After a talk with a friend about our basketball loss earlier today, I have decided to write about said topic. Yes, it is sad for the team (particularly the graduating seniors), the university as a whole and the community. And I as a life-long basketball fan enjoy this time of year just as much as the next person. However, during this conversation, he brought up an interesting point. He said that, although it is disappointing such a talented and deserving team lost such an important game, there are other things on which to focus—the world is not over because, after all, “there is always next year.”

My initial reaction to this excuse is that, “this is what teams who lose always say.” But my friend made an interesting point—life goes on. Everyone knows how big of a deal basketball is at KU. It’s really a way of life. But he said that, now that our season is over, we can think about other things; such as the remaining part of the semester, whether that means a thesis defense, midterms or class papers. He also expanded this to the bigger picture. There are thousands in Japan who are suffering because of a natural disaster. He made a point to ask if we’ve forgotten about larger issues than a basketball game.

Even though this friend is a basketball fan, he focuses on larger issues. The loss is a huge disappointment and although it is acceptable to be down about the loss for a while, it should not be the main focus in today’s world. He mentioned the disaster in Japan as a main focus. His contention was that we should be more concerned with the well being of those affected by the earthquake and tsunami more so than those affected by the loss of the Jayhawks. But it seems easier to relate to the Jayhawks’ loss because it’s our school, it’s local, the culture is part of us.

So should we devote just as much energy to caring and helping those affected by natural disasters when their entire lives have literally been swept away? Have we lost track of what matters in trying to see the bigger picture? Should we devote as much time and energy as we do into something that can potentially be achieved the next year when those in Japan need immediate attention?

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