9 3 ln 15 by Kansas State Collegian

VOL. 121, ISSUE 9

T H U R S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 3 , 2 0 1 5

THE INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSIT Y

INSIDE

Union renovation begins with groundbreaking ceremony

this issue 3: >> PAGE Are “brain

RAFAEL GARCIA

training” games worthwhile?

the collegian

he K-State Student Union officially began a multiyear renovation project with a groundbreaking ceremony led by university administration and student leaders at Bosco Student Plaza Wednesday afternoon. Despite the high afternoon temperature, a large crowd gathered to hear student leaders and faculty speak about the significance of the renovations. “One of our themes (for K-State 2025) is facilities,” President Kirk Schulz said in reference to K-State 2025, the university’s plan for development and modernization by 2025. “We need to make sure that our students and faculty have the best facilities in the country.” Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students, also spoke about transforming the union into a campus “living room.”

5: >> PAGE K-State’s

returning defensive starters

see page

6, “UNION”

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State and Union leadership, including (from left to right) Student Body Vice President Joe Tinker, K-State President Kirk Schulz, Student Body President Andy Hurtig, Union Corporation Board President Becky Brady, Dean of Student Life Pat Bosco, Union Director Bill Smirga, and Willie the Wildcat turn the first dirt at the K-State Student Union renovation groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

New Board of Regents members confirmed, including local resident JON PARTON the collegian

The state Senate Oversight Committee approved three new members to the Kansas Board of Regents on Wednesday, including Manhattanite Dennis Mullin, Dr. Daniel J. Thomas, DDS and Dave Murfin, chief executive of Murfin, Inc. Of the three men, only Thomas holds a postgraduate degree. They join the existing six Board of Regents members, three of whom are attorneys and two former elected officials. Only one member of the board, Blake Flanders, holds a degree in an

education related field. The board is responsible for governing the six state universities, including approval of tuition increases and establishing standards and rules. According to state records, all three new members contributed to Brownback’s previous campaigns. Mullin donated $1,000 to Gov. Sam Brownback’s reelection campaign in 2013 while Murfin contributed $2,000 to the campaign the same year. The most contributions came from Thomas, a dentist from the Kansas City metro area. Thomas donated $5,000 to Brownback’s campaign for governor in 2009 and 2010, as well as a $1,950 in-kind contribution

Ask Me Live with Mike Dibbini

listed as food for a reception. And again on Sept. 25, 2013, Thomas gave a $1,945 in-kind contribution for expenses for a reception. When asked about the appointments, Brownback’s office declined to issue a comment, only offering a press release on the matter. Mullin, who only holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, is the Chairman and CEO of Steel Pipe and Supply. He serves as a board member for the Kansas State Bank of Manhattan and a member of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business Administration at K-State.

File Photo by George Walker | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State women’s soccer coach Mike Dibbini speaks to students during the Week of Welcome pep rally at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Aug. 23, 2015. Dibbini will be answering questions during Ask Me Live starting at 10:30 AM.

ERIN POPPE the collegian

Today, the Collegian will host an Ask Me Live session with head women's soccer coach Mike Dibbini from 10:3011:30 a.m. To participate, simply post your questions in the comment section, and Dibbini will respond. There is no guarantee that every question will be answered, but we'll do our best. Please refer to the #AML FAQ if you have any more questions.

ABOUT DIBBINI:

File Photo by Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Kansas governor Sam Brownback speaks at the Engineering Phase IV groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 25, 2014.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Last December, K-State Athletic Director John Currie named Mike Dibbini as the university's first intercollegiate women's soccer coach. Before becoming a Wildcat, Dibbini led the soccer programs at Kansas Wesleyan University (2005-12) and Cal Poly Pomona (2013-15). During each of his coaching stints at the NAIA and Division II levels, Dibbini built winning

