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Azubuike should be selected 2020 player of the year
Thursday, February 27, 2020
WHAT’S NEW AT KU News on deck at kansan.com
Students submit art to hang on libraries’ walls
The Student Voice Since 1904
Vol. 140/Issue 12
Hands off my hair Kansas lawmakers want to end discrimination of natural hair with the CROWN Act — black women say it couldn't come soon enough
Nicole-Marie Konopelko
It’s loud. I’m not apologizing for the space it’s taking up.” Shola Aromona, a graduate journalism student, said she supports the bill because it adresses a deeper issue than just discrimination.
@NicolemKonopelko
Emma Bascom @EBascom3
Sarah Carson/UDK
New music discovery
KU professor of mathematics Purnaprajna Bangere has discovered a new approach to music called “metaraga” based on his background in math.
Connor Heaton/UDK
KU freelance tutors
Tutors at the University of Kansas, such as Chris Gayler, help students prepare for midterms and showcase the benefits of personalized tutoring.
Rylie Koester/UDK
Border Bandido closing Tex-Mex restaurant Border Bandido, located at 1528 W. 23rd St., will close in June after being open for nearly 50 years.
On the horizon
As Amanda Hill stood in line to pay for her groceries at Target, she felt someone tugging on her hair. Hill turned around, expecting to see a child in a stroller. Instead, she saw a 20-year-old woman. There were times before when Hill let people touch her hair, but not that day. “The days of slavery are over. You cannot touch my body or my person without my consent,” Hill recalled herself saying. Hill is an office manager for the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, as well as the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Kansas. Whether it is comments or unwanted touching, she said she faces discrimination for her natural hair. “Any white person would flip out if I decided to just turn around and touch their baby’s hair, or touch their girlfriend’s hair, because it’s not my experience to have straight, fine hair,” Hill said. “And yet, people think it’s acceptable to touch my hair because it’s different.” Discrimination against black women’s natural hair is a problem Kansas Sen. Oletha FaustGoudeau hopes to solve with Senate Bill 250, also known as
“It’s big. It’s loud. I’m not apologizing for the space it’s taking up.” Amanda Hill KU office manager
Illustration by Philip Mueller/UDK
The CROWN Act stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair.
the CROWN Act. Faust-Goudeau introduced the bill on Jan. 13. The CROWN Act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, was introduced for the purpose of “amending the definition of ‘race’ in the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to include traits historically associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles,” according the original legislation.
LPD to create new department focused on handling sex crimes Paul Samberg @PhSam16
The Lawrence Police Department will launch a Special Victims Unit for sex crimes in the spring, LPD Investigations Captain Adam Heffley said in an email to the Kansan. LPD also created a new policy that more explicitly defines when a rape or sex crime report can be considered unfounded by the department, Heffley said. “SVU's work across the country because they set professionals up for success with training, resources and rigorous selection criteria,” Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center Director Jen Brockman said in an email to the Kansan. “This decision by LPD is a valued change and a positive commitment to the Lawrence
community.” The police department endured controversy in the fall surrounding the handling of a case in which a student at the University of Kansas was charged with falsely filing a rape report. While the charges were dropped against that student, some fear that future victims of sex crimes could decide not to report an assault because they feel that they would not be believed and possibly charged. The goal of this unit is to remove that worry, Heffley said. “The Lawrence Kansas Police Department hopes to provide consistent, thorough investigations of each and every incident that is reported to us in this community,” Heffley said. “We also hope that doing so will encourage Continue on page 2
Emma Pravecek/UDK
Jayhawks rematch the Cowgirls this weekend
Kansas women's basketball hosts Oklahoma State Saturday Feb. 29, at 5 p.m.
The CROWN Act has already passed the legislatures in California, New York and New Jersey. Twenty-four other states, including Kansas, are now considering the act, according to the act’s website. Hill said she supports the CROWN Act's implementation in Kansas. “People are like,‘Your hair is provocative,’’” Hill said. “What about it is provocative? It’s big.
“At the core of this discrimination, it’s just racism,” Aromona said. “It’s just people thinking that you’re different. People thinking you’re different is the core of racism.” Faust-Goudeau said the bill is equally important as other bills. "We are here to advocate for issues that are important to all Kansans. I've served in this building for a long time, and I think this issue is just as important as the education bill and the Medicaid expansion bill. This bill here is about us being our natural selves," Faust-Goudeau said in an interview with WIBW in Topeka. In a survey of 2,000 women who are employed full time, the CROWN Act’s study found that Continue on page 2
Sarah Wright/UDK The Lawrence Police Department plans to open a Special Victims Unit to solely handle sexual assault.
Chance Parker/UDK
Freshman Vasiliki Karvouni returns the ball against Tulsa on Feb. 25.
