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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

MAKE YOUR

M OVE Page 3: The K-State Games Club hosted a public board gaming event in Hale Library

vol. 123, issue 33

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kstatecollegian.com

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“Hale of a Time” gala raises renovation funds

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Dual-citizen student works to bridge cultural divides

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Football keeps bowl game hopes alive with 42-35 win


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Justin Wright | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Jeremiah Clark, junior in physics and mechanical engineering, moves his character piece for “Betrayal at the House on the Hill” during Board Games Day hosted by the Games Club in Hale Library in Mahattan, Kan. on Nov. 4, 2017.

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‘Hale of a Time’ raises money for renovations ERWIN CHEGE

THE COLLEGIAN

Hale Library hosted Hale of a Time, a brand new fundraising gala, on Friday night to raise money for upcoming library renovations. Friends of the K-State Libraries collaborated with Kansas State to bring alumni from across the country together for food, wine and jazz entertainment in celebration of Farrell Library’s 90th anniversary and Hale’s 20th anniversary. “We’re here to raise money for needs that go beyond what the state and the university can provide for Hale,” said Katie Philp, president of the Friends of the K-State Libraries board. “Secondly, we’re here to celebrate two special anniversaries tonight: the 20th anniversary of when Hale opened up, and the 90th anniversary of the historic Farrell Library.” Friends of the K-State Libraries is a group of alumni, fac-

ulty and Manhattan community members dedicated to the preservation and enrichment of the libraries on campus. Lori Goetsch, dean of libraries, said Hale of a Time is the first event of its kind to take place in Hale. “This is Hale’s first attempt to do something where we have people moving through the building and giving them a chance to see different parts of the library that we don’t normally see,” Goetsch said. Hale of a Time celebrated the past, present and future of the libraries on K-State’s campus. The fifth floor of Hale was set up as a callback to the 1920s, with a cocktail lounge and a live pianist. The construction of Farrell Library finished during this decade. The Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies on the fourth floor featured K-State as it is today. Guests learned about the university’s growth and different cultures on

campus. On the third floor of Hale, guests enjoyed entertainment from a live jazz band and ice cream from Call Hall. Activities on the first floor gave attendees a glimpse into the future of Hale through a virtual reality demonstration of Hale’s upcoming first floor renovations. Money raised by the event will fund these renovations, which will include new study rooms, a merging of Einstein Bros. Bagels with the rest of the first floor and a new entrance. Roberta Johnson, director of information technology services for K-State Libraries, said the goal of Hale of a Time was to raise $6.5 million dollars for the renovations as enrollment decreases limited the university’s income. “In the past, the cuts have been because of lack of funding from the state legislature,” Johnson said. “This last cut is because we were down by over 900 students, and when you budget to

have so much incoming tuition and you lose that, you’ve got to learn to do more with less.” The lead donors for the renovations, Dave and Ellie Everitt, attended the event. The Everitts, both K-State alumni now living in Florida, donated $3 million dollars to the renovation project in August. “We’re fascinated by the proposed layout they’ve put together here,” Dave said. “Knowledge today is not done by an individual working in a cubicle, it’s done by people working together and sharing knowledge and building upon that. This format has the capability of facilitating that, and we’re really excited about that.” Dave said this collaborative format mirrors modern business trends. “Business is becoming more and more collaborative,” Dave said. “People are finding ways to work together, and this new layout helps facilitate that in students.” Beyond changes in business,

Erwin Chege | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Hale of a Time fundraiser gala inside Hale Library in Manhattan, Kan. on Oct. 3, 2017. the renovations aim to reflect advances in technology. “Hale Library was established at the beginning of the internet age, so this library wasn’t built with the idea that students [would] be so connected to the internet,” Goetsch said. “We’ve started to think differently about how we use our space in relation to student learning.” Goetsch also said the renovations may extend the range of the Wi-Fi in the library. Darchelle Martin, public information officer at Hale, de-

tailed the effort that went into planning Hale of a Time. “We started talking about the event over a year and a half ago, and we spent a lot of time talking about how we’d make the event different from other fundraisers,” Martin said. “We brought in Wayne Goins, a prominent jazz musician in town who’s worked with us before, and set the price of entry at $50 to try and bring in as many people as possible.” The event ended with closing remarks from the Everitts, Goetsch and Philp.

