THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
INSIDE
SPORTS Katie McClure uses competitive upbringing to fuel her success at Kansas soccer
The University Daily Kansan
vol. 137 // iss. 15 Mon., Oct. 8, 2018
SEE MCCLURE • PAGE 7
Faculty Rights Board rules on Architecture and Design chair removals p. 2 Former governor’s son uses art in public service, designs cleats for Kansas City Chiefs p. 3 Read more at kansan.com
Trump bolsters Kobach at Topeka rally HAILEY DIXON @_hailey_dixon
Among a sea of red “Make America Great Again” signs, t-shirts and hats, President Donald Trump spoke to hundreds of Kansans at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka on Saturday evening. “Now you have a president that is standing up for America,” Trump said during the rally. “We are standing up for your values. We are standing up for Kansas — and we are standing proudly for our great national anthem.” The rally focused heavily on Trump’s support for current Kansas Secretary of State and Republican candidate for Kansas governor Kris Kobach. At the start of the rally, he also congratulated Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh for being confirmed by the Senate and sworn into the Supreme Court. “I’m thrilled to be here with all of my friends on this truly historic night,” Trump said at the beginning of the rally. “I stand before you today on the heels of a tremendous victory for our nation, our people.” Kobach joined Trump on stage, addressing the large crowd of Kansans gathered inside the Expocentre.
Chance Parker/KANSAN President Donald Trump held a rally at the Kansas Expocentre on Oct. 6 in Topeka in support of Kris Kobach for governor. “To put it simply, I want to do for Kansas what President Trump has done for America,” Kobach said. “Thank you President Trump for making America great again.” Trump encouraged Kansans at the event to vote for Kobach in November. “Everybody get out and vote for my friend Kris Kobach on election day,” Trump said. According to a poll by Public Policy Polling, Kobach currently
has a narrow lead of one percentage point over Laura Kelly, the Democratic candidate for governor. When speaking about Kelly, Trump and Kobach discussed her views on sanctuary cities as well as guns. “My opponent voted for sanctuary cities,” Kobach said. “It’s time to put Kansans first, not illegal aliens.” Trump also asked Kansans to vote for Steve Watkins for Kansas’ second congressional
and illustration student group of KU are confused, embarrassed and quite frankly offended by the important matter of how Dean Mahesh Daas has handled our department. Our former chairman, Andrea Herstowski, is the one who many students hold dearly. We can count on her for career advice, academic help, and she is always putting her students first to advocate for their needs. With Andrea’s skills and expertise, she is a crucial member of the KU design department. However, according to the dean, her role within the department was not needed. Andrea plays a vital role in the overall success of
the design department, and it was a mistake to replace her with a less qualified and less involved chair. This is unacceptable, and does not reflect the values and character of the University of Kansas. Who will advocate for the student needs? … Who will consistently fight to keep the design program as strong as it is today? As students of the school of design, we feel that the new direction of the design program is to move it backward, not forward. We need our program and the University of Kansas to do better by bringing Andrea back to her former position as chair and continue paying her accordingly. This is not the school
district. “A vote for Steve is a vote for me and our agenda to make America great again,” Trump said. In addition to speaking about Kobach and Watkins, Trump thanked a variety of individuals at the event, including current Kansas governor, Jeff Colyer. “He’s a great guy,” Trump said. “You have one hell of a governor … Great governor, great man.” In addition, Trump discussed his achievements as president
“We are standing up for your values. We are standing up for Kansas — and we are standing proudly for our great national anthem.” Donald Trump President
at the event, speaking on a variety of topics, such as his current ratings,
“fake news media,” illegal immigration, standing up for American values and putting Americans — and Kansans — first, among other topics. “We finally are rebuilding our nation,” he said. Cheryl Sonnenberg, a resident of Garden City, said she was glad to see so many supporters attending the rally. “I love Donald Trump . . . There’s old, there’s young; there’s every walk of life,” Sonnenberg said. Mike Barnett, of Hope, said he is “very supportive” of Trump, and was happy with the variety of individuals who came. “I was really excited to see so many younger people here,” Barnett said before the event. At the beginning of the event, Trump said, due to Kavanaugh being confirmed into the Supreme Court, that the event in Topeka was almost canceled. Trump said he did not want to disappoint Kansans. “No way am I canceling Kansas,” Trump said. “I don’t have the courage.” Brad Parscale, Trump’s 2020 campaign manager, said Kansas is “Trump country,” before introducing Trump at approximately 6:20 p.m.
Architecture, design students voice frustrations CONNER MITCHELL @connermitchell0
Roughly 45 minutes into an assembly meeting of faculty members at the School of Architecture and Design on Friday, senior Beth Snow was recognized to speak. Snow said she wanted to read a statement from students in the prototype program in the design department and have it put on the record. The statement was directed at School of Architecture and Design Dean Mahesh Daas, who was chairing the meeting: “After recent events in the School of Design, the [outlook] is far from optimistic. We, the students of prototype, graphic design
Chance Parker/KANSAN Senior Beth Snow, a student in the School of Architecture and Design, voices her concerns during a faculty assembly meeting on Friday, Oct. 5.
“[I]f the standard of school keeps going down, I’m not sure I want my degree to have the university name on it, because it’s not going to mean as much as I thought it did.” Maddy Irwin Senior
of architecture. This is the School of Architecture and Design. Every single day, Andrea comes to class, she shows her students that she cares. Now, Dean Daas, show us that you care about the students in design too. It’s time that the dean realign his focus on both departments and that he is held accountable for his actions and misuse of power.” Snow’s statement, along with several comments faculty members directed at Daas, appeared to reference two Kansan articles that detailed a $125,000 payment to a faculty member for his agreed retirement and an apparent effort on Daas’ part to dissolve the design department and have the programs operate under the umbrella of architecture. One faculty member, who did not identify himself, directly asked Daas to comment on the Kansan’s reporting. He declined. Payton Prosser, a senior in the School, said students were so confused about what was happen-
ing, she came to the assembly meeting hoping to get more information. “I think a lot of us for a while have noticed that we’re not necessarily getting a lot of information,” she said. “So when the article came out, I was compelled to come out and try to get more information for the student body.” “There’s been no direct response to any of this,” Prosser said. “We really want an open path of communication with our administration and I don’t feel like we’ve had that or that he’s willing to make a path.” Prosser asked Daas during the meeting why there was money to pay a faculty member’s settlement, and money to increase the number of administrators in the school, but not to hire more professors. Daas said he would respond at another time. “I thought that he was unprepared. The article came out on Monday, today is Friday, (I thought) he would have had plenty of time to come out with
a statement or come out with some sort of response to student considerations and concerns,” said Norah Swift, also a senior in the School. “It seemed like he didn’t necessarily care and was just there because he had to be there. He didn’t really have a response for us, which was super disappointing.” Senior Maddy Irwin said students in the school had little to no idea about what was happening in the school — and still don’t, for the most part. “Students don’t know,” Irwin said. “They don’t know what the problems are, it’s all behind closed doors.” Ultimately, Irwin said she’s concerned about the direction the school is taking under Daas’ leadership. “I’m going to eventually get this degree that I’ve worked really hard for. But if the standard of school keeps going down, I’m not sure I want my degree to have the university name on it,” she said. “Because it’s not going to mean as much as I thought it did.”