MONDAY, JAN.

18, 2016 | VOLUME 131 ISSUE 1

inside

While marriage age is trending upwards,

some people still opt to marry younger

HIGHER GPA FOR

SCHOLARSHIPS.
New scholarship
requirements at the
University may make
it more difficult for
students to keep their
financial aid.
News PAGE 3A
KU VS. TCU RECAP.
Freshmen players
Chieck Diallo and
Carlton Bragg Jr.
were the key in the
Jayhawks defeat of
the Horned Frogs on
Saturday afternoon.
Sports 10A

CHRISTIAN HARDY/
KANSAN

JUSTINKC. Former
KU basketball player
Justin Wesley talks
about his experience
in the fashion
industry.
Arts & Culture 5A
MORE INSIDE:
THE BACK-TOSCHOOL ISSUE

COURTNEY VARNEY/
KANSAN

ROCK CHALK
INVISIBLE HAWK
UPDATE. A timeline
of actions taken since
Nov. 9 by the student
group and its goals
for this semester. The
group hopes to foster
a more diverse and
inclusive campus.
News 2B

CONTRIBUTED
Rachel and Ben Guyer spent two and a half years in a long-distance relationship before getting married.

ALLISON KITE
@Allie_Kite

While marriage age is

trending upwards, some
young people still opt for
marrying younger
Ben Guyer didnt date
during his first year of graduate school. He threw himself into his work, studying
religion for his masters at
Florida State University.
The thrilling thing about
grad school is that you get
to throw yourself into this
thing you love doing without
all those gen ed and other
elective requirements, and
youre doing it at a really
high level, Ben said.
When he later met his nowwife Rachel, he was nearly
out the door of his program.
When he left to pursue his
Ph.D. at the University of
Kansas, Rachel still had a
year of her undergraduate
degree left in Florida. They
had been dating for about
eight months. They would
then spend two and a half
years in a long-distance relationship.
I promised myself I would
never move anywhere for

anybody but me, Rachel

said about the time she and
Ben spent in a long-distance
relationship. I had friends
who moved to places for relationships and had that not
really work out so great, so
I wanted to be in a position
where I was a bit more independent before making
a decision like moving halfway across the country.
Young people are continuing to put off marriage and
place larger emphasis on
completing degrees, establishing careers and making
the best of their 20s. Those
modern priorities are driving the average age at first
marriage up. For some, like
Ben and Rachel, that might
be the right choice.
Others buck the trend.
While a perfect age isnt
an exact science, some data
indicates that the ideal time
is when the couple is in their
late 20s.
Articles bemoaning young
marriage tout divorce rates,
lost youth and financial
struggle. However, the success of a marriage may be
more tied to other factors
than solely age.

Galena Rhoades, a researcher at the University

of Denver who worked on a
study sponsored by the National Marriage Project at
the University of Virginia,
said she thought there was a
greater connection between
premarital decisions and
marital quality.
Those who consciously decide to make a commitment
have better marriages than
those who slide into phase
after phase of their relationship, she said. Couples who
attend premarital workshops or counseling also
have better marriages than
those who dont.
Before Ben and Rachel got
married, she moved to Oregon and then Texas, where
she interned on a wildlife
reserve. For the months she
was working at the reserve,
Rachel had no cell phone
service. She could only talk
to Ben if she went to the
community building and
talked to him on video chat
or she could drive into
town for cell phone reception.
SEE MARRIAGE PAGE 3

Sexual Assault Centers new director says shell focus

on prevention methods
LARA KORTE
@lara_korte
AP PHOTO

TARIK BLACK.
Former Jayhawk
Tarik Black is
growing as a leader
in the NBA. Read
about his journey
from collegiate to
professional play.
Sports 8B

ENGAGE WITH
US
ANYWHERE.

@KANSANNEWS
/THEKANSAN
KANSAN.NEWS
@UNIVERSITY
DAILYKANSAN

The University has named

Jennifer Brockman as the first
director of the new Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center.
The center was established
in October to centralize the
Universitys sexual assault prevention methods. Previously,
education and prevention efforts were coming from several different offices, including
Public Safety, Student Affairs,
Watkins Health Center and the
Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access.
Vice Provost of Student Affairs Jane Tuttle said the new
center will initiate its own
programs as well as help steer
other offices to ensure all components are on the same page.
[Before the center], there
[were] no centralized folks, so
sometimes our efforts werent
as effective as they could be if

they were coordinating, Tuttle

said. So this is an office thats
set up to coordinate those, to
collaborate with those, to expand what we do and to do
more prevention and education work.
Tuttle said she believes
Brockman is the best person
for the director position because of her experience.
Brockman, who will begin
Jan. 20, has a history of tackling sexual assault issues. After getting a bachelors degree
in criminology and sociology
with a focus in victimology
from Drury University, Brockman went on to get her masters in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.
She has since gone on to
work in several sexual assault
prevention coalitions in the
Midwest.
Brockman served as a sexual assault prevention educator
at the University of Arkansas,
and most recently, executive

director of the University of

Iowas Rape Victim Advocacy
Program.
Brockman said she hopes to
bring her experience to the
University as it prepares to
take on sexual assault.
I think KU is positioning
itself well to really have an intentional approach and effort
to curb and eliminate sexual violence on the campus,
Brockman said.
Brockman said she thinks
University students are poised
for helping prevent assault.
Youre high-activist, high-energy, and youve got students
who already ready to go,
Brockman said.
The first item on her to-do
list is to build trust and cooperation within the community
by understanding the culture
and the components at work,
Brockman said.
I think the first step is to really understand KUs culture
and make myself available and

meet with people in the program, Brockman said, I think

that its important that Ive got
an overview.
When it comes to prevention and education programming, Brockman said theres
a few ideas shes got in mind.
The centers main focus will be
prevention work, offender accountability and behavior recidivism work, that is, working
to curb patterns of repeating
sexual violence.
Brockman also said she looks
forward to working with the
University to make sure its
policies are reflective of the
work and the philosophical
standing of the centers charter as well as developing victim resources.
The University currently
offers several options for students who have experienced
sexual violence, including
off-campus advocates, medical
and psychological counselors
and resources for filing a com-

plaint and pressing charges.

Brockman said she hopes
that through campus education, survivors will feel more
comfortable about receiving
help and taking action when it
comes to sexual assault.
We need to be able to promise them we have their back,
Brockman said.
Brockman said the center
will hire two more employees
sometime in the spring. She
said the hires will be two educators, one focused on male
engagement and bystander
intervention, and the other on
dating and healthy relationships.
Although Brockman said she
feels nervous about being the
first director of the newly-established center, shes said shes
excited to get started.
Theres a lot of unknown,
but this is really the opportunity to create something amazing from scratch, Brockman
said.

news

KANSAN
STAFF
YOU NEED TO
KNOW

NEWS MANAGEMENT
Editor-in-chief
Vicky Diaz-Camacho

KANSAN.COM/NEWS | MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2016

Friends share fond memories of KU

senior who died in canoeing accident

Managing editor
Kate Miller
Brand & creativity
manager
Hallie Wilson
Digital operations
editor
Anissa Fritz
ADVERTISING
MANAGEMENT
Business manager
Gage Brock
Sales manager
Katie Bell
SECTION EDITORS
News editor
Kelly Cordingley
Associate news editor
Cassidy Ritter
Sports editor
Scott Chasen
Associate sports editor
Shane Jackson
Arts & culture editor
Ryan Wright
Associate
arts & culture editor
Christian Hardy
Opinion editor
Maddy Mikinski

CONTRIBUTED
Mori Weinstein, left, and Daniel Superina, right, have been friends since the age of three.

SAMANTHA SEXTON
@SamBiscuit

Mori Weinstein, 21, a

University senior from Chicago, and Lanny Patrick
Sack, 20, a former University student, died this Jan-

uary while on vacation in

Wisconsin.
The two were canoeing
with two other friends when
they were reported missing
Jan. 3 to the authorities
in Walworth County, according to the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Re-

sources.
The canoe reportedly
capsized, according to the
Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources that also
deemed the incident an accident.
Weinsteins friends and
fellow Jayhawks said they

hope hes remembered as

an intelligent, compassionate man.
He always had something good to say, said
Daniel Superina, a senior
from Toronto and childhood friend of Weinstein.
Ive known him since I was
three years old, and he was
my very first really good
friend after moving from
Toronto.
Superina said Weinstein
was approachable and easy
to talk to.
Even if you had a really embarrassing question
that you didnt think you
could ask anyone else, Mori
would be there for you and
make it really easy to talk
about, Superina said. He
was just that guy that you
could go and talk to about
anything. But he wasnt
just kind, he had such an
open mind and was really
adventurous and would try
something new just for the
fun of it.
Superina said he was
amazed at Weinsteins intelligence, saying that the
21-year-old was freakishly
good at statistics.
I would look over at his
notes in class and he had

just a sentence or something written down but

when Id ask for help later
he had nailed it all just by
sitting through one lecture, he said. He was incredibly intelligent.
Lauren Mars, a junior
from Mahtomedi, Minn.,
had a similar experience
with Weinstein.
There arent even really
words to explain how fond
people were of Mori, Mars
said. Mori was truly one
of a kind. He knew what to
say to everyone he spoke to
and he always made people
comfortable.
Mars, who lived in the
same dorm as Weinstein
her freshman year, said he
was easy to get along with.
He was super shy at
first, but then slowly started
to open up, Mars said. He
was so intelligent and interesting and could answer
any question we had for him
with confidence. He was so
kind and open-hearted. We
all loved him.
Mars added: I will never
understand why bad things
happen to such good people, but I know that we will
all grow and become better
people in his memory.

New Immediate Care Clinic open to staff and faculty

Visuals editor &

design chief
Roxy Townsend
Chief photographer
Caroline Fiss
Investigative editor
Miranda Davis
ADVISER
Sales and marketing
adviser
Jon Schlitt
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
Fridays 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 youve read in todays Kansan and
other news. Also see KUJHs website at
tv.ku.edu.
KJHK is the student voice in radio.
Whether its 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) 766-1491
Advertising: (785) 864-4358
ENGAGE WITH
US
ANYWHERE.

@KANSANNEWS
/THEKANSAN
KANSAN.NEWS
@UNIVERSITY
DAILYKANSAN

FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Watkins Health Center opened its Immediate Care Clinic Nov. 30. The clinic serves University and faculty staff exclusively.

CONNER MITCHELL
@ConnerMitchell0

University faculty and

staff now have access to
their own clinic at Watkins
Health Center. According
to a release from Watkins,
the Immediate Care Clinic is now open for patients
and is located on the second
floor of Watkins.
The release said the
clinic treats acute onset
problems such as bone and
joint, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary and skin
issues.
Previously, staff and
faculty could be treated at
Watkins, but Watkins primarily serves students. The
new clinic opened Nov. 30.
The clinic will be available to faculty, staff and
University-affiliated corporations such as KU Athletics, KU Memorial Unions,
Alumni Association, Endowment
Association,
Hilltop Child Development
Center and the ROTC program, according to the release.
Douglas Dechairo, director and chief of staff at Watkins, said he expects patient
turnout to increase when
the spring semester begins.
[The opening has] probably been as expected, he
said. When you start up a
new clinic, they dont come

rushing necessarily. But,

you know, weve been seeing patients every day from
the faculty and staff. Our
average has probably been
around one to two staff
members per day.
Dechairo, who took over
the director position two
years ago, said he began
discussing the idea of a
staff clinic with fellow faculty members when he took
the position. They received
approval from the Provosts
Office in August of 2015 to
open the clinic.
The second floor of Watkins previously housed
a sports medicine clinic,
which closed several years
ago. The leftover medical
office equipment is now
in use for the staff clinic.
Watkins also hired a nurse
practitioner for the new
clinic who will help with the
student clinic when there
are no employee patients to
be seen.
A lot of funding is
transparent, he said. We
used to run a sports medicine clinic up here, and
then that closed down, and
that space was idle space
and has been. It has already
been equipped as a medical
office space because of that.
It was just sitting there.
So we really had very little
costs to get ourselves operational.

Dechairo said they are

not necessarily pushing for
a specific patient-per-day
quota.
We arent really geared
towards any specific number, he said. We sort of
know what our break even
is from the standpoint of

what it costs to run a clinic,

and its not a lot. Our break
even is about four patients
per day, and anything over
and above that is revenue
that can be used for other
services for students.
The Immediate Care
Clinic will operate from

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday

through Friday, and walkin appointments are welcome.