Board Games Day invites public to make a move in Hale Library

Justin Wright | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Board Games Day hosted by the Games Club in Hale Library in Mahattan, Kan. on Nov. 4, 2017.

ELLERY SEDLACEK THE COLLEGIAN

The Kansas State Games Club celebrated International Games Week with a board game extravaganza in Hale Library on Saturday afternoon. The free event was open to students and the public, and featured a variety of board games

to play such as Ascension, Ticket to Ride and Clue. Stefan Yates, academic adviser in mechanical engineering, said the event was designed to encourage students to work with one another and to provide an outlet for students to relax. ”What we want to do is basically foster an environment for student engagement, a place where people can come and just

be in a non-curricular activity and have a sense of community,” Yates said. Logan Babcock, sophomore in biology, said he enjoyed the event and the challenges that accompanied the board games. “It’s a great social experience,” Babcock said. “You get to hang out with friends, play very complicated games, work together on projects and stuff. It’s a good team building exercise.” The Games Club hosted the event at the Great Room in Hale Library as a “come-asyou-please” event. Dan Ireton, associate professor at Hale Library, said having the event in the Great Room helped boost the event’s attendance. “We’ve had 50 or so people that were just folks wandering in and they looked,” Ireton said. “They didn’t necessarily stay and play anything, but they got a feel for what we were doing.” The Games Club hosts a public board game day each

semester, and has regular meetings on Thursdays from 6 to 10 p.m. During the fall semester, the Games Club coordinates the board game event around the American Library Association’s International Games Week, which was from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4 this year. Ben Ward, instructional

technologist for the College of Business and Administration, said the event has always been a success. “It’s an opportunity to meet and make new friends regardless of what your major is or where you’ve come from,” Ward said. “And actually, over the years it’s worked really well. It’s pulled in a pretty diverse group of stu-

dents.” Adam Herting, junior in computer science and Games Club member, said he not only enjoys the events like the one held at Hale Library, but the weekly meetings for the Games Club as well. “It’s like a stress reliever, and something I always look forward to,” Herting said.


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Bridging the gap: Dual-citizen student shares multicultural experiences STEPHEN LOADER THE COLLEGIAN

When she’s not tap dancing, learning Mandarin as a fourth language or busy with business classes, Mary Abounabhan is trying to bridge the gaps between people to show everyone that cultural gaps are things to be appreciated and explored, not feared and avoided. The always-busy Abounabhan is a dual-citizen of Lebanon and the United States, a senior in business management with minors in Mandarin and dance, multicultural affairs director for the Student Governing Association, president of the International Buddies Program, president of the Chinese Language and Culture Club and a resident assistant for the Kansas State Honors House. Abounabhan said she chose her major so she could meet new people and visit new

places. “I originally wanted to be a mechanical engineer with nuclear emphasis, because in Lebanon people are under the impression that to be successful you need to be a doctor or an engineer or a lawyer,” Abounabhan said. “I decided that wasn’t something I wanted to do for the rest of my life ... and a business major can be in any industry.” Abounabhan said her love of crossing cultural boundaries is what motivates her. “I love learning about different cultures and I always have, and I love traveling and meeting new people,” Abounabhan said. Abounabhan said she wants to use her dual citizenship to bridge a gap she sees at K-State between two “bubbles” of people — people who are directly affected by racial and cultural issues, and the majority of people who either have no

idea the issues are occurring or do not know the extent of their effects. “People will look at me and say, ‘Oh you don’t have any problems, you’re white, you’re American,’” Abounabhan said. “But ... when I’m walking on campus, and someone who’s a classmate of mine says, ‘Ugh, Arabs. I feel like I need a gun when I’m around them,’ because they didn’t know I was Arab. ... That’s the problem.” Similar events happened to Abounabhan in her childhood. In 2006, while she was on vacation in the United States from Lebanon, she was forbidden from purchasing a ticket to return to Lebanon because of the war between Lebanon and Israel. This forced Abounabhan and her family to stay in America for over three months, and she had to go to school in Colorado Springs. Up until that point, Abounabhan said she had nev-