Kansas tennis tops Tulsa 6-1, winning second straight match Kylie Hanna
@KylieHanna4
In the midst of its redemption run, Kansas tennis took home its second straight victory, defeating Tulsa 6-1 at the Jayhawk Tennis Center in Lawrence. This was a top-50 ranked match, with the Jayhawks holding the No. 42 spot, and the Golden Hurricanes coming in at No. 36. The Jayhawks came out strong right from the beginning, earning the doubles point with wins from two of the three doubles teams. The team of freshman Luniuska Delgado and sophomore Malkia Ngounoue won in five sets, while freshman Carmen Roxana Manu and sophomore Sonia Smagina won in six. The duo of Delgado and Ngounoue hold the No. 46 rank in doubles teams. Manu and Smagina are No. 32.
In singles play, Senior Maria Toran Ribes secured the first victory with a 6-3, 6-1 victory, bringing the Jayhawks to an early 2-0 lead. It was Tulsa freshman Laia Conde Monfort who stopped Kansas from sweeping the dual. Monfort defeated Delgado 6-4, 6-1. Smagina took a 4-0 lead in her first set against No. 92 Tulsa senior Martina Okalova. Smagina, who is ranked No. 74 in singles, toppled Okalova 6-2, 7-6. This victory marks the second consecutive win over a ranked opponent for Smagina. The Russia native was named Big 12 Player of the Week after she defeated Washington’s No. 66 Vanessa Wong in the dual against Washington on Feb. 16. Manu battled in out in three sets, winning the first 6-2, falling in the second 4-6 and coming back 6-4 to claim the victory. Freshman Vasiliki Karvouni won in two sets — 6-3, 7-5 — overcoming Tulsa sophomore Marina Davtyan. Kansas will have a quick turnaround as the Jayhawks return to play on the road Friday, Feb. 28. Kansas will face Illinois at 3 p.m.
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News
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NEWS MANAGEMENT Editor-in-chief Nichola McDowell Managing editor Corey Minkoff
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The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The paper is paid for through student fees. The University Daily Kansan (ISSN 0746-4967) is published on Mondays and Thursdays during the academic year except fall break, spring break and exams. Coming soon: The University Daily Kansan app to be available on iOS and Android. Have feedback? Email editor@kansan.com.
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. 109 Stauffer-Flint Hall 1435 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, Kansas, 66045 editor@kansan.com www.kansan.com Newsroom: (785) 864-4552 Advertising: (785) 864-4358
Thursday, February 27, 2020
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Kansas House bill would let legislature decide future vaccination requirements Tristan Allen
@TristanAllen129
A bill in the Kansas House Committee on Education would reduce the authority the Department of Health and Environment has on requiring immunizations for children to go to Kansas schools. HB 2601 would leave current required immunizations in place, but would require any new additions the department recommends to go through the legislature. According to the bill, the department could add a new vaccine only if the secretary “finds there is an imminent hazard to the public safety,” and it would be repealed July 1 the following calendar year. Interim Chief of Staff at Watkins Health Center Pavika Saripalli said there is concern about shifting this responsibility from the health department. “I think the bigger concern is that the health department is run by a physician, and people in infectious diseases and epidemiology, whereas the state legislature is run by people from a variety of backgrounds,” Saripalli said. “Some who may have some medical knowledge and some who don’t.” According to a 2020 report from the state Department of Health and Environment, Kansas ranks 49th in the country for female HPV immunizations and 46th for meningococcal immunizations. A meningitis and Hepatitis
UDK file photo
A bill was introduced in the Kansas House Committee of Education taking the power to decide which vaccinations are required to attend public schools away from the Department of Health and Environment.
other vaccines against diseases] that really would be very harmful to very small kids. People not getting those vaccines would be even more frightening,” Saripalli said. Saripalli said the trend to not vaccinate can lead to more outbreaks nationwide. “I think the concern is that, as a nation, more and more people are deciding not to vaccinate. So when people bring diseases into our country from other countries, we’re very susceptible and we’re finding that outbreaks are not that unusual and they shouldn’t be that easy to start because typically we should all be vaccinated against these things and have immunity,” Saripalli said. “The national immunity is falling a bit.” Itzel Nava, a University of Kansas freshman from St. Louis,
Missouri, said she would prefer to have a medical professional making decisions on what vaccines children receive. “I would feel a lot more confident having a medical professional requiring me to get a certain vaccination than a politician. I don’t really see why politicians would have to have a say in it,” Nava said. John Bailey, a sophomore psychology major from Minneapolis, said that while he believes people should vaccinate, they should also should have the right to choose whether or not to do so. “I think it’s, personally, kind of stupid if you don’t get your kids [vaccinated] but it’s also your own choice,” Bailey said. “So I don’t think it’s something that should be controlled by the government.”
