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T H E I N D E P E N D E N T V O I C E F O R K A N S A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
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vol. 124, issue 19
kansas state collegian
wednesday, october 3, 2 0 1 8
Over a decade later, plans solidify for Multicultural Student Center ahead of KSUnite
KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN THE COLLEGIAN
In the conference room in the KSU Foundation building, students, faculty and administrators fill in to empty seats. Dressed mostly in black, white and purple, the people meeting make up more than half of the 28 individuals that form the Multicultural Student Center Project Action Team. The action team officially met for the first time this semester, having met a number of times over the last year to solidify the construction of the long-promised multicultural student center. The team is an initiative, decades in the making, now led by Adrian Rodriguez, associate vice president of academic student services for diversity and multicultural student affairs, who arrived at Kansas State in November 2017. This meeting in particular, Rodriguez said, is meant to get every member of the action team “up to speed” regarding the conversations that were held over the summer. K-State remains the only school in the Big 12 conference that does not have any iteration of a space dedicated specifically to multicultural students. Pat Bosco, vice president of student life and dean of students, said “there isn’t anything more important” to the university at this time than promoting diversity and inclusion. As such, the construction of the center, emphasizes this priority, Bosco said. “We weren’t starting anew, we were wanting to make sure that our work
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K-State Maps
The new Multicultural Student Center is planned to be just east of the K-State Student Union. reflected a lot of the past work and we were building on that strong foundation,” Rodriguez said. “Of course we are also needing to move forward, right? So, it’s a combination of the work that had been done and the work of this new group moving forward.” Rodriguez said the action team secured backing from the President’s Cabinet in addition to continued collaboration with the KSU Foundation in the
Student group works to prevent suicide, advocate for mental health
continuation of the project during September. In 2015, then-President Kirk Schulz announced plans to secure donations that would go toward the planned $16-million project that would build what he referred to as the “Campus Multicultural Center” in his letter to students at the start of the academic year. As of right now, John Morris, senior vice president of development at
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the KSU Foundation, said to date, the Foundation has secured $2.7 million in donations of the estimated $5 million the project-as-planned will require. Morris said he expects to have the rest of the money for the center secured by December.
see page 3, “CENTER”
K-State Theatre’s latest play centers feminism, diversity
NEWS
Fall enrollment declines for fifth consecutive year by Kaylie Mclaughlin Kansas State enrollment has declined for the fifth consecutive year, according to census numbers released by the Kansas Board of Regents. Fall enrollment at all K-State campuses is 22,221, down 574 students from fall 2017. Based on those same numbers, about 30 percent of the enrollment decline is a direct result of decreased international enrollment rates. Pat Bosco, vice president for the Office of Student Life and dean of students, said despite lowered enrollment, the university did see record enrollment in the current semester in hispanic students. That being said, the overall “students of color” in enrollment decreased for the second consecutive year. The number of black students at K-State also fell for the sixth year in a row, down more than 30 percent from 2012. In his State of the University address Friday, President Richard Myers discussed the university’s overall new goal of prioritizing out-of-state enrollment. Such goals are emphasized by the introduction of non-Kansas resident scholarships like the Inspiration Award and the Recognition Award starting in the fall of 2019. The freshman to sophomore retention rate is the highest in university history, Bosco said, which he attributes to Emily Lehning, associate vice president for student life and director of new student services. Additionally, the size of the freshman class at K-State increased three percent.
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EDITORIAL BOARD Rafael Garcia Editor-in-chief
Dené Dryden Managing editor Rachel Hogan Deputy managing editor Kyle Hampel Community co-editor Olivia Rogers Community co-editor
Kaylie McLaughlin News editor
Molly Hackett Assistant sports editor
Leah Zimmerli Assistant news editor
Monica Diaz Social media editor
Katelin Woods Culture editor Macy Davis Assistant culture editor Jarrett Whitson Sports Editor
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
Students work to reduce stigma of mental health
Sarah Millard | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
P.A.W.S is a student organization, associated with Counseling Services, whose purpose is to enhance the mental wellness of the KSU campus at large and support the vision and mission of KSU Counseling Services.