er considered herself a minority because she was also American. When people found out she was from Lebanon, the next day she received comments from her fellow fifth graders asking if she lived in a tent or owned any camels. “I got called a hypocrite because I was eating pepperoni on a pizza,” Abounabhan said. “They said, ‘You’re a Muslim and you’re not even covered up and you’re eating pepperoni.’ I’m Christian, in Lebanon there’s actually quite a few Christians. ... That definitely changed my perspective on how I saw the world, because in my mind America was this perfect place, it was everything I had seen on TV and I wanted to be a part of that. “I had taken growing up in Lebanon for granted,

so [that incident] shaped the way I approach different situations and different cultures,” Abounabhan continued. “It made me really interested in pursuing knowledge and curiosity about different cultures, and treating people with respect.” In everything that Abounabhan does, her passion for people shines through. Carley Saunders, graduate student in counseling and student development, supervised Abounabhan as an Honors House RA for a year and a half. “The residents of the Honors House absolutely adore her,” Saunders said. Abounabhan always makes time for other people no matter how busy she is, and Saunders said she sometimes had to remind Abounabhan to make time for herself, too.

Julie Pentz, associate professor of dance, has taught Abounabhan since her freshman year. Pentz said Abounabhan serves as an inspiration to all the students around her. “She fully integrates herself into the dance community, and that’s what I think is so special about Mary, that she’s ‘always on,’” Pentz said. “When you see that kind of passion, when you meet Mary, when you serve on a committee with her, when you work on a project with her, you may not want to drive in the same direction that she’s driving, but it’s definitely an inspiration to find your own thing.”

see page 5, “STUDENT”

Solidarity Rally

File photo by Emily Lenk | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Mary Abounabhan, then-sophomore in internatinoal business, pours some of the snacks that were provided at the Hump Day event hosted by the Union Program Council at Bosco Plaza in Manhattan, Kan. on May 4, 2016.

Alex Shaw | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Darrell Reese Jr. and Brandon L. Clark lead the Black Student Union at Kansas State and the Big XII Council on Black Student Government to the front lawn of Anderson Hall for the Solidarity Rally in Manhattan, Kan. on Nov. 4, 2017.

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Tiffani Lawrence, senior in English education and theater, is a long-time friend of Abounabhan who refers to her as the “ultimate boss-lady.” “She makes you want to pay attention with a posi-

tive energy,” Lawrence said. “She inspires me to be better at what I do. She is an example of someone who gives their all to everything that they do, and that can teach you things about how to be a better person.” Amy Hall, student programs coordinator for the International Student Center and advisor for the International Buddies Program, said she has worked

on many international programs at K-State with Abounabhan, and that many of the programs were ideas that Abounabhan was determined to bring to fruition. “She doesn’t seem to have any limits to her interests, which is great because many times you see a student who is particularly focused on one thing … but Mary is everywhere, which is great,”

Hall said. “She has the ability to really relate to anyone, and I think within the international involvement sector that is a very unique thing. “So many of the events we have here are just about making people feel at ease and feel comfortable, and she can do that instantly,” Hall continued. “She’s not intimidated by anything and brings her true self to the table each time.”

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Wildcats come back against Texas Tech, win 42-35

Archive photo by George Walker | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Junior linebacker Trent Tanking goes in for a tackle on Texas Tech wide reciever Keke Coutee during the game between K-State and Texas Tech in Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Oct. 8, 2016.

BRETT ENGLE

THE COLLEGIAN

Against all odds, the Kansas State football team came away with a huge win on the road in overtime

against Texas Tech this Saturday, 4235. Senior kicker Matthew McCrane got the scoring going in the first quarter with a 45-yard field goal. The Wildcats jumped out to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter when junior running back Dalvin Warmack scampered in for a 15-yard run. Texas Tech cut into the lead when running back Tre King ran for a 25-yard score, but K-State put the lead back to 10 when sophomore quarterback Alex Delton passed to junior wide receiver Byron Pringle for a 19-yard touchdown. It only took Texas Tech one play to respond when quarterback Nic Shimonek threw to wide receiver Keke Coutee for a 75-yard touchdown. K-State took a 17-14 lead into halftime. Coutee completed another pass from Shimonek to start out the second half, this time for 34 yards. The Wildcat defense got the better of Shimonek on the next drive when junior defensive back Duke Shelley

