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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2016
Softball faces pitching issues
BRIAN MINI
@daftpunkoo
Entering this year, pitching seemed to be the biggest question mark for the Kansas softball team. After the five-game Jacksonville
VALENTINE'S DAY
KANSAN.COM
VALENTINE'S DAY DEBATE
Nasseri: Valentine's Day provides good opportunity to test your relationship
Jake Kaufmann/KANSAN
Yes, Valentine's Day is a high-pressure holiday with overwhelmingly-negative connotations. Sure, the average adult is projected to spend an average of $146.84 on gifts for their significant other this year, according to the National Retail Federation: Yes, the NRF says total Valentine's Day spending in the US alone is expected to reach $19.7 billion this year, a dollar amount that practically matches Nepal's 2014 GDP. Undoubtedly, the day can isolate single people and create rifts between the very lovers who are expected to celebrate it.
In reality, though, the existence of Valentine's Day improves life for all of us. For young people wondering whether they've found "the one." Feb. 14 functions as a fantastic test of budding relationships. Did the day fall short of expectations? Note the breakdown in communication and work to avoid misunderstandings in the future. Let the holiday provide practice for clearly conveying expectations and demonstrating affection for another person. .
CON
As in art as tests go, the great thing about Feb. 14 is that all the traditions are solidly in place. The stereotypes of jewelry, flowers and chocolates are so cemented in popular culture that a chelless partner doesn't have to think very hard about what to get their significant other. And if your partner can't even meet your high expectations when the media is practically putting things in an online shopping cart for them, that's good information to remember when making decisions down the road.
When relationships start to get serious, thoughts might turn to the future. In a 2011 Pew Research Center survey, 70 percent of Millennials expressed the desire to get married. Since a vast majority of us remain unmarried, this holiday can provide a perfect opportunity to evaluate priorities.
as a handy test run for young adults who want to get married but haven't yet made the plunge. What better way to anticipate whether your love will endure the test of time than to deal with an overcrowded restaurant on everyone's obligatory date night? How
can you better analyze whether you and your partner are able to commit to a life together than by seeing whether you're willing to commit to a night out or a big gift? Why not exercise your companionship by doing something special you both enjoy?
Edited by Kate Mille
Befort: Money spent on Valentine's Day could be put towards better causes
The season of love is also the season of shoveling out copious amounts of money on romantic roses, chocolates and dinners. According to the National Retail Federation.
Brook Nasser] is a sophomore from Topeka studying microbiology and English.
about romance. If you are single, you can take this day as a celebration of a different sort. Express your appreciation to the coworkers, friends and family members who brighten your days. And if that's not sufficient support, revel in the fact that you're $146.84 richer than the average adult with some discount chocolate
tine s Day the price of love is expect-ed to reach $19.7 billion. Relative to the national budget and deficit, $19.7 billion may seem like pocket change, but to an average person $19.7 billion is a
huge amount of money. Although I do my fair share of spending on Valentine's Day products, I cannot help but think of so many better ways to put $19.7 billion to
use instead of in flowers that wilt in one day and chocolate that will need to be exercised off next week. So, what could $19.7 billion actually do in the
world? At the current College of Liberal Arts and Sciences tuition rate, in one year the University could provide over two million students with full-tuition scholarships. From another perspective, $19.7 billion would pay tuition for the University's 2014 enrollment of 28,000 students for over 70 years.
Politico reported in 2012 President Obama raised $1.123 billion before going on to win the election. At this rate, $19.7 billion could finance about 17 successful presidential campaigns. In 2013, Congress spent $4.8 billion on cancer research. Consider the cancer treatment and prevention developments that could be made if four times that amount were spent on research. There are so many better uses for the money spent on Valentine's Day. Essentially, $19.7 billion could change the world.
That does not mean we should completely abstain from the celebration of love. But what if we could spend our Valentine's Day money in ways showing both our loved ones and the world's needy that we care? A fancy dinner is romantic, but instead of spending $150 on a night out, spending
$100 for dinner and donating the other $50 to charity could provide a meal for people who may not have the resources to eat every day. Roses costing $80 are beautiful, but $40 roses radiate just as much beauty and the remainder could be donated to research so there is less cancer in the world and thus more people to celebrate Valentine's Day.
Spending hard-earned money is a time-tested approach to showing love and appreciation, but money can be spent on both loved ones and others less fortunate. This Valentine's Day love really could change the world if we put some of our money towards causes for the good of humanity.
Bridgette Befort is a sophomore from Topeka studying chemical engineering.
- Edited by Candice
Tarver
finished with three RBIs each and Andie Formby threw five shutout innings and gave up one hit.
On Saturday, the Jayhawks split the two games again. The first against Coastal Carolina was a 5-1 win, highlighted by home runs by Chavez and junior outfielder Lily Behrmann.
Missy Minear/KANSAN
Against UNC Greensboro, the Jayhawks fell behind 6-1 after a four-run fifth inning. The Jayhawks started to rally but ultimately fell short by a score of 6-3.
- Edited by Deanna
Ambrose
On Sunday, the Jayhawks looked to bounce back against UNC Greensboro. The Jayhawks held a 6-3 lead over the Spartans but the Jayhawks surrendered nine runs in the sixth inning. The Jayhawks lost 12-8.
Left handed pitcher Ben Krauth throws against Utah. Krauth was named as one of the team's captains.
KU baseball names 2016 captains: Krauth, Moroney and Wright
▶ MATT HOFFMANN
@MattHoffmannUDK
The Golden State is sending its West Coast flair to Kansas in the form of baseball captaincy this season.
Kansas baseball announced today seniors Ben Krauth, Joe Moneyand Colby Wright will be captains for the team's 2016 campaign. This is the first
time each player will represent Kansas as a captain. All three hail from California.
"I am excited about this year's group," manager Ritch Price said in a KU Athletics release. "They are not only outstanding baseball players but even better people."
lif., who last season was tabbed as Big 12 Newcomer of the Year with a 7-5 record on the hill. Krauth was also named All-Big 12 Second Team and finished last season with a 3.65 ERA.
1. 000 career fielding percentage. Last season, Morroney started in 21 of his 39 appearances.
Krauth is a left-handed pitcher from Concord, Ca-
Moroney is an outfielder from Pleasanton, Calif., who is a three-time recipient of the "KU Hustle Award" and holds a perfect
Wright is an infielder from Castro Valley, Calif., who was sidelined with an oblique injury for 16 games last season. Of the 40 games he did appear in, 38 were starts. Wright went 4-4 on stolen base attempts last season and was
expected to sign an MLB contract but has returned to the Jayhawks following his injury.
Kansas baseball opens its season Feb. 20 at Arkansas-Little Rock before returning for a two-game homestand on Feb. 22 and 23 against Northern Colorado.
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