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

New KU scholarship GPA requirement proves

difficult for some students to maintain
WILL WEBBER
@KansanNews

Eli Mitchell started his

second semester of sophomore year in spring 2014
with a 3.8 GPA and was
eligible for enough scholarship money to pay full
tuition and even have some
funds left over. But despite
his early success at the University, he said he found it
difficult to adjust.
I was so stressed about
not doing as well as I wanted to and had trouble getting out of bed, Mitchell
said. So I basically stopped
going to classes that semester.
For some, like Mitchell,
a strong start isnt always
enough. Workload, stress
or a host of other problems

MARRIAGE FROM PAGE 1

I had never moved anywhere else, but I wanted
to see Oregon. I moved out
there with my brother for a
little bit and lived with his
family, then looked really
hard for about five months
for an internship and found
one, Rachel said. It happened to be in Texas and
took some time to move
there and kind of get my
feet wet in a potential career
path. [I] did that, and, at
that point, after I had completed that internship, I felt
a little bit homesick for Ben
to be honest.
Now theyre in the same
state. But between teaching,
working and taking classes,
married graduate students
have their fair share of obstacles. One of the biggest
challenges is sharing a car,
Rachel joked.
Finding the time to man-

can lower a good GPA in a

single semester and cause
students to lose their scholarships. In the 2013-14
school year, 858 students
lost renewable scholarships
for failing to meet academic requirements, said Erinn
Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations for the University.
Their scholarships ranged
from $1,000 to $10,000.
In order to keep a scholarship all four years, the Office
of Financial Aid & Scholarships requires students to
complete a minimum of 30
University hours each year
and maintain a certain cumulative GPA. If students
fail to meet these requirements, they are notified of
their status and lose their
scholarships.
When Mitchell dropped

out, the GPA requirement

was a 3.25. This past summer, it was raised to a 3.4
for incoming students,
which is the second-highest of all Big 12 schools. The
median GPA requirement
for renewable scholarships
in the Big 12 is 3.0, while
Kansas State has the highest at 3.5.
Matt Melvin, vice provost
of enrollment management,
said the University decided
to set the GPA requirement
at 3.4 with the understanding that performance of students on scholarship would
be evaluated on a yearly
basis. Currently, there are
2,322 freshmen and new
transfer students on scholarship this year who must
maintain a 3.4 GPA.
While it will take time to
gather data from a four-year

cycle, Melvin says freshmen performance numbers

serve as a good indicator of
later performance.
Positive academic momentum in the first year
typically carries through to
subsequent years, which is
the reason we encourage
students to get out of the
blocks fast, Melvin said.
In the 2014-15 school
year, 674 freshmen alone
failed to meet the 3.25 GPA
requirement at the completion of their first year
and were ineligible to receive their scholarships for
this year. Numbers were
not available for the other
classes.
Had the new 3.4 GPA requirement been in effect,
an additional 441 students
in all grade levels would
have lost their scholarships

as well.
Students who lose their
scholarships can earn them
back if they meet requirements in future semesters,
Barcomb-Peterson said.
Every dollar that is returned to Endowment is
spent on students, she
said. It is possible that it
may not be spent in that
exact year for instance,
if a donor stipulates a nonrenewable scholarship for
a student from the donors
home county and no student from that county is
eligible in that given year.
But it will be spent on students.
But for Mitchell, paying
for future semesters of
school without scholarship
money was out of the question.
Mitchells mom is a high

school teacher, and his dad

is disabled and living with
Mitchells grandmother, so
he said affordability was the
biggest factor in his college
decision.
No school gave me as
much money and made it as
affordable and easy to go to
school as KU, he said.
However, he said the University was no longer affordable.
Mitchell has since started
a job he enjoys at the Granada Theater and continues to
apply for scholarships, but
he acknowledges how costly
a slipping GPA can be.
Thats probably one of
the biggest mistakes Ive
ever made messing up
that one semester, he said.

age it all can be tough, too.

Ben said graduate school
is a 60-hour-a-week, sevenday-a-week commitment,
which can be exhausting.
Friday night is the closest
thing we get to kind of like
a date night, but some Fridays its just like, I wanna
go home and get a pizza and
just do nothing, Ben said.
I think that its just the time
commitment. And you can
lose yourself in your work.
Ben added: For both of us,
I think weve done a good
job not doing that, but at the
same time, we havent gone
on vacation since our honeymoon.
For Rachel, being able to
rely on Ben has been important as she works through
graduate school.
I know that there have
been times when Ive really
relied on you to pick up a lot
of my slack in terms of you

know, like domestic responsibilities and contributing to

a household, Rachel said to
Ben. There are times when
its just impossible because
the work week is just really
intense.
And I did, Ben joked.
As Rachel is wrapping up
her masters degree and Ben
finishes his Ph.D., the two
are planning their first vacation since their honeymoon.
While marital age is trending upward, some buck the
trend
Markisha, 23, and Cliff
Rangel, 21, got married last
summer.
Markisha, a fifth-year senior at the University, said
the couple knew they were
young but thought marriage
was the right choice. That
doesnt mean it was easy,
though.
She said she thought students had a generally neg-

ative perception of getting

married in college.
For the most part, I think
that students think that its
dumb, she said. I know a
couple of my friends have
been like, Well, why get
married? You guys are just
in a relationship. Youre in a
relationship, and whats the
rush to get married?
Being young doesnt put
a strain on the couples relationship, but juggling responsibilities can be a challenge, Markisha said.
I wouldnt say that we
havent had time for each
other, but we havent really
had time for each other with
him working all the time
and then me taking care of
this one, she said looking at
Angelo, her son, sleeping in
her arms, and doing school
work, its kind of busy, but
its still great.
The two tied the knot at

the courthouse but invited

so many friends and family members that the judge
said they should have just
thrown a wedding, Markisha recalled, laughing.
We didnt want to make
it a big deal, but we ended
up inviting people, and then
we were like, Oh if we tell
this person, we have to tell
this person, and we have to
tell this person, Markisha
said. And so when we got
there, it was funny because
the judge was like, I was expecting there to be like two
people, and then she was
like, You basically have a
wedding. You shouldve just
held it somewhere.
The two originally went to
the courthouse to get their
marriage license, but decided to get married instead.
When Cliff called Markishas grandfather to ask for
her hand, her grandfather

was happy to give his blessing. When they told him

they wanted to get married
the following day, he was
taken by surprise.
Independence can be a
huge factor in whether students get married young,
Markisha said. Markisha
said being married young
doesnt limit her from doing
anything she wants. She is
enrolled in online classes as
she takes care of their newborn baby.
But trends say young people should make the most of
their 20s and put off marriage. Many may ask why
Markisha and Cliff married
so young, but she said it was
the right time for them.
We knew that we wanted
to spend our lives together anyway, so we were like,
How about we just go ahead
and do it? And we just did
it, went with it.

FREE RENT
FOR ONE YEAR!

Sign a lease & be

entered to win free
rent for a year!*
WINNER ANNOUNCED JULY 29
*Restrictions apply, offer subject to change.
Expires 7/31/2016.

2511 WEST 31st ST. | LAWRENCE, KS 66047 | 785.842.0032

RESERVEONWEST31ST.COM

opinion
FREE-FOR-ALL

KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2016

WE HEAR
FROM YOU

Text your #FFA

submissions to
785-289-UDK1
(8351)
Overheard in the
hallway: Allen
fieldhouse is Disneyland
on steriods.

School is like the weird

aunt I never want to
visit

You know youre a basic

college white girl when
you have to move three
bottles of wine out of
the way to get to your
milk.

I take my shoes off

inside Allen Fieldhouse
sometimes because it
feels like home.

This weekend feels like

the Sunday night of the
semester

Political awareness is most important in

election year
RYAN LISTON
@rliston235

As
President
Barack
Obamas
second
term
comes to an end, the time to
elect the 45th president is
growing near.
While there is always a
great deal of fanfare surrounding the national election, many Americans, especially young adults, are
seemingly uninterested in
politics. Approximately 38

I dont buy school

supplies until the third
week of school judge me
I dont buy school
supplies
I got a manaTEA for
Christmas. Its in my
puppy mug. It me.
Getting gas in the winter
is the equivalent to
getting burned by your
seatbelt in the summer

the majority of citizens.

Although politics are not
always entertaining or
interesting, we owe it to
ourselves and future generations to be educated on
current political situations
as well as the candidates
running for office.
Being politically informed
can help ensure that our
representatives govern for
our best interests and advocate for our ideas. When
people are uneducated
about politics, it is easier for

self-serving or unqualified
politicians to win elections.
With a broader understanding of the political
issues that face a country,
citizens of that country can
better interpret the implications of actions that
attempt to address those
issues. Citizens can then
more effectively vocalize
their concerns or desires to
the government, leading to
an increase in the accountability of the government
towards its citizens.

As citizens, we should care

enough about the well-being of our nation to play an
active role in our political
system. Since our time at
college is a period of learning and involvement, it is
the perfect time to start.

Ryan Liston is a freshman

from Lawrence studying
journalism.

Straight Outta Nomination: Compton deserved more

Oscar noms
MADDY MIKINSKI
@miss__maddy

116 days until

graduation.

percent of citizens age 18 to

24 voted in the 2012 election, according to the United States Census Bureau.
The voting rate for this age
group has seen a general
decline since 1964.
In 2016, we will have a
new president, and government holds large influence
over many aspects of our
lives, so it is beneficial to
understand politics. Changes in federal leadership can
bring about drastic changes
in policy, which then affect

Although 2016 is only beginning, awards show season

is moving steadily towards its
end. In February, the Academy Awards will mark the
prestigious close to months
of crossed fingers, red carpet
appearances and press conference gaffes. The Oscars are the
last stop, but certainly not the
least. The O-word is constantly
dropped throughout the year
as a hint to a particular movies potential greatness. Often
times winners of this award
rocket to another level of fame
practically overnight.
Since August, Straight Outta Compton, a biopic that re-

counts the origins of renowned

gangster rap group N.W.A, has
been tossed around as a possible Best Picture nominee. Last
year, Compton crashed into
the box office with a whopping
$56.1 million opening, according to the LA Times. During
its stint in theaters, Box Office
Mojo reports, the film made
over $200 million worldwide.
The buzz surrounding the
film was deafening. Compton seemed to connect with
everyone who bought a ticket.
OShea Jackson, Jr., was meticulous in his portrayal of his
father, former N.W.A. member
and Compton producer Ice
Cube. Jason Mitchells moving
portrayal of the late Eazy-E
sealed the deal as an audience
favorite. Manohla Dargis of

The New York Times called the

picture and its rags-to-riches
storyline as blissfully American as apple pie, low riders and
gangster rap itself.
Released amongst the escalation of racial tension in the
country as well as pressures for
the Academy to diversify itself,
Compton seemed, in an ideal
world, like a shoo-in to win an
Oscar for Actor in a Leading
Role, at the very least.
Last Thursday, Oscar nominations were announced, and
Compton managed only one
mention Original Screenplay. This years nominees for
the major acting categories are
blindingly white. Many critics
likened this discrepancy to last
years Selma snub. Last week
the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite

began trending on Twitter.

Many people feel as if actors
such as Will Smith (Concussion), Michael B. Jordan
(Creed), and, of course, the
Compton cast were robbed
of their nominations.
Executive producer Will
Packer wrote a Facebook post
saying, in 2016, its a complete
embarrassment to say that the
heights of cinematic achievement have only been reached
by white people. The Academy, which decidedly has the
strength to change racial bias
in Hollywood, has not been
sending the correct message.
This years Compton snub is
equally annoying and baffling.
The biopic resonated with critics and audiences alike. Likewise, the connection that the

actors had with the film (and,

yes, the screenplay) is obvious.
The film also worked to showcase the birth of a music genre
that, though it still gets criticism today, changed the industry as a whole. Its an unapologetic, uncompromising look at
some of the early movers and
shakers of the rap industry. For
all of these things, Straight
Outta Compton deserves the
Academy's recognition and
more.

Maddy Mikinski is a senior

from Linwood studying English
and journalism.

Buzzfeed knows me
better than I know
myself.
Peyton Manning still
has a really punchable
face
My roommate
wont stop hitting
the dab. Please
stop hitting the
dab. Its not cool or
funny. Just stop.
If you want to cry
you can think about
the fact that the end
of senior year is like
the freshman year of
the rest of our lives

Finally, tom brady vs.

peyton manning in
the afc championship.
its about time.

Im a second semester
senior who has never
been to the Hawk. Is
it worth it?
Going back to food at
the dining hall is like
reluctantly accepting
deaths cold embrace
Following @foodpics
was the worst decision
of my life

Read more at
kansan.com
@KANSANNEWS
/THEKANSAN
@UNIVERSITY
DAILYKANSAN

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 authors name, year, major
and hometown. Find our full letter
to the editor policy online at
kansan.com/letters.

CONTACT US
Vicky Diaz-Camacho
Editor-in-chief
vickydc@kansan.com

Gage Brock
Business Manager
gbrock@kansan.com

THE KANSAN
EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan
Editorial Board are Vicky
Diaz-Camacho, Kate Miller,
Gage Brock and Maddy
Mikinski

arts & culture

HOROSCOPES
WHATS YOUR

KANSAN.COM | MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2016

SIGN?

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Wait on a final decision.

The facts you need can be
found. Get help from your
crew. Let your partner take
the lead.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Foreign contacts love your

ideas. Its a good time to
ask for money. Dont brag
... your work speaks for
itself. Your influence is
spreading. Focus on each
activity. Good news comes
from far away.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Friends help you make

an important connection.
Theres more work coming
in. Keep your sense of
humor. Acknowledge those
who give you support. Keep
your objective in mind. The
more supportive you are,
the more you gain.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Work doesnt go according to plan. Finish up old

business so you can invest
in your dream. Calm anothers fears. Explore your
passions. You can make it
happen. Consult a significant other. Love gives you
strength.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Listening is more powerful

than speaking, especially
today. Sudden outbursts
could have regretful
consequences. Slow and
steady wins the race. Dont
overspend on stuff you
dont need. Work out the
budget before committing
to details.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Accept a creative challenge.

Who can you get to help? It
could get profitable. Design
your costume. Seek solid
data and expert assistance.
Ask friends and family for
their views. Find an answer
in a dream.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Your peace of mind is increasing. Give praise where

praise is due. Nurture
compassion, for yourself
and others. Help someone
understand. Count your
blessings.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

You have what you need, if

you can just find it. Financial help arrives, but not as
hoped. Breakdown! Call for
reinforcements. Express
your love and gratitude.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec.
21)

Your compassion for

another is growing. Youre
attractive, and attracted.
Remain open to shifting
circumstances. Move carefully as you dance. Dont
step on anyone. Follow a
friends recommendation.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan.
19)

Theres more work coming

in. Youre looking good.
And you have an ace up
your sleeve. Keep confidences and secrets, but
its OK to let your feelings
show.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Fun today could include

getting out, around the
corner or across the world.
Or exploration could occur
through a book or documentary film. Get a boost
from far away.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March
20)
Be charming with someone who outranks you. Act
quickly to resolve a domestic issue. Avoid excess and
waste. Learn from and with
another. Concur with an
expert on the most sensible
option for a household
upgrade.