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programs and successful student-athletes. "As we searched nationally for our first head women's soccer coach, we wanted to attract a well-connected, energetic leader who is the right fit for K-State and possesses the drive and vision to build a program into a national contender," Currie said in a Dec. 26, 2014 press release. "From the moment we announced the launch of our new women's soccer program we heard from literally hundreds of coaches at all levels of soccer around the country who saw the potential of K-State Soccer and wanted the opportunity to build our program. In Mike Dibbini, we have secured a leader with deep soccer roots, proven championship coaching ability, a passion of building and teaching the game, and who has firsthand knowledge of the advantages and special family environment of the state of Kansas. I am pleased to welcome him and his wife Trina and their two children to the Wildcat family. Exciting days are ahead for soccer fans across the entire state of Kansas and the Big 12!"

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EDITORIAL BOARD Jon Parton editor in chief

Jamie Teixeira current editor

Cassandra Nguyen co-photo editor

Karyn Elliott managing copy chief

Jonathan Greig opinion editor

Erin Poppe online editor

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Tim Everson sports editor

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The Collegian welcomes your letters. We reserve the right to edit submitted letters for clarity, accuracy, space and relevance. A letter intended for publication should be no longer than 350 words and must refer to an article that appeared in the Collegian within the last 10 issues. It must include the author’s first and last name, year in school and major. If you are a graduate of K-State, the letter should include your year(s) of graduation and must include the city and state where you live. For a letter to be considered, it must include a phone number where you can be contacted. The number will not be published. Letters can be sent to letters@ kstatecollegian.com Letters may be rejected if they contain abusive content, lack timeliness, contain vulgarity, profanity or falsehood, promote personal and commercial announcements, repeat comments of letters printed in other issues or contain attachments. The Collegian does not publish open letters, third-party letters or letters that have been sent to other publications or people.

CORRECTIONS If you see something that should be corrected or clarified, call editor in chief, Jon Parton, at 785-370-6356 or email news@kstatecollegian.com.

The Collegian, a student newspaper at Kansas State University, is published by Collegian Media Group. It is published weekdays during the school year and on Wednesdays during the summer. Periodical postage is paid at Manhattan, KS. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 828 Mid-Campus Drive South, Kedzie 103, Manhattan, KS 66506-7167. First copy free, additional copies 25 cents. [USPS 291 020] © Collegian Media Group, 2015

Zits | By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

KenKen | Easy-Medium Use numbers 1-6 in each row and column without repeating. The numbers in each outlined area must combine to produce the target number in each area using the mathematical operation indicated.

THE BLOTTER ARREST REPORTS TUESDAY, SEPT. 1 Megan Dawn Sales, of the 3200 block of Valleywood Drive, was booked for failure to appear. Bond was set at $309. Burell Shadlow, of the 1000 block of Fremont Street, was booked for probation violation. No bond was listed. Lori Ann Bryant, of the 3000 block of Tuttle Creek Boulevard, was booked for failure to appear. Bond was set at $108.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 Joseph Edward Bennett, of the 3100 block of Lundin, was booked for driving under the influence. Bond was set at $750.

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thursday, september 3, 2015 Saturday, Aug 29 | 8:00 am at Chester E. Peters Rec Complex

Brain training games: how it really plays out EMILY MOORE the collegian

Advertisements to supposedly strengthen your brain can be seen fairly often nowadays. Brain training companies and programs often claim to enhance focus and malleability of the mind. This could be something to enhance college students studying abilities, as well as keep focus on tests and retaining information. If it works, that is. In fact, what I have found is that there have been a few studies on how these brain training activities help the nueroplasticity of the brain. An article published on the Scientific American website, entitled “Brain Games: Do they really work?” found that there are positive improvements in some brain activities, such as auditory information processing speed, which was enhanced by roughly 58 percent. However, the same study also said that the overall cognition and memory of those who did the brain training raised by only 4 percent, while the control group who did no brain exercises and just watched videos still raised their overall cognition and memory by 2 percent. One potential reason for the small percentage jump of improvement could, in fact, be that the players simply get better at the activities and not necessarily the gen-