JANELLE MARNEY THE COLLEGIAN
Imagine sitting in a lecture hall at Kansas State with a couple of hundred students. Statistics from the American College Health Association suggest that 12 out of every 100 students crammed into that lecture hall have formulated “a suicide plan.” In that room, a couple dozen people have thought of suicide. The ACHA also reports suicide is the second-highest form of death in college students behind traffic accidents, and about six percent of all college students “have seriously considered at-
tempting suicide.” At Kansas State, that number would translate to more than 1,000 students from the Manhattan campus alone. Peer Advocates for Mental Wellness and Success, better known as P.A.W.S., hosts Kat Chats along with other events on campus to help reduce the stigma of mental health topics. Alex Bontrager, president of P.A.W.S. and senior in microbiology, said the organization’s goal is to be a student advocacy group aiming to help mental wellbeing of the student population. “A lot of college students are impacted by mental wellness struggles in one way or anoth-
er,” Bontrager said. “Either they themselves or they have friends that are, but not a ton of people are very comfortable talking about their mental wellness, so our overarching goal is to educate people about mental health, provide resources, but also to just open up a healthy dialogue surrounding mental wellness.” P.A.W.S. not only sponsors mental health Kat Chats, but also works with Counseling Services to help guide students in need. Counseling Services staff members review the material in the Kat Chats that P.A.W.S creates in order to ensure the information is accurate. “We want to help students realize that seeking help and resources when you are struggling or know of someone who is in need is normal,” Bontrager said. Talking about the prevention of suicide was the main focus of a recent Kat Chat, however when discussing the topic it’s also in good favor to address depression, Matthew Burnett, senior in nutritional sciences, said. “Depression is increasingly common among college students,” Burnett said. “Unlike what many people think, depression is not a sign of weakness. Suicide is more of a compulsive act and [usually passes] within 24 hours of the initial thought. Often they just want the pain to end.” Kodee Walls, Counseling Services psychologist, has researched the topic of suicide among college students. She said
in her findings sources of stress that can lead to suicidal thoughts can be finances, homework, living on one’s own, isolation, drug or alcohol usage and balancing personal life, school, work and other responsibilities. “Regarding trends, there has been a steady increase in college students reporting thoughts of suicide or previous suicide attempts,” Walls said. “There are many hypotheses regarding this uptick, some examples include the reduced stigma around mental health needs so more people are seeking help and disclosing their [thoughts of suicide] or decreased connection with others due to social media and the portrayal of the perfect life, which leave people feeling alienated and alone, etc.” Peers can help friends who are experiencing depression or suicidal thoughts by talking to the individual in private, communicating your concern, ask how they are feeling, and most importantly be supportive, calm and show a caring attitude, Walls said. P.A.W.S. also helps students in the areas of embracing change, self-esteem and self-confidence. The group has a variety of events planned for the rest of the fall semester and is currently working on a podcast to help create more dialogue and awareness for mental health topics. Join P.A.W.S. on Oct. 8 at 11 a.m. in Bosco Plaza for its “drawing out your emotions” event to relieve stress and calm emotions.
Indigenous Peoples Day Columbus DaY
Indigenous Female Leadership: Disrupting Dominant Discourses Featuring:
October 8, 2018 K-State Student Union 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
For full schedule, registration and live stream info, visit:
k-state.edu/indigenous-alliance
ELIZABETH KRONK WARNER, J.D. Professor of Law and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, School of Law; Director, Tribal Law & Government Center; Affiliate Professor, Indigenous Studies – University of Kansas Keynote – 9:30-10:20 a.m.
ROBIN ZAPE-TAH-HOL-AH MINTHORN, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Native American Studies – University of New Mexico Keynote – 10:30-11:20 a.m.
MAGGIE WALTER, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Aboriginal Research and Leadership – University of Tasmania – Oz to Oz Visiting Fulbright Scholar Keynote – 2:30-3:20 p.m.
