Kansas Kindergartner Reminds Us What Rivalries Are All About
Where would us sports fans be without rivalries? Cheering for your favorite teams wouldn’t be nearly as fun if there wasn’t someone you could cheer just as passionately against.
Four-year old Kansas kindergartner, Emma Burton, shows us exactly what rivalries are all about.
As part of a “Kansas Day” project at school, Emma, whose parents are both graduates of Kansas State University, was given a picture of a Kansas Jayhawk, the mascot of KSU’s fiercest rival, to color in.
An avid K-State Wildcat fan, despite her age, Emma adamently refused to color in the picture, quite simply because she “doesn’t like the Jayhawks.”
Emma, disgusted, walked up to her teacher’s desk and asked for a Wildcat that she could color in instead, but was told that there weren’t any, so Emma boldly proceeded to throw the Jayhawk coloring page into the trash can.
Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with the teacher.
Emma’s mother recounts the story, in her own words, on her blog. The teacher, furious with Emma for her refusal to participate, relayed the day’s events to Ms. Burton:
Emma would not color this Jayhawk today with the rest of her class. She told me she would not color it. She told me she does not like KU and her family likes K-State. She asked me for a K-State picture instead but I told her this was her only option. She took the paper, crumpled it up and threw in the trash can. I asked her to get it out of the trash can and she told me no then refused to speak to me the rest of the day. I told her I would have to have a chat with you about this and she will need to color this tomorrow during recess.
Ms. Burton continues, explaining how she begged Emma to just color the picture, which resulted in this exchange between mother and daughter:
Mom: Emma, you need to color this thing. The teacher might have to send you to the principal’s office.
Emma: I don’t care. I’m not coloring it.
Mom: Hmmm…Ok. What if I make you a deal. What if I print out a Powercat (KSU mascot) and you color it purple, grey and white. Then write an apology to your teacher because you were rude. Will you agree to that?
Emma: (pouts) Fine.
Mom: Ok, but you need to color that Jayhawk for your teacher.
Emma: (silent, exhales) Fine.
Mom: You will?
Emma: Yes. But I don’t like it. And I’m wearing a K-State shirt tomorrow.
*****************************************************************
A compromise was reached, and Emma took her KSU picture to school, on which she wrote, “Dear Ms. (name withheld). I am sorry for being rude. I will color the Jayhawk. Love, Emma”
Courtesy of Ms. Burton's Blog
True to her word, Emma did indeed color the Jayhawk the following day, which was promptly thrown into the trash can as soon as she got home from school.
Due to her bold stand, Emma is a hero among KSU fans. She received some goodies from the athletic office, letters of support from fellow fans, four basketball tickets to the Wildcats’ match-up with Kansas, and even a letter from the KSU president offering her mock “scholarship” for the class of 2025.
I must say this; I have never met Emma, but it seems to me that she is the coolest kindergartner around.
Thank you, Emma, for reminding us how much fun rivalries can be.
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