CHRISTIAN HARDY/KANSAN
Justin Wesley, former KU
basketball player and creator
of clothing line JustinKC

Justin Wesley searches for a Kansas

City style away from the runway
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy

Justin Wesley stood in

a large, bright room in a
hotel in downtown Kansas
City, staring down a runway,
surrounded by the fashion moguls of Kansas City.
Wesley, the creator and designer of JustinKC, and his
co-creative director, Taylor
Kalush, were two of dozens
peering at a runway, watching models they had never
met before models who
probably didnt know who
he was oscillate on and
off.
It was a session for Kansas City Fashion Week, with
just a few weeks to go before
the show. Surrounding Wesley, other than the models
who walked the runway with
jobs on the line, there was a
whole lot of chatter: which
model was going to make
it, which model a designer
wanted to display his or her
line in the upcoming fashion
week, which model didnt
belong here at all.
In that moment, as he
watched models stride
back-and-forth, Wesley said
he realized something: he
didnt belong here either.
His line, his brand, everything he had created and
worked toward since graduating from the University of Kansas was a square
peg that conflicted with the
somewhat bourgeois, round
hole of Kansas City Fashion
Week.
I decided right then and
there, Wesley said. You
watched the models walk
out, and it was the most
uncomfortable feeling Ive
got I just couldnt sit there
and choose like that. There
was something about it that
I just didnt like.
When Wesleys line,
JustinKC, was offered a
spot in Kansas City Fashion
Week a few months before
the model session, he was
ecstatic. But because he
didnt expect to get a spot,
he didnt have anything
prepared. Wesley didnt
have any pieces completed
for the runway, not even
samples. He lacked a social
media presence and had not
established a website. Even
his logo was not completely refined. He was offered
a spot strictly based on his
sketches.
Wesley, 24, and his
co-creative director, Taylor
Kalush, who still attends
the University, scrambled
for something material to
present at the event. Mood
boards, sketches, JustinKC

in words anything to give

JustinKC some legs. Eventually, with no pieces, Wesley had to drop out of the
event.
Once we got in, we were
just thinking, This isnt really our scene, Kalush said.
Its not just with the samples. It was more like, this
is not who we were trying to
cater to. It was a blessing in
disguise, not being ready to
show.
JustinKC began at different times in Wesleys life.
In essence, there doesnt
seem to be one singular
starting point. If a timeline
of JustinKCs history was
created, there would be neither a day nor month that
pin-pointed the inception of
the brand.
One could say it started in middle school, when
he already found himself
struck by garments what
he was wearing, what the
people around him were
wearing, how he could fit in.
In middle school, he went to
a school where urban style
dominated the scene, and he
was infatuated with Jordan
sneakers. He recalled once
wanting to wear an Allen
Iverson jersey, and his mom
laid out navy sweat shorts
for him to wear. He wanted
to wear jean shorts (which
were all dirty).
I almost lost my mind,
and I was in tears just thinking, I cant go to school
wearing this, Wesley said.
He wore the sweat shorts
anyway.
In high school, Wesley
began to craft the foothold
of what his brand is today:
sketches. Then, he started
drawing shoes.
Back to high school,
when I was really into basketball, I had this grand vision that I was going to have
a Nike deal, and I was going
to have my own shoe line,
Wesley said.
He was a liberal arts major while he played basketball at the University. He
refined his sketches there,
as well as other artistic bases. Then, when he realized
he wouldnt be playing basketball beyond his four-year
career at the University, he
started to look into creative
career spaces, from acting
which he did a bit of while in
school to advertising.
The winter of his senior
year, he reached out to Baldwin KC, a denim company
in Kansas City, while at the
same time he tried his hand
at designing clothes and
kept working at it. He landed an internship with the

company for the summer.

There, too, he struggled with
trying to fit into the mold of
the brands style.
Baldwin is a great
brand, but were just not the
same style. Hes obviously
unbelievable and hes done
great work, but at that point
I knew I wanted to do clothing and I wanted to do it a
certain way, Wesley said.
Wesley, since the line
began, has wanted to create
American workwear a
goal that has remained constant throughout the process of creating the brand.
Everything else, seemingly,
has either changed, been
learned, been relearned and
retooled, or just completely
scrapped.
Wesley said it takes
about two or three years
for a brand to develop its
concept and its aesthetic.
Learning how he wanted
people to look in his clothes,
understanding the direction
he wanted the brand to go
in, and how people felt in his
clothes had to be honed in
on and perfected its taken about that long.
And since it began, its
completely been rebranded.
Its not geared toward athletes, as one might expect
(though with his 6-foot-9
frame, he plans to make sure
he leaves no one guessing on
the measurements of his
pieces. He knows what thats
like.) Its not geared toward
New York, or Los Angeles
markets that have been covered twice over.
Some people may call it
kind of hipster-y, but I want
it to be in a rebellious way to
chic, high-end wear, but not
exactly streetwear, Wesley
said. Id rather have more
people wearing my stuff
than just to have the top 10
percent wearing it.
Justins brand is still
shaping itself. It will until
he finalizes the pieces for
the fall collection and sends
them off for manufacturing,
and beyond that, too. But
Kansas City, hes said, is
where its based not only
in location but in aesthetic
and presentation.
As of now, it seems, Kansas Citys fashion bubble
hasnt been filled, though
theres plenty of space to
make a mark. Charlie Hustle
hats exploded and, eventually, were mass-produced.
However, the heart-design
hasnt created a style, but
a singular garment Kansas
City can call an icon. Learning from Chase McNulty,
the owner of the Charlie

Hustle, has been one of the

benefits for Wesleys development in Kansas City. The
city, collectively, seems to be
moving toward edgier, more
urban wear.
Charlie Hustle is not
a style; its just an iconic
thing, Kalush said. Maybe its the development of
creating a Kansas City style.
Maybe thats the goal.
Wesley has a chance to
fill that void of a clearly-defined Kansas City style. His
line will be something that
sticks to the classics but is
still rebellious to trends.
He wants something thats
his own, for himself and for
Kansas City, but also something that can make an impact beyond just here.
The spirit of Kansas City
has the entrepreneurial
spirit, and how they support
anything local - [its] something you cant find anywhere else, Wesley said. I
dont only want to do it in
KC; I want to do it throughout the Midwest, but Kansas
City is where Ive got to start
with it, because Kansas City
inspired that entrepreneurial fire within me.
With JustinKC, Wesley
is shooting for high-quality
garments with high-quality
fabrics which look and feel
like a one-of-one but maintain a price that is affordable. That, of course, will be
a challenge, but its a mission hes built up through
months and months of trial-and-error and learning
the processes of the fashion
industry directly from the
source.
School had nothing
to do with it. The most I
learned from school is just
noticing other peoples fashion, Wesley said. Thats
it.
School was not the reason Wesley went to Kansas.
Basketball was.
Theres no sign of basketball in Wesleys loft in downtown Kansas City, though
he hasnt downplayed the
importance of connections
from the basketball program. His space is heavy on
brick, with a high-ceiling. A
couple of his skateboards
cover one wall, while art
hangs on every other.
One piece that stands out
is a canvas print of a crossarmed Frank Sinatra with
the quote, CONFIDENCE
IS KING, sitting over a
low-lying sofa in his living
room. That is, more than
anything he accomplished
on a basketball court, telling
of who Wesley is.
Wesley is, well, exactly

that: confident. On a bomber jacket he wore both times

we met, is a patch embroidered on the neck which
reads, the world leaves a
bitter taste in my mouth
below a rose and two initials, representing he and
his girlfriends first initials.
He designed it himself.
Hes assertive in his designs and what he wants to
do with the brand, though
he does always take peoples
thoughts into consideration.
In his designs, he sticks with
classic styles and outerwear
(he feels most comfortable
and safe with both).
Most importantly, he
wants everything to be perfect; he wants to see his designs all the way through,
from his head to paper to
reality. When Kalush was
asked what makes Wesley
different, she named his
commitment to perfection.
When she talked of the current goal getting the final
product in hand she said
she realized thats only going to happen if its perfect
to Wesley.
Theres a lot more to
come for Wesley as far as
the line goes. He has to finalize a look-book, a website
design, and get product photos. Thats all after he finds a
manufacturer, which is after
he finalizes the samples. He
wants to do a limited run of
womenswear in 2017, with
mostly outerwear. As of
now, he plans on another
mens collection in the fall of
2017. None of these, though,
have exact dates.
I wont feel its perfect
until I say were live at midnight or whatever, Wesley
said. When I get that first
purchase, then Ill crack a
smile.
Just as theres no date for
that smile, theres no date or
timeline for him to find his
space or place in the Kansas
City fashion scene or maybe
beyond. But after two years
of learning, honing in on his
brand and realizing how to
perfect what he wants, he
knows what space isnt for
him to thrive in: fashion
shows.
Id rather just do a collection showing thats open
to anyone that wants to
come, and just talk about
each piece instead of making it this big deal, Wesley
said. The more my brand
started to shape itself, and
its personality started to
shape itself, I just realized
that I dont ever want to do
fashion shows.

ARTS & CULTURE

puzzles

CRYPTOQUIP

SUDOKU
CROSSWORD

KANSAN.COM

ARTS & CULTURE

KANSAN.COM

lowkey listens
CHRISTIAN HARDY

The winter months December to February are the dark months of music.
Ive always felt this way. In the winter of 2013 into 2014, we had Childish Gambinos Because the Internet and Young Thugs Bloody Portland.
Kevin Abstract Echo
Kevin Abstracts first
album MTV1987 is
in my top favorites of
2014. This album was
produced entirely by
Romil, and so was this
song, but sonically,
this track completely
shifts away from the
rap-heavy 2014 record
and into a more singsong Abstract sound.
This song reminded
me of Kanye Wests
808s and Heartbreak
on first listen, and the
lyrics, paired with the

melodic
production,
cut hard just as they do
on Wests 2008 album.
With the track, Kevin
Abstract
announced
that his sophomore album They Shoot Horses will be released in
2016 after focusing on
the Brockhampton collection for most of 2015.
Best
line:
Im
afraid Ill be just like
my friends / Im afraid
I aint gon have no
friends

Allan Kingdom Hypocrite ft. Jared Evan

Allan Kingdom is
one of the most successful artists to come
off SoundCloud. He
boosted his clout with
a Kanye West co-sign
on All Day and has
sort of spidered across
the internet since. This
track was my favorite
off of his newest album
Northern Lights. The
track starts with hymnlike
instrumentation

before some woodblock

and bass kick in as the
energy slowly rears itself up. Kingdom is the
type of rapper you have
to warm up to his
voice is a bit harsh, and
his flow bites hard.
Best line: Im all up
on your neck like Dracula / Then Imma tell you
this isnt bad for us

In 2014-15, the winter months were quiet

until Drake saved it with the surprise drop of If
Youre Reading This Its Too Late in mid-February. This year, its much of the same, except this
time were waiting on Kanye West.
G.O.O.D. Fridays have made that wait a bit less
painful, but underground music can too. Here
are some tracks that have helped me through not
only winter break but also through the wait for
Kanye Wests album.
Nova I Just
Produced by a 16-yearold, who has been part
of Lowkey Listen playlists before, this trap-infused beat really goes.
Both of these guys are
grinders selling beats,
regularly releasing new
stuff, having a nice base
in a handful of different
rap styles. The first half
of this track is bling hiphop with hi-hats, drums
and some glossy synths
riding in the background, but the second

is where the bass gets

even heavier and Nova
pounds you with every
word he says. The second half is rattling, jarring, with more realistic
lyrics than in the first
half.
Best line: I show the
red in my eyes / I let
them I let them know I
got nothing to hide / I let
them know every time
that Im high

@ByHardy

Lund Broken
This is the third time
Lund has showed up in
Lowkey Listens; I really cant overstate how
talented he is. Alone
was arguably one of
the best SoundCloud
tracks of 2015 a year
where Lund really grew.
This track was actually
a response to reaching
10,000 followers on
SoundCloud. And he
didnt only produce it,
like some of his other

stuff, but he wrote and

performed it as well. Its
a very chill instrumental
featuring guitar and, of
course, drums and hihats, both Lund staples.
Its one of my favorites
that hes made in his
time on SoundCloud.
Best line: Will you
take my soul / In the
midnight rain / While
Im falling apart / While
Im going insane

Brick Grillins SkinnyScumbag

Its hard to learn much
about Brick Grillins.
Hes from Toronto, Canada. Hes part of the
collective, People and
Places. Hes expected
to release an EP titled
BiPolar soon. Thats
about all I could gather.
I mean, really, I know
very little about him. But
I do know this about his
music: It mostly sticks
with trap-infused beats
that progress slowly until Grillins voice comes
in. And Grillins voice

is probably what stuck

with me the most with
this track; its grimy, it
projects confidence and
it doesnt seem phony.
Thats all so important
if youre trying to make
music youd play at a
party. With this track,
Grillins does just that.
Best line: Sick of
the kids who be smiling when nothing when
nothing is funny / Aint
got to tell me that my
time is coming

food, fun & fellow Jayhawks

AT THE KANSAS UNION

KU

OKLAHOMA
VS. STATE

JANUARY 19TH

Level 4, Kansas Union

FUN STARTS AT 5:30 PM
TIP-OFF AT 6 PM

132 SCREEN
FREE
&

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
&

SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

basketball gameday

(4-1) KANSAS JAYHAWKS

SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
AT A GLANCE
The Jayhawks are coming
off a bounce back win over
TCU that was much closer
than anticipated. In the
seven-point win, the two
freshmen big men got much
needed playing time. Now
the attention turns to a pair
of very winnable games
against Oklahoma State on
the road and Texas at home.
If the Jayhawks want to
avoid falling behind early on
the Big 12 race they must win
these two games.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Carlton Bragg
freshman, forward
Bragg is coming off his best
game of his young Kansas
career. The freshman forward
had a career high 10 points on
4-of-6 shooting from the floor
against TCU on Saturday. He
logged 16 minutes, including
the final 10 minutes in the first
half, aiding in Kansas 16-2 run
to close out the first half. Bragg
certainly proved he could score
the basketball on Saturday
at an efficient rate. If he can
continue to avoid committing
freshman mistakes, he will
make a case for more minutes,
and perhaps a spot in the starting lineup.