CROWN Act
SVU
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black women’s hair is 3.4 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional, black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair, and black women are 83% more likely to report being judged more harshly on their looks than other women. Aromona said she has experienced various reactions similar to those described in the act’s study. Sometimes it’s a subtle, sarcastic comment. Sometimes people say it’s “big” and ask her what she does with it. One time, someone in church told her they chose to sit behind her because of her hair. When Aromona teaches class for her graduate work, she said she wonders whether her students are judging her for her hair, too.
additional survivors to come forward and provide information.” SVU plans to handle crimes against both adults and children. Heffley said that they intend on keeping four to six investigators trained in the SVU. That group will be a combination of detectives and specially trained officers. “Our hope and belief is that when the department is able to identify a selective group of investigators to work these cases, they will be in a better position to build long term relationships with our agency partners such as The Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center, The Willow and others,” Heffley said. Due to the size of the police department, which is about 80 patrol officers, there will not always be a detective immediately, Heffley said. However, someone would be assigned to cases as soon as possible. In addition to the Special Victims Unit, a handful of the department’s policies have been updated. Regarding alleged false reports, the investigations department supervisor is now required to review any reports that may be deemed false. Brockman said she is optimistic about LPD’s future in handling sex crimes if these policies are implemented intentionally and consistently. “Not only will the quality of Lawrence Police Department’s investigation and response to sexual violence improve, but there is potential for rates of reporting to increase as the community witnesses professionals
demonstrating best practices,” Brockman said. With the new reporting policies, victims are now given three different options to report crimes. Having the options of an information-only report, a partial investigation or a complete investigation, as well as the option to report anonymously, will hopefully make survivors more comfortable in coming forward, Heffley said.
“Do my students feel like I’m wearing too much hair or do my students look at me and [just] focus on my hair?” Shola Aromona KU graduate student
“I do question people’s reactions, even in class,” Aromona said. “Do my students feel like I’m wearing too much hair or do my students look at me and [just] focus on my hair? Is my hair
A vaccination will still be required under the new bill after being introduced in 2019 along with other vaccines currently required.
“I think the concern is that, as a nation, more and more people are deciding not to vaccinate.” Pavika Saripalli Watkins interim chief of staff
“It’s disheartening that not many people get the meningitis vaccine, but I think what we worry about the most is people skipping the measles, the mumps, rubella, pertussis, the chicken pox [and
Contributed by Amanda Hill
Amanda Hill says she is proud and unapologetic for her hair.
distracting? I’ve had this conversation with myself. I still have it. It’s a constant battle that I still struggle with.” Hill is not the only woman at the University who has faced discrimination for her hair. Cécile Accilien, the acting chair of African and African-American Studies, said the issue is real for her as well. When she’s traveling, she said she gets double-checked, and airport security will touch her hair and even look through her luggage. “It’s because I’m a black woman with locks,” Accilien said. Accilien said her experiences speak to a greater issue. “It’s sad that we’re in 2020 — we talk about diversity, we talk about globalization, culture, cultural appropriation,” Accilien said. “We have all these big words, yet we are still there.”
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“I believe that if I was in that situation, I would feel more comfortable if I could do it anonymously.” Julia Polacheck KU freshman
“I believe that if I was in that situation [of experiencing a sex crime] I would feel more comfortable if I could do it anonymously, so I’m glad I have that option now,” said Julia Polacheck, a freshman from San Diego, California. Investigator and patrol training has also been updated. Tom Tremblay, a national expert in trauma-informed investigations, will hold an intensive five-hour online training in April regarding these types of investigations. The goal is for the Investigations Division and the Patrol Division to take part in training. “We are using all of this information and our recently enacted policy to assist in the development of investigative strategies and structures to produce the best investigation for later prosecution and offender accountability,” Heffley said.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Arts & Culture
kansan.com
KU students attend conference to learn queer, trans leadership
Illustration by Abigail Miles/UDK
Six KU students traveled to Michigan to attend the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference.
Trinity Krouse @Trinfecta
On Valentine’s Day weekend, a group of six University of Kansas students went to the Midwest Bisexual Lesbian Gay Transgender Asexual College Conference to
Nick Cornell
@CornellNickM
The city of Lawrence has transformed underutilized lots into productive land through the Common Ground program. Founded in 2012, the program has grown to have nine program sites. One site is an incubator farm where aspiring farmers lease land to experiment with crops and decide if farming is a career path they are interested in pursuing. This effort is part of the tradition dating back to the “victory gardens” of World War II where local initiatives for sustainable food production sought to maximize available land usage, bring people together and give back to the community, according to the Smithsonian. “City land is leased for the use of community gardens; they each have their own manager, and each has its own community contract,” said Kim Criner Ritchie, Lawrence’s food system planner in sustainability. Aimee Polson, the manager of the garden incubator at John Taylor Park, said community gardens serve as a unifying force, bringing together an eclectic group with a common interest. Inspired by Alice Waters, a pioneer of the local food movement, Polson studied horticulture and the impact of gardens on communities. She shares this knowledge with the Lawrence community. Polson said University of Kansas students’ volunteer efforts have been a big factor in the success of the garden. She said she encourages everyone with
learn about queer and trans identity. The students then worked on how to transform those concepts into leadership skills. The conference was held at Western Michigan University for students across the Midwest, and this year had over 2,000 stu-
dents attend. In its 27th year, the theme was “Envisioning a Future Together,” which focused on creating a community of inclusion on campuses. “I felt very included in that whole conference,” said Sindhu Manda, a freshman from Over-
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land Park. “[I want to] try to find a way to include everyone, especially...other LGBTQ+ people, who feel like there’s nobody like them…to bring that notion of inclusivity to KU and to my daily life.” According to the conference’s website, the MBLGTACC is planned and organized entirely by students and was created to connect, educate and empower other queer students throughout the region. Paddy Qiu, a freshman from Hutchinson said the conference enables queer people to better understand themselves and others. “It’s just two days of workshops where we get to learn about and expand upon our knowledge of queer identity and go past what we already know as queer people right now,” Qiu said. Each day had several different workshops and presentations that students attended. The topics of each session varied depending on what the students wanted to participate in. Manda said she went to a workshop called “Queer and Trans People of Color,” which focused on helping more people into “queer spaces.” “[They talked about] how we could implement more ways to include people of color in queer spaces because it can be really white dominant at times,” Manda said.