Warrior Women (2018) Film Screening/Discussion – 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
CENTER continued from page
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By spring, Rodriguez said he hopes the construction documents will be in order, which would set in motion the 14-monthlong construction process. Ideally, the center would be complete over the summer of 2020 and open for that fall semester. Based on the executive summary presented in the meeting, the center’s location is planned for the east side of the K-State Student Union and was selected based on a set list of specific criteria including location centrality from a list of seven locations. While design development of the space is still in the drafting phases, the plans as of now show a public interaction zone for all students with a closed-off space that would be specific for multicultural student organizations. “One of the concerns that have been brought up was, obviously, new space,” Rodriguez said. “We want to really reserve it, protect it, for its function and for its identity and what it means to us and so forth. And so I think that it’s really important, and I think this is really critical.” Rodriguez said he thinks the distinction within the space
between public and reserved space for multicultural students is the “heart” of the space, which is “built on identity.” Lengthy conversations about the requirements of the space necessitated the building to be upward of 14,000 square feet to accommodate the morethan-40 multicultural student organizations operating at K-State, Rodriguez said. The building, planned in coordination with Hollis + Miller of Kansas City, will have some room for the division of multicultural student affairs, divisible conference rooms, storage spaces and a kitchen as well as other multipurpose spaces. Rodriguez said, at the moment, there is “a lot of momentum” supporting the center, mentioning the Student Governing Association resolution from the 2017-2018 governing term supporting the creation of a Multicultural Student Center and the Homecoming Committee’s decision to have the benefactor of the 5K RunWalk event be the center. Previously, Cindy Bontrager, vice president of administration and finances, and Ryan Swanson, vice president of facilities and university architect, declined comment until after KSUnite. Brandon Clark, student programs coordinator for diversity and multicultural student affairs, also declined additional comment.
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
K-State volleyball searches for first Big 12 win at Texas Tech JULIA JORNS
THE COLLEGIAN
Rowan Jones | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Glori Mutiri (left), Peyton Williams (middle) and Alyssa Schultejans (right) stand in formation ready for the serve against the Longhorns during the Sept. 19, 2018 game at Ahearn Field House.
The Kansas State volleyball team will travel to Lubbock, Texas on Wednesday in hopes of securing their first Big 12 win of the season against Texas Tech. The Wildcats are 10-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play. They are 4-2 on the road and lost their last four matches overall. The Wildcats won eight straight and were 10-1 overall before starting Big 12 play. For the Wildcats, 17 of their 120 blocks have been solo and they average 2.3 blocks per set. They have 663 assists so far and average 12.8 assists per set. K-State’s last match was a four-set loss to Texas Chris-
tian University inside Ahearn Field House on Saturday. TCU won the first set 25-22, but K-State bounced back to tie the match at a set a piece with a 25-18 victory. The Horned Frogs went on to win the third and fourth sets by scores of 25-12 and 25-22, respectively. Redshirt senior libero Devan Fairfield had a teamhigh 17 digs in the match-up while redshirt senior outside hitter Kylee Zumach collected 12 digs along with eight kills. Texas Tech is 14-3 this season and will come into the match against the Wildcats with eight consecutive wins. They won their first three games against Big 12 opponents. Against conference teams, Texas Tech has only
lost three sets over the course of three matches. The Red Raiders have 811 kills on the year while limiting their opponents to 725. Opponents have an edge when it comes to overall attacks this season with 2,171 and Texas Tech has 2,090. They are 5-0 in home matches this season. Their last two matches at home came against West Virginia and Iowa State. In both matches, the Red Raiders won 3-1. The match between the Wildcats and the Red Raiders is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Lubbock, Texas. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest, and fans can listen to the match on KMAN radio.
Quarterback questions make for a tense football press conference AVERY OSEN
THE COLLEGIAN
There was a different feeling at the Kansas State football press conference on Tuesday, after head coach Bill Snyder appeared to get frustrated at reporters. The Wildcats are 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play, but lots of questions still swirl through many media members’ heads, a majority surrounding the quarterback position. One of the biggest questions is why sophomore Skylar Thompson is not the clear first quarterback on the depth chart, and what he must do in order to earn it over junior Alex Delton. “Continue to play well and improve his play,” head coach Bill Snyder said in response to that question. When asked about what the media is missing on why Thompson isn’t starting, Snyder was firm on his answer. “What are you missing?” Snyder said. “Probably just that you’re not on the field
coaching. That’s probably the only thing.” Thompson has the edge on Delton in the following categories: passer rating, interceptions thrown, touchdowns thrown, rushing yards, passing yards per game and completion percentage. Snyder is still certain that both guys will see the field each game. “I don’t know what the stat sheet means, but [Alex] runs the ball well and I think he throws the ball effectively,” Snyder said. “Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn’t. It’s just a comparison that you make between one player and another that play at the same position.” But the most tense part of the press conference came after a reporter was stopped mid-sentence by Snyder after asking another question regarding the quarterbacks. “You write whatever the hell you want to write,” Snyder said aggressively. If there is anything that doesn’t look like it’s going away soon, it’s who should be taking the snaps each Saturday.
