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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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》FOOTBALL
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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2007
Recent rival beat-downs should be reminder of golden rule
WHIZ KID
PAGE1B
It is an overcast Saturday at Memorial Stadium and the Kansas offense has just scored its second touchdown against Toledo, giving the Jayhawks a 17-0 lead. The special teams unit is lining up as senior kicker Scott Webb prepares to kick the ball away. The kick goes 70 yards deep into Toledo territory as senior kick returner Andrew Hawkins catches the ball. Hawkins runs bravely towards the vicious Kansas special teams unit before being tackled by freshman Justin Springer and junior Raymond Brown.
One fan bleeds through the crowd with,
"Disembowel that f- -- er!" Another fan,
before Hawkins is tackled, shouts, "Cut his
f- - ing throat!"
Meanwhile, in the stands, a majority of the student section screams as the kick sails through the air, "Rip his f - - - ing head off"
Football, often seen as one of the most violent college sports, an often times be mistaken for a battle scene in a Mel Gibson movie. It comes with no surprise that fans did not yell, "Hit him ever so softly" after the kickoff.
Though screaming obscenities at the away team may seem a bit excessive, violent chants have become the norm around college stadiums throughout the country.
Some students at Rutgers University took their chants a little too far in a home game against the U.S. Naval Academy in early September. Their cheers turned into jeers every time Navy had possession of the ball and their profanities were directed not only towards the Navy football team, but also towards Navy fans and midshipmen, who were in uniform. Granted we live in a society where our servicemen defend our liberties and rights, to say "F- - - you Navy," is just plain rude. So rude, in fact, that Rutgers University Athletics Director Bob Mulcahy issued a public statement of apology to Navy.
Unfortunately, some fans, and even some mascots, have taken their passion for their team way too far and have actually committed violent acts.
A week before the duck incident, an Oklahoma fan faced aggravated assault charges for a crime of passion against a University of Texas fan. Allen Michael Beckt, a 53-year-old church deacon, was in an Oklahoma City when 32-year-old Brian Thomas walked in wearing a Texas Longhorns shirt. Some words were exchanged, signaling a warning for Thomas to pay his bar tab and exit. Before exiting, Beckt grabbed Thomas' groin and would not let go. By the time Beckt's hand was pulled from Thomas' bleeding groin, his testicles hung outside of his torn scrotum.
On Sept. 1 in Eugene, Ore., fans cheered as Oregon University mascot, Donald Duck, beat up Houston University's mascot Ultimate Fighting Championship style. After a combination of kicks and punches, Shasta the cougar was left defenseless on the ground. The duck added insult to injury by finishing the beat down by "teabagging" the wounded cougar. As a result of Donald Duck's assault, he was suspended for one game.
These two particular incidents show how an innocent passion for one's team can turn into violence. When it is game day it may seem easier than ever to fall into a mob-mentality and bash another team and its sports fans. In the past, Colorado
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 4B
Anna Faltermeyer/KANSAN
Off the court, Sasha Kaun has a passion for computers. The senior center had an internship with Perceptive Software, a Shawnee-based company, this past summer. Kaun said he gets his love from computers from his dad, who was a developer in Russia.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kaun a pro on and off the court
Player helps design computer program
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
The problem could be a faulty wireless router or a complication with software — anything with computers and Sasha Kaun will likely have the solution.
Freshman guard Chase Buford said Jayhawk players direct all their technology questions to Kaun.
Kaun's computer expertise helped him land an internship this past summer with Perceptive Software, a Shawnee-based company that develops a document-organizing product called ImageNow. Years of hard work and a passion for computers helped Kaun become a major contributor for Perceptive Software.
"He's a wiz with computers," Buford said.
"From everything I know, he's a smart guy."
Kaun has been around computers and enjoyed working with them for as long as he can remember. His love for computers comes from his dad, who was a developer in Russia. When the dean of
Kaun's department recommended him to Perceptive Software for a month-long July internship, Kaun was excited.
Immediately after he started working, Perceptive Software gave Kaun instructions for a project and told him to finish it by the end of the month.
Kaun had to load and search log files on Perceptive Software's server to create a tool that would help the company's researchers detect errors faster on the log files. Log files list actions that have occurred on a server.
