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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
Kansas softball picked fourth in Big 12 by coaches
Catcher Jessier Roane sprints to first base during the first game of the series against Texas. The Jayhawks lost 0-6 to the Longhorns at Arrocha Field on Friday evening.
BRIAN MINI
MISSY MINEAR/Kansan
BRIAN MINI
@daftpunkpop
After finishing last season fifth in the Big 12, the Jayhawks begin their 2016 preseason selected to finish fourth in the conference.
According to a KU Athletics press release, this ties the Jayhawks' highest projected conference finish for a third time, in addition to 2002 and
2014.
The last time Kansas finished in fourth place in the regular season was the 2012-13 season. The team finished 41-16 overall and was 9-8 in Big 12 play.
The teams projected ahead of Kansas in the rankings are defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas. Kansas will play all three teams away from Lawrence
this season.
Despite having a 32-5 record outside the Big 12 last year, Kansas was only 8-10 in conference play. Kansas was swept by both Baylor and Texas but managed to come away with one win in the three game series against Oklahoma.
Last year, five different Jayhawks won Big 12 awards, including now senior shortstop
Chaley Brickey, who made the All-Big 12 First Team, and sophomores Daniella Chavez and Jessie Roane, who were named to the Big 12 Freshmen team.
"It's way more intense now than in the fall," Williams
Kansas also welcomes six freshman to the team. Pitcher Ania Williams is one of the six that may have a chance at playing time this year.
said in the press release. "What the coaches expect from you is much higher than in the fall. With me being a freshman, I didn't know what to expect."
Along with the freshman class, the Jayhawks also welcome transfers Andie Formby from Virginia and Jordan Zolman from Missouri. Formby struck out 102 batters in 33 appearances as a
freshman and Zolman batted 346 as a sophomore.
This season, Kansas begins Big 12 play against Oklahoma on April 1 and then takes on Texas Tech on April 15 in Lawrence. However, the non-conference schedule starts Feb. 2 against North Carolina State in the Jacksonville Tournament.
Junior Kyron Watson transfers from Kansas to Southern Illinois
- Edited by G.J. Melia
▶ CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy
After recording six tackles in his first two years at Kansas, junior linebacker Kyron Watson announced on Twitter last Sunday that he would transfer for the 2016 season.
On Wednesday, his landing spot was determined: Southern Illinois announced that Watson would join the team for the upcoming season. He will have two years of eligibility left with the Salukis.
Excited to welcome Kyron Watson to the Saluki Football family! 4-star LB will have two years of eligibility at SIU.
After being recruited by former head coach Charlie Weis, Watson played in 15 games in his two seasons with the Jayhawks. He played almost exclusively on special teams during his freshman season and only sparingly in his four games during his sophomore year. His production, to an extent, was disappointing, considering he was given four stars by ESPN.com out of high school and three stars from Rivals.com and Scout.com. He also had offers from Michigan, California, Missouri and TCU, among others.
- @SIU_Football
When Watson announced he would transfer, it was expected that he would
move closer to his daughter and his hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois. With the move to SIU, Watson will be just two hours from East St. Louis.
coordinator at Northern Illinois earlier this month. Next year, the Jayhawks should be led by junior Joe Dineen Jr., senior Marcquis Roberts in the middle, with senior Courtney Arnick and sophomore Kendall Duckworth making contributions as well.
As for Kansas, the main core of linebackers from 2015 should stay mostly intact, save for linebackers coach Kevin Kane, who was hired as the defensive
- Edited by Madi Schulz
University of Kansas Student Senate Fall 2015 Review
Student Senate is comprised of 105 elected and appointed senators and 12 executive staff members. Below is a list of accomplishments made by Student Senate during the Fall 2015 semester.
- Student Senate provided $5,000 to fund printing services for graduate students in Watson Library after other departments' decision to defund the service.
- The Native American Advisory Board, proposed by Student Senate, began meeting this semester to discuss the board's structure and mission for improving recruitment and retention of Native-American students at the University of Kansas.
- Student Senate voted for a fee increase of $4.90 to construct a new building to replace the existing Burge Union in the Central District project.The new Union will be 33,500-square-feet and will feature a ballroom, reflection room,and office space for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Education Center, Emily Taylor Center for Women and Gender Equity and Legal Services for Students.
- Student Body President Jessie Pringle established four ad hoc committees:Veterans Service Committee,Student Senate Overview Committee, Election Reevaluation Committee and Retention and Recruitment Committee. These committees will report their findings and give legislative recommendations to Student Senate in March.
- Student Body President Jessie Pringle and Government Relations Director Stephonn Alcorn worked with city officials to establish a city liaison intern. This internship, paid for by the city of Lawrence, will serve to better connect the city, University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University.
- Student Senate updated the senate accountability and outreach policies for Student Senate.
- The Student Senate appointed a full Court of Appeals which includes two newly approved Law Students.
- The Committee on the Status of Minorities met multiple times this semester to formulate their annual report. This report will be presented to full senate by Director of Diversity & Inclusion Omar Rana and Multicultural Affairs Chair Bahar Barani on January 27th.Additionally,a president's roundtable with leaders in the multicultural community was re-instituted this semester.
- A University Conversation was hosted by Senate and SUA on November 5th..The topic addressed sexual assault on campus and hearing from campus administrators from Student Affairs, IOA, and the Emily Taylor Center about changes and improvements in campus policy.
- Student Senate conducted Outreach Week from November 2nd to 6th, held tabling events during Hawk Week and Finals Week. Due to outreach efforts, an unprecedented 40 candidates ran for freshmen elections.
- Amendments to Student Senate Rules and Regulations include: gender-neutral language required throughout SSRR and all legislation an increase in maximum amount allotted for travel in the Multicultural Education Fund, an appointed seat for the International Student Association and giving the Diversity & Inclusion Director voting rights in Student Senate Executive Committee.
- Resolutions were passed by Student Senate supporting the establishment of an Intellectual Disability Program at KU, Invisible Hawk and their 15 demands, bringing a wheelchair basketball team to the university, opposing Brownback's executive actions on the Syrian refugee crisis and opposing the SafeCampus Act.
- Student Senate Executive Staff received Sex Trafficking Awareness Training. Development Director,Tomas Green collaborated with the Willow Domestic Violence Center to expand trainings to Watkins Health Center, International Student Services and CAPS.
- 100 student organizations received over $185,000 for events and general funding needs.
For more information on these initiatives or general questions/feedback, please contact us at senate@ ku.edu. If you're interested in getting involved in Senate for the Spring 2016 semester, contact Chief of Staff Adam Moon at senatecos@ku.edu.