Meg Shearer | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder views the play in progress, watching for results from his players. On Saturday, the Wildcats fell to Texas Longhorns at Bill Snyder Family Stadium with a final score of 19-14.
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
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After a tough week five loss, football prepares for Baylor matchup MOLLY HACKETT THE COLLEGIAN
After weeks of struggling, Kansas State football still doesn’t seem to have the “identity” that head coach Bill Snyder talked about at the beginning of the season. The offense seems to be the area of contention on the team.
They do not have a steady man in the quarterback position. Both sophomore Skylar Thompson and junior Alex Delton have been put in and pulled from every game this season, making it hard to really get into a steady flow. In terms of offensive yards, K-State has put up 731 rushing yards and 847 passing yards. The defense has held opponents to a close number though only allow-
ing 823 rushing yards and 1152 passing yards. The major issue lies with the fact that K-State hasn’t been able to translate those offensive yards into points only averaging 19.6 points per game while allowing opponents to score an average of 25.2 points per game. The stats show that Thompson is more successful on offense scoring two rushing touchdowns
and four passing touchdowns compared to Delton’s single passing touchdown, but Snyder still seems to believes that Delton is equally qualified for the job. In order for Thompson to win the job outright, Snyder said that Thompson needs to “continue to play well and improve his play.” But, with their 2-3 record, the Wildcats will need to use the
spirit that they bolstered during the second half of their game against Texas last weekend to keep gaining momentum for this weekends matchup against Baylor. Senior Zach Reuter credited “the fight” that the team has when it comes to the difference between the first and the second half of the game against Texas and if they can use that fight
during the entire game they “can have a lot of success.” That fight will need to snowball into the next few weeks as well. Three out of the next four games are on the road for the Wildcats.
To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
Q&A: Chief diversity officer discusses KSUnite, time at K-State how best to get a good representation, involvement and engagement from students, faculty and staff.” McLaughlin: “You mentioned high-priority projects. Might one of those projects be the Multicultural Student Center?” Samuel: “I’m on the Multicultural Center Action Project Team.” McLaughlin: “So, what can you tell me about the conversations so far that have gone into planning it?” Samuel: “I can tell you that we’ve been working for a while and that we’ve had some good conversations. I can tell you that the team is made up of students, faculty and staff.”
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Chief diversity and inclusion officer Bryan Samuel answers a question about his work on K-State diversity and the 2018 KSUnite. Collegian news editor Kaylie McLaughlin interviewed Samuel for a Q&A session on Monday.
KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN THE COLLEGIAN
Bryan Samuel, chief diversity officer for the office of the president, discussed his time at Kansas State over the last six months with Collegian staff members. Kaylie McLaughlin, news editor: “What does your day-to-day job look like?” Samuel: “Wow. It’s kind of all over the place; it depends on what’s going on. Here, recently, it’s been a lot about KSUnite. I usually go wherever the priorities take me. I’m working on a number of high priority projects for the university ... not only
KSUnite, but figuring out a forward direction for the campus climate survey, revising a diversity plan and looking at accessibility for the campus as well.” McLaughlin: “What role have you played in the planning of the second KSUnite?” Samuel: “I’ve been a bit of a contributor — thinking about how best to leverage the campus resources and make something that’s workable for students, faculty, staff [and] community members if they are so inclined to participate. We’ve been meeting since May — since school got out — to start planning and working on what the program might look like, what it may include and
McLaughlin: “What do you have planned for the rest of the semester after KSUnite?” Samuel: “I’m going to continue working with the President’s Commission on Multicultural Affairs. I’m going to continue working with a number of different faculty and staff groups [and] student groups around preparing for a campus climate survey. I’m going to plan a few programs for the spring semester including, but not limited to, [the] MLK luncheon ... and I’m going to continue working on a couple of task forces and committees and some other projects. So, work continues.” McLaughlin: “You’ve been at K-State for about six months now. What has been your impression so far?” Samuel: “I have been very pleased with the campus. People have treated me very nicely, a lot of good things are happening and taking place and I’m honored to be a part of the many things that are going on here. I recognize that there are some places where we can expand our work and do a little more in the area of diversity and inclusion — look-
ing at graduation rates across many different populations. For example, recruitment of faculty and retention of faculty ... recruitment of women and minorities and others in leadership positions across the institution. It’s been great; a lot of good things happening, a lot of work yet to be done.” McLaughlin: “What is KSUnite Part Two hoping to accomplish? Since last year’s event came out of a campus crisis, how do the goals of this event differ now that the university isn’t in the same loop?” Samuel: “Last year was fueled by a number of crisis events, or tension, if you will. My thinking about KSUnite is that first and foremost, you don’t fix challenges and issues by just holding a single event and then they’re gone. I think the big takeaway for KSUnite in 2018 is that we are proactive; we are engaging our students, faculty and staff across the diversity continuum about a number of different things that are important to us and we are doing so before there is a crisis in efforts to help limit the probability that a crisis will arise. The more we have an opportunity to inform students and faculty and staff about some issues, then the greater the probability that we can sustain the climate that we desire.”