stepped in front of a pass and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Shimonek would put the Red Raiders in front by 11 points after throwing a one-yard touchdown to wide receiver Dylan Cantrell in the third quarter and a 22-yarder to wide receiver T.J. Vasher early in the fourth quarter. McCrane cut Texas Tech’s lead to eight points with a 30-yard field goal with just over nine minutes remaining. Texas Tech missed a 31yard field goal with less than four minutes left to play, leaving the door open for the Wildcats. Freshman quarterback Skylar Thompson, who took over in the second half for an injured Delton, capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run. Thompson passed to sophomore wide receiver Dalton Schoen for the two-point conversion, just barely putting the game into overtime. In overtime, Thompson threw to Pringle for his second touchdown of the day, this one from eight yards.

The Wildcat defense held the Red Raiders out of the end zone long enough to come away with a 42-35 win. K-State head coach Bill Snyder was pleased with how Thompson performed. “Skylar plays unlike a freshman,” Snyder said to K-State Sports. “He plays with poise, and I appreciate that a great deal. He made some good choices. Overall, he made some nice throws, quite obviously, and they were pinpoint throws that you couldn’t be off six inches and have the success that a couple of them had. He played very well.” With a 5-4 record this season, the Wildcats have put themselves in a position to make it to a bowl game. K-State only has to win one of its next three games, two of which are at home, for bowl game eligibility. K-State will be fighting for bowl eligibility next week when the Wildcats host West Virginia University. The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.

Women's basketball defeats Emporia State in first exhibition game NATHAN ENSERRO THE COLLEGIAN

The Kansas State women’s basketball team opened up Friday night’s double header with an 87-65 victory over Emporia State in the Wildcats’ first exhibition game at home. Emporia State kept the game tied in the first two quarters, but the Wildcats had an explosive offense in the third quarter to power past the Hornets. K-State out-scored Emporia State 31-10 in the third quarter. Freshman guards Rachel Ranke and Cymone Goodrich led the Wildcats in scoring. Ranke nailed six threepoint shots in her 36 minutes of playtime and scored 20 points total in the game. Goodrich added 16 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes of play. The Wildcats showed a lot of youth on the court by start-

ing with two freshmen and a sophomore. Three more freshmen added minutes off the bench during the game. “It was their first game, so they were nervous and they all had the jitters,” senior forward Kaylee Page said to K-State Sports. “It was the first time they have been on a big stage like this. I just tried to over-communicate and help them out.” Page scored 14 points while adding six assists and two blocked shots in her 32 minutes on the court. Sophomore forward Peyton Williams had 15 points, including a three-pointer, and she led the team in rebounds with nine total. Williams also plays on the K-State volleyball team. “I did not make a three[-pointer] last year,” Williams said. “To get the opportunity to have that in the game was really cool and see all the work we have put in over the summer.”

K-State’s big third quarter was characterized by long scoring runs, including a 15-3 run toward the end of the quarter to put K-State up 6948. The Wildcats shot a blistering 70 percent from the field in the third quarter, including 5-6 from three-point range. K-State held Emporia State to only 23 percent shooting and 1-4 from outside the arc in the same quarter. “In the first half, we were on our heels,” head coach Jeff Mittie said to K-State Sports. “We decided to change a little bit and get more aggressive. That was better, but we got extended and they got a lot of offensive rebounds out of that. We have to learn to do both.” K-State will finish up its slate of women’s basketball exhibition games on Nov. 6 when Fort Hays State pays Bramlage Coliseum a visit at 7 p.m. Fans that cannot make it to the game will be able to stream it live on K-StateHD.tv.

Archive photo by Parker Robb | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Junior forward Breanna Lewis reaches for a rebound over Kansas guard Kylee Kopatich during the basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan. on Jan. 20, 2016.


