THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2007
NEWS
3A
>> RIVALRY
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CURRENT PHOTO
University of Missouri alumnus Jeff James said he created the 'scoreboard' T-shirts for himself and three of his friends to portray the Jayhawk as its mascot. James said that the University received violent acts during the Civil War each time it used the Jayhawk insignia.
Mizzou fan: Quantrill shirts were for personal use only
BY SARAH NEFF
sneff@kansan.com
A controversial rivalry shirt referring to Quantrill's Raid was made for protest, not for mass production.
The yellow T-shirts depicting Lawrence on fire with the word "scoreboard" and the Missouri Tiger logo beneath it were not produced by the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Nathan Fowler, who could not be reached for comment, posted a photo of the shirt on an AOL blog last week. On the back was Quantrill's slogan, "Raise the black flag and ride hard, boys. Our cause is just and our enemies many."
Misty Nolke, manager at the Team Store, the official apparel store for the Missouri Tigers, said she had not heard of the shirt. She said only three official rivalry shirts were available, none of which refer to the Civil War nor to Quantrill's raid.
Jeff James, 32, St. Charles, Mo., resident and Missouri alumnus, said he produced the shirts in a silent protest against the continued use of the Jayhawk mascot by the University of Kansas. He said that
at the time of the AOL blog post, only four shirts had been produced. He said he made the shirt for himself and three of his friends for personal use only.
"I was not aware that the photo was going to be taken or posted to an Internet message board," James said. "Nor did I realize the immediate stir and reaction or demand for the shirts. I have decided personally not to move forward with any sort of sales or spreading of shirts of this or similar nature."
James said he had seen several shirts with Civil War references made after he produced the "scoreboard" shirt. James cited the Wikipedia.com page on Jayhawking to explain that the University of Kansas made reference to Civil War atrocities each time it used the Jayhawk logo.
Mark Hersey, interim project director for the Kansas Union-sponsored Web site "This Week in KU History," said mascots took on lives of their own. He said that the exact origin of the term Jayhawk was disputed among historians but that it did become synonymous with Kansas and Freestaters in the mid-19th century.
"Wikipedia is not the most reliable source; anyone can put anything on there," Hersey said. "There is a gap between the historical origins of something and what it means conventionally."
Hersey said he acknowledged that atrocities were committed on both sides of the rivalry, but that it was tough to find sympathy for the Missouri side because it was a slave state.
James said he recognized that slavery was an issue at the time of Quantrill's raid but that it was not his intention to support prejudice or injustice toward blacks.
"If the University of Kansas acknowledges these points and agrees that its mascot can be seen as offensive and an inappropriate symbol to use, I will do what I am sure many Kansans would like to see happen to the shirts I made; I will burn them," James said.
Hersey said the Jayhawk mascot was not offensive to any particular group, and that it would be ridiculous to expect the University of Kansas to change its mascot at this point.
Edited by Amelia Freidline
CRIME
Preteen boys held on rape charges
BY SHANNON
MCCAFFREY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ACWORTH, Ga. — Three boys, ages 8 and 9, were being held Monday in a detention center on charges of kidnapping and raping an 11-year-old girl near a suburban apartment complex, officials said.
Dennard said.
The alleged attack happened Thursday and the girl's mother reported it to authorities Sunday, Acworth police Capt. Wayne
"The victim said they were playing outdoors and the girl was forced into a wooded area where she was sexually assaulted, where one of the boys raped her," Dennard told The Associated Press.
The three boys — an 8-year-old and two 9-year-olds — appeared in juvenile court Monday afternoon, dwarfed by the courtroom chairs and wearing navy blue jump suits and shackles. Their names were withheld because of their age.
Attorney Pat Head said the boys could not be charged with felony crimes because of their age but could be tried for alleged delinquent acts that could place them in a juvenile facility for up to five years.
Cobb County District
The next step will be for the court to schedule a hearing to determine how to proceed in the case, Head said.
Juvenile Court Judge A. Gregory Poole issued a gag order preventing the lawyers from commenting further.
BY JEFF DETERS AND
TRAVIS ROBINETT
editor@kasan.com
The Athletics Department is offering KU students free tickets to the Big 12 Championship Game if Kansas defeats Missouri on Saturday.
KU Athletics Department buys Big 12 game tickets for students
A victory would put the Jayhawks in their first Big 12 football title game, which will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Jayhawks would play either Oklahoma or Texas.
FOOTBALL
Students can pick up a coupon on Monday starting at 9 a.m. at the KU ticket office. With a coupon and a valid KUID, students can pick up the actual tickets at the KU will-call window at the Alamodome on the day of the game. Students do not need to have bought all-sports combo package to be eligible for the free tickets, as the allotment of tickets will be first-come, first-serve. Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said the Athletics Department would pay for the tickets at a cost of $79 a piece. The Athletics Department most recently paid for student tickets in 2005 for the Fort Worth Bowl in Houston.
"If we can accommodate more students, we will do so," Marchiony said. "We'll know early next week."
"There was a really good response, and we thought that it was particularly appropriate because of the support the students have given the football program over the past few years," Marchiony said.
Marchiony said that of the 8,500 tickets allotted to Kansas, about 20 percent would be given to students. He said 1,716 tickets would be available at first, but more could become available for students to have for free.
"I don't want to commit to anything right now," he said. "I think we'll take it year-by-year."
Students wanting to sit together during the game should go in a group when they redeem their cou
"I had planned on trying to find some disgruntled Nebraska fans to sell me some tickets for cheap," he said.
"When we beat Missouri, nothing aside from death is keeping me from that game," Bergman said. "I am almost 21 and have been following Jayhawk football as far back as I can remember. This season has been a dream for fans like myself, and fortunately I will get a free ticket."
The ticket offices at both Oklahoma and Missouri said they wouldn't offer free student tickets to the game. Marchiony wasn't sure whether the Athletics Department would continue offering free student tickets to postseason football games in coming years.
For whatever bowl game the Jayhawks play in, the first 3,000 students who request a ticket will get a reduced-priced ticket for $50.
Although Bergman was thankful the Athletics Department was giving free tickets to students, he had a backup plan. He planned to buy cheap tickets from Nebraska fans who purchased them before the season began.
Bergman said he would try to be one of the first 3,000 students in line to follow the Jayhawks to their bowl game.
Stephen Bergman, St. Benedict junior, said that he had been to every home game during the past three years and that he and a group of friends were planning to make the trip to San Antonio.
"I will be reaching deep into the checkbook for this one," he said. "It has been a long time coming, and you simply cannot put a price on how special this team and season has been. I will be right behind them anywhere they go, and I encourage others to join the ride."
When students pick up their coupons, KUIDs will be limited to four per student. Marchiony said the Athletics Department made this decision after discussions with Student Body President Hannah Love, Dodge City senior, and Student Body Vice President Ray Whittlinger, Olathe senior.
Student tickets are free.
— The game is at 7 p.m.
Dec. 1 in the Alamodome in
San Antonio.
— At least 1,716 tickets (about 20 percent of those allotted) will be for students, though more could become available.
pons for tickets at the will-call window in San Antonio.
Marchiony said the cost for those tickets was normally $179. Students can purchase their tickets beginning 9 a.m. Dec. 3 at the KU ticket office or by phone. Students must then pick up their tickets at the bowl game.
A limit of four KUIDs per student will be enforced.
— Coupons will be given to students wanting tickets starting at 9 a.m. on Monday.
— The coupons can be exchanged for tickets at the will-call window at the Alamodome the day of the game.
ticket info
Edited by Jeff Briscoe