4-20-17

NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

SPORTS

The Underground celebrates the retirement of one of its beloved cashiers » page 3

Dean uses virtual reality to help victims of stroke

After injury, pole vaulter soars to new heights

» page 7

» page 12

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017 | VOLUME 133 ISSUE 26

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

Advocates optimistic about legalization in Kansas

ion has resulted in more pro-cannabis legislation.

For example, the Kansas Legislature also saw the introduction of a bill that would legalize medical cannabis in February.

NOLAN BREY @NolanBrey

A

dvocates for the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis hope that new cannabis laws in Kansas City, Kansas will result in new state cannabis policies.

Earlier this month, the citizens of Kansas City voted to reduce the punishments of cannabis possession, though marijuana is still illegal, so that the maximum fine in city court went from $500 to $25. Citizens also voted to eliminate the possibility of jail time as punishment for possessing 35 grams or less of cannabis.

Today, nearly half of Americans support the legalization of recreational cannabis, while over 80 percent of Americans support the legalization of medical cannabis.

In Kansas, two thirds of citizens favor allowing medical marijuana, while 63 percent favor decriminalizing recreational marijuana “so that personal possession would only in-

“

It’s in part because young people have embraced legalization, and in part because the stupidity on the war on drugs has become so apparent.”

Barney Warf Professor

Associated Press Advocates are optimistic that the cultural shift towards the acceptance of recreational cannabis will result in legislative support.

volve a fine, rather than jail time,” according to a spring 2015 Kansas Speaks Statewide Public Opinion Survey conducted by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University.

Barney Warf, a geography professor and author of “High Points: An His-

Why Topeka won’t stop campus carry NOLAN BREY @NolanBrey

Though a majority of students, staff and faculty at Kansas’ six public universities oppose concealed carry on college campuses, guns are coming to campus as a result of pressure from Kansans themselves in addition to, as some believe, pressure from gun lobbyists.

While 82 percent of University’s employees and 70 percent of University’s students oppose concealed handguns on campus, according to two Board of Regents (KBOR) surveys published in December 2015 and January 2016 by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, the concealed carry of weapons on college campuses will become legal on July 1.

In 2013, the Kansas State Legislature passed the Personal and Family Protection Act, which allows licensed gun owners over the age of 21 (59 percent of undergraduate students at the University’s Lawrence and Edwards campuses are younger than 21) to bring guns into state and municipal buildings. However, public colleges, universities

and hospitals were given a four-year exemption to the law, which will expire this summer.

As of Feb. 27, all six of Kansas’ state universities have faculty governing bodies that formally oppose campus carry (Pittsburg State University was the last to do so), and according to the January Docking survey, 70 percent of faculty statewide oppose concealed carry on campuses outright.

The University’s Faculty Senate formally declared its opposition to campus carry in a resolution in December 2016.

Moreover, across the state, 55 percent of students flat-out oppose campus carry, according to the Docking surveys.

As a result of the diverse views of students and employees across the state, universities have asked for local control from the state legislature, meaning that each university would be able to craft its own weapons policies to fit its unique situation.

In its December 2016 resolution, the University’s faculty senate asked the legislature to continue the exemption for colleges and SEE GUN MONEY PAGE 2

INDEX NEWS............................................2 OPINION........................................4 ARTS & CULTURE..........................................5 SPORTS.........................................12

torical Geography of Cannabis,” said public opinion in Kansas is shifting to an increasingly positive view of cannabis.

“I think attitudes in Kansas are changing, in part, because there’s been a broad shift in attitudes toward cannabis in the last

10-15 years or so,” Warf said. “I think a number of things are the driving change in public opinion about it.”

Specifically, Warf said the change is a result of support from millennials, the legalization of medical cannabis in other states and

the destructive nature of the war on drugs.

“It’s in part because young people have embraced legalization, and in part because the stupidity on the war on drugs has become so apparent,” Warf said.

This shift in public opin-

Madison Harrell, a freshman from Lawrence studying political science, said while she doesn’t use cannabis, she supports its legalization.

“Medical marijuana helps, especially with cancer patients, people with SEE CANNABIS PAGE 3

Protesters interrupt KBOR meeting EMILY WELLBORN @EmWellborn

Protesters interrupted the Board of Regents’ meeting Wednesday afternoon in an effort to speak with the Regents about concealed carry and sexual assault on campus.

“We’re here to bring forth issues of safety for students who are paying to be on this campus and to be safe on this campus,” protester Rachel Atakpa said.

“We chose to come to this meeting because the Kansas Board of Regents has a lot of power, and we are demanding institutional change.”

Atakpa said the group was made up of students and residents of Lawrence, many of whom had protested at other events in the area. The nine protesters stood in the back of the meeting room while reports where read at the beginning of the meeting, but some of the speakers took notice.

“The student’s advisory committee, we have brought forth many similar concerns on the topics from members of our student body throughout the year, whether that be sexual assault and working with their Title IX directors, students concerns with weapons on campus or

Caitlynn Salazar/KANSAN Student protesters concerned with the University’s concealed carry policies interrupt the Kansas Board of Regents meeting Wednesday afternoon in Capitol Federal Hall.

other things regarding students on campus,” said the University’s student body president Stephonn Alcorn during his report.

After the reports were read, the group demanded time to address the Regents. They were denied time, and two of the protesters were asked to leave.

The meeting continued while the group moved around the room.

“Let us be gun free,” one of the signs read. “We won’t rest until we get justice,” read another.

At the end of the meeting, chair of the board, Zoe Newton, gave the group five minutes to speak. The

KANSAN.COM GALLERY The Lawrence Humane Society hosted an Easter egg hunt for dogs. See the gallery at Kansan.com.

“

The Kansas Board of Regents has a lot of power, and we are demanding institutional change.”

Rachel Atakpa Protester

two representatives of the group said the concealed carry policies that will go into effect on July 1 will have serious impacts on students’ safety.

The board also heard a presentation by Donna Ginther, an economics professor at the University, over the retention of

transfer students. Ginther’s research said transfer students are 16 percent less likely to complete their bachelor’s degrees in less than six years as compared to traditional students.

The board also announced the search committee for the next Fort Hays University president, received the governance committee’s recommendation to oppose the KU’s concealed carry policy and received the five year capital improvement requests from all six of the Regent universities. The requests will be approved at the next Board meeting.

ENGAGE WITH US @KANSANNEWS

KANSAN.NEWS

/THEKANSAN

@UNIVERSITY DAILYKANSAN

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

The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of The Kansan are 50 cents.

Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS., 66045.

The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0746-4967) is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year except fall break, spring break and exams. It is published weekly during the summer session excluding holidays. Annual subscriptions by mail are $250 plus tax. Send address changes to The University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue.

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

Also see KUJH’s website at tv.ku. edu.

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

2000 Dole Human Development Center 1000 Sunnyside Avenue Lawrence, Kan., 66045 editor@kansan.com www.kansan.com Newsroom: (785) 864-4552 Advertising: (785) 864-4358

FROM GUN MONEY PAGE 1 universities or, “to allow our campus communities to choose whether or not weapons are allowed on our KU campuses.”

The Legislature has taken no such action, to the chagrin of many across the state and the University.