McLaughlin: “Why is it important for K-State to emphasize topics of diversity and intercultural learning?” Samuel: “When you graduate from an institution like K-State, a degree should signify two things: one, that you have a mastery or a proficiency of a certain program of studies, whether that’s business or agronomy or economics or history; and then two, that you have a willingness and ability to interact with people whose background is different than yours to solve problems. The more diverse your team is and the work environment, the greater the probability that you can work on and solve problems for the world.” McLaughlin: “What role does inclusion play in our land grant mission?” Samuel: “The land grant mission says that we are supposed to advance opportunities for residents of the state of Kansas, and so the land grant mission and diversity and inclusion, in my professional opinion, are tightly melded because we have to think about ... all our populations across the state.” McLaughlin: “What do you think in your professional background has prepared you for the job
here at K-State?” Samuel: “I had quite a bit of training and experience around diversity and inclusion, but I also had a lot of practical experience. I’m a minority male, I’m a person with a disability, I’m a first-generation college student, I come from a low socioeconomic background, so I have quite a few touch-points in the area of diversity and inclusion, and some of these experiences helped shape me and make me a well-rounded professional and enabled me to be a diversity officer for the entire campus community.” McLaughlin: “Why allow students to own the conversation about KSUnite and other intercultural learning opportunities at the university?” Samuel: “Students have to have ownership. They have to have their stamp on everything that the institution offers, right? Student engagement, learning with and from each other. Capitalizing on the learning opportunities [that] differences can create is one of the most powerful learning tools that we have ... in the classroom or curricular activity programming event. Exchanging ideals and thoughts and concerns with others who are going through the educational processes same as you is a very, very powerful tool.”
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
“Iphigenia and Other Daughters” a feminist retelling of classic Greek plays PETER LOGANBILL THE COLLEGIAN
“Iphigenia and Other Daughters” by Ellen McLaughlin opens Thursday at the Mark A. Chapman Theatre. The show is an adaptation written of three plays from ancient Greek playwrights Euripides and Sophocles. Director Jennifer Vellenga, associate professor of music, theatre and dance, said the show is feminist twist of an ancient Greek story. “It’s a female playwright’s retelling of the Iphigenia story, or ‘The House of Atreus,’” Vellenga said. “Ellen McLaughlin has written a number of adaptations of Greek plays. It’s one of her passions. It her retelling of one of those ancient plays.” Elizabeth Kritikos, senior in theatre, is playing Clytemnestra, the mother of Iphigenia and Electra. Her love of Greek literature drew her to this show, she said.
