Thursday, May 10, 2007
At a basketball school like the University of Kansas, it’s easy to form a symbolic attachment to the basketball players who came the University as freshmen when you did.
This year’s freshmen have Sherron Collins and Darrell Arthur. The sophomores have Mario Chalmers, and maybe even Brandon Rush. For the juniors, there’s Sasha Kaun and Russell Robinson.
On Senior Night in Allen Fieldhouse next year, the class of 2008 will be able to connect with Robinson and Kaun and the rest of their classmates. But, as a graduating senior, the class of 2007 missed out on its Senior Night.
Sure, the fete in the Fieldhouse is formally to honor the Jayhawks in jerseys, but KU’s academic seniors are as much a part of Senior Night as the basketball players.
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As I go forward, I can only hope that my future experiences can top those I’ve had as a journalist at the University of Kansas.
As I prepare for my only final, I’m left wondering what it would have been like to witness a Senior Night, when I was senior. I’m left without a seminal moment in KU sports, which have been a major part of my educational career.
When I came to the University of Kansas, I was the guy in your dorm organizing camping groups. I was the one who woke you up for the lottery early in the morning. I was the one sitting in the tsunami of a football game against Northwestern in 2003.
By my second semester, I was covering women’s basketball for The Kansan, and then football shortly thereafter. Sports was my entry into journalism, which has been the focal point of college. I’ve skipped classes, missed classes, slept through classes and otherwise had poor academic moments because of my dedication to journalism.
But I must admit, it’s been fun along the way. Covering away sporting events, major campus natural disasters as well as the President of the United States — those are the memories I will keep of my college experience.
As I go forward, I can only hope that my future experiences can top those I’ve had as a journalist at the University of Kansas.
And it all started when I walked into Allen Fieldhouse to cover Marian Washington’s last season as women’s basketball coach.
Journalism has given me an opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting people. I’ve interviewed Mack Brown, Gary Pinkel and Quin Snyder. I’ve spoken with senators, governors and leaders of business and industry. It all started with sports.
And yet, I still feel like it can’t yet be time to go. I’m not sure why, but I can’t help but think that if there had been some sort of seminal moment, some Senior Night, I would be as ready to leave as I am excited.
It’s been a pleasure to write stories and columns for The Kansan. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in journalism and political science. He’s worked for The Kansan for eight semesters, including two as its editor.
— Edited by Trevan McGee
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