Yet, in the last few months alone, the University has seen a great deal of anti-gun activity as a result of the impending expiration of the exemption.

The University has seen anti-gun protests, opposition in Student Senate campaigns, student lobbying, info sessions, the formation of faculty opposition groups, opposition from the University of Kansas Medical Center, explorations of increased insurance coverage, campus carry notification policies and more.

Despite the momentous efforts of University students, employees and community members, the Legislature refuses to allow colleges and universities to choose their own campus carry policies, despite the fact that a majority of college employees and students oppose campus carry.

Ron Barrett-Gonzalez, a professor of aerospace engineering, president of the Kansas Chapter of the American Association of University Professors and an expert in various weapons systems, believes this is because Kansas legislators listen more to gun manufacturers and lobbyists than Kansans in regard to gun policies.

According to National Institute on Money in State Politics, the Kansas State Rifle Association (KSRA) gave $24,850 in campaign contributions to Kansas Republicans running for office in 2014, with 50 House candidates receiving $250 each. Previously, the KSRA gave Republicans $6,000 in 2012 and $10,050 in 2010.

In contrast, Democrats received $500 in 2016 and $1,750 in 2014.

“These people have been essentially bought off directly,” Barrett-Gonzalez said.

“They have been personally enriched by, not necessarily even the gun lobby, but by the gun manufacturers.”

Barrett-Gonzalez said this special relationship between certain citizens and the arms industry that supplies them is known as the civilian armaments complex. Essentially, the arms industry uses its influence over citizens and legislators to alter public policy, Bar-

rett-Gonzalez said.

“I see behind this direct interlinking between corporate profits and the making of laws,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “We are seeing a microcosm of that in the civilian-armaments complex.

This is a mirror of the larger military-industrial complex that hits at the state level and has coupled its own corporate profits to changes in the legislature.”

Barrett-Gonzalez said these policies directly harm Kansans.

“I believe that the corrupting and co-opting influence of the civilian-armaments complex is so severe that it has clouded the decisions that are being made and so that the decisions that are being made are directly against the best interests of the people of the state of Kansas and certainly the youth,” Barrett-Gonzalez said.

“

This is a mirror of the larger military-industrial complex that hits at the state level and has coupled its own corporate profits to changes in the legislature.”

Ron Barrett-Gonzalez Aerospace engineering professor

Barrett-Gonzalez said Kansas’ politicians’ collusion with weapons manufacturers is especially egregious.

“This industry is different because it deals in death,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “The idea that a group of people are making money on machines that would injure, maim or kill faculty, staff and students, impede our academic freedom, drive people away from our institutions of higher education, reduce our national and international standards and harm the most important investment that the taxpayers of the state has ever made, it’s abhorrent to me and almost all faculty members.”

Representative John Whitmer (R-Wichita) is a member of the Kansas House and a University alumnus who supports concealed carry on college campuses. Whitmer said Republican support of the bill has nothing to do with the NRA or with the KSRA. “I don’t think it really has anything to do with the NRA,” Whitmer said.

“The citizens recognize that there’s a constitution-

KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

Andrea Ringgenberg/KANSAN A sign stating, ‘Public education under fire’ is held during the protest on April 4. The protest is about the conceal and carry rule going into effect on July 1, 2017.

al right. The majority of Kansans support Second Amendment rights and so the Legislature reflected that. I think it’s strictly just a matter of the people of Kansas are pro-gun. We’re a proguns state, and they support Second Amendment rights.

I think that’s what it comes down to.”

Whitmer said he understands the concerns of those who oppose campus carry but that he has a responsibility to his constituents.

“My district is very supportive,” Whitmer said.

“They have to recognize that I’m representing my district, and I’m representing the interests of my constituents when I vote for Second Amendment rights. Whether or not I’m a gun owner or whether or not I care personally, I’m representing the interests of my districts, and sometimes people forget that.”

Wichita State University showed stronger support for campus carry compared to other institutions. For example, only 66 percent of employees and 45 percent of students at WSU are opposed to campus carry.

Whitmer said that he believes much of the anti-gun rhetoric is a result of fear mongering.

“Some of it may be more emotional and more fearbased than based on logic or the factual data,” Whitmer said. “It’s an emotional issue, so I get that, but we’ve heard testimony from KU students who say that people are going to die and that there’s going to be mass shootings. The evidence doesn’t support that.”

Whitmer said, historically, campus carry offers no harm to students.

“In the last 20 years, there have been 180 campuses that embraced campus carry,” Whitmer said.

“There has not been a single incident of gun-related vio-

lence or gun-related suicide that can be attributed to the expansion of campus carry on campus.”

Additionally, Whitmer said he believes that the results of the surveys, such as the Docking surveys, are inaccurate as a result of fear tactics used by opponents of campus carry.

As July 1 approaches, the University will continue to inform faculty, staff, students and prospective students on campus carry policy. Campus carry information can be viewed on concealedcarry.ku.edu.

Other Kansas universities have taken similar steps.

Andrew Bennett, faculty senate president of Kansas State University, said that KSU has formed a taskforce to inform students on the new gun laws.

“There is a weapons policy taskforce,” Bennett said.

“They help prepare our basic weapons policy that has now been approved by the Board of Regents. They are currently working on plans to inform people about the policy.”

Bennett said that 63 percent of KSU students, staff and faculty oppose campus carry. However, Bennett said there is less anti-gun activity at KSU than at the University.

“I don’t think it has been as active here as it has been at KU, but I’m not that familiar with what’s going on at KU,” Bennett said.

“There’s certainly been people speaking out against it, there haven’t been open protests yet. I don’t think there will be, but I’m often surprised.”

This summer, Kansas will join Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Utah, Mississippi, Wisconsin and Oregon as states where campus carry is legal.

However, with another election in 2018, many view the fight over campus carry

laws as just beginning.

“We need to make those people who have so badly damaged the institutions of higher education across the state let them feel the pain,” Barrett-Gonzalez said. “And they should feel the pain at the polls. We will do our damndest to convince everybody that they have cost the state jobs, they have weakened our educational institutions and they have threatened the lives of the students, staff and faculty of our state’s largest enterprise, and it’s not appropriate.”

However, Whitmer said that that efforts to repeal campus carry will not be successful.

“I think they’ll be those who still want it repealed, but I don’t think their efforts will be fruitful,” Whitmer said.

3

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

The Underground cashier celebrates retirement ANGIE BALDELOMAR @AngieBaldelomar

When the clock marked 3 p.m. on Friday, April 14, The Underground cashier Tracy Landis served her last client ever. Once the space closed for the day, a party was waiting to celebrate Landis’ retirement after nine years of working at The Underground.

Originally from San Diego, Landis moved to Kansas in 1989, when her daughter was five years old.

“We just needed to get out of California,” she said.

In 1993, she started working for the University as a custodian at McCollum Hall. Landis said it was a very demanding job, especially at the end of the year, when she had to take everything from her floor out. She worked there for 11 years, until 2004.

She came back to work for the University, this time at The Underground, in 2008. There, she worked

FROM CANNABIS PAGE 1 pain, a lot better than narcotics,” Harrell said. “I don’t think it’s any more dangerous than cigarettes or alcohol. I think it’s kind of ridiculous that it’s on the same level as heroine and stuff. People treat it like that, but it’s not as dangerous.”

