It is “stop day” at KU, but the only thing we’ll be “stopping” here at Heard on the Hill is the course your day was taking before you saw this link and clicked on it.

The current academic year at KU may be nearly half over, but the political chess pieces already are arranging themselves on the board in preparation for the spring student-government elections.

The Daily Kansan reported on the political maneuverings during this last week of classes for the semester. Topeka senior Brandon Woodard, the current student body vice president, will run for student body president on the ticket of the juggernaut KUnited coalition, with Salina junior Blaine Bengtson as his running mate (Bengtson led the introduction of a new gameday recycling program this fall).

Rising up in the opposing corner (yeah, I know, I’m switching from chess to boxing; I can’t be expected to keep my metaphors straight this early in the morning) will be the new Ad Astra coalition. Paola junior Marcus Tetwiler will run for president on that ticket, backed up by running mate Emma Halling, a junior from Mishawaka, Ind.

Other competitors, though, could emerge in other corners (I’m not sure what the metaphor is now).

Student elections at KU do not quite have the pendulum-like nature of our national politics. The KUnited outfit has won 18 of the past 19 elections, the Kansan reports. It remains to be seen whether this new group can present a challenge, but as your go-to campus pundit here at the Journal-World, I can say one thing about it: It has a good name.

Please send your KU news tips, making use of chess boxing metaphors if you wish, to merickson@ljworld.com.