Photo Illustration by Cassandra Nguyen | THE COLLEGIAN

With advancements in technology, there have been various program apps that have claimed to improve brain stimulation. eral task, i.e. memory, reasoning, attention and other thoughtful tasks. This conclusion was made in 2010 during an entirely separate study done by a neuroscientist named

Adrian Owen, according to an article entitled “Online brain-training: does it really work?” published on the Guardian website. These brain training activities

do often cost money, which is one reason to research and understand their effectiveness and outcome before handing out the money to companies claiming brain im-

provements. Another article published by the Stanford Center of Longevity entitled “A Consensus on the Brain Training Industry From the Scientific Community,” suggests several times that “there is little evidence that playing brain games improves underlying broad cognitive abilities, or that it enables one to better navigate a complex realm of everyday life.” That hasn’t stopped this brain training fad from growing, though. Lumosity, one brain training company, has over 70 million members, according to their website. To put that in perspective, if all of their members were U.S. citizens, then roughly 21 percent of the country would be participating with just Luminosity alone. That would be one-fifth of the U.S. population paying to enhance their brain power when the games effectiveness appears to be questionable. One thing did stand out, though. While the effectiveness of the games is questionable overall, some articles offered better alternatives. There are other free ways to enhance our brain strength and cognitive functions. These free ways to improve cognitive functions are things we engage in every day, including social interactions, exercise or even other mental engagements like reading a book or watching an informative documentary.

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thursday, september 3, 2015

Union breaks ground to jubilant crowd

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State President Kirk Schulz speaks during the K-State Student Union renovation groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State students and Manhattan residents enjoy Call Hall ice cream.

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State students and Manahttan residents gathered on Bosco Plaza to hear remarks from K-State dignitaries and to witness the turning of dirt. Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Tuba players of the K-State Marching Band shout while performing “The Band is Hot!”

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Joe Tinker, senior in psychology and K-State Student Body Vice President, speaks of how the Union is the campus’ living room and hangout spot and enhances the K-State community.

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Shiny shovels and hard hats wait eagerly to turn dirt.

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Student Body Vice President Joe Tinker, senior in psychology, takes a selfie with K-State President Kirk Schulz, Dean of Student Life Pat Bosco, Union Corporation Board President Becky Brady, senior in elementary education, and Union Director Bill Smirga.

SPORTS

thursday, september 3, 2015

Wildcat defense will lead with experienced starters LIZ HEATH the collegian

Over the past two seasons, senior defensive tackle Travis Britz has accumulated 23 starts. On Saturday he will once again take the field along with a defense stacked with experience. “We haven’t played a game in eight months,” Britz said. “We’re obviously anxious to hit someone else, besides our own guys.” K-State will enter Saturday’s contest against South Dakota with new faces on the offensive end and experienced returners on defense, including 18 returning lettermen. Britz, who will serve as a team captain this season, said he does not believe the lack of experience in the offense puts additional pressure on the defense. “We just know that some guys have to step up, and we have all the confidence in the world that some guys are stepping in and doing that,” Britz said. Britz is one of six returning starters from last season, including senior defensive back Dante Barnett, senior cornerback Morgan Burns, junior linebacker Will Davis, senior defensive back Danzel McDaniel and junior defensive end Jordan Willis. “We’ve all had the playing experience and starting experience, so we can just get in there and get

File Photo by Emily DeShazer | THE COLLEGIAN

K-State defensive lineman Travis Britz leaps to try and block a pass by Oklahoma State quarterback Daxx Garman on Nov. 1, 2014 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. right after them,” Britz said. Sophomore Elijah Lee will move from defensive end to outside linebacker this season and agrees that the experienced defense is valuable. “You know if you mess up,

they’ll be there to correct you,” Lee said. “They’ll be able to help you out.” Davis is joined by junior Charmeachealle Moore in the linebacker position. Moore is returning after missing most of last

season due to an injury. Bill Snyder said he was pleased with Moore’s performance at camp, noting his focus and hard work. “It was very obvious he had prepared himself well,” Snyder

