Our Mission
The Open Kansan is an independent student news organization at KU founded by Wesley Cudney. As a truly independent publication, the Open Kansan is free to publish the stories that matter. Free from Student Senate, free from university administration’s influence, free from advertisers. Our goal is to tell everyone’s story at KU, including the ones that are often overlooked.
Abdullah Al-Awhad
Abdullah Al-Awhad is the editor for the Open Kansan and is a sophomore majoring in journalism (news & information) and political science. Al-Awhad worked as a senior reporter for the University Daily Kansan and later joined the Open Kansan. He’s the current chair of the Student Senate Rights and Affairs Council. He will now continue Cudney’s mission to inform students and defend student reporters’ rights at the University of Kansas.
Wesley Cudney
Wesley Cudney is the founder of the Open Kansan. He graduated from KU in 2022 with a double major in journalism (news & information) and political science. Cudney was the Chair of the Student Rights Council in Student Senate where he strengthened press rights in the Code of Rights & Responsibilities and helped rewrite the Senate Constitution to reform the government. During his time at KU, he was a beat reporter and an enterprise reporter for the University Daily Kansan. Previously, Cudney was the president of Against Rising Tuition at KU from 2019 to 2020. He was also the final representative of Oliver Hall at the Association of University Residence Halls from 2018 to 2019.
Rylie Oswald
Rylie Oswald is the copy editor and a reporter for the Open Kansan. She is a sophomore majoring in journalism (news & information) and minoring in creative writing. She is also a senator and a member of the Student Senate Rights and Affairs Council. Oswald was a copy editor for the University Daily Kansan.