Harrell also said Kansas should legalize cannabis for financial and social reasons.

“We’re broke. We need

“

behind the counter at stations like Pizza Hut, the salad bar and Brellas, until she became a cashier.

“I like this [being a cashier] the best because I get to interact with customers,” she said. “They get me through my day.”

Groups of friends, co-workers and customers stopped by the party to wish her a happy retirement. She said she was excited for retirement, so much so that she turned off the alarm on her phone in front of everyone.

Now that she is retired, Landis said she is going to try to do roller derby with her daughters in an effort to keep herself active, but is concerned that she isn’t going to be able to continue her daily walk.

“I walked to work every day,” she said. “Now, I’m not sure how I’m gonna make myself walk.”

She is considering just walking up to The Underground every day so she

can make silly faces and poke fun at her now former co-workers.

Kailey Utech, a senior from Wichita, has worked at The Underground for two years and describes Landis as a positive person. Utech said it is going to be sad without her and she knows she will be missed.

“She makes a big impact with people,” Utech said.

“My general experience with Tracy is that she just makes things seem not as bad.”

Utech said that Landis

continues with her positive attitude outside of work.

“I work at Dillons too, and sometimes she’ll come and visit me, say ‘hi’ and come through my line, and that makes my day there too,” she said.

Utech said Landis’ enthusiasm and positivity

will be missed by everyone who frequents The Underground.

“She always just gives people a smile, if someone’s having a bad day,” she said.

Landis said that keeping students positive is what she enjoyed the most of her work as a cashier.

“Because they get so stressed out, I try to keep them positive,” she said. “I want to believe I’ve made an impact on them.”

the tax money,” Harrell said. “I think [legalization] is good because there are so many people that are in jail for a long time for a little bit of weed. It seems so ridiculous that they get their life ruined for that.”

Despite growing support for the legalization of recreational and medical cannabis, Warf said that Kansas is unlikely to see change soon.

“Medical is conceivable, although not in the near future,” Warf said. “Kansas is such a reactionary trog-

lodyte state that is slow to adapt to national norms.”

Lisa Sublett, the president and founder of Bleeding Kansas Advocates, a medical cannabis advocacy organization, said the resistance to the legalization of medical cannabis is a result of ignorance.

“The stigma and ignorance still rears its head,” Sublett said. “At this point, Kansans have to consider it willful ignorance. Anyone still ignorant at this point, it’s simply because they

don’t care, and that’s reprehensible when we have people’s lives, people are suffering everyday.”

However, Sublett said this ignorance is not necessarily tied to the policies of the GOP, but is due to the odd nature of Kansas politics, where tradition supersedes progress, she said.

“Only in Kansas we have to deal with this resistance to data to science to research,” Sublett said. “Kansas is very odd. You can’t chalk it up to a GOP thing.”

Sublett said that Republicans across the nation have supported the legalization of medical cannabis and that is the case in Kansas as well. However, while the majority of young Americans support the legalization of cannabis, Sublett said this is not necessarily the case with young Republican legislators.

“Some of the greatest advocates we have in Topeka are older Republicans,” Sublett said.

Regardless of the cur-

rent stance of the legislature, marijuana advocates remain resilient in their stances on medical and recreational cannabis.

“Why have any penalties for marijuana?” Warf said.

“It’s a completely harmless drug. I think it should be treated with respect, used in moderation, not abused.

It should be taxed as a luxury item. I’m not saying everybody should spend all day stoned, but I don’t understand why there’s any penalty whatsoever.”

Because [students] get so stressed out, I try to keep them positive. I want to believe I’ve made an impact on them.”

Tracy Landis Retired cashier

Brenna Boat/KANSAN Tracy Landis, a longtime cashier at The Underground, poses for a picture in front of her happy retirement banner during her retirement party on Friday, April 14.

– Edited by Brenna Boat

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

You know what’s funny? That Steve Bannon is a crushed up eczema waffle and he thinks that he’s genetically superior to Denzel Washington.

Watkins charged me $25 for cancelling an appointment... college is literally just one giant scam I identify as a potato, I can help I’m not really big on buying books for class. Nor am I a big fan of school.

Eating a Frozen-themes kid cuisine while waiting for my bus is the most me thing I’ve done in college About Harambe, “You know who really should have been put down…”

I just had a religious experience in the Taco Bell parking lot To the girl eating McDonald’s at the rec... you’re my hero May you always walk with the confidence of someone who isn’t afraid to get hit on Jayhawk Blvd.

I am more fucked up than Donald trump was in the second presidential debate a friend on snapchat is at a JoJo concert right now and I’m honestly jealous KU needs more issues of Little Mermaid in its libraries this is a serious issue Therapists make me nervous.

I think I just had one of those moments where you don’t know whether to go left or right but with a squirrel.

My teacher just dipped out on class for no reason and basically today is the best day of my life.

I think a bee just got stuck in my fan so i’m moving out immediately and never going back.

If I see a “cinco de drinko” shirt on the 5th, I’m gonna start yelling

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

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

KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

Munoz: Empirical evidence suggests a better solution to campus climate

VINCE MUNOZ @vmunoz_18

A

s the incoming student government prepares to assume power, it will have to address, among other things, diversity related issues highlighted by the recent campus climate report.

According to the report, 37 percent of students have seriously considered leaving the University at some point. The top reasons cited by these individuals include diversity-related issues and lack of support. This comes after many high-profile protests that ultimately resulted in the recent establishment of Multicultural Student Government (MSG).

But supporters and opponents alike have questioned how effective the MSG can be at bettering the University. To address these lingering questions, Student Senate should use existing political science research in crafting policy going forward. If they do, they may find that there are better ways to improve University policymaking.

Obviously, most researchers examine larger organizations rather than universities when studying politics; however, some academic literature can be cross-applied to debate surrounding the MSG. For example, MSG can essentially be thought of as a “reserved seat” system in which a designated number

Illustration by Erica Gonzales/KANSAN

of seats within the government are reserved for traditionally underrepresented groups. The theory behind this is that when more members of underrepresented groups are included in legislating, policies should be more equitable.

However, some research contradicts this logic. A 2002 paper on women’s representation published in The Journal of Politics notes that, “Representation for marginalized groups should reflect group diversity and should not assume a false homogeneity of interest or identity (in individuals).”

S. Laurel Weldon, the report’s author, is saying that simply being a member of an underrepresented group does not ensure that one can fully represent the interest of the group in a legislative setting. Furthermore, a 2008 study by Susan Franceschet and Jennifer M. Piscopo found that, “Gender quotas cannot change the institutional rules and norms that govern the legislative pro-

cess, meaning that quotas cannot guarantee improvements in substantive representation as outcome.”

Though this study specifically dealt with gender, the same principles can apply to minority representation.

To better understand why, think about how Student Senate is formed. In the 2015 election, only 17 percent of the student body voted. The most recent election, only about a quarter of the University cast a ballot. When 3 out of 4 students don’t participate in the selection of senators, the institution does not fully represent the student body.