said. “He wasn’t making a plethora of assignment errors. I was pleased with how he’d prepared himself after the long layoff.” Snyder said he believes the linebackers have responded well together, and Lee said he agrees. “We just fly around and have fun,” Lee said. “We don’t put too much pressure on each other. If one of us messes up we let each other know and then help each other correct.” With so many experienced players returning on defense, K-State hopes to build a strong reputation. Snyder said that there were a lot of things in place that might suggest the defense has a chance to be good this season. However, Snyder worries about the possibility of inconsistency across the board. “I think the most important thing for us is just to show that we will be better on Saturday than our workout on Thursday,” Snyder said. “I’m looking for greater consistency out of the entirety of the offense, defense and special teams.” Britz said he feels that the talent of the defense falls upon the leadership stepping up, taking control and building on improvement. “We do have a lot of talent, and the sky is always the limit,” Britz said. “If you don’t strive for excellence what are you striving for?”

K-State has a tough road toward reaching sixth straight bowl game

ANDREW HAMMOND the collegian

Winning in college football these days isn’t easy, and winning consistently is even tougher. However, Bill Snyder’s program is a model of consistency. This season, that consistency and the road to six wins in 2015 will be one of the toughest journeys yet. The 2015 season is the perfect storm, creating a very scary, surprising and confusing

season. I’ll go ahead and go on record as saying this: the schedule sucks. And yes, I’m including the non-conference slate, as well. After the South Dakota game this Saturday, the Wildcats make a trip to a place that has haunted the Wildcat program and its fans for a long time. No, I’m not talking about Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s a more visually appealing place than that: San Antonio. The Wildcats are 0-2 in San Antonio, where they have lost two Alamo Bowls. Now they return to the site where their season ended last year with a loss to the UCLA Bruins. Although they aren’t facing the Bruins this time, their opponents, the UT San Antonio Roadrunners, are not to be

taken lightly. The Roadrunners were picked last in the Conference USA media poll for the western division, but they’ll be at home with an 11 a.m. kickoff. This could be a recipe for disaster since mixing an early morning kickoff with a place that’s given you heartbreak can be a major distraction. Then you have the final non-conference game against the cream of the Conference USA crop, Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs return 13 starters and now include Florida transfer quarterback, Jeff Driskel. The offense ranked among the best in the nation, averaging 37.4 points per contest, which might be good to see since the Wildcats will have a much taller task ahead of them.

I’m just gonna call it like I see it: the beginning of the Big 12 schedule is a death march. An absolute death march. The Wildcats’ first Big 12 game is in Stillwater against Oklahoma State where the Wildcats haven’t won since 2003, going 0-4 over that span. Trust me, it gets even better. Up next is prohibitive conference favorite TCU at home, which would potentially be the Wildcats’ first opportunity to pull off an upset. Opportunity number two comes the next week against a vastly improved Oklahoma Sooners team with a new quarterback and an impressive rushing game. The Sooners offense against the Wildcat defense should be must-see TV. The last two games of this

journey feature two other Texas schools. First up are the Longhorns, who may or may not be a threat in this conference, really depending on how consistent they can be within the offense. Then there’s the Thursday night showdown against Baylor. It’s no secret that Baylor struggles during road games in tough atmospheres – take their loss at West Virginia last year for example. This is the prime spot for a Wildcat upset of the highly ranked Baylor Bears. Following that brutal stretch, the Wildcats may already be in prime bowl position, or they could be looking at their final four games against Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia as a way of clawing their way into a bowl game. History would be on

K-State’s side. Their record against those schools since 2012 is 12-0. Miracles do happen and Bill Snyder seems to have his brand of magic trademarked and bottled, but the facts are that this schedule is one of the more daunting schedules that K-State has had to face in recent years. The way I see it, six wins and a sixth-straight bowl bid is this teams’ ceiling for the season. It’s not good, but it could always be worse. You could be playing football up in Lawrence.always be the Kansas Jayhawks. Andrew Hammond is a sophomore in mass communications. please send comments to sports@kstatecollegian.com

thursday, september 3,2015

UNION | Schultz, Bosco, student leaders kick off Union renovation project continued from page

