama involved, and the lyrics can be generic to its target audience, then the song’s success increases tenfold. What many fail to recognize is that this group’s recent popularity pioneers the way for other groups to dumb down their content. Take Coldplay’s Chris Martin as an example. The Chainsmokers just released single “Something Just Like This” with Martin providing vocals. It’s about an insecure guy being asked by a girl, and how risky he wants to be. And that’s about it. There’s just enough depth to get enough people to connect, but not enough to be personal. The Chris Martin of old, who used to question his existence and purpose after traumas like 9/11 in his song “Politik,” has disappeared into the night. He sold out by contributing to a kind of hit song that shreds any sense of lyrical focus and, as mentioned before, tends to pique the interest of listeners uninterested in something unique or different. Music is and always should primarily be about expression. And The Chainsmokers’ expression is their right. But when their focus relies too much on production and obscure, surface level lyrics, then the music they make can never live on as something of true value and importance.
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KU track and field flexes muscles at Sun Angel Classic SHAUN GOODWIN @ShaunGoodwinUDK
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he Kansas track and field squad followed Gleb Dudarev’s blistering performance on Saturday afternoon with more strong performances. The Jayhawks had athletes on both the men’s and women’s team earning spots on the podium on the second day of the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona. With 17 top-three finishes over the course of the two days, it was not unusual to see the words “Kansas” flash up on the scoreboard at Sun Angel Stadium. As has become a habit for sophomore Hussain Al Hizam, he once again broke his own Saudi Arabian pole-vaulting record, as he vaulted 5.60 meters (18-foot4.25) to finish second behind Texas A&M’s Audie Wyatt. Al Hizam’s previous record was 5.41 meters (17-foot-9), which was set just over a week ago at the Texas Relays. His efforts placed him No. 6
on Kansas’ all-time list, while also placing him fourth in the latest NCAA rankings. Senior Jake Albright, who also vaulted 5.60-meters at the Texas Relays, could only manage a height of 5.50-meters (18-foot) in Tempe, good for a third-place finish. “You can’t overlook what our pole vaulters are doing,” coach Stanley Redwine said in a Kansas Athletics news release. “Hussain going 18-4 and breaking his national record is really good. We’re really excited about what he did today and what our vault group is doing.”
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We’re really excited about what he did today and what our vault group is doing.” Stanley Redwine Kansas coach
The men’s 4x400-meter relay team returned to Sun
Angel Stadium as defending champions, having taken home gold the previous year. Once again, the team of juniors Jaron Hartley and Tre Daniels, sophomore Ivan Henry and senior Strymar Livingston, finished first for the second year in a row. After a quick start which saw the team dash out to firstplace, the quartet never faltered, finishing the race in 3:08.53. Junior Laura Taylor also repeated history, as she won her second title at the Sun Angel Classic in the women’s pole vault. The junior from Tualatin, Oregon, tied her career best for the second week in a row, as she vaulted a height of 4.16-meters (13foot-7) to claim first place. The other Jayhawk to finish in first place at the meet was redshirt junior Tianna Valentine, as she won the women’s 200-meter with a time of 24.31. Valentine was also part of the Jayhawk 4x100-meter relay squad that recorded the 10th-fastest time in Kansas
Missy Minear/KANSAN Senior Strymar Livingston finishes the 4x400 race at the end of the Kansas Relays in 2016.
history. Along with freshman Jedah Caldwell, sophomore Nicole Montgomery and senior Sydney Conley, the quartet finished second in the event in 44.73 . Their time was good enough to place them in the top-20 on the most recent West Regional standings, putting them in good stead for the end of season NCAA
Championship meet. “Some people seemed a little more seasoned than others this weekend,” Redwine said in the release. “It’s our second meet (of the outdoor season) and, as we compare it to last week, we performed a lot better. We’re now looking forward to the Kansas Relays and showing even more improvement
there.” Following a week of rest, the Jayhawks will stay in Lawrence to compete in the 90th Kansas Relays, held at Rock Chalk Park. The fourday meet, one of the largest in the nation, will take place from April 19-22, with Saturday evening’s events set to air live on Spectrum Sports and ESPN3.