Moreover, participation in senate requires time that students who work full-time may not have to give. Therefore, any senate driven initiative to improve representation will need to address poor involvement first.

Weldon’s report also found that executive offices are better venues for addressing policy concerns, especially when those offic-

es actively seek input from civil society groups. In other words, when groups interact directly with agencies, better policy is made.

“

Any senate driven initiative to improve representation will need to address poor involvement first.”

“We would expect women’s bureaus to improve the political representation of women when they have: (1) formalized channels of access for women’s organizations, and (2) the independence and resources needed to formulate and implement aspects of a women’s agenda,” the report said.

In light of this, a better model for improving outcomes for underrepresented students may be to further empower administrative

institutions to work with our “civil society” rather than through Student Senate. The most obvious way would be to create a permanent process for the administration to work with the University equivalent of civil society organizations — student groups.

An existing office, such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs or the Office of Diversity and Equity, could create a permanent student advisory board to review University policy as it is being developed. This board could allow anyone to attend, but should explicitly seek input from advocacy groups such as the Black Student Union, leadership organizations such as the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and minority sororities and fraternities to name a few.

And while the University currently has the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group, it is unclear if this group adequately reaches out to student organizations to channel the group perspectives that scholars like Weldon feel is a necessary component to improving representation.

This may not be a perfect solution, but research would suggest that it might improve representation more than a MSG. One could argue that existing research may not be applicable to student governments — this is a valid, yet untested, criticism.

Either way, the University and Student Senate must use research to further representation on campus going forward.

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

Shondell: Defense spending must decrease

JOSEPH SHONDELL @jshondy

The billions of dollars poured into our military has come full circle. A bomb falls and then ten years later the same target is in the bomb site, and the need for more military spending comes to the table. Now our extensive weapons spending is on full display in the 2016 Department of Defense budget request.

According to an Al Jazeera article on U.S. defense spending, the Pentagon spent $596 billion on defense in the 2015 fiscal year. This outranks the next eight countries combined in spending.

The U.S. turns the wheels of economic progress through war and hefty contracts that defense contractors use to keep inflating spending. It’s time the U.S. cuts down our massive military and direct spending in order to spend more on education and social services.

Being well protected is essential in today’s world, but the U.S. has crossed the line too many times by making itself the world police and not a protector of its citizens.

For almost 93 percent of the country’s existence, the U.S. has been at war. Yes, some wars are unavoidable but the vast majority involve the U.S. imposing “democracy” on the rest of the world.

During the Cold War, the U.S. policy of curbing the spread of communism backfired almost every time.

Nicaragua, Vietnam and Panama, to name a few.

The U.S. would take democratically elected leaders who were communist, and

replace them with far-right nationalists who took on the role of dictators. All of these U.S. military operations were supplied by taxpayer money and used to dismantle actual democracy.

“

ISpending more on conventional military operations than on social problems should alarm us all.”

Aside from the exhausting list of military operations, we must value human life and the men and women who do their best to preserve our freedom and safety. Politicians in Washington need to focus more on human lives. Spending more on conventional military operations than on social problems should alarm us all.

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.

People and political parties who support bolstering the budget will bolster it at the expense of art and education programs. Our military budget is on schedule to churn out two new aircraft carriers in the next three years, the USS John F. Kennedy and the USS Gerald R. Ford. This will raise our navy to 13 carrier strike groups.

To put this into perspective, Russia has the second most aircraft carriers and they have two.

The expenditure on conventional weapons must be cut to free up space for programs essential to human life in the U.S. and around the world, instead of engaging every “bad guy” that moves.

The military is not all about killing. Many humanitarian efforts are headed by the brave men and women who defend us. They respond to massive natural disasters and emergency situations.

The U.S. military must transform itself into a primarily

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

Tucker Paine Business Manager tpaine@kansan.com

humanitarian force, but occasionally we may have to send ordinance.

An example of this was U.S. warships shooting 59 cruise missiles at a lone Syrian base after the country used Sarin gas on its people.

By following the lead of the United Nations, our military can makes itself into an actual, “global force for good.”

A new commander in chief has communicated that he intends to increase spending to support the military.

Spending will almost certainly go up and American taxpayers will be the ones paying for it. The malicious cycle of death the U.S. has built its military on cannot last. The budget must be cut or we will plunge further into what President Eisenhower warned about, a new age of a military-industrial complex.

Joseph Shondell is freshman from Roeland Park studying journalism and environmental studies.

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

arts & culture KANSAN.COM |THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

HOROSCOPES ›› WHAT’S YOUR SIGN?

Aries (March 21-April 19) Take action with friends.

Pitch in for a common cause. There’s more money coming in over the next month, with the Sun in Taurus.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Career opportunities get revealed today and tomorrow. Your confidence increases this month with the Sun in your sign. You’re in your element, with an advantage. Take charge.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today and tomorrow favor travel, research and adventure. Don’t rely on an unstable source. Confirm reservations and connections. Enjoy peaceful contemplation this month with Taurus Sun. Cancer (June 21-July 22) Changes necessitate budget revisions. Pay bills and manage financial obligations today and tomorrow.

You’re especially popular this month, under the Taurus Sun. Pull together.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Rely on a strong partner over the next few days.

For the next month with the Sun in Taurus, advance your professional agenda.

Grab an opportunity.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Put your back into it. Physical action provides satisfying results. Dig into a big job. Travel beckons, under the Taurus Sun this month.

Expand your influence.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Recreation and relaxation call your name through tomorrow. Celebrate with people you love. Bring home the family bacon over the next month with Taurus Sun. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Domestic matters have your attention. Clean up a mess. Develop and strengthen partnerships this month, with the Sun in Taurus. Together, you’re more powerful.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Practice your creative skills through tomorrow. Physical action heats up over the next month with the Sun in Taurus. Build strength and vitality.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Positive cash flow provides a morale boost through tomorrow. You’re especially lucky in love this month with the Sun in Taurus.

Savor family, friends and romance.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Polish your presentation.

You’re in the spotlight today and tomorrow. Fix up your place this month under the Taurus Sun. Increase your family’s comfort.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Slow down over the next two days. Rest and recharge. Communications surge with the Sun in Taurus this month. Private time prepares for public discourse.

ART IN FOCUS

Baxter Schanze/KANSAN Megan Murphy is a senior studying visual arts. Her piece called “Suppressions” was exhibited in the Kansas Union Gallery earlier this month.

Senior delves into a taboo world with clay GUS HUNNINGHAKE @gushunninghake

M

egan Murphy, a senior from the Philippines, has spent the last few years of her college career working on clay figures that personify hidden and abstract human emotions.

Her time and development toward her craft recently culminated in a piece called “Suppressions,” a clay-based work on that was on display earlier this month at the Kansas Union Gallery.

For Murphy, her artwork, and especially her most recent clay sculptures, follows her own personal statement that she said she hopes to bring out in every piece she creates.

“I figured that we live in this really rigid, constructed society where there’s so many taboo things that we don’t address and hide," Murphy said. "And that’s

what I tackle in my work.”

Since she was exposed to different forms of art as a child, Murphy found it natural to take art classes in high school. She also got involved with her school’s student newspaper by drawing cartoons.