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Manda said one of the other goals of the conference was to have students learn about real world topics and figure out how to apply them on campus. She said she could apply what she learned from the workshop to oSTEM, a club for LGBTQ students in STEM fields.
“It’s just two days of workshops where we get to learn about and expand upon our knowledge of queer identity.” Paddy Qiu KU freshman
“I’m the only Indian person in oSTEM, and you can imagine with these engineers and medical people there would be more Indians, but I think I’m the only Indian in it right now,” Manda said. “In a lot of places, it’s just predominantly white people.” University Housing sponsored the trip and provided transportation for students who attended the conference. “Having MBLGTACC facilitate learning more about queer identity outside our scope just allows us to apply this into the organizations we are going to be working with later,” Qiu said.
Lawrence rents out free community gardens through city-wide Common Ground program
Lawrence community gardens donated over 1,500 pounds of food to individuals in need in 2018.
an interest in the program to try it out. “There are about 10 community gardens in town, and if anyone has any curiosity in gardening, there will be someone who would love to get them involved to the degree they want to be involved,” Polson said. The land is leased by the city to members of the community
for free as long as they agree to use the land to grow food. A core tenet of the program is that each garden — aside from contributing to the community by revitalizing vacant and unused lots — gives back to the community by donating a portion of the food grown. “There is an integral mission to grow food and have a community service component. This
Contributed photo
often comes in the form of food donations,” Criner Ritchie said. “It’s about finding creative ways to give back to the community through food.” According to the group’s season report, their philanthropic efforts resulted in 1,539 pounds of food being donated in 2018 — not counting the food from two sites that are open to public harvest.
For those interested in getting involved in the Common Ground program, information can be found on the organization’s website. The public can get involved through community workdays, volunteer opportunities at specific gardens and by working at the two gardens which are entirely dependent on volunteer work, Criner Ritchie said.
THINGS TO DO AT KU Art
Food & Dining
Movies & TV
Music
Theater
“Sweat Sweetie” on display in the art and design gallery in Chalmers Hall until March 5
The Bloody Mary at Ladybird Diner located at 721 Massachusetts St.
“The Invisible Man” releases to theaters on Feb. 28
Destroyer performs at The Granada on Feb. 28
“As You Like It” shows on Feb. 28, 29 and March 1 at CraftonPreyer Theatre
For more Arts and Culture stories, visit kansan.com
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Arts & Culture
Thursday, February 27, 2020
kansan.com
Watson Library exhibit commemorates voting rights
Contributed photo
The “Rightfully Yours” exhibit explores amendments that protect people’s voter rights.
Alicia Marksberry @AliciaMarksb
Watson Library is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment with an exhibit on voting rights in the United States. The exhibit, “Rightfully Yours: KU Campus and Community Scholars Consider U.S. Voting Rights,” explores the many amendments and acts passed in the United States to protect people’s right to vote, including the 15th Amendment, the 19th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“We feel quite privileged to be able to present this information to the KU community and to show how many scholars there are on our campus and throughout our community that are supporting voting rights and doing their best to protect and advance voting rights,” said Sarah Goodwin Thiel, the faculty and community engagement librarian who helped put together the exhibit. This exhibition, which has been on display in Watson’s Haricombe Gallery since Feb. 6, is part of a larger campus wide centennial celebration of the 19th Amend-
ment which granted women the right to vote. “We are privileged to showcase this work here at the libraries and feel that’s part of our mission to share this kind of information,” Goodwin Thiel said. The exhibition has work by KU students and faculty including work from the School of Journalism, the department of design and the School of Law. Displayed work by journalism students includes essays on Kansas suffragists written for their final projects. Teri Finneman, assistant professor at the School of Journalism and one of the leaders of the campus’ 19th amendment celebration, helped the selected students put together their work to get them ready for the exhibition. “We took a look at those projects, and we selected the top ones that also had a good representative mix of Kansas suffragists, and we invited them to do a little more work and revisions,” Finneman said. “In the end, several students ended up following through, and their projects are now in one of the display cases there.” As a suffrage researcher, Finneman has her own work on women’s suffrage on display in the exhibition as well. Finneman said she believes this centennial cele-
bration of the 19th amendment is important to educate people on the history of women’s voting rights. “There were women who were beaten, who were thrown in jail, who dedicated their entire lives because they thought it was so important that women be treated as equal citizens in this country,” Finneman said. “I think if people would know that and think about it in that perspective, perhaps they would have a greater appreciation for the rights that they have because of all these women and men who worked to give women this right.”