“It’s not by accident that our union is called the Student Union,” Bosco said. “This building signifies our commitment to inclusiveness, responsiveness and to a family atmosphere – it really is a couch for our university family.” Bill Smriga, executive director for the K-State Student Union, said the goal is to make the building a community center on campus. “The building is a nice building, but it’s transactional in nature,” Smriga said. “Students come here to do things and then they leave. We want to create more

sticky places, places where students can come hang out and experience our lounges.” The K-State Marching Band, the Classy Cats and Willie the Wildcat were on hand to celebrate the occasion. A reception followed the ceremony, and Call Hall ice cream was provided for students and faculty while they browsed through the different presentations and illustrations of the upcoming renovation work. Bowman, Bowman, Novick Inc.– a Kansas design firm whose past work includes the Hale Library addition – and Workshop Architects Inc.– a national design firm with a particular

expertise in student unions – collaborated on the Union renovation. Before presenting their final plans, the firms met and worked with students and faculty to gain input on the design. “We picked these architects and contractors because they listened to our students,” Bosco said. “As we think about today, this is another chapter in our ability to respond to student interests.” The renovation will be done in phases and is expected to be completed at the end of 2016, with a formal opening of the brand-new Union scheduled for January 2016. According to the project

timeline, the first phase will concentrate primarily on the south facade and ground floor, and it will feature a remodeling of the K-State Student Union Bookstore. During the first phase, the bookstore will remain open with a smaller store area. Although construction work is set to begin on Sept. 8, the phasing of construction work will allow the Union to remain open during the entirety of the renovation, and offices within the Union will relocate as necessary. A full and current list of relocations is available on k-state.edu/yourunion. However, the food court will close after the fall se-

mester, as Sodexo will cease operations on campus after Dec. 31. The current plan is to renovate the food court, which will allow for a more modern and streamlined operating model. After the renovation, the food court will feature six different restaurants. While the food court will be closed next semester, Subway will remain open. According to the renovation website, there are also plans for food trucks to be parked at Bosco Student Plaza during the renovation. “The Union will probably be easier to navigate (after the renovation), but I don’t know if I can go a

whole semester without the food court,” Chris Bouska, senior in mathematics, said. Chase Phillips, sophomore in wildlife and outdoor enterprise management, said he would be affected by the renovation of the food court. “I probably won’t eat, or I’ll go home and make something instead,” Phillips said. Plans for the renovation began in April 2013 when the student body approved a $25 million proposal for the renovation. The funds for the renovation are to be collected from an increase of $20 per semester to the student privilege fee. This increase is expected to last 30 years until the renovation is paid off.

E D I U G E TO ID U G ’S T A C D IL W Y THE SAVV ATTAN

H N A M N I E F I L T H G I N

PRESENTED BY

MINORS’ NIGHT OUT MINORS HAVE OPTIONS BOTH ON AND OFF K-STATE'S CAMPUS TO HANG OUT AND MEET NEW PEOPLE. KATIE HOWLAND the collegian

New and returning students who haven't yet reached 21 years old are still able to get

together and hang out both on campus and around the Manhattan community. On campus, the Union Council Program (UPC) offers entertaining events and activities free of charge.

"UPC gets students involved on campus and around the community, offers leadership opportunities and a chance to make friends," Erika Davis, program adviser for the K-State Student

Union, said. The UPC offers a variety of events ranging from magic shows to paintball tournaments. see page

2, “MINORS”

LATE NIGHTGUIDE

Aggieville parking

MINORS |

improvements

Nonalcoholic adventures

Having some difficulty finding a spot in the ‘Ville at night? Your struggle has not gone unnoticed.

