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Kansan Staff
NEWS MANAGEMENT
Editor-in-chief Lara Korte
Managing editor Christian Hardy
Digital operations editor Matt Clough
Social media editor Emily Johanek
Associate social media editor Emily Juszczyk
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SECTION EDITORS
News editor
Chandler Boese
Associate news editor McKenna Harford
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Omar Sanchez
Associate arts & culture editor Courtney Bierman
Opinion editor Vince Munoz
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Photo editor Missy Minear
Copy chiefs Candice Tarver Brendan Dzwierzynski Ashley Hocking
ADVISERS
Chief financial officer Jon Schlitt
Editorial adviser Gerri Berendzen
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 50 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at the Kansan business office, 20151 A1De Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS., 64045
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KU debate team ranked No.1 in the country
KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2017
▶ HAILEY DIXON
@ _hailey_ dixon
Many people converse and argue with others on a daily basis, but only a select group of University students can say they are the best in the nation at professional formal discussion.
The University debate team is currently No.1 in the nation in standings.The team has had much success this season, which lasts September through April, according to Scott Harris debate director.
"It's something we take a great deal of pride in because it's a squad accomplishment that everybody contributes to," Harris said.
"All of them are a huge part of what the program does," Harris said.
The team consists of 28 undergraduates and 10 graduate students in the department of communication studies. These graduate students act as assistant coaches, Harris said.
The team has a long history of success, with 49 consecutive years of National Debate Tournament qualifiers under its belt, Harris said.
After the last regular season tournament, the team will be preparing for the National Qualifying Tournament. There is a national championship for freshmen and sophomores, an open national championship and the Cross Examination Debate Association national championship as well. The season ends with the National Debate Tournament, Harris said.
["The national debate tournament] which is the functional equivalent to NCAA basketball tournament for debate," Harris said.
According to Harris, the team travels to about 20 tournaments over the course of the season.
According to a University press release, the team has had several placings over the course of the season. Sophomores Jacob Hegna and Henry Walter went 4-2 at a select round robin tournament at Dartmouth College. Sophomore Christopher Fry and junior Will Katz finished in fifth place at the Wichita State University tournament. The team has also won four tournaments this season
Harris said.
The debate team has one specific topic that they debate about throughout the season.
"This year, the resolution is that the United States federal government should restrict private sector emissions." team member Kyndall Delph said.
Delph, a freshman from Little Rock, Arkansas, and their partner Quaram Robinson recently received first place at the University of Pittsburgh round robin tournament.
"I got into debate based on a few of my friends that were already in debate and they were telling me how cool it was to travel and things like that," Delph said. "And most of these friends were also usually the people I had discussions with. So I just wanted to get on their level."
Delph has been debating for awhile now, since their sophomore year of high school.
Delph met Harris on their first visit to the University as a prospective student. Harris discussed and showed Delph what college debate would be like for
Andrea Ringgenberg/KANSAN Kyndall Delph, a freshman from Little Rock, Arkansas, recently placed first with their partner at the University of Pittsburgh round robin tournament.
them.
"I think my expectations were that no matter how I did nationally or regionally at tournaments, that I would always have a place on the team," Delph said.
Working diligently is also essential, Delph said.
"I also know that if I put in hard work,that my hard work will be rewarded and that was definitely something I saw very early on being on the team,"Delph said.
In addition to competition, Delph said they have learned critical thinking strategies and have gained a sense of community through debate.
The team is attending its last regular season tournament at Northwestern University this weekend.
- Edited by Mara Kubicki
FROM ELECTIONS
PAGE 1
they were studying, even though the professor might not have known all the students' exact views.
"You don't necessarily know where people are going to be coming from and you don't want to, you don't want to end up causing harm rather than building," Neill said. "What you want to do is build discussion and debate in a way that is productive and moves forward."
Neeli Bendapudi, provost and executive vice chancellor, issued a statement after the election urging the University community to recognize its commonality.
"We as Jayhawks must respect, understand, and make space for one another and our varied responses," the statement said. "Let the crimson and blue ties that bind us all make KU a space where we fundamentally value, respect and look out for
one another."
A similar statement was released by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Carl Lejeuz, on Nov.14.
The statement said, "In the College we, like many others, have questions about the future, especially with regard to how we might find common ground. As we forge ahead, I know I speak for everyone in the Dean's Office that we are hopeful we can find ways to work together and look out for each other."
Darren Canady, director of undergraduate studies in the English department, said a post-election email was sent to students and staff because writing is a large part of what they do, and because of the department's closer connection to their students and the small class sizes. He also said that, as an undergraduate advisor, he has a closer connection to how students are feeling and how to re-
SEE EVALUATIONS
PAGE 1
can lead to denial of tenure or continued appointments, or the professor may be not rolled over from one contract to the next, Barrett-Gonzalez said.
To learn from these evaluations and to keep their jobs, professors in the Communications department are instructed to prepare a written statement on how they can improve from the evaluations.
After a student fills out an evaluation, Barrett-Gonzalez said the department chair sees the evaluations first, and discards ones that include inappropriate or discriminatory language.
Hamer said that minoritized and marginalized faculty members feel the burden of biased thinking.
"This is stressful, and it often leaves faculty members wondering if they are well or
Hamer said research in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences shows that course evaluations are an institutional problem of fairness, not something that should be dealt with as an individual problem.
respected by students and colleagues, who may not understand how stereotypes about minoritized identities are subjected to bias," Hamer said in an email.
Canady said that the statement was sent out because staff was concerned about the distress that students would have brought into the classroom after multiple conferences.
Neill felt that another way for the English department to respond is by connecting to different departments. The English department collaborated with the Women, Gender and Sexuality department to develop a course in Black Feminist Theory.
Currently, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is working on preparing students to "undo" biased thinking and behavior when working with diverse individuals across the University, Hamer said in an email.
The Kansan reached out to University spokespeople for comment on how bias in evaluations is handled. They had not responded at the time of publication.
Canady said that this is only what the English department is doing, and the rest of the University may have other ideas that better fit the needs of students for their department.
spond.
"A University-wide responsibility is to be responsive to what is happening on
our campus, and what tool a department uses ... might look different from department to department," said Canady. "There was a realization that we couldn't divorce our own research and our own work from the experience of the students."
However, Canady acknowledged that not all departments can address certain issues the same way because they may include larger lecture classes and subjects that aren't as open to the discussion of current events.
All faculty members, regardless of the size of their department, can be more inclusive, Wright said. They can create more welcoming spaces by engaging in self-education and self-reflection, and being aware of unconscious biases.
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