Dzwierzynski: Overrating the Masters is par for the course BRENDAN DZWIERZYNSKI @BrendanDzw
Every year, millions of Americans tune into the Masters, the most revered PGA Tour major event. Their eyes are glued to the TV for a few holes at Amen Corner before inevitably falling asleep on the couch midway through the final round, a tradition unlike any other. In reality, all the fanfare and revered nature of the tournament contributes to the Masters being the most overrated sporting event of the year. The argument can be made that for golf, fandom is created by your environment more than it is in any other sport. If you grew up around
the game, playing with your family or friends regularly, you’re more likely to be a fan of the PGA and the sport in general. To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with that. Telling someone what to like or how to like it is one of the worst things you can do. It’s nobody else’s business what you enjoy, and if you like to carve out one weekend per year to praise the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, more power to you. That said, for those who aren’t golf fans, the entire event seems extravagantly overblown. It seems like just another tournament in a calendar filled with months upon months of them. Why, exactly, are we sup-
Associated Press Jordan Spieth hits a tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the Masters golf tournament Saturday, April 8, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia.
posed to treat the Masters like anything special? Is it because of the big names who have won it in the past? Is it because the winner receives a garish green jacket? Is it just because we’re told to?
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All the fanfare and revered nature of the tournament contributes to the Masters being the most overrated sporting event of the year.”
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No sensible person wants to speak his name anymore, but everyone knows the last real star golf had. The reason he’s still mentioned so frequently by major outlets is because people still care about him. If your sport’s biggest draw in terms of name recognition is a guy with a derelict back who hasn’t won a major in nearly a decade, you’ve got serious issues.
Considering the pretentious nature of Augusta National’s pimento cheese sandwiches, gaudy green jackets and the sport as a whole, convincing nonfans that the Masters is anything more than a self-celebratory “good ol’ boys” club is a futile and misguided task.
— Edited by Omar Sanchez
Whatever the reason is, the justification is flimsy. Considering the Masters isn’t a season culmination nor a championship event that has an effect beyond a contribution to the crude and unnecessary FedEx Cup, it’s hard for a nonfan to get invested. Plus, if your argument contains anything about the legendary names who have won it in the past, good luck explaining why anyone should care about an event won by complete no-name Danny Willett in 2016. In reality, the problem is with golf, not the Masters specifically; that’s just a
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perfect vehicle for expressing distaste with the game. Again, it’s a difficult sport to get into if you weren’t raised with it. A big issue comes with the complete lack of star power in the sport. Yes, a guy like Jordan Spieth is a namebrand golfer, but that sort of person isn’t even close to being a “superstar” outside of the narrow world that is golf fandom.
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Graham announces he’s returning for senior year
Missy Minear/KANSAN Junior guard Devonte’ Graham smiles in the final seconds of Kansas’ 79-73 victory over Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Jan. 28.
AMIE JUST @Amie_Just
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n Senior Night back in February, coach Bill Self looked to junior guard Devonte’ Graham. Graham sat under the north basket near the Kansas bench, while Self gave an opening speech before honoring the three outgoing
seniors. “Devonte’, wouldn’t it be special to come back next year and do a senior speech?” Self asked. As Graham smiled, the crowd chanted, “one more year, one more year.” That wish is coming true. Graham announced on Sunday afternoon that he is coming back to Kansas. “I would just like to
announce to all my family, friends, & fans that I’m coming back to school for my senior [year],” Graham wrote on Twitter Sunday. He included a photo of him smiling with the words “how I feel about senior [year]” atop the image. Graham averaged 13.4 points and 4.1 assists per game during his junior year, and was the 59th player in
school history to surpass 1,000 career points. His efforts earned him secondteam All-Big 12 honors.