Once she got to college, she continued her involvement by deciding to major in visual arts. There was a period of time, however, when this track didn’t seem right for her.

“For a brief period, I transferred to photo media, which is in the design school,” Murphy said. “But I continued to take studio classes.”

Murphy’s experience in art up to this point contained mostly drawing and painting, but she said she wasn't finding much meaning. It wasn’t until her sophomore year at the University that she decided to take a sculpture class.

“I took a sculpture class,

even though I wasn’t in the visual department, and my teacher brought in this alumni who was a bronze sculptor. I asked him, ‘Do you ever doubt yourself?’

And he said, ‘Oh, every day.’"

She added that at that point, she had to leave the classroom.

"And I called my grandpa and I said, ‘I’m going back to visual arts,'" she said.

The speaker revitalized Murphy’s wish to return to visual arts on more than just a mental level. His speech made her jealous, but in a constructive way that pushed her back on track.

“I got real emotional when he was talking to us,” Murphy said. “He was able to talk about all this stuff that he was doing right now.

He’s doing what he loves, and I was jealous of that, so then I decided that I would go back.”

Two years later, Murphy is finishing up her final year as an undergraduate student. She’s put her work in exhibitions around campus, as well as in the Kansas City Arts Coalition’s Undergraduate College Student Exhibition.

“I delivered my pieces there on Saturday,” Murphy said. “And I saw all these other pieces that people had delivered, mostly paintings, and I thought that their work was so good. I was almost like touched that my work was placed in the same level as them.”

Like others in the Lawrence art community, University ceramics professor Marshall Maude sees a high quality in Murphy's work.

Maude, who’s known Murphy for two years, has had plenty of time to see her work develop.

“I’ve been really impressed with the progress that she’s made just in the last six months,” Maude

said. “The preparation that she’s done for the show has been exceptional. Her modeling of the figure has improved so much, [as well as] her subject matter and the content and her conceptualization of her work. Ever since this semester started, she’s been working a lot.”

When it comes to her work, Murphy finds ways to connect her ideas and statements in more than just her designs. To her, the clay itself plays just as big of a role.

“There’s a direct correlation with the material I use,” Murphy said. “It starts off as this soft material and I’m able to mold it however I want. I make these bodies and I chop them up once they reach a certain dryness, and then I scoop out the insides. So, there are all these dismembered body parts around me, and then I put them back together.

Which is kind of a metaphor in and of itself.”

Ahead of Record Store Day, Love Garden Sounds reminds us why vinyl is back in fashion BRITTANIE SMITH @britters__smith

When someone walks into Love Garden Sounds — a record store on Massachusetts Street — they get hit with a little burst of nostalgia. Over 30,000 vinyl records and CDs line the walls and tables, from old bands to new. If you’re lucky, you may catch one of the shop’s three cats, Sam, Chardonnay and Stuffing, lounging around atop of the shelves.

Record Store Day is on Saturday, April 22, and Love Garden Sounds is participating in the annual day of celebration and has been for the past ten years.

Owner Kelly Corcoran said Love Garden Sounds sells exclusive records that day as a part of the celebration. In previous years, they’ve had over 100 people line up at the door before the store opened because of the yearly event.

Corcoran said he thinks that the tangibility of vinyl

is what has made them so popular again in our “of the moment society.” The object takes up physical space rather than storage on your phone.

“Records reinforce taste you already have and maybe legitimizes an album that you care about," Corcoran said.

“Having it being pressed on this grander format, when you hold it, it’s very substantial. It reinforces that this music has value.”

He said that there is a ceremonial feeling to “selecting a record, taking it out of however it’s stored and presenting it on the turn table.”

Corcoran described how the needle and groove interact to make sound as being both fantastical and mysterious.

Allie Heiner is a freshman studying applied behavioral science. She is a frequent shopper at Love Garden Sounds, and said that she tries to go there at least twice a month. Although she wasn’t familiar with Record Store Day before, Heiner is

Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN Kelly Corcoran is the owner of Love Garden Sounds, a record store in downtown Lawrence. Love Garden Sounds is celebrating Record Store Day by having exclusive records on sale and a coupon when you spend over $50.

looking forward to this year’s celebration.

She also said that there is something unique about the way you have to listen to a record because you can't skip tracks. It makes you to listen to the album in the way the artist intended.

Heiner has been building her collection of vinyls since her junior year in high school. She said she believes that a big part of the trend-

iness is the “hipster feel of them and the big artwork on the covers.”

Heiner said that her favorite records are ones that have been passed down from family members. She’s received Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, The Kinks and Janice Joplin records from her grandparents and aunt.

Corcoran said that his favorite record is the Metal Box album by Public Image

Limited, because he bought it for his wife during their early years of dating and he is connected to it emotionally.

Music enthusiasts will have a chance to find their special record Saturday. For more information about Record Store Day specials and Love Garden Sounds, visit the store's website.

ARTS & CULTURE

6

PUZZLES

CRYPTOQUIP

!"#$"%!&'(&$ )(&*+,*-.!)

SUDOKU CROSSWORD

? ? ?

FIND THE ANSWERS AND OTHER GREAT CONTENT AT

KANSAN.COM

KANSAN.COM

7

KANSAN.COM

ARTS & CULTURE

Dean’s virtual reality technology helps stroke victims

Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Abiodun Akinwuntan, right, dean of Health Professions at the University of Kansas Medical Center, helps neurologically-impaired people by creating a driving simulator to help them ease back into daily life.

LIBBY FLOOD @libbyflood13

T

he dean of the School of Health Professions at the University of Kansas Medical Center has dedicated his career to helping neurologically-impaired patients return to their daily lives.

In the process, he’s become a virtual reality expert.

Abiodun Akinwuntan has developed virtual reality driving simulators designed to give stroke patients the chance to return to the road.

“I started to use driving simulators as a big coincidence,” Akinwuntan said.

“I was looking for the most effective way to be able to rehabilitate stroke patients who wished to go back to driving. I thought the best way to train driving was in a car but without the dangers of the public road.”

Akinwuntan came across a driving simulator and realized he had found the answer.

The rehabilitation program begins by evaluating the “motor, visual and cognitive” skills of patients, both through clinical testing and by placing them in the easiest program level to see which specific driv-

ing skills their neurological deficits have affected.

Once these skills are identified, Akinwuntan can program future sessions to challenge each of the affected skills. For each impaired skill, the patient goes through 10 to 15 progressively difficult sessions designed to restrengthen that ability.

“After that, we're able to assess the success of the training by putting the patients back through the same initial assessment they did before the training program,” Akinwuntan said.

Akinwuntan received a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, before moving to Europe for his postgraduate studies. He holds doctoral and master’s degrees in neuromotor rehabilitation from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Catholic University of Leuven) in Belgium and a master’s degree in public health and business administration from Augusta University.

Prior to his appointment as dean of the School of Health Professions, Akinwuntan was also the associate dean of research at the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta Univer-

sity in Augusta, Georgia — a Fulbright Foreign Scholar to Nigeria and a Fulbright Specialist to Iceland.

The opportunity to bring his expertise home to Nigeria was “extremely fulfilling,” Akinwuntan said. His job as a Fulbright Foreign Scholar was to improve Nigeria’s physical therapy education with the goal of enhancing the rehabilitation of its neurologically impaired patients. Akinwuntan said he was happy to be part of this process in his home country.

