Volume 124 Issue 20
kansan.com
Friday, September 16, 2011
PARKING PROBLEMS
AbleHawks group question if administration is listening to its concerns PAGE 3
WALKING THE RUNWAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN UDK
NOTICE
WHAT IT'S LIKE // TO RUN A HALF MARATHON
> We know you're curious.
| BY RACHEL AUSTERFIELD AS TOLD TO AMANDA GAGE |
On May 15, at 7:30 a.m. in Sydney, Australia, while studying abroad, Rachel Austenfield, a senior from Overland Park, had just begun her first half-marathon. The Sydney Morning Herald Half-Marathon took place right in the middle of the well-known city, and Austenfield would run past spectacles such as the Sydney Opera House, Harbour and Hyde Park. Austenfield ran with study-abroad friends and finished the half-marathon in two hours and ten minutes.
Contributed Photo
Rachel Austenfeld (right) ran past scenic monuments, such as the Sydney Opera House, during her first half-marathon.
It's so funny sometimes how you get yourself into things. I first found out about the marathon through a friend's Facebook status that I had met there: "Officially just registered for the Sydney Morning Herald Half-Marathon!" From the second I saw that, I knew I was in. I had always wanted to do a half-marathon at some point in my life, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting.
My two running buddies and I booked a hotel the night before located right next to Hyde Park. We figured this would be the best call since the race started so early, and we could just conveniently walk over to the starting line.
When my alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. on the day of the race, I was ready to go! I put on all my gear and had peanut butter oatmeal and a banana for breakfast, with a generous amount of water.
We left our hotel at about 7:05 a.m. to get a good spot at the starting line, and even though we still ended up in the back. I was so pumped. I felt completely invincible. I had been training, preparing, and waiting for this day for two months, and it was finally here, all to be over within a few hours. Definitely a feeling I
had never felt before.
We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful morning. I could see the glistening water in Sydney Harbour to my right, and the sky had a promising pink hue. And then all of the sudden, 5,4,3,2,1...boom! We were off.
I ran next to my good friend Katrina for the entire race. I definitely did a lot of thinking during the race, which I liked. It felt absolutely incredible to be surrounded by 10,000 other runners who were all in something together for the same common purpose.
The first half of the race wasn't bad at all; I felt almost weightless. My breathing settled into a steady rhythm that almost made me feel as though I were walking. The very second we passed the halftway point, though, I could feel my muscles, joints and ligaments start to wear down. I kept pushing though and I wasn't going to walk, even for one minute. The entire time I kept thinking about how so many things we do in life are a mind game—how our mind affects our body in incredible ways.
After we made it past the finish line, I was so excited to be done. There was just a common feeling of camaraderie and goodwill in
WESCOE WIT //
> LOL.
GIRL: "It's like crazy to me that guys are like...vegetarians."
GIRL: "OH MY GOD, DON'T NOBODY TOUCH ME...I'm rubbing my eyes."
GIRL: "Shake and Bake is the one with the crumbs on it!!"
GUY: "NO ITS NOT."
Professor: "I promise, I'm not making this shit up."
GIRL 1: "Hey, you look really tired."
GIRL 2: "Well I just got broken up with..."
GUY 1: "Man, I look like shit."
GIRL 2: "Yeah, you look like you just got beat up."
NADIA IMAFIDON
the air, which I loved.
We made our way back to Wollongong (a city just 50 miles south of Sydney where we lived), and after sitting on that train for an hour and a half, my joints definitely went into shock.
That night, we had a big buffet-style dinner. I went to bed that night feeling happy, accomplished, and rightfully full.
Training for and completing the Sydney Morning Herald Half-Marathon was something I will cherish for my entire life. It taught me that no matter what your goals are in life, you absolutely cannot settle for less, because they make up who you are. No matter what you will always learn something from striving to be your best self. I don't think I'm going to become a marathon junkie by any means, but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
Contributed Photo
09
15
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dmscott@kansan.com
"Kids are so adaptable. The stressors we see are getting used to a new school and the stigma that may come with the label 'shelter kid' or 'homeless kid,'" said Jennifer Davis, the case manager at the Lawrence Community Shelter. "Luckily, so many of them are going to the same school that they
MORGAN LAFORGE/KANSAN
Johanna Moon, a student at Cordley Elementary, leans on the front door of Lawrence Community Shelter early Thursday morning as she waits to go to school. There is a large number of families with children elementary age that are currently living here
Students know the challenges of waking up for that 8 a.m. class. But some students — much younger students — understand a different struggle. These students, along with getting up early, must make their way from the Lawrence Homeless Shelter. In the morning, a group of 17 children woke up and shared two showers and two toilets along side 14 adults. After getting ready they went up stairs and waited with 40 more adults for breakfast, or walked to school and received a free meal at school.
the past, it would be just one new kid coming from the shelter. He or she would stand out a little bit more."
The school district defines homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act, which includes families that are double-up or staying with family or friends.
According to the Kansas Point in Time Homeless Count for Douglas County, a biannual report, the Lawrence school district counted 100 children ages K-12 who were homeless in 2009 and 149 in 2011, accounting for a 49 percent increase.
viduals here struggling. Their self-esteem is being damaged each day they're here. Their self worth is
Davis has seen a dramatic increase in family homelessness in Douglas County.
The shelter began its Family Program at the end of 2008. In 2009, there were 14 families with 24 adults and 24 children in the program. In 2010, there were 50 families with 67 adults and 83 children. So far this year, the shelter is serving 11 families with 14 adults and 21 children, 17 of which are in school.
"We have families and indi
The main goals of the week were to increase awareness and educate the campus at out sexual assault. Each day this week, volunteers had a table on Wescoe Beach set up where students could take a pledge to hold others accountable for their actions and try to put an end to sexual assault.
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the issue with information about the issue up front rather than waiting until the end of the year would help them navigate potentially dangerous situations better, she added.
Students could also decorate bandanas in honor of a victim of sexual assault and learn more about what sexual assault is and what resources are available for assistance with a different
KANSAN
a poster
saulted.
this week
CRYPTOQUIPS 4
OPINION 5
CLASSIFIEDS 9
CROSSWORD 4
"We want to make sure they know how they can help and how they can be an advocate," said Heath. "And we want them to know its not just a women's issue. We want to make it okay for men on this campus to be able to talk about it seriously and try to help prevent it on our campus."
Today, volunteers will discuss the importance of bystander intervention. The GaDuGi SafeCenter will also host two events over the weekend to raise awareness and money to prevent sexual assault.
Edited by Josh Kantor
part of the week
SPORTS 10
SUDOKU 4
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