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SPORTS Kansas men’s basketball

Student Senate to implement wellness vending machine on campus p. 2

Big 12 dreams take a hit

A step into the life of KU musician Sydny August

after Saturday’s game The University Daily Kansan

What’s New at

vol. 138 // iss. 11 Mon., Feb 25, 2019

SEE BASKETBALL • PAGE 11

p. 4

Opinion: Scholarship halls are KU’s hidden gem p. 10 Read more at kansan.com

Staff Senate voices budget concerns

Read these stories and more at kansan.com

Study looks for wastewater disposal alternative to prevent earthquakes The injection of wastewater has caused earthquakes along the Kansas-Oklahoma border.

Students’ questions answered at Sex in the Dark event A panel of professionals answered anonymous student questions about sex in Hashinger Hall on Thursday night.

Luckyberry rebrands, renovates to keep up with customer demands Luckyberry Juice Café is set to rebrand itself to accommodate year-round demands.

Sarah Wright/KANSAN Staff Senate at the University of Kansas has sent a letter to Interim Provost Carl Lejuez regarding the institution’s ongoing budget changes. NICOLE ASBURY @NicoleAsbury SOPHIA BELSHE @SophiaBelshe Staff Senate voiced disappointment and called for more transparency from administration regarding ongoing financial changes at the University of Kansas in a letter addressed to Interim Provost Carl Lejuez. The letter, signed by Staff Senate President Michelle Ginavan Hayes and Staff Senate President-Elect Robert Waller, requests the new budget model “equitably take into account KU’s staff, including those from non-aca-

demic and non-student credit hour units.” “In light of all the other letters and statements that have come out of University Senate, we wanted to make it personal,” Waller said in an interview with the Kansan. “We wanted them to understand that it is directly affecting staff.” Waller said the letter was sent in an effort to ensure Lejuez understood many staff members were hurting and afraid as budget preparations are going through. “You have staff that, especially around December and Christmas, were very much afraid that the next day ... they wouldn’t have a

position to come back to,” Waller said. Lejuez said he’s appreciated his time in working with the current Staff Senate leadership. “They are tremendous advocates for our staff and great partners in a challenging time,” Lejuez said in a text message to the Kansan. “Most importantly, they have been instrumental in helping me approach our budget cut and our developing budget model in a manner that seeks to take staff concerns and needs into account as much as is possible at this time.” The letter, obtained by the Kansan, was original-

ly presented in a meeting with Lejuez on Jan. 28 and in a separate meeting with Chancellor Douglas Girod on Feb. 11, according to Waller. Although members participated in sending previous letters from University Senate, Staff Senate felt it was important to voice its concerns separately. The new budget model is a hybrid model, in part based on how many students are enrolled per credit hour for an academic unit, as well as whether that unit is pursuing other strategic priorities — such as diversity and equity, research and more. For staff who do not

teach in academic units, the amount of money their unit accrues will be primarily based off of whether they are in-line with the University’s strategic priorities. “We’re going to do everything we can to roll it out in a way that’s humane to our units,” Lejuez said in a previous interview with the Kansan. “It’s already challenging enough with the 6 percent cut, that we’re going to keep units as close to that as possible.” Units meeting those standards will gain more money. READ MORE ON PAGE 2

KU professor wins Oscar COURTNEY BIERMAN @courtbierman

University of Kansas Film and Media Studies professor Kevin Willmott has won an Oscar. Willmott won Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on “BlacKkKlansman” along with his three cowriters Spike Lee, Charlie Wachtel and David Rabinowitz. The award is the film’s first win of the night out of a total of six nominations. Ryan Jenga, a freshman film and media studies student at the University, said he had no doubt Wilmott would

take home the Oscar but it was still a thrill to see

“If [Kevin Willmott] didn’t win, he’d be robbed.” Ryan Jenga freshman

the professor on stage. “[My reaction was] joyous shock, I guess. It’s crazy to see someone you know at the Oscars getting an award, getting a big honor,” Jenga said. “If he didn’t win, he’d be robbed.”

Sarah Wright/KANSAN Faculty and students of the film and media studies program celebrate after “BlacKkKlansman” wins an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Willmott did not the take the microphone, but director Lee used the speech to acknowledge Black History Month, thank his family and encourage everyone to vote in the 2020 presidential election. “The goal is not to be nominated. The goal is to make films of impact, and this film definitely has,” Lee said. “I’m not trying to be some grandiose motherf---er like, ‘Oh, I don’t need awards.’ I’m not saying that. But what I’m saying is that, there are things more important.” The “BlacKkKlansman” screenplay also garnered wins at the British Academy Film Awards and the African-American Film Critics Association, among others. Willmott and Lee are frequent collaborators, having previously worked together on the screenplay of the 2015 film “Chi-Raq.” This is Willmott’s first nomination and win after a 20-year career in film.

Brooke Boyer/KANSAN KU basketball pep band drummer Donovan Miller reflects on going viral.

Meet KU’s viral drummer BROOKE BOYER @BrookeBoyer422

Donovan Miller was a pep band drummer simply trying to fill some dead air. What was a routine request during a secondhalf timeout of Saturday’s Kansas-West Virginia basketball game turned into an online sensation. “All I’ve heard is that I’m a legend,” Miller, a fifthyear senior from Woodbury, Minnesota, said. “I’ve heard it multiple times in the last

couple days.” Miller’s eight-second jam has received more than 800,000 views on Bleacher Report, 300,000 Twitter views and 57,000 on Barstool KU. It began with a request from Assistant Director of Bands Sharon Toulouse, who asked Miller to start playing along to the fight song during a timeout. “I can tell him to just go, and he goes nuts filling time that otherwise would have been silent, and I

know without a doubt he’ll make it entertaining,” Toulouse said in an email to the Kansan. “He brings a flare to the songs we play that catch the attention of the students and crowd.” A wide-eyed Miller broke into rhythm with passion, and ESPN’s live broadcast caught him right as the song’s beat was gaining momentum. READ MORE ON PAGE 11