“This is really important because we see the data that young people are less inclined to vote.” Teri Finneman KU assistant professor
Both Goodwin Thiel and Finneman stressed the importance of voting among younger generations, especially because
LibArt program gives student artwork home
Rylie Koester/UDK
Student art hangs on the walls on the third floor of Watson Library as part of the LibArt: Student Art in the Libraries program.
Brian Buntin
@MooseNamedBrian
The stacks of Watson Library are clad in worn, canonical books arranged numerically on mintgreen shelves. The main spaces and study rooms, however, lack the same scholarly charm. The LibArt: Student Art in the Libraries program seeks to bring the bookish enthusiasm and imagination from the library’s innards to the white walls that form study areas on the main floors. LibArt allows students to showcase their creative works, ranging from larger sculptural pieces to small pencil drawings and photographs. Once a piece is chosen by a committee of volunteer library employees, staff and faculty, it is hung in the library for the entire next school year. Nikki Pirch, a graphic designer for the KU Libraries and a co-chairperson on the LibArt selection committee, said her favorite part about the program is its inclusiveness to all students as a creative outlet, not just artists. “You don’t have to be an art major to be able to submit art,” Pirch said. “They’re welcome to bring in whatever creative form of expression they have and display it in the libraries.” Each gallery holds an eclectic collection of student artwork which transforms the space into something more than just a study hall. LibArt galleries are dispersed throughout the floors in Watson
Library, Anschutz Library, Spencer Research Library and the Murphy Art and Architecture Library. “Giving that space that we already have to give people a voice — it’s better than artwork you can buy online,” Pirch said. Hayley Cleary, who graduated in May 2019 with a degree in illustration and animation, said her digital paintings are still up in Watson Library. She said she submitted work each of her four years on campus. “I heard about it first freshman year,” Cleary said. “It was something brought up in my early design classes.” She said she submitted projects from her classes, like a book project about Harry Potter books for one of her illustration classes. Cleary said it was good experience to have her work hanging in an exhibition. Rene Martin, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, said she studies fish, which also happens to be her favorite subject to paint. “The University itself is willing to showcase students and their skills,” Martin said. “That could potentially be inspiring for students.” The LibArt program provides an opportunity for those accepted to showcase their art to the student body. Submissions for the 10th annual LibArt galleries are currently open to all University students until April 13.
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of the presidential election that will take place in November. “This is really important because we see the data that young people are less inclined to vote, and I think there are numerous reasons for that,” Finneman said. “But I think part of it is a lack of knowledge of the history of what was all involved to give people this basic right that they now take for granted.” At the opening reception of the exhibit, panelists talked about the student vote and mobilizing and educating the entire campus on why their voices matter. “It’s just so important that everyone votes,” Goodwin Thiel said. “Any concerns that people have that their vote won’t count or won’t matter — those fears need to be put aside because it’s just essential to the future of our country that people vote and use that right that they have.” The website, which is currently in production, will soon feature the work displayed at the “Rightfully Yours”exhibit to make it more accessible for those who cannot visit the exhibit in person. The exhibit will be on display in Watson Library until Aug. 31.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
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Puzzles SUDOKU
CRYPTOQUIP
CROSSWORD
Want to peek? Answers can be found at kansan.com
For more puzzles and answers, visit kansan.com
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FREE FOR ALL Text us what you hear around campus to (785) 260-0518, and we’ll publish the best stuff. FFA of the Day: “My cause of death will probably be related to cheese.” “If I wanted a little, immature boy in my life- I would birth one.” “I almost got arrested to this song.” “What eats a sloth? What’s brave enough?” “My cat has 10,000 views on Tiktok. How do I tell her she’s famous?” “I have four exams next week… someone PLEASE hit me with your car.” “Not gonna lie, I looked up my ex boyfriend on the Kansas sex offender website.” “Probably don’t light a fire on the roof.” “I am the queen of blankets and moody lighting.” “I think my yeast infection got banged away.” “We might as well make the most out of this while we can because KSA 45-219 exists.” “Heat, street, deet... deet, you know, like deet... feet, teet... Teet! USE TEET!” “Now that I have discovered I look good in yellow, it’s all I’m ever wearing. Call me Barry B. Benson from now on suckers.” “Big Time Rush > One Direction.” “Stay strong, my queen — your dick is huge.” “I want everyone to know that TCU has an intern program called ‘frog aids.’”