“I love the way it reads on stage,” Kritikos said. “It was one of those plays that I heard about it and I had to be in it. I just love the way the Greeks did tragedy.” The department makes sure students have the option to participate in a variety of play types during their time in school. When it came time to do a Greek play, Vellenga didn’t want to do another male playwright. “The Me Too movement got kicked off right around the time that we were reading plays,” Vellenga said. “We knew we wanted to do a Greek because we thought it was time to educationally teach our students about that kind of play. I just didn’t want to do one of the Greek playwrights; I felt like we could do better. So, [we] picked a female playwright.” Vellenga said she also made an effort to select a diverse cast. “My Iphigenia is black,” Vellenga said. “One of the sis-
ters is black. One of the chorus members is a black woman. Of the ten people on the cast, three of them are African-American. That’s important to me, to make sure that we’re always giving opportunity to everyone, not just based on what the norms are.” Vellenga said she believes the message of the ancient plays that have been adapted in “Iphigenia and Other Daughters” is relevant to today. “One of the things that we have found, especially the last couple of weeks with Kavanaugh, that there’s a lot of resonance for what’s happening in our world today,” Vellenga said. “The reason ancient plays get done, even a retelling of an ancient play, is that they have some resonance for right now.” Kritikos said she hopes the play leaves the students with an understanding of the role of women at the time. “We don’t hear a lot about Grecian women, they’re just kind of just mindless, thought-
JD Warren | KANSAS STATE THEATRE MARKETING OFFICE ASSOCIATE
Bree Tiffany (Electra) and Tiffany Horne (Chrysothemis) rehearse for “Iphigenia and Other Daughters,” which opens Thursday in the Mark A. Chapman Theatre. less, voiceless figures from the past that had a role, but wasn’t really explained unless they were very important,” Kritikos said. “I hope the audience sees that the strong women existed
even if it wasn’t told.” The show consists of three short acts. It runs about 75 minutes with no intermission. Show dates are Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m.
and Oct. 14 at 2:30 p.m. in the Mark A. Chapman Theatre in Nichols Hall. Student tickets are $11. Tickets can be bought online at k-state.edu/mtd/ tickets.
OPINION: Here’s what makes ‘Mean Girls’ so notable 14 years after its release KYLE HAMPEL
THE COLLEGIAN
“On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was.” “On Wednesdays, we wear pink.” “That is so fetch.” Few movies from 2004 are as quotable as “Mean Girls,” the comedy classic written by legendary actress Tina Fey. But what makes it so notable 14 years after its release? I think “Mean Girls” speaks to the millennial generation in a deeply personal way. Tina Fey may have been born in 1970, but she knew exactly what girls and guys our age would go through as we grew up in the 21st century. For those of you who haven’t watched “Mean Girls”
in your lives: just, why? Go do it. Right now. Take your eyes away from these words I wrote for you and watch it any way you can — rental, streaming, gas station DVD sales or whatever. I’ll wait. All right, you poor soul. Did you watch it? Has your life been enriched with laughter and, like, the rules of feminism? Perfect. If you can’t watch it (or you want to isolate yourself from your civilized peers for tax reasons), “Mean Girls” is the story of a girl who infiltrates her new high school’s mean girl clique to destroy them from the inside, only to contend with the realization that she’s becoming one of them. It’s outrageously funny, occasionally heartwarming and speaks to truths of teenage
life that many stories sweep under the rug. While not everyone is as witty or bombastic as the characters in “Mean Girls” typically tend to be, it hits a lot of beats that every millennial can relate to. Interpersonal espionage, backstabbing “friends,” heartbreaks over the phone and weaponizing mistakes are all things our generation has to deal with in high school and beyond. Hell, the lesson that your mistakes can be used against you by your enemies is something especially important for everyone to remember in the Information Age of social media and digital records. Add incredibly sarcastic dialogue and winning performances from all the leads, and you’ve got a recipe for a generational
touchstone. I’m not sure what movies “spoke” to my parents when they were younger. Maybe “The Breakfast Club” or Employment/Careers “Birth of a Nation” or something. But generational touchstones are definitely something Help Wanted we should all cherish when we find them. So, what should you be THE COLLEGIAN candoing this Wednesday? Wear- not verify the financial potential of ading pink. And what day is it? vertisements in the It’s Oct. 3. Employment/ OpporKyle Hampel is a community editor for the Collegian and a senior in English. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@ kstatecollegian.com.
tunities classifications. Readers are advised to approach any such business opportunity with reasonable caution. The Collegian urges our readers to contact the Better Business Bureau, 501 SE Jefferson, Topeka, KS 66607-1190. 785-2320454.
Help Wanted FARM HELP wanted. Fall harvest. 785‑556‑ 8660. NOW HIRING classic rock DJ. Five hours/night. Good money. (785) 375‑5279.