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Men’s basketball overcomes Emporia State in 77-44 win JARRETT WHITSON THE COLLEGIAN

The Kansas State men’s basketball team closed out exhibition play with a bang against Emporia State on Friday night, 77-44. The Wildcats won comfortably over the Hornets, with two key advantages for K-State being rebounding and field goal percentage. K-State out-rebounded Emporia State 37-23, and that was evident with its 10-1 advantage in second-chance points. They shot 54.5 Sabrina Cline | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Junior guard Kamau Stokes dribbles up court during the game against Emporia State at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan. on Nov. 3, 2017.

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percent from the field, compared to a 29.2 percent mark for the Hornets. The Cats also stole the ball 10 times, which led to 12 fast break points. The Wildcats got some help from the bench, and outscored the Hornet bench 30-16. Three Wildcats scored in double figures. Junior forward Dean Wade, sophomore forward Xavier Sneed, and junior guard Amaad Wainwright all hit the double digit mark in points. Wainwright, a junior college transfer, put up 12 points to go along with a team-high three steals. Wade was the standout player for K-State. Wade poured in 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The double-double was just the second of his K-State career. The majority of Wade’s production came in the first half, when he scored 15 points and grabbed nine of his 10 rebounds. “I have gained a little more confidence. I have started to understand

how to play,” Wade said to K-State Sports after the game. “I was always trying to be aggressive but this year I am focused on being under control and aggressive. If you are aggressive you make plays and help the team. Being aggressive, but in control is just as important as making the shot.” During its three exhibition games, K-State averaged 78 points per game. In preparation for the regular season, free throws should be an area to focus on improving. The Cats shot approximately 60 percent from the charity stripe during exhibition play. With the exhibition schedule ending, head coach Bruce Weber and crew prepare for the regular season. K-State’s first game will be against American University on Friday, Nov. 10. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. The game can be seen on either FOX Sports Kansas City or K-StateHD.tv.

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Myers brings ‘down-to-earth’ personality to K-State presidency

Cooper Kinley | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Richard Myers, Kansas State University president, presents his State of the University address at Forum Hall in Manhattan, Kan. on Sept. 29, 2017.

AMBER KELLY

THE COLLEGIAN

Most of us know Richard Myers as the president of Kansas State University, but he is also a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman and retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who served under former president George W. Bush during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The transition from military leadership to a public university’s administration is, in some ways, very fitting. Both jobs involve enforcing rules and etiquette on their respective groups. Myers said in the military, there are programs to help people understand the competency of everyone regardless of race, and those who could not change would be kicked out. “We’re an open campus, we’re a state government organization,” Myers said. “In the military, we had all sorts of education and programs around discrimination. But we can’t ask students to leave here if they don’t commit a crime. I think for the dedicated

bigots in the world, I’m not sure we have any program.” In his first year on the job, Myers has gained popularity with some K-State students, including Benjamin Rauth, freshman in political science. Rauth has taken multiple opportunities to interact personally with Myers. Rauth said during Wildcat Warm-Up over the summer, Myers stopped him while walking near Bluemont Hall and held what Rauth described as a “private and intimate” conversation with him. “Myers was walking back to his residence when I was huffing up that big hill for an event,” Rauth said. “He shook my hand and asked if I was a student and my major and so forth. This was the nicest I’ve ever seen him. You know how [Pat] Bosco is benevolent for such a high-up administrator? That’s what it felt like.” The professionals working closely with Myers speak of him cheerfully and with great respect. Cindy Hollingsworth, director of news and communications at the Division of Communications and Marketing, works with Myers to

prepare his speeches and news releases. “He’s very caring,” Hollingsworth said. “He’s always very down-to-earth and approachable every time I’ve worked with him.” Having something to be passionate about is important to being successful, Myers said. Myers found his passion while flying an airplane at K-State in the fall of 1964, a passion which has guided him through his career. “The first time I went up in a little Cessna 172 and looked down, of course, you’re bouncing around in the wind,” Myers said. “It was in the fall and the heater was on a little bit, it has this certain smell inside those little airplanes. I said, ‘This is cool! I really like this.’ That flying led to the Air Force pilot training [and] it became other things, but it was the passion that got me started.” One of the things Myers said he cares about and has carried over from his military career is integrity and achieving what you set out to do. Myers said he has worked for people who are ethical, and it is important for him to continue that tradition.


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