Contact us Sarah Grindstaff sgrindstaff@kansan.com Grace Fawcett gfawcett@kansan.com Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Sarah Grindstaff, Nichola McDowell. Corey Minkoff and Grace Fawcett.
Opinion You should listen to foreign music Thursday, February 27, 2020
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OPINION
kansan.com
Savannah Glaves @srglaves
Imagine you’re driving down the road with the radio turned up, and you hear a song — but you can’t understand the words. No, it’s not like your parents saying, “I don’t understand what you kids listen to these days. Back in my day...” It’s something else. You genuinely can’t understand it because it’s in an entirely different language. But why would a song in a foreign language be playing on the radio, “in America, of all places”? The answer is simple. As American society becomes more globalized, we encounter different cultures more and more often. The recent Super Bowl halftime show reinforced this notion with a performance from Colombia native Shakira and Puerto Rican pop star Jennifer Lopez. The halftime show was largely in Spanish, which is not what many Americans are used to. Songs like “Despacito,” largely sung in Spanish, have risen in the charts. The recent success of South Korean boy band BTS is another indicator of globalization in American society.
A more globalized society does not mean that you have to listen to this music. A more globalized society does not mean that you have to listen to this music. However, there are many benefits for people to listen to this type of music, considering that many college students will be working in a multicultural workplace in the future. Music is connected with culture, whether it be through “the structure of music, its instrumentation, context of performance or meaning,” according to the Na-
Illustration by Nichola McDowell/UDK
Opinion columnist Savannah Glaves argues that we should listen to foreign music to increase global awareness and become prepared for future careers.
tional Center for Biotechnology Information. Music bridges the gap of communication between cultures. Music by itself can enhance communication between countries, and foreign music provides people with a chance to improve their listening skills in other languages and in English. I am a Korean and Chinese language student, so I am often listening to music in these languages. Since the United States is filled with so many English speakers, it is often hard to find a chance to practice your language skills outside of the classroom. By listening to foreign music, I have been able to improve my listening skills. Chinese has also helped me with distinguishing tones from one another. Better yet, foreign music also
gives you the chance to improve your own English listening skills. I cannot count the number of times I have been listening to a song in a foreign language and heard an English phrase mixed into the song. Many of the people singing these songs are not English speakers, so they do have accents. At first, it’s hard to distinguish the English parts from the non-English parts. If you are looking at the lyrics at the same time, it is definitely easier. However, after some time, you will find yourself hearing the English parts with ease. This prepares you to interact with people whose dialect is different from your own, which by the way, will probably be an almost daily encounter regardless of what career you choose. Foreign music can prepare you for any career path you will have
later on. It doesn’t matter if you’re learning a foreign language or not. The world is just becoming more and more globalized every day. Music is the path to mutual understanding between people in the face of globalization. Music brings people together in harmony. With so many conflicts nowadays, music is a beacon of hope in the distance to help reconnect people around the world. Even if you cannot understand the words being said, you can come to understand that there are people out there with different cultures and values like your own. Isn’t that the best type of understanding out there? Savannah Glaves is a sophomore from Easton studying East Asian languages and cultures.
How do I reconnect with my SO? ADVICE
Aroog Khaliq @AroogKhaliq
Hi Aroog, I’ve been struggling to connect with my significant other. He’s wonderful in every way, but lately there’s been a weird dissonance between the two of us. It’s not that we’re arguing; it’s just a weird emotional block. I don’t want to end the relationship, but I don’t know how to fix this. What should I do? Yours, Craving Connection Dear Craving Connection, The uncertainty of emotional dissonance can often make it more uncomfortable than outright conflict. Luckily, the solution is fairly straightforward: You have to make an effort to communicate more with your partner. It won’t be easy, since emotional intimacy rarely is, but the result is far more rewarding than the strange liminal space that you currently navigate. My letter could end here, but I want to urge you to also question why breaking off the relationship occurred to you and communi-
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Ask Aroog is an advice column for University of Kansas students to ask columnist Aroog Khaliq for advice on love, relationships and life.
cating didn’t. It is not a crime to imagine and then flinch at the worst scenario, but you do yourself a disservice when you see a pool and linger on drowning instead of doggy paddling your way out. Do you find communicating your feelings and concerns embarrassing? Would you rather self-sabotage and avoid the mortifying ordeal of being known by your partner? You owe yourself more than the easy route, CC.