As a Fulbright Specialist in Akureyri, Iceland, Akinwuntan shared his simulation technology with international colleagues and taught classes at the University of Akureyri. The Fulbright Specialist program sends US scholars to serve as “expert consultants” in their field for institutions around the world.

Now, Akinwuntan is bringing the cutting-edge technology to the University. In addition to his role as dean, Akinwuntan is co-director of the Laboratory for Advanced Rehabilitation Research in Simulation (LARRS), located at the University Medical

Center’s campus in Kansas City.

Akinwuntan works closely with Hannes Devos, the director of LARRS. Devos, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science at the Medical Center, said LARRS uses various kinds of virtual reality in the rehabilitation of patients with neurological impairments.

In addition to Akinwun-

tan’s driving simulation, the lab features other visual and cognitive screening tools, including a virtual reality treadmill.

LARRS works with patients suffering from stroke, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis, but Akinwuntan said the simulations were most promising for stroke rehabilitation.

In addition to his roles at the University, Akinwun-

tan also serves as part of the four-person review committee for Fulbright applications to West and Central Africa. At the University, he will continue to work with LARRS to explore ways virtual reality can improve the process of neurological rehabilitation.

— Edited by Casey Brown

2017|2018 Season Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman Open Call Auditions Monday, April 24 6 to 9 p.m.

354 Murphy

Sign up for an audition time at kutheatre.com. Please prepare two one-minute contrasting monolouges. Metamorphoses will run October 6-12. Rehearsal begins August 23.

Callbacks

Tuesday, April 25 and Wednesday, April 26 6 to 9 p.m.

354 Murphy Due to the ensemble-based nature of the show, Dr. Henry Bial will hold the callbacks as group workshops, for example calling 10-14 actors at a time for 75 to 90-minute blocks. The number of group sessions will depend on how many actors are called back.

Questions or concerns? Contact Katherine Pryor at kpryor@ku.edu.

KANSAN CLASSIFIEDS 785-864-4358

JOBS PLAY SPORTS! HAVE FUN! MAKE MONEY! Top‑rated sports camp needs fun loving counselors to teach all land, water & adventure sports. Great summer in Maine! Call (888) 844‑8080. apply at: www.campcedar.com Hiring 5-7pm M-F. Cook, clean & buy food for 1 women near campus. $10/hr. Call 785-843-643.

housing

SALE for sale

hawkchalk.com

JOBS Part time front desk help in busy Dr.’s office. Mon, Wed & Fri. afternoons + every Sat. morning.

Call 785-749-0130 to fill out application.

textbooks

announcements

HOUSING LEASE TODAY!!!

We have 1 & 2 BR Apartments with W/D and 2 BR duplexes.

LEASE your home today!

Rental Management Solutions 866-207-7480 www.RentRMS. com Cooperative living - rooms available! Meet new people in downtown Lawrence, rent averages $460 & includes utilities, laundry, meals & wi-fi. Short term leases available. Contact us at liveatuksha@gmail.com or visit www.uksha.com

SUBJECT of IMPOrTANCE

jobs

classifieds@kansan.com

KANSAN.COM

8

ARTS & CULTURE

Four things to do in KC this weekend

Contributed photo The cast of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s ‘The Pirates of Penzance” take to the seas during a performance.

JOSH MCQUADE

@L0neW0lfMcQuade

'The Pirates of Penzance' @ The Kauffman Center The Kauffman Center audience will travel the high seas this Saturday at 7:30 p.m., as the Lyric Opera of Kansas City will perform “The Pirates of Penzance.”

According to the Lyric Opera, the show will feature lyrics with high energy, colorful sets and more. "The Pirates of Penzance" will be conducted by Hal France, who conducts shows around the globe, with music written by 19th century

composer Arthur Sullivan.

The show features a pirate named Frederic, played

by Jonathan Johnson, who falls in love, but must stay true to his pirate ways. “The Pirates of Penzance” runs for an approximate two hours and 15 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.

Tickets can be purchased at the Lyric Opera’s website, starting at $50.

Dan + Shay @ The Midland The musical duo Dan + Shay will stop at the Midland Friday at 8 p.m. on their “Obsessed Tour.”

According to the Midland, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney make up the country music duo that debuted together in 2014.

Their debut album, “Where It All Began,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Album Chart. The duo is best known for their singles “Nothin’ Like You” and “19 You + Me.” Dan + Shay are touring after the 2016 release of their newest album, “Obsessed,” which peaked on Billboard’s Country Album Chart at No. 2.

Tickets can be purchased for Friday night’s show on the Midland’s website for $25.

'I’m Gonna Pray for You So Hard' @ The Unicorn Theatre A two-actor show will take the stage at the Unicorn Theatre starting Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. for the opening weekend of “I’m Gonna Pray for You so Hard.”

According to the Unicorn Theatre, the show will focus on a father, played

by Theodore Swetz, and his daughter, played by Dina Thomas, who wants to make her father proud.

Swetz is a famous playwright, and Thomas is an up-and-coming off-broadway actor.

Both actors have performed in previous productions at the Unicorn Theatre; Swetz in “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo” and Thomas in “Bad Jews.”

Tickets for the show can be purchased and a schedule of showtimes can be found at the Unicorn Theatre website. Ticket prices start at $30.

‘Round About Midnight' @ The Kauffman Center The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will close out its 2016-2017 season with their performance of “Round About Midnight”

Friday, April 21, at 8 p.m. at the Kauffman Center.

According to the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, the Orchestra will tribute two jazz artists who helped make the music style what it is today: trumpeter Miles Davis and saxophonist John Coltrane.

The orchestra will perform their own renditions of the two artists’ works, including “Someday My Prince Will Come” and “On Green Dolphin Street.” Along with those two works, the Orchestra will perform other classics by the artists.

Tickets for Friday night’s show can be purchased at the Kauffman Center website, starting at $26.50.

Bob Schieffer to accept award on behalf of Charlie Rose BRIANNA CHILDERS @breeanuhh3

William Allen White Day is an annual ceremony that honors University students and well-known journalists. This year's keynote and ceremony will take place on April 20 at 3 p.m. in Woodruff Auditorium. Bob Schieffer, a retired journal-

ist for CBS known for his work on "Face the Nation," will open the ceremony with a Q&A interview, according to a press release from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications Schieffer is attending the event in place of Charlie Rose, the host and executive editor of Bloomberg's “Charlie Rose,” PBS's

"Charlie Rose: The Week" and co-anchors “CBS This Morning." Rose is receiving this year's William Allen White National Citation award and was set to be the keynote speaker, but cannot attend due to health reasons.

Schieffer said that he thinks Rose deserves this award because he has

carved out a unique place in American journalism.

“What I have always liked about his interviews is he listens, which is the key to interviewing,” Schieffer said. “He has become a status symbol, for people to be asked to be on Rose’s show, and he has continued to do that since coming to CBS.” Ann Brill, the dean of journalism, said the recipient of the event's award is chosen by the William Allen White Foundation Board of Trustees through a voting process.