QUESTION MARK

Will one of the

freshmen start?

Bragg wasnt the only

freshman big who highlighted the seven-point
victory against TCU. Cheick
Diallo logged 21 minutes
on Saturday; he scored
nine points, hauled in nine
rebounds and recorded
five blocks. He was a factor
in just about every area in
arguably his coming out
party. Kansas coach Bill
Self said after the game that
he thought about starting
one of the freshmen against
TCU. Based on their play
Saturday, there is a really
good chance one of them
will be in the starting lineup in Stillwater, Okla.

KANSAS
PROJECTED STARTERS
Frank Mason III, junior, guard
Mason has sort of flown under the radar with the emergence of Selden early
in the season. Still, the junior guard is
averaging 12.5 points per game, good
for fourth on the team. He does lead the
team in assists, with 5.7 dimes per contest. Selden may
be emerging as the scorer, but Mason is still the most
important player on the team with his ability to score
and distribute.

Devonte Graham, sophomore,

guard
If it wasnt for oversleeping one
morning, Devonte Graham would
have also started in all 17 games.
Instead the sophomore has started
in 16 contests, averaging 30.9 minutes per
game. Graham currently averages 10.5 points
and 3.5 assists per game thus far. One area of
improvement for the sophomore is his ability to
knock down the long ball. Graham is shooting
44 percent from downtown this year.

Wayne Selden Jr., junior, guard

Selden has cooled off the last few
games, after storming through the
non-conference schedule. Still the
junior guard averages 14.9 points
per contest, which is the second
highest average on the team. Selden is shooting 49.4 percent from long range, with 44 of
89 three-point attempts.

vs.

OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS (1-4)

OKLAHOMA ST.
PROJECTED STARTERS

Jawun Evans, freshman, guard

The freshman has been the Cowboys best
player all season, and his confidence is growing
by the day. Last Wednesday against Oklahoma,
the freshman put up a career-high 42 points. He
shoots well from everywhere, which makes him
tough to defend.

Coming off four straight

losses and sitting at 9-8,
Oklahoma State desperately needs a win. Oklahoma
State has had a difficult
schedule to begin conference play, with losses at
Baylor, West Virginia and
Texas. They proved they
can play with anybody
at home when they gave
Oklahoma a scare last
Wednesday, but they still
ultimately came up short,
74-72. Although the Cowboys are struggling, they
arent a team the Jayhawks
can overlook, as theyve
been upset in their last two
trips to Stillwater, Okla.

Jeff Newberry, senior, guard

Newberry is the Cowboys second leading scorer
at 11.6 points per game, but he has not been a
consistent scorer this season. Hes shot below
50 percent from the field in 12 games, and
scored fewer than ten points in seven games. If
the athletic guard gets hot, he has the ability to
cause problems for the Jayhawks.

Jawun Evans
freshman, guard
Evans is less than a week
removed from a career-high 42 points against
Oklahoma. To make it even
more impressive, he took
just two three pointers
and five free throws in the
entire game. He scored in
double figures in six of his
last seven games, and, if he
finds a rhythm, Oklahoma
State will have a punchers
chance against Kansas.

Jeffery Carroll, sophomore, forward

Carroll has put up decent numbers at 8.9
points per game, but he has really struggled
with his shot, shooting just below 30 percent
on the season. However, like Newberry, Carroll
is a streaky shooter who can get hot at anytime.

QUESTION MARK

Can the Cowboys keep

the Jayhawks off the
glass?

Hunter Mickelson, senior, center

Mickelson has started the last 10

contests, but still only logs 9.6 minutes per game. In limited time he is
averaging three points and nearly
three rebounds per game. The last
three games Mickelson has seen his time dip as
he has recorded just five minutes in each of the
last three contests. In fact, he has not logged
double-digit minutes since the game against
Baylor on Jan. 2.

AT A GLANCE

PLAYER TO WATCH

Perry Ellis, senior, power forward

The senior forward leads the
team in scoring with 15.9 points
per contest. After the TCU game,
Graham admitted that the offense
goes through Ellis. Even though this is a
well-balanced scoring attack, it is clear Ellis
is the first option and rightfully so. Through
17 games Ellis has made 100 of his 200 shot
attempts, and he is also shooting 52 percent
from three.

EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK

Leyton Hammonds, junior, forward

Hammonds is coming off his best game of the
season against Texas where he put up 18 points
and nine rebounds. Hes averaging just less
than 10 points per game this season, but like
everybody on the Cowboys roster outside of
Evans, he cant be relied upon on a nightly
basis to be productive.

Mitchell Solomon, sophomore, center

At just 3.3 points per game, Solomon isnt
somebody who the Cowboys look to for
points. Hes had some moments this year
rebounding the ball and getting in the passing
lanes, but hes nothing more than a role player who isnt much of a threat on offense.

Oklahoma State is 53rd in

offensive rebounds given
up this year and ranks
213th in total rebounds
per game. If the Cowboys are going to stand a
chance, they cant allow
the Jayhawks to get
offensive rebounds, and
they will have to get some
offensive rebounds of their
own, which wont be easy
against the Jayhawks, who
rank 61st in the nation in
rebounds per game.

Kansas Army National Guard

Attention all College Students

Need Help Paying for College?
Become A Citizen Soldier and
Receive College Tuition Assistance and Additional Educational Benefits

While Serving Only One Weekend a Month

Call and see if you are eligible for the following:

Join the oldest military force and receive formal military training while serving here at home and in your
community.
Join now and receive a paycheck in the amount of $188.00 - $238.00, for just 1 weekend a month!
Join now and you can receive College Tuition Assistance of up to 100% of tuition and fees at a Kansas
College or University!
Join now and receive job training in up to 200 different career fields including: Information technology,
Medical Specialist, Aviation, Military Police, Infantry, Field Artillery, Logistics, Transportation, Vehicle
Maintenance, Human Resources, Cook, Electrician, HVAC, Military Intelligence, and many more!
Join now and receive student loan repayment on existing federal college loans of up to $50,000!

For More Information Contact:

Master Sergeant Bartlett
Cell: (785) 633-0154
Email: keith.l.bartlett.mil@mail.mil

sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2016

Freshmen key in Kansas

bounce back win over TCU
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

As the first half between

the
Kansas
Jayhawks
and TCU Horned Frogs
wrapped up, the Jayhawks
found themselves in front
by double digits, despite
trailing at various points in
the period. However, given
the expected outcome and
the circumstances coming
into the game, which Kansas won 70-63, the final
margin wasnt quite as important to many as the play
of the freshmen big men
Carlton Bragg Jr. and Cheick Diallo who have been
glued to the bench for much
of the year.
In the first half, Bragg
made his mark with eight
points and four rebounds,
which were just one and
two respectively off his career-high marks for a game.
Diallo made his presence
felt in a different manner.
With 1:26 to play in the
first half, Diallo blocked a
floater by forward Devonta
Abron, which fell back into
the clutches of TCU. As the
Horned Frogs reset, Diallo
paused, raised his arm in
the air and performed his
rendition of the Dikembe
Mutombo finger wag, drawing a chuckle from those
who saw.

"He does that a lot in practice too," sophomore point

guard Devonte Graham
said. "He tells us, 'Today's
going to be a block party' ...
and then he blocks a lot of
shots."
For Diallo, it was another
flash of potential in a season that hasnt quite lived
up to the hype, though it
was far from his only highlight in the game.
Moments earlier, as TCU
forward Chris Washburn
attempted a scoop shot
from in close, Diallo sent
it back with a block that
looked more like a volleyball spike than a basketball
play. As the ball squirted
out toward the baseline,
Diallo hit the floor, drawing
some applause from Kansas
coach Bill Self and assistant
coach Jerrance Howard,
among others on the bench.
That play came in the
midst of a 16-2 run for the
Jayhawks, as they took advantage of the game and
would lead the rest of the
way.
"We did have balance. The
shot distribution was pretty
even for the most part," Self
said after the game. "I (still)
don't think we're playing
with near as much energy
as what we did a week ago."
Early on, the lack of energy showed itself, as the

game went back and forth

between the two teams.
That came as a surprise to
many considering that, in
addition to being a 23-point
favorite, Kansas had also
put together some of its best
performances on the season
after facing adversity.
Most notably, the Jayhawks responded to dropping their second game of
the year against Michigan
State with a 51-point blowout win over Chaminade.
And later, when Kansas
played its closest home
game of the non-conference slate a six-point
win over Harvard the
team followed that up with
a 33-point win over Holy
Cross.
However, at least early
on, that was not the case
against TCU.
"I thought [TCU] competed hard," Self said. "We
didn't give anything for the
crowd to get excited about
for the most part."
The Horned Frogs started
the game shooting 5-of-6
from three, jumping out
to a 19-15 advantage. The
team relied on a 10-0 spurt
to get to that point, which
featured two threes from
TCU guard Chauncey Collins. However, that run
would be wiped out by Kansas own 16-2 stretch later

JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Freshman forward Carlton Bragg posted a career-high in points in his last game against TCU. Hes
seen his role increase as of late.

in the period.
"They made three-pointers early. We just had to
buckle in," Graham said.
"We just had to lock in defensively."
Graham led all players in
the first half with 10 points
and five assists, while Bragg
and junior guard Wayne
Selden Jr. combined for 17
of teams 37 points.
Up just nine at the half,
the Jayhawks found a bit of
separation early in the second period. Junior guard
Frank Mason III and senior forward Perry Ellis
scored 14 of the team's first
20 points, as the lead increased to 16.

However, while the veterans shouldered much of the

load on the court, it was the
extended minutes of Bragg,
Diallo and sophomore
guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk that were as crucial as
anything.
"They're playing for the
right guy," TCU coach Trent
Johnson said of Diallo and
Bragg. "They're going to be
good players great players probably ... I hope they
leave after this year."
With Diallo playing 15
minutes in the second half,
the Jayhawks would go on
to win by seven, improving
to 15-2 on the year and 4-1
in Big 12 play.

Six different Jayhawks,

including Bragg and Diallo, would score at least nine
points in the win. Bragg
finished with career high
in points (10), while Diallo led the team with five
blocks; that total marked a
career-high for him, as did
the 21 minutes he played in
the game.
Next up, the team will hit
the road to take on Oklahoma State, before returning
home for a showdown with
Texas.

Jayhawk softball prepares through winter in new indoor facility

BRIAN MINI

@DaftPunkPop

MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
Shortstop Chaley Brickey throws the ball to first base in a game
against Texas last year. The Jayhawks lost 0-6.

After a successful 40-win

season that included an
NCAA tournament appearance, the Jayhawks have returned to Arrocha Ballpark
to begin practice for the
spring season.
Head coach Megan Smith
returns many of the key
contributors from last season, including sophomore
Daniella Chavez and senior
Chaley Brickey. This season
will also be T.J. Hubbards
debut as the Jayhawks hitting coach.
"We are together all the
time for the week and a half

and it's a great opportunity

for us to set goals and commit to those goals," coach
Smith said in a press release. "Then, [we have to]
put in the work and lay the
foundation as we move into
the season."
Despite starting the season in sunny Jacksonville,
Fla., the Jayhawks still have
to practice in Lawrence.
Kansas began practices on
Jan. 10, but the improved
Arrocha Ballpark gives the
team some much-needed
shelter from the cold.
In 2014, Rock Chalk Park
officially opened, giving
the Jayhawks a new home
for softball. Although the

ballpark moved further

away from campus, it added a key new addition to the
Jayhawks training: A state
of the art indoor training
facility.
This new arrival is described
as
being
an
11,000-square feet venue
which features a turf field
with four drop down automatic batting cages, according to KU Athletics. With
the Jayhawks playing in
both the fall and mid-winter, coach Megan Smith
knows the impact of this
new facility.
"Having our own indoor
[facility] is unbelievable
for us because, obviously,

the last few days have been

chilly and we've been able
to get everything we need
to done," Smith said. "We
don't miss a beat with that
and are really lucky to have
a facility like that."
With the temperatures in
Lawrence hovering around
40 degrees in January and
February, the benefits are
huge for the Jayhawks and
their training staff. The Jayhawks may not play a home
game until March 11, but
when they come back from
three early season tournaments, spring will be right
around the corner.

KU womens basketball will focus on improving for the future in

the midst of Big 12 struggles
SEAN COLLINS
@seanzie_3

After a strong 4-2 start to

the season, a young, Brandon Schneider-led Kansas
women's basketball team
has fallen off, especially in
conference play. The Jayhawks have now lost eight
straight games, including six
games in conference play.
While losing streaks arent
fun for anyone, the young
team has been able to acquire crucial experience
while using conference play
as a chance to learn and
improve something veteran-led teams with higher
expectations, such as the
men's team at the University, aren't always able to
afford.
We've had a tough start.
I also think we have played
some of the better competition that we will face in the
league, Schneider said. I
think you have got to focus
on the next practice and the
next game, especially with
the team that we have.
Most of the losses in conference play have been
blowouts in favor of the
other team, but, to be fair,
the Jayhawks have faced

top-ranked competition, including a No. 4 Texas squad.

The Longhorns trounced
the Jayhawks 75-38, and
while blowouts are difficult
to swallow, Schneider has
managed to find a silver lining.
[We] use moments when
youre down by a significant
margin to continue to stay
focused and try to make the
next possession better than
the previous one, Schneider said.
A rotation like the one the
Jayhawks use, consisting of
mostly freshmen and sophomores, has made it difficult for Kansas to compete
against
more-developed
teams that have played together for a longer time. Ingame mistakes have come
plenty and Schneider attributes much of that to youth.
We get a little sped up
sometimes, and I really need
to stop saying that these are
youthful mistakes, but that
is the first thing that comes
to mind, Schneider said.
In their most recent outing, the Jayhawks lost to the
West Virginia Mountaineers
72-35, leaving them still
winless on the road. Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge
was the only player for the

MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge drives through the lane Sunday against Emporia State. The Jayhawks won 68-57.

