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sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS |MONDAY, JUNE 26, 2017
Josh Jackson selected No. 4 overall by Phoenix Suns
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KANSAN.COM
FROM PEPSI PAGE1
Photo illustration by Missy Minear
that it possesses no records responsive to this request."
Some of the campus affiliates most affected by the new partnership, KU Athletics, Dining and KU Memorial Unions, refused to comment on the switch pending the new contract's completion.
Despite the lack of contractual details, students will no doubt be met with a new campus partner this fall.
"As for the University, I think it will be better off from the switch," Castro said. "I think an exclusive drink sponsor is a good thing because it cultivates relationships between KU and the sponsor. That wouldn't happen without the exclusivity."
Constanza Castro, a junior from Raytown, Missouri, is one student who is looking forward to not only more drink options, she said, but a new exclusive drink partner.
FROM CAMPUS CARRY
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Safer Campus and the president of the Kansas chapter of the American Association of University Professors, also said this was a big victory for the anti-gun movement.
"If I'm not mistaken, it's the first time the NRA has ever been dealt a defeat in a red state legislature in modern times," Barrett-Gonzalez said in an email.
Looking forward, Jones said there are some other fights she would like to
spend time on in addition to campus carry, such as keeping guns out of public libraries and reversing a gag law that prohibits public entities from speaking out against legislation.
"Constant pressure is what's needed," Jones said. "If we just gave up now, I feel like it would all kind of be in vain. The way that the gun lobby has functioned in Kansas prior to us trying to stop campus carry has essentially been getting everything they've wanted without much fuss. I want to give them as much fuss
as possible."
Constant pressure is what's needed. If we just gave up now, I feel like it would all kind of be in vain."
For Barrett-Gonzalez, having more success with fighting campus carry might come in the form of
Megan Jones Fail Campus Carry member
a personnel change in the governor's office and statehouse. Kansas will get to choose its next governor in 2018, as well as voting on some legislators, and Barrett-Gonzalez thinks concealed carry will be no small issue in those elections.
"Many people thought that [campus carry] was such a crazy idea that it would 'never happen;' accordingly, they didn't do much to resist it," he said in an email. "Because untrained armed individuals with guns are now here, some people far more energized to change the situation not so much by lobbying, but by working to kick out the legislators who made this happen."
Barrett-Gonzalez said he thinks switches in the governor's office would fix the issues he sees in the Board of Regents, and changes in the legislature would make it possible to change the law. In the 2017 session, neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate ever had a debate on an amendment exempting college campuses.
Though they plan to
take different approaches to their fights, both Barrett-Gonzalez and Jones said they are not giving up on getting rid of concealed carry on campus, because it's something they object to so strongly.
"That mission still hasn't gone away. Guns still don't belong on campus," Jones said. "I'm still going to do everything I can to show that they don't belong there, and it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or injured."
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Kansas Athletics announced that a $300 million renovation will be coming to Memorial Stadium, which will include an indoor practice facility and infrastructure upgrades.
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 pro practice facility and
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
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.
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.
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.
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