+
sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS |MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
Josh Jackson selected No.4 overall by Phoenix Suns
ARTS & CULTURE
KANSAN.COM
TV Stock: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Twin Peaks' and more
GUS HUNNINGHAKE
@gushunninghake
What a week to be alive and watching television. It's time to nerd out and talk about my favorites from last week.
"Game of Thrones:" Trending UP
QUEUE THE MUSIC. I won't deny that I'm one of those people who pretends to conduct the orchestra as the epic theme for this fantasy show plays at the beginning of each episode. And let me tell you, my fake baton was in full use last Sunday night.
"Dragonstone" kicks off pretty much right where we left our characters at the last finale over one year ago (too long to
wait, if you ask me). Arya remains in the Twins post-killing Walder Frey, and prepares to make sure every Frey knows that "the North remembers." Jon Snow and sister Sansa butt heads in Winterfell as they decide the fates of two family lines who opposed them in the Battle of the Bastards. Cersei remains in King's Landing, trying to figure out where her loyalties lie. And most importantly, Daenerys arrives in Dragonstone with Tyrion and company and prepares for an upcoming attack on mainland Westeros.
This packed episode features some lovely payback for the Stark family, substantial power moves as well as minor plays on the large game board that set the end of the long-
running series in motion. Winter is truly here, and the always wonderful cinematography and enthralling character acting makes "Game of Thrones" feel back and better than ever for its shorter season.
"Ari Shaffir: Double Negative:" Trending UP
Netflix continues its recent roll of solid standup releases with a two-part set from the always funny and undeniably odd Ari Shaffir.
The two-part series takes place in the same theatre with the same crowd and focuses on two specific topics: children and adulthood. Shaffir wonderfully weaves through stories of his friends' kids, the overall stupidity of childhood, the
advantage of not having kids as experienced through traveling to Thailand and coming to grips with his own sexuality. All of these ideas are tightly thought out and experienced through two 45-minute-long specials available now on Netflix.
As a big fan of standup and its type of expression, Shaffir's brand of comedy has stood out among the rest for many years now. His sort of relatable dude mentality combines with wholly unique experiences to make his brand of comedy completely relatable, as if the viewer was there with Shaffir when he experienced each story. The crowd below him enjoys it and folks at home should be laughing right along with them throughout both sets.
"Twin Peaks:" Trending UP
I didn't expect to return to this show so quickly. In fact, I was rather hoping to do an in-depth analysis at the season's conclusion. However, "Part 10" was so compelling and revealing that I couldn't shy away from talking about it.
"Part 10" contains so many important events that it's hard to explain what happens, especially if you haven't been watching. But hell, here goes nothing. Chief Gordon (David Lynch) has visions of Laura, while Albert tells him of a message from Diane about Hastings' arrest. One of the many evil variations of Cooper, "Dougie," is framed for the denial of an arson claim that cost
the Mitchum family $30 million.
This exciting and longwinded episode highlights so many things about what makes the show so wholly unique. Something about the direction of this season feels so fully realized by creators Mark Frost and Lynch. The pair's writing and Lynch's direction has been on point and doesn't let up with each passing episode. With the conclusion in sight, the pieces of the puzzle seem to be converging, and as star Kyle MacLachlan recently promised, everything seems to be making sense and the end approaches.
CANCER FROM PAGE 5
than anyone who doesn't have cancer," Buchheister said. "Observing them communicate with each other and talk about their experience and also how frustrating it is to sometimes be a jerk to people who care about them when they don't understand what they're going through is a sort of fascinating, enlightening moment."
Buchheister also owns a small theater in Brooklyn called Vital Joint where Leon will perform "Bladder Interrupted" in October.
Doran joined the show
after an internship experience fell through, and Leon offered her a production role.
"She prefaced this with: 'It doesn't have a lot of pay,'" Doran said. "It cracked me up. As if that was going to dissuade me."
Doran said working on "Bladder Interrupted" has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of her life. She's gotten the chance to see a piece of theatre — a celebration of a loved one's good health— go from a script to stage.
"Watching her take humor and use it to almost kind of cope with what's happening - first of all,
it doesn't surprise me because it's Mechele, and second of all, it was really cool to see her take a field that she's worked in for so many years and use it for whatever everyone else use it for, which is catharsis," Doran said.
As an educator, Leon wants her students to take "Bladder Interrupted" as an example of the good things that can come out of tragedy, as well as an encouragement to take risks.
"As a theatre professor, it matters to me that students see me put my own self on the line," Leon said. "Because we're
teaching them to be artists, and we're teaching them to put themselves out there. If I'm unwilling to do that, if I'm unwilling to talk about my cancer, if I'm unwilling to talk about changes in my body, then what kind of example am I?"
Subsequent performances of "Bladder Interrupted" will take place on July 24, 26 and 28 at the Kansas City Fringe Festival. Tickets are $10 with a festival admission button. More information can be found on the festival website.
"Bladder Interrupted" premiered at the Kansas City Fringe Festival on Saturday, July 22.
ternoons have been spent cheering for the Jayhawks through thick and, unfortunately, a lot of thin moments. But, it's impossible to argue that the stadium doesn't need improvements.
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN or proactive facility and
Kansas Athletics announced that a $300 million renovation will be coming to Memorial Stadium, which will include an indoor practice facility and infrastructure upgrades.
thing else at the University.
It's the seventh-oldest stadium still used by an FBS team. It shows signs of wear across its exterior. It's severely outdated by contemporary standards.
This is a great move for all interested parties. For the fans, it's going to enhance the game-day experience for the die hards who trek down the hill to see the Jayhawks play. For the players, specifically future recruits, it becomes a more inviting and
It's undoubtedly time for an upgrade.
Discussing college athletics finances is a great way to find out that someone has absolutely no idea what they're talking about. Kansas football isn't going to use $300 million that otherwise would have gone to improving the School of Education or updating equipment in the School of Journalism or whichever department you feel is underfunded.
Things like the Williams Fund and private donors are main sources of income for supporting Kansas Athletics projects. It's understandable that seeing a huge sum of money being spent on football facilities could cause a stir, considering the financial straits the University might be facing in some areas. The reality, though, is that this money will be completely disconnected from the rest of the University.
Football is a massive tool for recruiting (both athletically and for general students), alumni relations and income, and if you don't see that then you simply aren't paying attention.
Alabama is a perfect case study for this. A gold standard for college football, the Crimson Tide's on-field success has generated an unconscionable amount of money
and publicity for that school. It's unrealistic for Kansas, or really any program, to think it can reach Alabama's level of success, but it's clear that improving football will improve the University in other areas.
Again, you need to spend money in order to make it. Putting money into the program now, or at least in the near future, will show dedication to the program and is going to help bring in more high-level recruits over time. The football team needs to get better, and this move will
help in that pursuit.
And if your argument is based around asking why you would spend $300 million to help a football team that won two games in the last two seasons combined, take a moment and think critically.
Most of the arguments against the spending come up baseless and sound unintelligent. The money isn't being stolen from other University programs. Memorial Stadium is nearly 100 years old - it needs to be repaired and updated.
Why wouldn't you spend money to try to improve the program? What else would you do, just ignore the disaster and let the team fall into irreparable ruin? That notion is ridiculous and poorly thought out at best.
The cost of this project is a small price to pay for improving the team, and subsequently the University, over time. Don't get caught up in the price tag or the view from your ivory tower. Trying to better the football team is better for all of us who support the University.
:
+