Jayhawks to score in double-figures, with 10 points.

In the game, Schneider
played four freshmen for
a combined total of 90
minutes, nearly half of

the minutes logged for the

team. Youth makes up the
team, which may mean
more tough games for the
Jayhawks but also a lot of
learning experiences that

will make them an even better team by the end of the

season, and, perhaps more
importantly, going into upcoming seasons.
"Well, I think with this

particular team, regardless

of time or score, you have to
coach these young guys every possession, Schneider
said. Every opportunity is a
chance to get better.

MONDAY, JAN. 18, 2015

BACK TO
SCHOOL
KANSAN.COM

Tarik Black | pg. 8

Track & field | pg. 10

Dance auditions | pg. 6

RCIH recap | pg. 2

The Revenant | pg. 6

BACK TO SCHOOL

2B

KANSAN.COM

RCIH pushes for change through advocacy and demonstrations

LARA KORTE
@lara_korte

Last semester, a student-advocacy group called Rock

Chalk Invisible Hawk presented a list of demands to
the University to foster a more
diverse and inclusive campus.
From the steps of Wescoe
Hall to the late-night senate
meetings to the Chancellors
office, here is a recount of
RCIHs work from the fall
2015 semester.
Nov. 9 -#RockChalkInvisibleHawk speaks out
on Twitter
The University's Black Student Union began the meeting
with a discussion of discrimination in light of recent racially-charged events on University of Missouri and Yale
campuses. The organization
shared the experiences on social media, using the hashtag
#RockChalkInvisibleHawk,
which was created by a previous student about one year
ago.
One of the tweets read, We
have first hand accounts of derogatory statements happening right on campus at KU.
Nov. 11 - Town Hall
Meeting on Race, Respect
and Responsibility
On Nov. 11, in response to
the events and protests at the
University of Missouri and
Yale University, Chancellor
Bernadette Gray-Little held a
Town Hall meeting discussing
race, respect and responsibility.
After a few minutes of opening remarks, audience members were invited to speak.
For two hours, those seated
in the overflowing Woodruff
auditorium heard grievances,
suggestions and many stories
of discrimination.
One of those stories was
from BSU president Kynnedi
Grant. As Gray-Little began
to wrap up, Grant took to the
stage, accompanied by fellow
students dressed in all black
and holding signs that read I
Will Not Be Silenced, Black
Lives Matter and Im Not
Paco.
On stage, Grant recounted
her experience with a hate
crime. Grant and the others
onstage announced themselves to be a new group called
Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk
and presented a list of 15 demands aimed at the University administration.
The demands included consistent hiring of diverse faculty
and staff, mandatory intense
inclusion and belonging training for all levels of students,

staff, faculty and administration, and a thorough plan of

action from the University by
Jan. 19, 2016
We are here. We are aware.
We are powerful, and you cannot keep pushing us away,
said one member of the group
at the forum.
Nov. 11 - RCIH goes to
Senate
Later that evening, members of Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawk attended Student Senate Rights Committee. Members of the advocacy group
explained in further detail to
members committee their
15 demands presented at the
Town Hall meeting. Two of
the demands involved Student
Senate: immediate amendments to the Senate Election
Code and the establishment
of a Multicultural Student
Government independent of
Senate.
Although there was reluctance from certain senate
members, the evening ended
with the Rights committee
passing two resolutions: One
saying the Rights Committee
supports Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawks demands, and the other promising that full Senate
would see the first resolution
next week.
Nov. 13 - The Chancellor
Responds
Two days later, on Nov. 13,
Gray-Little issued a formal
response to the events of the
Town Hall Meeting. In the
message, the chancellor said
she was committed to making
the University a safe place for
everyone.
Diversity and equity are
foundational values for our
university. But as we heard
Wednesday, we are not living
up to these values. Not when
our own students, faculty and
staff feel unsafe or unwelcome on our campuses. We
can do better. We must do
better. And we will do better,
Gray-Little said in the release.
Nov. 13 - Senate Leadership gets a vote of no confidence
During its Nov. 13 meeting,
the Student Executive Committee passed a motion of no
confidence and called for the
resignations of Student Body
President Jessie Pringle, Student Body Vice President
Zack George and Chief of Staff
Adam Moon.
In a statement, the committee said it does not trust
the leadership of Pringle
or George because they did
not stand during the Town
Hall Meeting when audience

HANNAH BETTIS/KANSAN

members were asked to rise

and show solidarity for black
students. It also stated that
Adam Moon had attempted to
prevent discussion on these
matters, by trying to move
the time of the meeting. For
these reasons, the committee
called for the resignation of all
three officers.
The inaction of President
Pringle, Vice President George
and Chief of Staff Moon have
damaged the institution of the
Student Senate, and, most importantly, have failed to meet
the needs of our Black student
peers. Without the respect and
support of our Black student
peers, the student senate loses
its legitimacy as the student
voice, the statement said.
COURTNEY VARNEY/KANSAN

Nov. 16 - Senates 11-item

action plan
On Nov. 16, Student Senate
released an 11-item plan of
action to address the racially
charged discussions being led
by Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk.
Before listing items, the
statement affirmed that student senate is supportive of
the cause championed by
Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk.
Items included increasing
funding for the Office of Multicultural Affairs, working with
the Counseling and Psychological Services to increase resources for multicultural students and addressing guns on
campus. The plan was signed
by Pringle, George and Moon.
Nov. 18 - Senate moves
to impeach leadership
Despite requests from the
Student Executive Committee, Pringle, George and Moon
announce their refusals to
resign at the Nov. 18 meeting
of full senate. They said they
want to stay and help tackle
the issues presented by Rock
Chalk Invisible Hawk.
Shegufta Huma, vice president of University Senate and
a Student Senator, outlined a
bill of impeachment that was
served to Senate. The meeting
lasted six hours. Members of
Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk
spoke as well, explaining their
15 demands and taking questions from the audience.
By the end of the night, full
senate passed a resolution to
support the 15 demands after
the Rights Committee passed
it the previous week. Senate
also passed a bill to lower the
elections spending cap back
to $1,000, after it had been
raised to $2,000 earlier in the
semester. This was another
one of Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawks demands.
Nov. 24 - Creation of Di-

COURTNEY VARNEY/KANSAN

versity, and Inclusion advisory group

In a University-wide email,
interim Provost and Senior
Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Sara Rosen announced
the creation of the Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group.
In the email, Rosen said the
advisory group, which would
consist of students, faculty
and staff, would work to address key issues and concerns
integral to greater campus inclusion.
The group would address
several issues, including, but
not limited to, increasing hiring of diverse faculty and staff,
training and rehiring IOA
staff, implementing accountability measures and issuing a
climate survey.
Nov. 30 - Forums
Several schools within the
University hosted forums
to address diversity and inclusion following the events
of the Town Hall meeting.
These included the School of
Business and School of Edu-

CAROLINE FISS/KANSAN

JAMES HOYT/KANSAN

cation. However, the forum

that elicited the most student
response was hosted by the
School of Social Welfare on
Nov. 30.
Several members of Rock
Chalk Invisible Hawk are
students in the school of social welfare, and said they felt
that because the group was
advocating for issues of social
justice, the school should be
in full support of its actions.
At the time of the forum, the
school had issued no formal
statement aligning itself with
Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk.
During the forum, students
and faculty discussed areas for
improvement and also debated the role of the school when
it comes to racially-charged issues on campus. Several members of Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawk called the leadership of
School of Social Welfare Dean
Paul Smokowski into question
during the forum.
When will you be capable of
providing the leadership were
asking from you? Trinity Carpenter, a junior, asked Smokowski.
After the forum, Smokowski
said he was glad students had
a chance to voice their opinions.
"I think that our purpose was
to allow a space for students in
particular, faculty and staff to
talk about their experiences,
and I welcome that," Smokowski said. "And I think that
was very helpful for us to hear
and acknowledge."
Dec. 9 - One Last Rally
That morning, about 10
members of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk took to the hallways of Blake and Fraser halls,
walking unannounced into
classrooms and calling for
students to show their allyship
and join them on the steps of
Wescoe.
Were tired of silence from
administration. Weve been
waiting. Weve been getting
small responses. There's been
no action, no conversation
about what to do, how to go
forward with this with students and we are tired of
waiting on that, said Katherine Rainey, a member of Rock
Chalk Invisible Hawk.
The group then moved into
the office of School of Social
Welfare Dean Paul Smokowski, demanding that he send a
school-wide email calling for
support of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk.
By noon, a group of roughly
50 people had gathered on the
steps of Wescoe Hall, showing
their support for the group.
After an hour, the protest

had grown to over 100 people.

At 1:10 p.m. the group walked
to Strong Hall and into the
Chancellors office, where they
stayed for two hours speaking
with administrators.
Sarah Rosen, interim provost, Nate Thomas, vice provost for diversity and equity,
Tammara Durham, vice provost for student affairs and
Mary Lee Hummert, vice provost for faculty development
spoke with members of Rock
Chalk Invisible Hawk.
Discussions touched on
many of the same things
Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk
had been advocating for over
the past month. There were
conversations about climate
surveys, the student code of
conduct and banning Yik-Yak,
which has been used to post
racial slurs.
The sit-in ended with plans
for a continued discussion
with Rosen later that week,
capping off an emotional semester for all involved.
People see us as leaders and
as people that they trust to use
their voices, Kynnedi Grant, a
member of Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk, said. They trust
us to voice on behalf of them,
because they either cant physically do it themselves, theyre
not able, or they vocally cant
articulate what theyre experiencing. And its just the most
humbling thing to have people
that trust what youre saying
and trust that youre going to
be representative and inclusive all the time.

Dec. 11- Update on the

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board
Rosen released a list of student and staff members who
will help address issues of
marginalized students on
campus.
In the statement, Rosen said
the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board will have independence and flexibility to
identify and report new and
rising concerns, and provide
recommendations that lead
to a more supportive and respectful environment at KU.
The board is chaired by
Clarence Lang, Chair of the
Department of African & African-American Studies, and
Sheahon Zenger, Athletics
Director. The group also includes six staff members and
six students from a variety of
professions and diverse backgrounds.

BACK TO SCHOOL

KANSAN.COM

3B

SAMANTHA SEXTON/KANSAN

Art in Focus: Grace Pritchett, food photographer

SAMANTHA SEXTON
@Sambiscuit

Mayonnaise on a paint
spackle and potato salad spilled out on a picnic
blanket might not sound
like much in the way of art,
but University senior Grace
Pritchett may disagree.
With a bubbly personality
and an easy smile, however, it's easy to imagine her
making a sandwich on a
workbench in the hopes of
telling an ambiguous story.
I like to tell stories,
Pritchett, a student in the
art department with an
emphasis in photography,
said. But instead of telling
the whole story, I let the
viewer come to their own
conclusion as to just how
that sandwich ended up
there.
Pritchett, as an only
child, had little to distract
her from what she want-

ed, which turned out to be

taking pictures and making
messes in the kitchen.
My parents gave me
those
little
disposable
cameras to keep me busy,
Pritchett said. Ive always
been someone who would
run around taking pictures
of everything I saw, and I
think that it just grew from
there.
Pritchetts narrative style
has managed to garner her
a few hundred followers
on her Instagram account
and will hopefully land her
a position with a magazine
that shares her same artistic goals.
I like to keep things
random, but with a purpose, Pritchett said. I
love to make a mess but
make it look real. I did a
brunch gone wrong with
syrup
everywhere
and
what wouldve been a really attractive meal was all
messy."

She added: "I want the

viewer to look at it and say,
'Howd that happen?' Basically, I just want to make
people stop and think.
Kaitlin Obermeyer, a fellow photo major, says shes
learned a lot by watching
her friend develop artistically over the years.
The great thing about
being an art student is that
everyone around you has a
different style or perspective so its hard not to learn
from others, Obermeyer
said. But when Im looking
at Graces photos I always
admire her eye for detail.
Shes done a lot of styles,
but whatever it is shes
doing, you know it will be
done with purpose and very
meticulous attention to detail.
Even at the very edge of a
photo, each part of the image plays a role in telling,
or more accurately, asking
the question that Pritchett

901 Massachusetts St.

Lawrence, KS 66044
(785) 843-6360

wants the viewer to see.

Her current project, mixing
crime scene photography
mixed with food styling,
embodies this idea, telling a
story with every individual
piece.
Grace has two very different passions in food and
photography, Obermeyer
said. But shes managed to
combine those two to make
something really cool in her
work.
Pritchett said she loves
food as much as photography because she was taught
to cook by her mother, who
had in turn been taught by
her mother.
Cooking runs in my family, Pritchett said. I love
how cooking has the same
storytelling style that I use.
You start with ingredients
and step-by-step end up
with a new result.
Pritchett said she hopes to
go into food photography
professionally after school

and is even working on her

own cookbook of sorts.
When Im done with my
current project I want to
compile it all into a mock
cookbook,'
Pritchett
said. I like to include humor into my photos, so I
thought it would be funny
to take weird pictures and
add some text trying to explain how that pickle ended
up there or how to make a
sandwich on a workbench.
Obermeyer said having
seen Pritchett work since
their freshman year, she
cant wait to see how she
will make people think this
time.
Im really excited to see
her final project, Obermeyer said. Seeing her work
with her two passions and
knowing shell go somewhere crazy with it makes
me excited to see it.
Pritchett said she's still
looking into options for
when she's done with

school but hopes to land a

gig at a magazine focusing
on food photography. She
still agrees that, as an artist,
she should keep her options
open.
"I definitely think that
having an online presence
with blogs and Instagram
is very important for a new
artist," Pritchett said. "I'm
trying to build my brand
and while I hope to be a
food photographer with a
magazine, some people are
making some serious dough
online so I'll keep an eye on
that."
Online or in a magazine,
keeping an eye on where
Pritchett's work goes from
here could be interesting
just follow the trail of syrup
and whiskey.