“The Board talked about things like Rose’s amazing

career spanning a number of decades and the work he does,” Brill said. “It’s a great honor because there are many prestigious people on that list and if you look at the list of people who have won this award, it’s a really impressive group of people.”

Schieffer said Rose, who has interviewed figures like Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, has been a tremendous asset to CBS. “[Rose] is literally known around the world, not just by people in the entertainment world or the American news world,”

Schieffer said.

Schieffer said he is looking forward to coming to the University and is happy to do this for Rose, with whom he has been friends for 30 years.

“It gives me the opportunity to come and see the students and, for me, getting to come and talk is kind of like my focus group,” he said. “I get to find out what is on the students' minds.”

— Edited by Frank Weirich

Online Schedule Solutions www.neosho.edu

Ottawa Office 785-242-2067

Enrollment Begins March 16th

Contributed photo Bob Schieffer will be accepting the William Allen White Award on behalf of Charlie Rose.

SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

10

Maicke: Sports and politics need to combine more

Associated Press In this Sept. 1, 2016 file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick shakes hands with a fan after the 49ers defeated the San Diego Chargers 31-21 during an NFL preseason football game in San Diego.

MIKE MAICKE @MJ_Maicke

I

love ice cream. Really, I love it, I could eat it every single day with a wide smile on my face. I also love calamari. I think it’s absolutely delicious, and whenever it’s on any menu at any restaurant you better believe I’m going to order it.

But calamari on my ice cream? Yuck, get that away from me.

People love sports with every fiber of their being, they love talking about sports, viewing sports and we as a culture adore everything that comes with sports.

Politics, too. People say they hate talking about politics, but that’s not true. It can’t be true, look at the ratings for Fox News, CNN,

AL-HIZAM FROM PAGE 12 “Anthony Curran, who’s a buddy of mine, called me and said ‘Hey, we’re looking to put Hussain somewhere in the U.S.,’” Hays said.

Hays worked alongside Dr. Phil Lowcock, coordinator for international student-athlete support, to coordinate with the Applied English Center (AEC) to enroll Al Hizam at the Univer-

MSNBC — they’re all up.

America loves sports and politics, but God help us all if they spill into each other’s territory.

We saw a prime example of this early in last year’s NFL season with Colin Kaepernick, when we lost our collective mind simply because he knelt during the national anthem.

Now we get a chance to be uncomfortable again.

The New England Patriots visited the White House Wednesday to celebrate their remarkable Super Bowl 51 comeback victory, but it won’t be all of the Patriots this year.

I need to mention this separately. Tom Brady wasn’t in attendance because of “family matters,” it certainly wasn’t because of who now

resides in the White House, because Brady has been seen before with “Make America Great Again” apparel.

Aside from Brady, Martellus Bennett, Devin McCourty, Chris Long, LeGarrette Blount, Dont’a Hightower and Alan Branch also did not attend the ceremony.

A few of the players missing cited their children.

Long and Branch said they wouldn’t be able to face their children about why they went.

The rest of the players had one very resounding message: “We didn’t feel welcome.”

It’s an invitation; it’s not mandatory, if these players don’t want to go because they disagree with Trump’s policies, that’s fine! If these play-

ers don’t want to for any reason whatsoever, that’s OK. Once you become a professional athlete, you do not automatically strip yourself of the right to political thought or political activism.

sity and better advance his English.

After just two short weeks, Al Hizam knew that he would be leaving the busy life of Los Angeles for the more humble plains of Kansas.

While the move was a major change of scenery, Al Hizam is more than happy about the change in location.

“You have a lot of distractions, it’s like a dream.

You can’t do your task, you

can only do one thing,” he explained. “If I was in L.A., I would probably quit track, or not go to school, I’ve got to choose between one of these.”

cited to be there and possibly win it, but I didn’t do great at the Big 12,” Al Hizam said.

Al Hizam ranked No. 17 in the nation after the Big 12 Championships, with only the top 16 athletes in nation heading to the NCAA tournament. Despite the disappointment, Al Hizam will use that disappointment as fuel heading into the outdoor season, to beat everyone who knocked him down to No. 17.

Missy Minear/KANSAN Freshman Hussain Al Hizam participates in the pole vault competition at the Kansas Relays in 2016.

— Al Hizam has enjoyed a successful career at Kansas since becoming a Jayhawk in the spring of 2016. At the Arkansas Qualifier in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Feb. 2017, Al Hizam vaulted a height of 5.46-meters (17-foot-11), putting himself in the Kansas all-time top 10 for indoor vaults.

Despite this feat, Al Hizam drew more attention to himself after he broke the Saudi Arabian national record for indoor pole vaulting, a record he set a week earlier at the Tyson Invitational, a meet also held in Fayetteville.

A little over a month later, Al Hizam also went on to break the Saudi Arabian outdoor record at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona.

Al Hizam managed to vault over a height of 5.60-meter (18-foot-4), breaking his previous personal best by 0.14 meters Although, that’s not to say Al Hizam has not experienced some low points at Kansas too.

“After I jumped 5.46, I was really excited to go to the Big 12 event, I was really ex-

“

Then how the hell are you supposed to try to make a change to a problem you think is pressing?”

Look back to Kaepernick.

After peacefully protesting by kneeling during the national anthem, he received death threats, fans burned jerseys and social media nearly imploded.

“Don’t protest like that,”

“

Once he gets on fire ... and his confidence level is so high, you just get out of the way.”

Tom Hays Vertical jumps coach

Three of the athletes who did finish in the top 16 were fellow Kansas vaulters Nick Maestretti and Jake Albright, both seniors, and sophomore Paulo Benavides. But Al Hizam says there are no hard feelings, describing the Kansas pole vault team as a family.

“If Jake (Albright) jumps higher, it’s not going to make me look better,” Al Hizam said. “But, the positive thing about our team is everybody is trying to push each other so we can reach our best potential.”

people said, “That’s not how it should be done,” people said.

Oh really, it’s not? Then how the hell are you supposed to try to make a change to a problem you think is pressing?

Kaepernick was not rioting in the streets; he was courageous enough to look a potential career-ending stance in the face and say, “your move.”

So, why were we so uncomfortable with his kneeling? Because it was interfering with our sports, and sports and politics do not mix.

I think it’s great that this group of Patriots players are skipping the event at the White House, compared to the alternative of an insincere visit and a hardly genu-

ine handshake.

It’s not like there is going to be a Q & A where the president is actually listening to any critiques, or will come remotely close to considering anything these players have to say.

Sports give you a unique platform to express your beliefs; use that platform to make a difference.

We get angry at people who only type hot political takes on social media and do nothing, but we’re also going to get angry at the people who act on those beliefs and try to make peaceful change?

Good for you, Pats players, but don’t expect this to go over quickly.

After all, nobody thinks calamari ice cream is appealing.

Although Al Hizam is slightly disappointed with his performance at the conclusion of the indoor season, Hays is more than happy with his performances following his rehabilitation from his back injury.

When Hays brought Al Hizam to Kansas, his goal was simply to get him healthy.

“I was just trying to make sure that he wasn’t broken, that’s the first thing,” Hays said. “Once he gets on fire though and his confidence level is so high, you just get out of the way.”