When you find someone who is wonderful in every way, the tribulations of life don’t evaporate. The emotional quirks you both have will inevitably create friction, but a little willingness to confront these issues will overcome the tense silences you’re sick of. You knew all along that the solution was a single command: Communicate! If it helps to hear it again from me, I am happy to help, but the
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power to overcome this emotional block is in your hands. If your partner hasn’t taken the initiative, and you force your own eyes past the solution, here is your nudge. Have that conversation, and find out what you can do to strengthen your connection and make it a source of serenity again. I believe in you both. Love, Aroog
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Sports
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Azubuike joins 1,000-point club Jack Johnson @JohnyJ_15
As senior center Udoka Azubuike stepped to the free throw line for the first time with 10:19 left in the first half, history stood right there with him. After banking in the first attempt off the backboard, the career 40.6% free throw shooter found himself one bucket shy of putting his name in the record books. The 7-footer took a few dribbles and let the ball float off his hands. Despite his struggles through the previous 83 games at the charity stripe, this is where Azubuike collected his 1,000th career point at Kansas. “I got the mindset that I’m going to look back one day at this moment,” Azubuike said on his milestone. “The best thing to do is just embrace the moment. It’s basketball, you just got to have fun.” Azubuike became the 61st player in program history to achieve this feat, while playing just 20 combined games during his freshman and junior seasons. Former Kansas forward Dedric Lawson tallied 1,835 points in his college career, but only 700 of them came at Kansas. Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton Jr. had high praise for Azubuike and his 7-of-8 performance from the free throw line. “I’m not afraid to say it. If [Azubuike] is going to make all his free throws, [Kansas] is going to win a national championship,” Boynton said. “[Azubuike] is truly one of the most improved players that I have ever watched over a
Senior center Udoka Azubuike attempts to gain control of the ball. Kansas won 83-58 against Oklahoma State Monday, Feb. 24.
period of time.” Other notable players to reach at least 1,000 points in their career at Kansas include Thomas Robinson (1,026), Cole Aldrich (1,038), Aaron Miles (1,183), Jo Jo White (1,286), Wilt Chamberlain (1,433) and Paul Pierce (1,768). Self, who recruited Azubuike out of Potter’s House Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, is proud of the seven-footer’s achievement.
“I’m happy for [Azubuike],” Self said. “There’s been a lot of guys who have scored 1,000 points in their career, but there’s been nobody who’s scored 1,000 career points from closer to the basket.” With Azubuike’s 19 points in Kansas’ 83-58 win over Oklahoma State, he became the 14th Jayhawk to join the 1,000-point club under coach Bill Self. Azubuike is also the second player to do it in less than 100 games under
Self, with the other being Wayne Simien in 58 games. Simien had 1,593 points in 106 collegiate games. However, he scored 496 of those points under former Kansas and current North Carolina coach Roy Williams. Sophomore guard Ochai Agbaji said Azubuike is a strong candidate for National Player of the Year. “[Azubuike] is on a roll right now,” Agbaji said. “We need that
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offensively and defensively. Just his presence on the court is great.” Following its 13th consecutive win, Kansas will head to Manhattan for the 178th game against Kansas State. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 120-57. Tipoff on Saturday is slated for 12:30 p.m. on CBS.
Azubuike deserves Big 12 Player of the Year
Emma Pravecek/UDK
Senior center Udoka Azubuike dribbles through traffic to head to the rim Monday, Feb. 24 versus Oklahoma State.
COLUMN Emerson Peavey @Emerson_Peavey The debate over who will be the Big 12 Player of the Year is heating up around campus. Keeping with tradition, a pair of Jayhawks are likely candidates.
This year, top contenders in question are sophomore guard Devon Dotson and senior center Udoka Azubuike. Both have made tremendous accomplishments on the court this season, but who has been the player of the year? While Azubuike may not be as successful with free throws and jumpers like Dotson, the senior deserves this year’s honor. His skills are a key asset on the team as he has quickly become the
player responsible for getting the game going. There is a valid argument for Dotson to receive the honor too, but one could argue he does not possess the same experience and tenure of Azubuike. The 7-footer has been recognized in his career as a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidate (1 out of 20 candidates), and named to the All-Big 12 Third Team in the 2017-18 season.
When you look at this season, Azubuike proves his consistency each game. He currently has 13 double-doubles on the season and averages 13.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. When the ball is thrown successfully into the paint, fans can all feel a sigh of relief knowing the senior will come through with a dunk or layup. The game against the former No. 1 Baylor Bears particularly showcased Azubuike’s grit and motivation. He put up 23 points and a career-high 19 rebounds against the best team in the nation effortlessly. “If you look at [Azubuike] over the last couple games you can certainly make a case for him [to win player of the year],” coach Bill Self said in his post-game interview after the game against Oklahoma State. “So hopefully, he’ll keep on this uptick and keep building off of it. And if that’s the case and if we win, maybe he will start getting recognition for that.” It was announced on Monday that Azubuike was the March Madness Player of the Week and also the Naismith Trophy Player of the Week. Azubuike’s consistency isn’t new, however. He has stepped up to the plate ever since junior forward Silvio De Sousa’s suspension. With De Sousa’s suspension and senior forward Mitch Lightfoot redshirting, the team has been down two big men. However, that didn’t stop Azubuike. Instead, it helped him assert his dominance, playing an average of 27.7 minutes per game. The past three players who received the honor by the Big 12 conference were former Texas
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Tech point guard Jarret Culver and former Kansas point guards Devonte’ Graham and Frank Mason III. All three of these players have gone onto careers in the NBA. Kansas has had nine players receive the honor of Big 12 player of the year, the most out of any other school in the conference.