CONCERT CALENDAR

WED. JANUARY 27
UPTOWN THEATER

SAT. JANUARY 30
UPTOWN THEATER

TUE. FEBRUARY 2
MADRID THEATRE

FRI. FEBRUARY 5
UPTOWN THEATER

WED. FEBRUARY 10
LIBERTY HALL

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

WED. FEBRUARY 17

SAT. FEBRUARY 20

WED. MARCH 16

WED. MARCH 23

UPTOWN THEATER

UPTOWN THEATER

MADRID THEATRE

UPTOWN THEATER

FRI. FEBRUARY 26

SUN. FEBRUARY 28

THU. MARCH 31

FRI. APRIL 8

MADRID THEATRE

UPTOWN THEATER

UPTOWN THEATER

LIBERTY HALL

SAT. MARCH 5

UPTOWN THEATER

TUE. APRIL 12

UPTOWN THEATER

THU. FEBRUARY 4 - MARROW W/ SIMA CUNNINGHAM

WED. FEBRUARY 10 - BLACK BREATH W/ THEORIES, TORN THE F**K APART & UBERFICKER
THU. FEBRUARY 25 - ANDERSON EAST W/ ANDREW COMBS
WED. MARCH 16 - BONGZILLA W/ BLACK COBRA, LO-PAN & AGAINST THE GRAIN
TUE. APRIL 12 - PENNY & SPARROW

M A M M OT H L I V E .CO M
T U S KO U T R E AC H .CO M

FOLLOW
MAMMOTH LIVE:

BACK TO SCHOOL

KANSAN.COM

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
University freshman Colin McLaughlin,left, plays with his band Shades of Blue. The blues-rock band recently released its debut album.

KU freshmans blues-rock band Shades of

Blue releases self-titled debut album
COURTNEY BIERMAN
@courtbierman

As a senior in high school,

Colin McLaughlin wanted to start a band, and he
didnt care what kind.
I just kind of wanted
to play some music, McLaughlin said. As long as
I had creative freedom to
do what I want to do, I was
really down for whatever.
I could have done strictly
blues. I could have done
straight, hard rock music.
As long as I had a say in our
creative process, I didnt really care what came out.
A University freshman,
McLaughlin is lead guitarist of Shades of Blue, a
blues-infused rock band
started last April with other Kansas residents. While
attending high school in
Lenexa, a friend introduced
McLaughlin to Christian
Sanchez. The two found
that they share a love of
blues and rock music, citing
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi
Hendrix, The Black Keys
and others as influences.

Shades of Blue's self-titled

album debuted last month.
We like all sorts of different genres of music, but for
some reason it just seems
like the whole core of music
is to speak to the emotions
that you cant really speak
in general, Sanchez said.
He quoted Aldous Huxley,
saying, After silence, that
which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible
is music.
Sanchez and McLaughlin agreed that blues was
the right genre to "portray a message." Together
McLaughlin and Sanchez,
with Sanchez acting as the
bands manager, recruited
bassist Tommy O'Halloran,
drummer Thomas Pribyl
and singer Alex Haywood,
who was a finalist in the KC
Superstar competition.
Shades of Blue recorded
its album with Kansas Citybased producer Christian
Horton. Everyone in the
band is a student, which
made scheduling a struggle, Sanchez said. The
band hit the studio four

weekends in a row, would

spend all day playing, and
then celebrate a hard days
work with a trip to Pepperjax.
All songs on Shades of
Blues ten-track album were
written by McLaughlin and
Sanchez. Sanchez is a fan of
folk music as well as blues,
and he tries to imitate the
storytelling quality of traditional folk songs with
tracks such as Soul Cancer, about becoming lost in
ones own misery, and Mr.
Afghan, from the perspective of a young boy whose
father is going off to war.
The songwriting process
usually starts when McLaughlin comes up with a
guitar riff and Sanchez begins writing lyrics. When
they feel like they have
something with potential,
they play it for their bandmates who help them finish
the song.
McLaughlin has been
playing guitar since elementary school. After quitting
his lessons and forgetting
about the instrument for a

few years, he picked it back

up four years ago and began teaching himself using
YouTube videos. He says
musician John Mayer was a
big influence on him during
this time, and he originally taught himself some of
Mayers songs to impress a
girl but then [fell] in love
with blues music because of
Mayers style.
Since Shades of Blues
founding, the group has
played live shows and open
mic nights at multiple venues in and around Kansas
City. The band is in talks to
play a Missouri Mavericks
hockey game and participate in battle of the bands
competitions at the Nelson-Atkins Museum and
at Rockhurst University,
where OHalleran and Pribyl are upperclassmen.
Live shows are one of McLaughlins favorite parts of
being in a band. He says he
loves the opportunity live
blues music gives him to
improvise.
A lot of blues is kind of
improvised and kind of on

feeling, so Im not worried

about trying to put something together and not mess
that up and worry about
doing exactly whats on paper, he said. I kind of just
go with what Im feeling.
And its kind of relieving,
just to be able to play and
not have to worry about
that.
Shades of Blues second
album is currently in the
works. McLaughlin and
Sanchez are writing, and recording is set to start in the
spring. McLaughlin is taking the lead on some of the
lyrics. He has high expectations for the sophomore
album.
I love the first album, but
I think its a great starting
point because we kinda
wed never really done this
before, and I think for our
first album its really good,
McLaughlin said. Not to
sound conceited or anything, but Im really proud
of what weve done.
After the second album is
released, the future of the
band is uncertain. Two of

its members, Sanchez and

Haywood, are still seniors
in high school. While Sanchez is planning to attend
the University next year
and room with McLaughlin, none of the members
are sure where theyre going to end up after graduating from their respective
schools.
"Im just kind of expecting that the band is going
to eventually break up because people are going to
leave, McLaughlin said.
My goal is I want to play as
many live shows as I possibly can before were done,
and get our music out there
as we can. I mean, this is my
first experience in a band
so Im just kind of feeling
it out, seeing what its all
about. And I think we can
do a lot.
Shades of Blues self-titled
album is available on Spotify and iTunes. Copies of
the album can also be purchased at live shows. More
information can be found
on the band's website,
shadesofbluekc.wix.com.

Check out these must-watch

TV shows for the new year
OSCAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez

Many of you may still be

sweating over what Claire
Underwood is capable of
heading into season four
of "House Of Cards." You
may still be recovering from
whatever
hallucinogens
seeped through your laptop keyboard as the cast of
"Orange Is the New Black"
splashed around the Litchfield pond in a euphoric, yet
dysfunctional attempt to
recreate the famed "Chariots of Fire" opening scene
with last summer's season
three finale.
But, nonetheless, 2016 is
here, so get it together. It's
time to break another sweat
and get in game shape before midterms with four
of the best shows on TV or
streaming that will leave
audiences craving for either
some of Chang's Frito Fritter's or a way to break out of
the encumbering madness
of the binge-watch.
"Master of None"
A carryover from 2015,
Netflix original "Master of
None" offers touching vignettes of the life of a com-

mercial actor in his early

30s, Dev, played by the
show's creator Aziz Ansari.
Dev, surrounded by a
group of quirky, socially-conscious friends along
with parents Ramesh and
Nisha, is faced with the proverbial fork in the road: either choose to stay the status
quo and keep with his mediocrity or challenge himself
to find love in the labyrinth
that is New York City, all
while uncovering hypocritical paradigms that brings
most of the charm and satire
in the show's 10-episode run
to light.
Series creator/head actor
Ansari successfully blends
current social issues such
as LGBT acceptance, racial
equality, and economic status with relatable anxieties many young adults face
in the everyday life such as
intimacy, friendship and
parenthood.
Nominated for a Golden Globe and two Critics
Choice TV awards, this revitalizing take on modern
insecurities deserves a full
look before a second season
comes around the corner.
"Transparent"
Staying on the subject of

modern insecurities, Amazon Prime's "Transparent"

successfully takes what
would be a cheap ploy and
evolves the show into a
self-realizing, progressive
piece non-complacent with
the simple laugh track.
The show focuses on the
patriarch of the family,
Mort Pfefferman, played by
Jeffrey Tambor, as he transitions into the matriarch
Maura. Maura, left to take
on her superficial L.A family, is cleverly positioned by
show creator Jill Soloway as
a catalyst capable of transitioning the audience itself
into buying into her and her
family's strife while actualizing the future family archetype.
Already capped off with a
full season two available for
streaming, a third installment will come sometime in
2016, according to Cinema
Blend. "Transparent" has
25 recognized wins out of
37 nominations, catapulting
Amazon Studios as a viable
competitor in the television
market.
"Making a Murderer"
As if the current tensions
between the justice system
and civilians was ever more

JORDAN STRAUSS/AP PHOTO

Aziz Ansari arrives at the 73rd annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

charged, Netflix's "Making a Murderer" slides in

just before the end of 2015
and cranks up the heat to a
scathing high.
The subject of the 10-part
documentary, the now-poster child for future college
law lectures Stephen Avery,
is based upon a man once
wrongfully convicted of rape
and murder. Avery, who
sues the justice department
for mishandling his case, is
found a prime suspect in the
disappearance and murder
of one Teresa Halbach.
While the documentary
has had its controversy due
to the use of editing and
cinematic landscaping that
puts the audience behind
Stephen Avery, it is a rare

vehicle that manifests a side

to the story for the convicted that one rarely sees. It
successfully uses gripping,
emotional storytelling that
has its seeds in classic, fictionalized films such as "To
Kill a Mockingbird" and "12
Angry Men" that pierces the
hearts of many even today.
"Vinyl"
A wild card pick, as its first
season is set for this Valentine's Day, HBO's "Vinyl" is
poised to make major headway for the rock-'n-roll television genre.
Based around a fictionalized 1970's record label
facing boom or bust, show
creator and one-man mob
squad Martin Scorsese

partnered with writer Terence Winter ("Wolf of Wall

Street," "Boardwalk Empire") and Mick Jagger as
executive producer to create
a juggernaut a show capable of waiting at your doorstep with a pack of blow and
Hardballer tucked into its
breast pocket, ready to make
you swallow your teeth and
forget your morning breakfast.
Bobby Cannavale, Olivia
Wilde, and Ray Romano are
the tip of the iceberg for the
deep "Vinyl" call sheet, one
already dripping in brio and
strutting vivacity, making it
the head of the table as far as
hot TV commodities go.

ARTS & CULTURE

McGough: Strong cast carries

The Revenant to greatness

KANSAN.COM

Rogers: Embrace
the return of LCD
Soundsystem
JARRET ROGERS
@JarretRogers

AP PHOTO
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in The Revenant, a film based on legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass.

CAMERON MCGOUGH
@cammcgough

There aint no mountain

high enough and there aint
no valley low enough to
keep Hugh Glass (Leonardo
DiCaprio) from getting his
sweet, sweet revenge. After
all, revenant means one
that returns after death or
a long absence. If anything
is going to stop Glass, it isnt
death.
The film is set in the
Great Plains of the late-19th
century. Its based on the
true story of Hugh Glass, a
trapper, as he bests harsh
conditions and even death
in order to find and kill the
man responsible for his
sons murder. Unending,
rapid-fire intensity lingers
throughout the entirety of
the film, directed by Alejandro G. Iarrit. Its quite
difficult to break eye contact with the screen as the
breathtaking locations and
top-notch acting provide an
incredible feast for the eyes.
Yet, the many gruesome
moments of painstakingly

realistic blood and gore may

prove enough to turn more
than a few heads. Alas, this
is a film of great beauty with
unapologetic stakes.
We first find DiCaprio
as he tiptoes along a plaintive stream with a gun in
hand, pursuing what appears to be his next meal.
His grungy, unkempt look
starkly contrasts from the
usual pretty boy aesthetic
in most of his other movies. The first words uttered
in the film require subtitles
because the beginning script
is in another Native American language. English and
French become integrated
in soon after, though. This
film has little dialogue and
relies heavily on the incredible nonverbal performances
of its cast, led by DiCaprios
physically demanding role.
The real work for DiCaprio begins when his character crosses paths with a
ticked off momma bear,
which doesnt end very well
for him. Even though he
pulls off an amazing feat by
killing the bear with a cou-

Academy Award Nominations

for The Revenant:
Best motion picture of the year
Actor in a leading role (Leonardo
DiCaprio)
Actor in a supporting role (Tom

ple, well-placed stabs to its

jugular, they both tumble
down a hill. As luck would
have it, the grizzly makes a
nice landing directly over
Glasss freshly clawed and
bitten body. His wounds
prove severe, leaving him
immobile and mute.
From this moment on,
Glass just cant catch a
break. His son is murdered
by a man responsible for
caring for him, he is left
for dead by the same man,
and he narrowly escapes a
tribe of Native Americans
multiple times. On one occasion, his horse runs off
a cliff, carrying him along.
Having survived the fall, he
then removes the innards
of the lifeless horse carcass
and climbs right inside like
a sleeping bag in order to
withstand the harsh winter
conditions. It bears a striking similarity to Star Wars
Episode V: Return of the
Jedi when Han Solo cuts
open a dead tauntaun and
inserts an unconscious Luke
Skywalker in order to shield
him from the unforgiving

Hardy)
Achievement in cinematography
Achievement in costume design
Achievement in directing
Achievement in film editing
Achievement in makeup and hair-

cold on the planet Hoth.

