THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2009
2009 GRADUATION GUIDE 15C
PROCESSION
Graduates who want to be part of the Commencement procession down Campanile hill to Memorial Stadium should line up on Memorial Drive at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. The above diagram shows where graduates from each school should gather. The procession will officially begin at 2:30 p.m.
Graphic by Hick Gerik/ KANSA
Graphic by Nick Gerik/KANSAN
GAME DAY
Cities across the US have KU sports watch sites for alumni
BY ALICIA BANISTER
abanister@kansan.com
If you've ever wondered where you'll watch KU games once you've graduated and moved away, take comfort in the knowledge that many bars pride themselves in serving as KU watch sites for sporting events.
Alumni around the country confirm that watching KU games with hundreds of other fans does not end once you leave the hill.
There are bars all over the country decked out with KU flags and bartenders wearing KU stickers, who in some cases make special drinks named after the Jayhawk.
KINCADE'S Chicago
In Chicago there are quite a few KU watch sites, including Junior's, which is owned by KU football star Gale Saves.
Will Cook, 2001 graduate and Chicago native, watches the KU games at a bar called Kincede's.
"All of the KU bars in the city are special in their own right, but for me the bar of choice has always been Kincade's," Cook said. "The
back room, called Lucille's, better known by KU fans as Lucy's, is the best place to watch a KU game in Chicago."
If you show up at Kincade's hoping to watch the game, you may want to get there early.
Cook said there can be up to 300 people for a regular season game and double that for more important games.
In Chicago, there are also alumni events throughout the year, including a cruise for Big 12 alumni, Cubs games and even the Chicago Blues Festival.
UPPER DECK Scottsdale, Ariz
If graduation takes you to the Southwest, you can find many alumni gathered at The Upper Deck in Scottsdale.
Carol Hilbert, fourth-generation KU alumna, said that the two-story bar filled up entirely with KU fans for big games, and a small number even come out for preseason games.
The bar was especially full on the day of the championship game last year one of Hilbert's favorite memories.
feeling like we were all instantly transported to Lawrence, Kansas, when Mario hit that three-pointer. People were hugging and crying and jumping up and down just like at any Lawrence bar packed with KU fans" Hilbert said.
"It would be hard to beat
So even if you aren't watching the game in Lawrence, you can still feel like you are at the Upper Deck.
QUARTERDECK Miami
Alumni who find themselves thousands of miles away, in Miami can gather to watch games at one watch site, located on South Beach, called Quarterdeck.
Sean Maher, managing partner, said he had seen Jayhawk fans in his establishment and called them a good group with a recognizable chant.
Maher, an alumnus of the University of Florida, said that Jayhawk fans came out in their school colors to Quarterdeck and that they made a good showing.
"Loyal fans stay loyal after they graduate." Maher said. "I'm from Gator Nation, so for KU I'm assuming it's similar."
VILLAGE POURHOUSE
& THE BACKPAGE
New York
New York is home to two KU watch sites where bartenders wear KU stickers and fly KU flags. David Griffith, KU alumnus, goes to The Backpage in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Walking into this bar feels like walking into any of the bars on Massachusetts Street, he said.
"We have had a Jayhawk flag hanging on the wall for a number of years. Subsequent to this year's basketball season, the owner bought a KU national champions banner and has it hanging prominently over the middle of the bar," Griffith said.
Another KU watch site in the city is the Village Pourhouse in lower Manhattan. Carrie Coulson, KU alumna, attends this bar for every game. When Mario Chalmers hit the magical three that sent the championship game into overtime, the Village Pourhouse went crazy. Coulson said the best part about watching the games there was seeing familiar faces, which can be hard in a city so big.
New York alumni also get
together for events outside of games, such as an outing to the Bronx Zoo and Jayhawks on Broadway, where alumni go out to eat and see a Broadway show together.
THE MCKINNEY AVENUE
TAVERN
Dallas
If you head south post-graduation, you will find alumni watching games at The McKinney Avenue Tavern (or the MAT, to regulars) in Dallas.
Laura Veazey, KU alumna, said this bar was where many younger alumni watched the games, but that other watch sites in the city are good for families. Veazey said the MAT has been a watch site for six years.
Veazey said that being a Jayhawk meant a lot to her and that "it's a great feeling to see someone in KU apparel, tell them 'Rock Chalk,' and get a 'Rock Chalk' right back."
JB'S SPORTS BAR
Orlando, Fla.
Orlando is home to JB's Sports Bar, which is a KU watch site, as
well. Kirtus Bocox, 1996 graduate, said that the turnout there was not quite as large as at other KU watch sites across the country, but that the bar attracted several tourists because of its location.
"I had just moved from Kansas City and maybe my over-optimistic enthusiasm about the crowd size caused me to set up enough tables decked out in crimson and blue to be able to seat about 100 people," Bocox said. "When 15 people showed up I was disappointed, but at the same time it was great to hear all of us cheering and screaming for the Jayhawks. It might as well have been 100 fans with the way we were cheering."
To Bocox, KU means more than just great sports.
"Being a KU alumni to me means feeling proud about where I went to school, knowing the great academic reputation it holds as well as the great sports tradition the school has as well," he said.
So whether you end up on either coast, move south or stay close to Kansas, know that an place to watch KU games is always within reach.
Edited by Justin Leverett