At 5 a.m. my alarm starts beeping. At 5:03 a.m. my cell phone starts chirping. I press the snooze. It’s so cold and dark.
Then I remember these alarms are very important. I leap out from under the covers. Only 20 minutes until I have to be there. I absolutely CAN NOT be late. Everyone is counting on me.
Lawrence is so lonely in the wee hours of the morning. Street lights still flashing red and not even the morning rush hour has begun. The streets are shiny with dew, and the sun is still under her covers.
When I arrive, it’s anything but lonely. There’s a group already gathered outside. Canvas chairs, sleeping bags, thermoses, and KU gear. Urban campers huddled around the entrance to Allen Fieldhouse, anxiously awaiting 6 a.m.
The doors swing open at 5:45 a.m., and I rush to gather my camping necessities: chair, headphones, lots of coffee, not enough breakfast, and too much reading.
I set up my base camp in a location that I’m sure will be judged as weird, if not inappropriate, later in the day by campers who have had more sleep. I frown, realizing there’s no outlet, and think of all the negotiations that will have to occur later when my laptop screen begins to flicker. The group guarding the outlet seems nice enough. Hopefully they’ll take pity on me.
I also hope that Bill Self personally brings me a donut for breakfast. There are rumors the coaches pass out sugary sustenance to devoted campers before big games.
This is certainly a big game. With our (I speak for the Jayhawk Nation here) archenemy Missouri abandoning us/breaking up with us/snubbing us for the SEC, there will be no mercy this Saturday at game time.
Alas, Bill Self must have forgot my donut, and my camping shift is over. Someone has come to relieve me to make sure that our group is represented continuously for the next week. The law school camping group has always been, not surprisingly, significantly well-organized. No one dares abandon their post lest an absentee roll call snatch our awesome seats.
I gather my necessities and head back across the parking lot to Green Hall. My urban camping completed, now all I have to do is patiently wait for my Missouri revenge. Until then, donuts are in order.
— Summer Shiflett, 3L and Student Ambassador
Editor’s Note: KU ended up beating Mizzou by 1 point in an overtime victory that capped a long history of Jayhawk triumph over the Tigers. Kansas leads the Border War series 172-95 as Missouri leaves the Big 12 to join the SEC. Watch the ESPN recap of the thrilling Feb. 25 game.