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I’m coming back to school for my senior [year],” Devonte’ Graham Junior guard
His announcement came three years to the day from when he was released from Appalachian State per Graham’s Twitter. Graham’s return for next season alleviates the uncertainty for how the Kansas backcourt will look in the 2017-18 season. Guard Malik Newman, a transfer from Mississippi State, will be eligible to suit up next
to Graham next season. And guard Sam Cunliffe, a transfer from Arizona State, will be eligible January 2018. Freshman guard Josh Jackson and junior guard Svi Mykhailiuk have not yet announced their plans for next season. — Edited by Paola Alor
Baseball avoids weekend sweep with Sunday win MITCH GEORGE @MitchLGeorge
After being offensively hushed in the preceding couple of games to open the series, the Kansas batting order responded loudly with seven runs and 15 hits in its 7-2 win against the West Virginia Mountaineers on Sunday. With five Jayhawks recording multi-hit performances, every starting fielder notched at least one hit in the game. Although the entirety of the Kansas lineup saw success, sophomore center fielder Rudy Karre, sophomore outfielder Devin Foyle and junior catcher Tanner Gragg stood out as the key contributors. The trio combined for six hits, five runs and four RBIs. Gragg sparked the offense with a run-scoring single in the top of the second inning, and repeated the motion in grander fashion in his third at-bat of the day. On a 1-1 pitch, he launched his first home run of the season to give the Jayhawks a one-run lead in the seventh inning. “Gragg played really well today,” Kansas coach Ritch Price said in a Kansas Athletics news release. “He grinds and works hard every day, and he has become an absolutely outstanding defensive player with a plus-arm. To
see him be physical with the bat like that, I couldn’t be happier for him.” Freshman right fielder Brett Vosik led the team with three hits from the left-handed batter’s box. Vosik also drove in Kansas’ final two runs of the ballgame in the top of the ninth inning – one was earned, the other runner advanced home on a throwing error. Even with the offense providing plenty of cushion for its pitching staff, the Jayhawk hurlers continuously stifled the Mountaineer batters to propel their team toward a victory.
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He has become an absolutely outstanding defensive player with a plus-arm.” Ritch Price Kansas coach
Freshman right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn started the game on the mound and traversed the opening third of the game without much stress. After a single and a stolen base in the fourth inning, Zeferjahn was tasked with facing West Virginia’s five-hole hitter, Darius Hill. On a full-count pitch, Hill launched a home run over
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Sophomore outfielder Devin Foyle swings at a pitch. Kansas defeated Northwestern State 8-2 on March 3.
the right field wall that, at the time, tied the game at two runs apiece. The Topeka native pitched into the fifth inning before junior left-hander Blake Weiman replaced him. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the job Zeferjahn did for us,” Price said in the release. “We needed a big performance from him today, and he got us into the fifth inning. Then our guy Weiman was absolutely special — that was the key to the
ballgame. He came in and shut down those left handers with runners on base and put up zeroes until we could manage to score again.” Weiman combined with senior closer Stephen Villines to shut down West Virginia for the rest of the afternoon as they limited opposing batters to just two hits in their 4.1 innings of work. The Jayhawks maintained a comfortable 4-2 lead as they headed into the ninth inning, but the young bats
provided three insurance runs that pushed Kansas’ lead, and the final score, to 7-2. Just over halfway through the season, junior shortstop Matt McLaughlin continues to add legitimacy to his name as an MLB Draft prospect with his .327 batting average. As the end of Villines’ senior season draws nearer, his ERA continues to drop, now landing at 3.91. Although this would be his highest ERA at Kansas, his career ERA still
hangs around 2.60. The Jayhawks will continue the latter portion of their regular season slate with a midweek matchup against the Wichita State Shockers on Tuesday, April 11, at 6 p.m. After completing the single game, Kansas will host a Big 12 series when they battle Oklahoma State beginning on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. — Edited by Paola Alor