SEE KAUN ON PAGE 4B
He never exhibited a hint of arrogance one might expect from a star athlete." Hugh Khan Kaun's supervisor at Perceptive software
No.1 doubles duo serves up fall season
BY PAT TEFFT
ptefft@kansan.com
After finishing last season as All-Big 12 performers and posting a 23-9 record, the duo has their sights set firmly on the slate of fall tournaments beginning this weekend.
Great things come in pairs. For Elizaveta Avdeeva and Edina Horvath, they will try to translate a good partnership into another successful season on the tennis court.
The Kansas tennis season begins Friday at the Cissie Leary Tournament in Philadelphia. The following weekend Avdeeva, Obinnsk, Russia senior, and Horvath, Budapest, Hungary junior, will travel to Pacific Pallisades, Calif., where they were selected to compete in the qualifying draw of the ITA All-American Championships.
Invitations to this highly selective tournament are based on rankings and recommendations. They will compete against 23 other pairs in hopes to qualify for a spot in the main draw.
Avdevea and Horvath are confident going in and considered qualifying for the main
draw a top goal for the fall season.
"We are so excited. We have nothing to lose," Avdeeva said. "We are going to just play as we usually play, with lots of energy."
Unifying with a partner on the tennis court is not always easy. Both Avdeeva and Horvath stressed the need for good communication and emotional support as keys to success.
"If Edina sees that I'm down she tells me 'come on Liza, we can do it', Avdeeva said. "I can miss three balls in a row and she would never say 'why are you playing so bad?' She just tells me 'it's okay Liza, I will get the next one'"
The pair credited their positive relationship off the court as a big factor in their success.
"It is really important for me to have a partner who is a good friend," Horshain said.
Avdeeva and Horvath will try to use then experience as partners to get a heads up on the competition. They have played in the No. 1 doubles slot since fall of last year.
Junior Edina Horvath and senior Elizaveta Avdeveva will participate in the Cissie Leary tournament in Philadelphia this week. The pair finished with a 23-9 record last season.
VOLLEYBALL
Kansas defeats Missouri 3-2 in Border Showdown
BY RUSTIN DODD
Andrew Wacker/KANSAI
dodd@kansan.com
Brown, senior right side/setter and four-year starter, played about three careers worth of volleyball games in a Kansas uniform. But after posting 12 kills, 29 assists and seven digs to lead Kansas to its first conference road victory since 2005 and its first victory at Missouri since 2001, she conceded that might have been her finest hour at Kansas.
Twenty minutes after Kansas' 3-2 (30-23, 26-30, 20-30, 30-28, 15-7) victory against Missouri, Emily Brown stood on the baseline of the Hearnes Center; surrounded by a throng of Jawhawk fans.
"Wow," Brown, Baldwin City, said. "Zero and 10 on the road last year, not one road win. That's just shows our team and our young players that we're not going to repeat last year."
Katie Martinich, sophomore setter, serves the ball in game one of the five game match at Missouri Wednesday night. The Jayhawks went on to win the match 3-2.
But for a while on Wednesday night, it seemed like they might.
TURNING POINT
Kansas trailed 24-22 in game four, only six Missouri points away from a loss. But the Jayhawks went on a five-point run, punctured by a Flavia Lino block, and took a 27-24 lead. Kansas closed out the game 30-28.
game five. With Kansas holding a 6-5 advantage, coach Ray Bechard inserted Wittenauer to serve. Kansas reeled off an 8-0 run behind the strength of Wittenauer's serving and gained a 14-5 lead.
With the momentum in tow Kansas rolled over
"We know that's a situation she's comfortable
Missouri in game five, 15-7 and clinched the match.
Sarah Wittenauer, sophomore defensive specialist/setter, proved to be the unlikely hero in
"That just shows our team and our young players that we're not going to repeat last year."
EMILY BROWN Right side /setter
Jenna Kaiser, freshman outside hitter, finished things off for Kansas with one of her 12 kills in its first conference victory of the year. Kansas improved to 8-5 and 1-2 in the Big 12. Missouri dropped to 7-4 and 0-2 in the Big 12.
not shes comfortable in," Bechard said. "She was the key to that run."
"Our kids just needed something to feel good about," Beard said. "What better
.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 6B