This is a film that could
have easily been executed
poorly. With little dialogue
and a plot driven by nonverbal actions, a less satisfactory cast could have
clumsily removed the power
and intent present from the
talents of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall
Gleeson and others. Iarrit and director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki
have proved to be a dynamic
duo first evident in their
last film Birdman and
even more apparent in The
Revenant. This is a film at
its finest from beginning to
end. Its well worth to see in
theaters. Iarrit has managed to pull off something
that is as unrelentingly entertaining and intense as
it is moving, beautiful and
artistic.
5 out of 5 stars.

styling
Achievement in production design
Achievement in sound editing
Achievement in sound mixing
Achievement in visual effects

In bands, we see something that tends to be more

than just a couple of people banging on some fancy
sound makers. In our favorites, we see something
like a best friend, someone
who was there through
that bad break-up or when
a close family member
passed.
But, what do we do
when one of our favorites
says theyre going away
forever? This is what I
was faced with in 2011
when LCD Soundsystem
announced they were disbanding. Lead man James
Murphy had had enough of
the band and was ready to
move on. No bad wounds
that needed healing just
a natural cycle of life. It was
understandable but heartbreaking.
I was five years old when
LCD Soundsystem came
out and nine when the first
song of theirs I heard, Daft
Punk Is Playing at My
House, came out. I wasnt
there to see them in person
or grow with their music. I
hopped on the bandwagon
too late, and it was all coming to an end, leaving only
past records.
The years went by and
little was heard from the
group. Rumors of reunions
surfaced here and there,
but nothing ever proved
true.
Then, they released
a Christmas song in December. Then there was
a rumor about Coachella,
followed by a confirmation. And then, what we
all thought was going to
happen was official: LCD
Soundsystem was back
for good. There is going to

be new music and more

shows.
The return was tossed
back and forth by fans,
some happy and others not
so happy. Some people felt
betrayed, like Murphy had
lied to them and that he
was going against his word.
And he is, but thats okay.
I say all this selfishly,
of course. I want to experience what this group has
in them after four years
of silence. But on a less
selfish note, I want people
my age that missed LCD
Soundsystem the first time
to experience them this
time.
A band of Soundsystems popularity and age
will never be the leading
voice of this generation in
music, but what they can
become is a band this generation will learn to look up
to.
After the passing of David Bowie, we saw an outcry of support from people
across all age groups. People largely admired the legend, no matter what race
or background, because he
made music that unified
all. His music was for anyone and everyone willing
to listen. LCD Soundsytem
isnt Bowie; no one is. They
are unifying, though. They
make music that diverse
groups of people can listen to and appreciate on
multiple levels and for that
they should be praised in
their comeback. The band
is not just returning to me
or other fans. Theyre returning to the world. Their
new music can now reach
the ears of thousands who
have never heard of the
group.
LCD Soundsystem is
back, and it can be your
new best friend.

TV Stock Market: NBC rises while Comedy Central falls

OMAR SANCHEZ
@OhMySanchez

Now more than ever,

dedicated fans of television
are facing a critical window
of opportunity to try and
latch onto the next hottest
and most talked about drama, comedy, news, or reality shows before anyone
else.
The final season of
AMCs Mad Men was a
safe, secure hit, while Making a Murderer on Netflix
blew viewers out of the water without a split second of
preparation.
To be the first among
your friend group to know

everything there is to know

about the best upcoming
content, follow closely with
the TV Stock Market and be
ahead of the latest trends.
Take a crack at it; try and
sell high on by-gone networks and shows, but buy
low on sneaky good television that will have the best
Stock Market connoisseurs
ahead of the game.
NBC: Trending UP
Ahh, Jennifer Lopez is at
it again. With the surprisingly successful premiere
of the new crime drama
Shades of Blue as part of
NBCs Thursday night slate
on January 7th, the revival

of NBC primetime television finally has some signs

of life after several recent
failures tainted their image.
Among them were the convoluted, high-roller crime
drama The Player and the
continuing sad attempt to
dip into the old pot of gold
with Heroes Reborn.
While Shades of Blue
doesnt exactly have the
Empire grit to lift an entire network out of the ashes, NBC can round out their
schedule with new variety
show Little Big Shots, a
childrens talent competition spearheaded by both
Ellen DeGeneres and Steve
Harvey, along with a fresh,

original series directed by

the highly-touted Michael
Pearlman
(Chopped,
Project Runway). First
Dates, which will center
around various real-life interactions in the 60-minute
format, will offer a voyeuristic look at a variety of
real first dates happening
throughout one night at the
same restaurant, according to the shows info page.
PBS: Trending
DOWN
Alright, lets not act like
the last time many have
watched PBS was in the
heyday of Sesame Street
and Arthur, but for the

Studios; 1-, 2-, & 3-bedrooms

A fitness center. Two pools.
Several KU bus stops.
Amenities to support your
active lifestyle.

www.meadowbrookapartments.net
Bob Billings Pkwy @ Crestline, next to KU 785-842-4200

older audience, Downton Abbey was a haven

for spunky aristocrats and
too-good-to-be-true British
accents.
With the series finished
and firmly cemented as
PBSs crown jewel in the
last decade, PBS President
Paula Kerger is scraping for
stories of a similar ilk. Civil
War hospital drama Mercy Street came in Downtown Abbeys coat tails.
While some early returns
are giving Mercy Street
very respectable reviews
it premieres on January
17th the underwhelming
PBS slate for 2016 proves
its riding largely on its success, which spells trouble for the hit-or-miss
network.
HBO: Trending
UP
HBO is booming,
and I mean booming.
HBO, for premium
television watchers out
there, has been swinging for the fences with
a bevy of originals and
news programs and
hitting them out of the
park like a seasoned
slugger.
Early 2016 will be no
different: sports journalisms biggest free
agent Bill Simmons
signed on and has begun the building of a
new sports and pop culture empire with television content slated to
come around March;
Martin Scorsese comes
in with the help of (like
he needs it) legendary
writer Terence Winter
(Wolf of Wall Street,
Boardwalk Empire)
to launch the brand
new drama Vinyl, that

has critics raving even with

a month left until its premiere; then theres Westworld, developed by Johnathon Nolan, the brother of
acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. Westworld
very well might surpass the
over-the-top mind blows
that Christophers film Inception delivered in 2010.

Comedy Central:
Trending DOWN
While remnants of the
audience are still there,
marketing to the inappropriate, edgy teenager isnt
as hot as in years past. Flagship shows such as Workaholics and Tosh.0 have
simply sputtered to regain
momentum with the 1849 demographic, hovering
around subpar rating averages in the .5-.7 range.
It doesnt help that John
Stewart and Stephen Colbert jumped ship in the last
year. With replacements
Larry Wilmore and Trevor
Noahs hot starts now fizzling out, Comedy Central
has to try to take a stab at a
new creative approach soon
for the network not to fall
eternally in the shadows of
MTV.
Shows such as Nathan
For You and the angsty,
preteen
gospel
South
Park are capable enough
to keep them afloat for the
time being, but what will
continue to hurt them is
the flow of comedy content
heading online. The truth of
the matter is that comedy is
ideal for the perfect binge
watch, and with four of the
six Golden Globe nominations for Best Television
Series: Musical or Comedy
coming from Hulu, Amazon
Prime, or Netflix, its hard
to refute.

#ONE

STOP

SHOP

School
Supplies Sale
Jan 11-31

20 - 30% OFF
SELECT SUPPLIES
In store only. Limited quantities available.

The ONLY Store Giving Back to KU.

SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

Chasen: Former Jayhawk Tarik Black making

strides in the NBA as a leader
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

ven though
he only called
Lawrence
home for one
year, Los Angeles Lakers
big man Tarik Black certainly made his mark at
the University. And that
mark wasnt just shown on
the court which is where
Black started several games
only to eventually lose his
spot to a talented freshman
named Joel Embiid.
Instead, Black left his
mark on the team through
leadership, something often overlooked as class
after class of new players
comes in, showcasing their
unique skill sets and winning over the hearts of the
Kansas-faithful with flashes of athleticism, shooting
and the occasional Mailman-style, hand-behindthe-head dunk.
But to Black, leadership
was part of the skill set,
and that is not something
that has dropped off as he
has spent time in both the
NBA with the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers and NBA

D-League with the Los

Angeles D-Fenders.
Its a real pleasure to
coach him. Hes got a great
personality, and I think
it shows on the floor,
said Casey Owens, Blacks
D-League coach. When
hes off [the court], he is an
outstanding teammate
very vocal, incredibly encouraging and supportive.
Since getting to the NBA,
Black said he feels his game
has definitely developed.
He was undrafted in 2014,
before finding a home on
the Houston Rockets. After getting waived later in
the season, he was grabbed
by the Los Angeles Lakers,
where he finished out the
year.
With the Lakers, Black
averaged more than seven
points and six rebounds
per game as a rookie. That
NBA season, Kentucky
product Nerlens Noel was
the only other first-year
player to put up those
numbers. And since that
time, Black has only gotten
better.
[My game has matured]
a lot. And its not even just

STEVE WILSON/AP PHOTO

Los Angeles Lakers center Tarik Black (28) dunks the ball
late in the second half of an NBA basketball game against
the Utah Jazz Jan. 16 in Salt Lake City. The Jazz won 10982.

my game. Its my mentality toward the game, Black

said. How confident I am
and the way I play nowadays Ive matured a lot.
As to what specifically
Black has done to develop, he talked about slowing himself down and maturing as a player. That's
a part of the reason hes
been fairly successful in
the NBA, at least for a player who spent four years at
the college level. However,
off the court, theres something else that has helped
him stick around in the
league and something that
helped him earn a shot in
the first place: Leadership.
I have this leadership
quality that, whether Im
older or younger than you,
[Ill try to] motivate you
and push you to be the
best you can be, Black
said. Thats me naturally. Whether Im with [the
D-Fenders] or Im with the
Lakers even when I was
with Houston Im just
that type of person.
Black is one of the most intelligent basketball players
in the league. Like LeBron
James, he can recall statistics and plays from games
that happened days and, in
some cases, weeks earlier
though thats where the
comparisons between the
two players end.
But with Black, it isnt
just basketball knowledge.
Black was able to transfer from the University of
Memphis to Kansas without sitting out a year because he had completed
his undergraduate degree
by the time his fourth and
final year of eligibility began.
And after spending a year
at Kansas, Black has returned to Lawrence, taking some classes over the
summer. He plans on getting his master's degree
from the University, which
would make him one of the
few professional athletes
let alone professional athletes under 25 with that
distinction.
Few are wired like Tarik
Black. Few get to the point
where he is and still want
to keep learning, but that's
who he is. That's what
makes him different.
Black and his coach arent
the only ones noticing his
intelligence and vocal leadership. Blacks teammates
feel the same way.
Hes always talking to
guys, trying to figure things
out during the game and
trying to communicate,
Los Angeles Lakers forward Ryan Kelly said.
Thats one of his best attributes.
Kelly and Owens reiter-

MENS AND WOMENS

ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Freshman center Joel Embiid high fives teammate senior forward Tarik Black during the
game on Friday, Nov. 22 in Allen Fieldhouse where Kansas defeated Towson 88-58.

ated and complimented

Blacks professionalism in
bouncing between the NBA
and D-League, something
many players have struggled with. However, Black
didn't take too much credit
for that. Instead, he said he
really didn't see too much
of an adjustment in fitting
in.
It doesnt take me any
time at all. I feel like my
back and forth my swing
has been pretty fluent,
Black said.

Basketball is
b a s ke t b a l l
As long as its
still a 10-foot
hoop and 94
feet of floor,
Im good.
Basketball is basketball.
As complex as the game
can seem at times, Black
seems to have his side of
it figured out. Odds are,
hes not going to become
the next Charles Barkley,
Wes Unseld or even Zach
Randolph or whichever
name of a great, undersized big man you care to
throw out.
But that doesnt mean he
isnt valuable, especially in
how professional hes been
embracing his role, which
dates back to college.
Black began his lone season at Kansas as a starter,
but he would not retain
that role for long. Embiid
developed at an unexpected rate, pulling off moves
like the dream shake in
just his 10th game at the
college level. And since

Black has moved on, that

rapid development hasnt
quite materialized for Kansas with the freshmen big
men that have joined the
program.
Last year, a freshman Cliff
Alexander struggled to get
things figured out, as it
seemed Kansas coach Bill
Self never really got to the
point where he was comfortable playing him for extended stretches.
Meanwhile, nearly half
way through this college
basketball season, freshman Cheick Diallo is still
trying to earn playing time
in a fairly deep Kansas
frontcourt, though Diallo is
much more raw than Alexander was as a freshman.
Still, Embiid definitely deserves a lot of credit
for separating himself so
quickly, but Black's presence almost certainly had
an effect on him as well.
After all, assistant coach
Norm Roberts told Rustin
Dodd of the Kansas City
Star that Black was the
"best teammate ever."
Later, Byron Scott, the
current coach of the Los
Angeles Lakers, referred
to Black as very intelligent,
while noting he has the
ability to elevate the play of
everyone else on the court,
according to ESPN's Baxter
Holmes.
It's very possible quite
likely in fact that Black's
level of intelligence and intensity, especially in practice, was something that
pushed Embiid to reach the
heights he did.
After all, despite injury
concerns, Embiid was selected third in the 2014
NBA Draft, falling behind
one of his Kansas team-

mates in Andrew Wiggins,

in addition to another
freshman phenom in Jabari Parker, something no
one expected of Embiid
coming into the year.
Embiid was supposed to
be a two-year project, and
really, that was an optimistic view. Instead, he
became a presence on both
sides of the court, which
led some, including CBS
Sports Zach Harper, to
suggest he should even be
selected with the top pick
in the draft.
Simply put, Embiid deserves a huge amount of
credit for his own development. He put in the work
to get better, and it really
started to click for him.
However, one would have
to imagine his path would
be a little bit different without Black working with and
facing off against him in
practice every day.
And for that, the next step
for Black seems pretty logical. After Black's playing
career wraps up, it seems
like a coaching position
would suit him nicely. After all, "the best teammate
ever" couldn't really be a
detriment to a coaching
staff.
However, for the foreseeable future, that's not
Black's plan.
I dont ever see myself
coaching. I know I can
definitely be a great coach
though, Black said. There
are just some other things I
want to get involved with.

SPORTS

KANSAN.COM

JAMES HOYT/KANSAN

Daily Debate: Should KU be ranked No. 2 this week?