Hizam looks to clear 5.70 meters. Then, he believes he will garner a lot of media attention in Saudi Arabia, as well as from the Saudi Athletic Federation.

“Our biggest thing is we need to figure out what the mark is going to be. Right now it has always been around 5.70-meters, like the world championships in London,” Hays said. “If he qualifies for that, then he’s definitely going to be on their selection team.”

Despite Al Hizam’s successful career so far, and his lofty ambitions for the future, he never forgets the people who have helped him reach this point. The same can be said for Hays, who said he will also be happy to help Al Hizam once his collegiate career comes to a close.

Even though Al Hizam is only a sophomore, in reflection, he’s grateful for the support he’s received during his past struggles, naming Hays and coach Stanley Redwine specifically for helping him through adversity.

But, he’s not looking back on the tough times. He’s focusing on a challenging, but optimistic, future. That future starts with the 90th annual Kansas Relays this week, and potentially goes beyond to the World Championships and just maybe back to Asia, the continent in which he was once a champion, for the 2020 Olympics.

— Being one of the best vaulters in his nation does not come without its expectations. Although Al Hizam does not know whether he will become a professional athlete throughout America and Europe after his collegiate career or will focus on his area of study, business, he does know one thing.

“We’re starting to think about the Olympics in 2020, plus we also have a chance to qualify for the World Championships in London,” Al Hizam said.

Al Hizam and Hays have a plan to give Al Hizam the best chance of competing in the 2020 Olympics for Saudi Arabia. With the World Championships coming up this summer in London, Al

sports KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

Sarah Wright/KANSAN Hussain Al Hizam has competed around Europe and Asia, broken the Saudi National record for indoor pole vaulting, and aims to participate in the 2020 Olympics.

Hussain Al Hizam reaching new heights after injury SHAUN GOODWIN @ShaunGoodwinUDK

H

ussain Al Hizam’s pole vaulting career nearly had a premature end.

A native of Jabail, Saudi Arabia, Al Hizam’s pole vaulting career blossomed early. He broke pole vaulting world records left and right during his high school days, and won both the Arab junior title and Asian Junior Games in 2014.

Al Hizam had to start from scratch shortly after those competitions.

After returning home from the Youth Olympics in China in 2014, Al Hizam missed the pit completely and fell to the ground and suffered a spinal fracture.

Because of Al Hizam’s

success, his name resonated throughout the Saudi Arabian community. Shortly after his injury, Saudi Arabian Prince Nawaf Al Saud, contacted Al Hizam about a doctor he knew in Los Angeles who could help him with his rehabilitation.

Al Hizam spent a year recovering and training in Los Angeles and began considering the possibility of competing at the collegiate level in America.

— Al Hizam’s childhood wasn’t a typical one.

Having been a fierce competitor since the age of 8, he didn’t grow up like his other classmates and friends in Saudi Arabia.

Track and field runs in the

family, as his father — Asim Al Hizam — is a former decathlete and a current decathlon coach. There was never a doubt that Hussain would lead a life that revolved around sports and competition.

Al Hizam was a well-rounded athlete from a young age, participating in a plethora of sports, including soccer, volleyball and swimming, before finally following his father’s footsteps and finding himself competing on the hard gravel surface of the racing track.

Al Hizam dominated the competition in several events in his youth, winning national titles in hurdling and the long jump. It wasn’t until 2012 when Al Hizam decided to focus solely on pole vault, after he broke the world re-

cord for his age group. But, it wasn’t just his dominance in the sport that influenced Al Hizam’s decision to stick with pole vaulting.

“I found it to be something unique that not a lot of people can do,” Al Hizam said. “Some people might get mad at me when I say ‘everyone could run or long jump,’ but not a lot of people can pole vault.”

“

I found it to be something unique that not a lot of people can do.”

Hussain Al Hizam Pole vaulter

After Al Hizam turned 11

years old, he began to travel around Europe, spending a lot of time traveling between Germany and Saudi Arabia to compete and practice. Before long, Al Hizam participated in some of the most competitive national meets for his age group. At 15, he won the Asian Youth Championships in China. A year later, Al Hizam returned to China to compete in the Youth Olympic Games.

When he finished fourth, he caught the attention of the Saudi Athletic Federation.

— Al Hizam had only lived in and known one American city — Los Angeles — and naturally, his first instinct was to take a look at UCLA. “I tried to get into UCLA

at first because I didn’t know any other schools and it was a little hard for me to get in there because my English wasn’t as good at that time,” Al Hizam said.

With this in mind, he began to research different track and field programs around the nation, with a particular focus on pole vaulting.

“I guess that was the best research I’ve ever done in my life,” Al Hizam said with a smile on his face.

Through this research, aided by UCLA jumps coach Anthony Curran, Al Hizam came into contact with Kansas vertical jumps coach Tom Hays.

SEE AL HIZAM PAGE 10

KU sits in middle of pack in decathlon, heptathlon SKYLAR ROLSTAD @SkyRolSports

Kicking off the first day of the 90th annual Kansas Relays, Kansas athletes lagged behind outstanding performances in the men’s decathlon and women’s heptathlon.

However, junior Lucas Shaw launched himself into better standing heading into the second day. Shaw battled strong wind on the back stretch to win his heat in the decathlon’s 400-meter run.

“With it being as windy as it is, I felt like I ran a good race,” Shaw said. “I used a lot of energy in that back stretch when the wind was really pushing us in the face. So it made that last home stretch really hard, but I felt overall it was a really good race.”

At the end of the first day, senior Dylan Poirier leads Kansas athletes at fourth in the men’s decathlon, about 300 points behind Texas Tech’s Erin Lopez. A trio of Kansas women lie in the middle of the pack in the women’s heptathlon.

Sophomore Morgan Griffiths leads Kansas in the heptathlon at sixth place, with junior Talia Marquez closely behind in seventh.

Junior Teri Huslig stands in 12th after the first day of the heptathlon. Griffiths finished second in both the shot-put and the 100-meter dash.

The women’s heptathlon ended first on Wednesday, with Texas Tech’s Kaylee Hinton leading the competition by a rather wide margin.

Hinton won Wednesday’s final event, the 200-meter, creating plenty of separation from the rest of the pack.

“

I felt overall it was a really good race.”

Missy Minear/KANSAN Junior Lucas Shaw races in the men’s 400 meters as part of the decathalon at the Kansas Relays April 19.

Lucas Shaw Junior decathlete

Hinton heads into Thursday with 3,336 points, and in second stands Central Michigan’s April Micheaux with 3,154 points.

Poirier has an opportunity to challenge for the decathlon title, but the competition looks to be between Tech’s Lopez and Reinis Kregers, a former Kansas State athlete competing unattached.

Shaw, who sits in 14th place overall, looks ahead to a favorable Thursday.

“I’m a pole vaulter,” Shaw said. “I was a pole vaulter in high school, so I’m really looking forward to the vault

tomorrow. I think I’m going to gain a lot of points there.

Then, the 1,500 like I said is another strong event for me, so I’m looking forward to that.”

The Kansas Relays will

continue at 9 a.m. today in Rock Chalk Park. Up next for the women’s heptathlon lies the long jump, and for the men’s decathlon, the 110-meter hurdles.