KU students want classes canceled day after Super Bowl — or barf bags on campus
Students at the University of Kansas hope classes will be canceled Monday — whether or not the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday night.
And if classes aren’t canceled, the student government wants the university to strategically place emesis bags around campus, especially in high-traffic areas.
KU’s Student Senate on Thursday passed a resolution calling on Chancellor Douglas Girod to consider implementing health and safety measures for the day after the big game.
Tiara Floyd, student body president, said the resolution “is both serious and lighthearted.” She said that while the senate is not condoning underage drinking, “we are not oblivious to activities students take part in.”
Copies of the resolution also went to the campus health center and to the transit department, which Floyd said is considering extending safe rides on Sunday for a few hours.
“The Student Senate body would be woefully negligent of its duty to represent the student body by not advocating for a concern for the health of students given the inevitability of celebrations that may occur should the Kansas City Chiefs emerge victorious...,” the resolution said.
It said that health and safety risks “would only be exasperated by the continuation of classes less than 12 hours after said victory...”
Floyd said some student senators recalled the celebrations that accompanied the Royals’ 2015 World Series win. Some faculty canceled classes the following day, but many did not. She said a lot of students did not make it to class and among those who did show up, “I hate to say this; people were vomiting in their backpacks. That is a health issue.”
Floyd said that what the Senate wants most is for the administration and faculty to know “that some students might stay out later than usual and some might be drinking so students might not be their best,” Floyd said. “They might be hung over and sick after a night of celebrating.”
A copy of the resolution also was sent to Chiefs coach Andy Reid, owner Clark Hunt, General Manager Brett Veach and quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“We just want the Chiefs to know that they have KU student support behind them,” Floyd said.
But what the senate resolution said students don’t support is the fans’ “tomahawk chop” — “or any other behavior that mocks or is offensive to Native American culture.” The resolutions urged the Chiefs organization to “take proactive attempts to end such traditions.”
The Star did not hear back from university officials about whether they were considering the students’ requests for Monday.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 6:18 PM.