NICK GEIDNER
@nickgeidner

Yes
For the third consecutive year the Kansas
Jayhawks lost to the
West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown. Only this time,
the Jayhawks had more
at stake, as they were
ranked the No. 1 overall
seed for the first time
this season.
After a stormed court
and a disappointing exit
for the Jayhawks, many
Kansas fans are left on
the edges of their seats,
fearing the team will
drop back down in the
polls after being No. 1
for just one short week.
But that isn't necessarily going to happen.
Coming into the game
against TCU, the Jayhawks were averaging
the fourth-most points
per game in all of Division I with 86.8. A lot

of that can be credited

to the volume of pure
shooters on the team,
as the Jayhawks are
ranked second in three
point shooting team in
Division I with a percentage of .449.
What makes this team
so great is the depth of
players Kansas coach
Bill Self has to work
with. With Perry Ellis
returning for his senior season and Wayne
Selden Jr. and Frank
Mason III each returning for their junior seasons, Self doesn't need
to rely on his freshmen
to get the job done.
Perry Ellis has been
outstanding for the
Jayhawks so far this
season. Not only is his
presence in the paint a
big factor in the team's
success but also his
dramatically-improved
shooting ability, as he
is shooting an unbelievable .520 from beyond
the arc.
Other players shooting

well from beyond the

arc are Kansas' three
starting guards: Selden,
Mason and sophomore
point guard Devonte
Graham, who each give
Kansas many valuable
minutes game after
game. Mason can be a
force in all areas of the
game, while Graham
is more of a true point
guard.
Meanwhile,
Selden is having the
breakout season many
thought he would have
last year.
And about halfway
through the season,
and still fairly early in
conference play, Kansas has proven to be
deserving of a top-two
ranking in the nation,
with Oklahoma occupying the top spot, at least
for now.
Kansas is too good of a
squad to fall, especially
given the No. 3 and No.
4 teams in the nation
both lost. And that's the
bottom line.

JOSH MCQUADE

@L0neW0lfMcQuade

No
After a crushing defeat to
the West Virginia Mountaineers and a somewhat
shaky showing against the
TCU Horned Frogs, the
Kansas Jayhawks havent
looked the part of the No.
1 team in the nation.
The Jayhawks held the
top ranking within both
the AP and Coaches Polls,
but the Jayhawks are no
longer in the position to
hold that spot, and its
definitely fair to suggest
they should drop a bit
more than one place.
After all, Kansas has
lost to two out of the five
ranked teams they have
played this year, with one
of the three wins coming
in a triple overtime win.
Right now, Kansas is very
good but not best-teamin-the-country good.
The Kansas offense is
thought to be one of the

best in the nation; however, its far from perfect.

The Jayhawks average
12.1 turnovers per game,
which is fine, but it also
barely ranks within the
top 100 in the nation. And
defensively, Kansas ranks
ninth in KenPom adjusted
defense a really strong
mark but some of the
other stats tell a different
story.
The Jayhawks are ranked
96th in the nation when
it comes to scoring defense (points allowed).
Kansas allows 67.5 points
per game, playing against
an easier schedule than
in years past; Kansas has
faced off against 11 unranked teams to date.
And all of these things
may seem really picky,
but thats where it has to
be when youre talking
about the a top two team
in the nation.
Every Kansas starter
shoots above 40 percent
from the field. The team
has four players averaging
double digits in scoring,

and ranks in the top five

as a team in points per
game. The Jayhawks are
ranked in the top 15 in
both adjusted offense and
defense, per KenPom, and
have depth that extends
further than just about
any team in the nation.
However, there are other teams that deserve a
shot. Oklahoma should be
the obvious No. 1, while
North Carolina has won
nine games in a row. After
dropping a game, Maryland looked dominant in
its dismantling of Ohio
State, while Xavier still
sits with just one loss on
the year.
Its close right now, but
Kansas has to fall outside
the top two. That doesnt
mean a return trip to No.
1 status isnt in the cards,
and it certainly doesnt
mean a Big 12 Championship and one-seed in the
NCAA Tournament isnt
going to happen or is even
all that unlikely.

Kansas swimming struggles in southern Florida to begin 2016

ERIK NELSON
@erikthefan

To begin the 2015-16

season, the Kansas swimming team won four out of
its first five meets. However, when the calendar year
flipped from 2015 to 2016,
the team hasn't found that
same success. Kansas lost
three of its first four meets
in the new calendar year,
and has won only four out
of 32 events.
On Jan. 8, the team faced
the Florida International
Panthers and North Carolina State Wolfpack in
a double duel at the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center
in Miami, Fla., the home
pool of Florida international. Kansas three
meet-winning
streak

came to an end that day.

The hosts, Florida International, defeated Kansas
by a score of 150.5-148.5;
North Carolina State won
by a score of 161-119.
Kansas won just two
out of the 16 total events.
Freshman Haley Bishop
won the 100 yard butterfly
with a time of 55.81 seconds, while sophomore
Madison Straight won
the 400 yard individual
medley with a time of four
minutes, 24 seconds, and
51 milliseconds. North
Carolina state won the
first 10 events, and Florida International won
four after Kansas won two
straight.
It was a humbling experience, said head coach
Clark Campbell in a KU

athletics press release. "To

practice the back-to-back
racing is really important
as we look ahead to the
Big 12 Conference meet."
Campbell added: "Today
was not a shining moment, but we have another opportunity to put this
race out of our minds and
go for it again tomorrow.
This time of the year the
results can be volatile, you
just kind of live and learn.
The next day, Jan. 9, Kansas split its double dual
meet against the Miami
Hurricanes and Rutgers
Scarlet Knights, which
took place at the Norman
Whitten Pool in Coral Gables, the home pool of the
Hurricanes.
Kansas fell to Miami 178120, but were victorious

against Rutgers 176.5123.5.

However, just like the
previous meet, the team
won just two events. The
A relay team of Bishop,
juniors Yulia Kuchkarova
and Pia Pavlic, and senior Bryce Hinde, won the
opening event of the meet,
the 400 yard medley relay.
Bishop, Hinde, Kuchkarova and Pavlic teamed up
to record a time of three
minutes, 50 seconds, and
eight milliseconds. Bishop
won Kansas other event
of the meet, the 50 yard
freestyle, recording a time
of 23.98 seconds.
"Today was a little better
than yesterday, but still
not great," Campbell said
in another KU athletics
press release. "Now they

ALEX ROBINSON/KANSAN
Swimmers prepare to start the backstroke.

know exactly where they

are race wise because
they hadn't raced for a
few weeks until this weekend. The next challenge is
to start relating training
to what we are doing in
competition. So now they
know exactly where they
are and what they need to
work on."

Kansas next meet is on

Jan. 23 against Morningside College, Tabor College, and William Jewell
College. Kansas defeated
William Jewell on Dec. 4.
The meet will begin at 10
a.m. at Robinson Natatorium, and it has been designated as Club Day.

Brew: A look inside the secrecy of winter meetings

MATT HOFFMANN
@MattHoffmannUDK

Question: What do two

different Marriott Hotels
in Nashville and Baltimore
have to do with a Four
Seasons Resort in Dallas
other than both costing
$150 per night at the low
end and carrying an average 4.2 out of 5 rating?
Answer: Major sports executives
With three of Americas
top professional sports on
offseason hiatus, a new
and different season begins. It takes place behind
closed doors, hidden from
the public eye inside the
finest hotels Nashville,
Baltimore and Dallas have
to offer.
In terms of secrecy, win-

ter meetings generally fall

somewhere between the
porous Keeping up with
the Kardashians and
cryptic election of a new
Pope. With the advent of
social media and new
age reporting, nothing
is truly secret and winter
meetings will never be the
clandestine operations of
the past. However that
doesnt mean the mystery
surrounding the wealthiest men in sports meeting
has faded.
Winter meetings are like
a car accident on the side
of the road you cant
help but turn your head to
look, regardless of if you
know every detail about
the crash or none at all.
For reference, the NFL
winter meetings which

are technically owners'

meetings that take place
regularly throughout the
year and change location
from time to time are
hosted at the Four Seasons
in Irving, Texas. At the
meetings, there are a litany
of items on the late night
dining menu, including an
8 oz. black angus burger,
chicken tortilla soup and
gluten-free chocolate truffle cake. Meanwhile, if you
went down for late night
food at Oliver Hall, lets say
at 1 a.m., you might find
the remnants of a crunchy
chicken cheddar wrap.
The scariest part for
NFL/MLB/MLS fans is
that league owners decide
some of the most important facets of their favorite
sports over secret 1 a.m.

steak dinners, not on the

field.
Its not too hard to envision NFL commissioner
Roger Goodell sitting in
one of those meetings at
the head of a very long
meeting table, addressing
a vote as to which NFL
franchise(s) will be ripped
up from their current fanbase and transported to
LA.
Spoiler alert: In this case,
its the St. Louis Rams
and maybe the San Diego
Chargers.
In 2012 the average income for a St. Louis family was $52,343, according
to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That same St. Louis family could afford to
stay at the Four Seasons
resort for about half a

year, if they didnt eat or

have any other expenses
besides the room. In comparison, Roger Goodell
could afford to stay at the
Four Seasons every day for
378 years just based off his
2012 earnings.
Lets take a look at the
MLS, which is hosting
winter meetings in conjunction with the 2016
MLS SuperDraft. The
Baltimore Marriott Inner
Harbor at Camden Yards
holds a 4.1 out of 5 star
rating and is presumably
where the Chicago Fire entertained offers for its No.
1 overall selection which it
effectively traded to New
York City FC.
As far as the MLB goes,
players are routinely traded and signed throughout

a four-day period of winter

meetings which happened
this year at the Gaylord
Opryland Resort, a fourstar hotel with the lowest
user-reviewed rating of the
group at 3.9/5.
Images of grand hotels,
idling black escalades and
expensive steak dinners
lend themselves to fortune
500 company board meetings more than games that
are supposed to be decided
on effort and talent.
Next time you or someone you know fires off a
tweet, text or post that
the [insert sport here] is
rigged, think back to images of the Four Seasons
Resort and 1 a.m. steak
dinner meetings and know
they may not be that far
off.

BACK TO SCHOOL

10B

KANSAN.COM

KU track and field picks up two wins over winter

break, including Sunflower State Triangular

KELCIE MATOUSEK/KANSAN
Freshman Sharon Lokedi hurries downhill as she leads the last leg of the womens race at the Rim
Rock Classic.

GRIFFIN HUGHES
@GriffinJHughes

Kansas track and fields

first meet of the 2015-16
indoor season in early December kicked off a season

of high expectations for

coach Stanley Redwines
team.
After one month off, the
Jayhawks returned to Anschutz Sports Pavilion with
the same high expectations;

high expectations that they

met with flying colors in the
two meets of early 2016.
On Jan. 8, Kansas returned
to competition in the Bill
Easton Classic.
The Jayhawks won 22

events, including 15 out

of 19 on the womens side.
The women won 11 out of
12 events on the track, anchored by the All-American
Sydney Conley and breakout runner Zainab Sanni.
Conley won the long jump
in one attempt after she
jumped 6.02 meters. Then
the two faced off in the final of the 60 meter, an
event which Sanni won by
one-hundredth of a second.
Sanni also ran the second
leg in the 4x400-meter relay, which Kansas won.
On the men's side, Tre
Daniels set a personal best
in the 200 meters for the
second time this season.
The sophomore is one of
the athletes who will have
to step up on the track in
the absence of Michael Stigler, who essentially provided an automatic win
every time he competed.
Daniels senior teammate
Drew Matthews also set a
personal best in the event.
Anastasiya
Muchkayev
also picked up a victory in

-&./%+"%,.0""1

BRING THIS AD IN TO RECEIVE A BACK TO SCHOOL BUNDLE!

the meet. The senior from

Israel dominated the shot
put once again with a throw
distance of 14.49 meters.
Kansas saw its first true
Division I competition of
the season a week later,
competing in the KU-KSUWSU Triangular at the Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The
Jayhawks picked up another win in the second annual
Sunflower State Triangular, helped along by a truly
dominating performance by
Daina Levy.
Levy set a career best and
NCAA-leading mark in
the weight throw. She was
one of six athletes or relay
teams to set a mark in the
top 10 in the country this
year. On top of that, she has
three of the ten best weight
throws in Kansas history.
Nicolai Ceban, a sophomore from Moldova, also
set his personal best in the
shot put, out throwing the
field by over eight feet.
Daniels and Drew Matthews continued their early season success in the

4x400-meter relay, helping Kansas to a big win in

the event. Brandon Bernal
picked up an individual win
in his second straight competition, this time in the
1,000 meters.
Sharon Lokedi, Kansas'
strongest cross country
runner, picked up a win in
her first event of the indoor
season, finishing the mile in
under five minutes. Nashia
Baker and Jacob Morgan
also picked up individual
distance wins.
The big performance in the
Sunflower State Triangular
marked the first time Kansas saw a field of Division I
competition after the Jayhawks previous two meets
featured small schools and
community colleges. After
one of its more successful
seasons in recent memory
last year, Kansas track and
field seems to be getting off
on the right foot to start the
2015-16 campaign.

BUNDLE INCLUDES
3-RING BINDER, PAPER,
ROCKLAND WEST
HIGHLIGHTER, USB HUB
& COFFEE CUPS

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

;<&0=%><;?@AB<C%D0EFG?E8<%H%A,A>BI<;B8%/%,>J@AB<%8GEBB0<%B?%DAI,E8%
<K,A;C<C%LJB;<88%D<;B<>%/%;<&%FE8J;<88%D<;B<>%/%BG<AB<>%>??I%&JBG%MAI<%0?E;M<

!"#$%&'()*+,-./#"0121345/467/4589121!"#$%&'()%*!)+%,-.%/%0123'45'6%78%99#!:

4740 Bauer Farm Drive

6th St. & Wakarusa Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66049

STORE HOURS
7am - 10pm everyday

*Discount not valid on beer, wine or gi cards. Discount cannot be combined with any other promotional activity or case savings.
8070