Help Wanted Section
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wednesday, october 3, 2018
The methane microbiome: How cattle affect greenhouse gas emissions Olivia Bergmeier COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Renowned microbiologist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Aberdeen John Wallace speaks about his studies in the gut microorganisms of cattle. Wallace visited the K-State campus Tuesday, speaking to K-State students studying different biological fields about how his research has affected the conversation of climate change.
OLIVIA BERGMEIER THE COLLEGIAN
Professor Emeritus John Wallace from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland,
who specializes in animal and human digestive tract microbiology, presented a lecture at Kansas State on Tuesday about his latest research. Recently, Wallace has been focused on how specific microbiomes and meta-genomes affect the amounts of methane emitted by beef and dairy cattle. His studies in the microbiomes of the guts of cattle have shed light and information into the realm of sustainability and climate change. At the lecture on Tuesday, he spoke of his work on a project named “RuminOmics.” Wallace said he believes cattle contribute about 10 percent of the total methane in the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse emission.
Some methane emission, Wallace said, comes from methanogenic archaea, which exist in the rumen, the first stomach of animals like cattle where food is partially digested before moving on through the over stomachs. These particular archaea make up smaller portions of the microbiome than typical bacteria do. In his years of research, Wallace said he found a major contributing factor affecting the microbiome of cattle rumen: what they are fed. He said by adjusting the substances cattle are fed by ranchers and lot owners, greenhouse emissions through methane can be reduced. Another way Wallace said these microbiomes can be adjusted is through the breeding.
Breeding of different species for a desired microbiome or meta-genome in the rumen of cattle can almost half methane emissions, he said. Part of the reason in the decrease of methane emissions by the cattle has to do with the existence of the bacteria succinic vibrionaceae in the gut because such bacteria do not produce methane. Cory Oltjen, senior in animal sciences and industry, said he felt he learned a lot from the lecture. “I didn’t realize that there was so many specific and such variation of bacteria in the rumen that you have to look at,” Oltjen said. “That there are certain [archaea] that produced more methane than others.”
Limited parking spaces, rife ticketing cause frustration on campus MACKENSIE HAVERKAMP
THE COLLEGIAN
More than 22,000 students are enrolled at Kansas State, where the number of parking spots is only about half of that. The ratio of students to available parking spaces leaves many students frustrated and angry. Cole Pierce, freshman in biology, lives on campus in Haymaker Hall and deals with a complicated parking situation. “It’s a little congested at times,” Pierce said. “It seems like there’s not a whole lot of places to park and there aren’t very many places that are convenient. The lots themselves are a little confusing too.” The complexity of parking may lead some students to park incorrectly and receive violations. Kelley Maneage, sophomore in athletic
training, has received three parking tickets and one warning during her time at K-State, which she finds excessive. “The amount of ticketing is out of hand,” Maneage said. “I already pay for a parking pass and the tickets are so expensive.” The average permit at Kansas State costs $180 for both on and off campus students. This price does not include the parking garage fees which are an additional $30 for daytime hours and $20 for after hours access. “I think it’s a little bogus in some ways,” T.C. Poynter, sophomore in elementary education, said. “Us having to pay for parking and tickets when we already have to pay for tuition, but I also understand because they take that money and they use it for the university.” Poynter formerly worked for K-State Parking Services. He spoke of the encounters he had with irri-
tated students. “There has definitely been some frustrated students,” Poynter said. “[There were] some dirty looks, and there have been curse words yelled at me from across the street. But it’s the job. There are rules, and people have to follow those rules.” Poynter said the most common excuse from students when it came to violations was not knowing the rules of parking. He said he did not know the rules of campus parking until he had to start enforcing them. “The thing I would improve on [parking] is better education on where to park. Maybe during freshman orientation there could be a segment on campus parking,” Poynter said. Poynter said he thinks improving campus parking would be almost impossible but could possibly be done by lowering the cost of permits or adding an secondary location to park.
Archive photo by Renee Dick | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Pierce said a problem as pervasive as parking may be beyond help. “[Parking] is an inconvenience, but to fix that problem it would
be more of a hassle than what it’s worth,” Pierce said. “Parking is a problem wherever you go, it’s not just a Manhattan, Kansas thing.”