His skills are an assest on the team and he has quickly become the player responsible for getting the game going. Each of those nine players have gone on to have successful careers in the sport. A center has not won this honor since 1999. Due to his injuries in past seasons, Azubuike has not been able to show his true potential. However, his ability to stay healthy this season gave him the opportunity to show fans what he is capable of. He has a bright future ahead of him, and I expect him to show out during the Big 12 tournament. Regardless of who wins the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, both Azubuike and Dotson have been fierce leaders throughout the season and will continue to demonstrate that as we head into the postseason.
Sports KU men’s basketball’s 2020 recruiting class brings flair 8
The University Daily Kansan
COLUMN
Catherine Farewell @CFarewell2
As conference play wraps up and the regular season comes to an end, coach Bill Self has acquired four new Kansas men’s basketball recruits for 2020. These recruits have several different abilities that can help fill some spots. For the 2020 recruiting class, Kansas signed five-star, 6-foot5 guard Bryce Thompson from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is ranked 15th nationally, fourth in his position and first in Oklahoma. Thompson signed with Kansas in November of 2019 and has a .9928 composites score according to 247 Sports. The McDonald’s All-American could be a strong suit to Kansas as he can play both
Thursday, February 27, 2020
guard positions. Self also added center Gethro Muscadin, from Louisville, Kentucky. Muscadin stands at 6-foot10 and has several abilities with room to grow. Coach Self has very high hopes for him. “This past summer Muscadin showed everybody that he can shoot the basketball with range,” Self told 247 Sports. “He’s a runner, he’s a jumper, he’s a shot-blocker. His activity level is very high. We feel like he is a guy that could develop into one of the better big men in this class.” It should be interesting to see how Muscadin will fit into the bigmen mix of junior forward Silvio De Sousa and sophomore forward David McCormack. The Jayhawks have also acquired a junior college transfer to add depth. Tyon Grant-Foster, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard from Kansas City, Kansas is transfer-
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Coach Bill Self yells at the referee during the game against the Texas Longhorns Monday, Feb. 3.
ring from Indian Hills Community College. Grant-Foster is ranked second nationally for junior college prospects. The fourth recruit, Latrell Jossell, is a 5-foot-11 point guard
from Keller, Texas. As a junior, Jossell averaged 18.9 points per game and knocked down 54 three-pointers while shooting 38% behind the arc, according to Kansas Athletics.
More information should come along as the season grows closer to the end, but expect these recruits to add more depth and excitement to Kansas’ roster in the next year.
KU men’s golf finishes second, Sigel ties for first Ronnie Lozano
@rolo7_96
Contributed by Ka’anapali Golf Courses
Then-sophomore Ben Sigel competes in the final round of the Ka’anapali Classic in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii on Nov. 3, 2019.
Junior Ben Sigel led the way for Kansas men’s golf as he tied for first in the rain-shortened Dorado Beach Collegiate in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Feb. 23. Sigel shot a 7-under (65), which tied him with Louisville senior John Murphy. The junior’s morning consisted of nine birdies and two bogeys. Sigel also had two separate stretches with three consecutive birdies. This was his first time winning a tournament in his career. Sigel’s best finish prior to the one at Dorado Beach was at the Jackrabbit Invitational during the 2018-19 season when he placed third. “[Sigel] played well and it was good to see him shoot a low number,” coach Jamie Bermel told Kansas Athletics. Overall, the team finished second behind the Cardinals in the 15-school tournament with all of them shooting just one round. Junior Harry Hillier also helped make sure the Jayhawks had a strong showing. He shot a 4-under (68), accumulating two double birdies, three birdies and three bogeys. The New Zealand native’s two double birdies were the of the spring for Kansas. His performance earned him a tie for fifth in the abbreviated tournament. Junior Drew Shepherd also finished below par, shooting a 2-under (70). A double bogey on the 14th hole kept him from moving up the leaderboard, but he still sent home five birdies. Shepard finished tied for 15th in the lone round.
His teammate, freshman Luke Kluver shot a 1-over (73). Kluver had five bogeys and four birdies. Although the Jayhawks did well in the first and only round, Bermel said he thought there was still a little bit left to be desired with their performance. “We got off to a hot start today and were playing really well, but we couldn’t quite get the round finished off,” Bermel said.
“We got off to a hot start today and were playing really well, but we couldn’t quite get the round finished off” Jamie Bermel Golf coach
To round out the day for Kansas as a team, redshirt sophomore Jeff Doty shot a 2-over (74) with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on the 18th hole that put him over for the day. As for senior Andy Spencer, he competed as an individual and also placed 58th with a 74.
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