KATIE HOWLAND

the collegian

ggieville has something for everyone. From painting pottery to partying the night away, Aggieville is filled with different activities for different kinds of people. But, there's one major obstacle that everyone is confronted with when heading to Aggieville: finding a parking spot. Parking is the ultimate challenge for Aggieville's customers. This issue continues to grow as Aggieville expands while its parking lots do not. "It's a natural consequence of growth and density of the city," Rod Harms, executive director of the Aggieville Business Association, said. "Parking is a normal consequence." Mat Droge, the public informa-

Action is currently taking place to solve this parking issue. "The Aggieville Business Association has come to the City Commission with their requests for a parking garage," Linda Morse, Manhattan city commissioner, said. Harms also spoke about the possibility of a parking garage for the Aggieville area in the future. "It is the number one priority of the Aggieville Business Association," Harms said. "I expect in the next five to 10 years, that the parking issue will be addressed with a parking garage or other facility." The future of this possible parking garage lies in the hands of the City Commission. Their votes will decide whether or not the garage will be built in Aggieville. "Aggieville business owners have come before the commission before,"

continued from page

Mason Swenson | THE COLLEGIAN

Parking in Aggieville has been a consistant issue in Manhattan. ditional parking space. While the parking garage is being proposed and negotiated, other quick fixes are taking place to help lessen the strain on Aggieville's parking. "I think the immediate solution for Aggieville is that the city is just about to expand where the gravel is at the entrance to city park," Morse said. "That is scheduled to be paved." This project will be funded by the mutual funds of K-State and the

“I think the immediate solution for Aggieville is that the city is just about to expand where the gravel is at the entrance to city park. That is scheduled to be paved.”

Linda Morse Mahattan city commissioner

tion officer for the Riley County Police Department, said that "some big parking issues in Aggieville are people parking in colored parking zone and people parking in front of driveways or sidewalks." Droge, also known as the "Twitter cop," gave examples of residents' cars being trapped in their driveways by the overflow of Aggieville's parked cars. "There are colored parking zones for a reason, and that's to control parking in front of residences so that people who actually live there can park in front of their home," Droge said.

Mike Dodson, Manhattan city commissioner, said. "It's (parking garage) put on a docket and considered with other budget items." Building a new parking garage in Aggieville could prove to be very costly to the city. "Parking garages are very desirable but very expensive," Dodson said. "To get 300 cars parked costs about $5 million." The city will have to decide if this cost is worth the additional parking spaces. Harms confirms saying that it will cost roughly $10,000 for each ad-

city of Manhattan. "When the city annexed K-State, they said there are some projects that are to our mutual advantage, and we’re going to use the sales tax that is generated on the campus for those areas ... and the gravel area at the north end of the park is being funded by the City/University Fund," Morse said. In another effort to solve the parking issue in Aggieville, the city raised its parking fines from $5 to $15 on Aug. 1. There is a two-hour parking limit in the street and three-hour parking limit in the parking lots. Cars left longer then this are subject to the

fine.

"This is to motivate them to park elsewhere, thus freeing up spaces within the Aggieville and Downtown shopping districts for patrons," Harms said. In fact, once a parking ticket in Aggieville is received, there is a 72hour limit to pay the ticket or show up in court, and after that, an additional fee of $10 will be added and a letter will be sent out. This $10 fee is up from the $8 fee it was in the past. After higher fees of $25 and a second letter, a warrant for arrest will be sent out if the ticket is still not paid, according to the City of Manhattan website. According to Harms the increased fines have been successful in improving parking in Aggieville. "We have seen that there is more parking spaces in the lots, which we want, and less parking with higher turnover in the streets," Harms said. "The evidence is that it (parking fines) has proved to be positive." Aggieville customers can also help solve the parking issue. "If you plan on drinking, don’t bring your car," Droge said. "Get a ride from a friend, use Uber, or a taxi." Harms also recommends using the SafeRide bus that is available Thursday through Saturday. This program has had an increase in ridership and is a safe alternative to drinking and driving. Lack of parking spots in Aggieville is still a continuous issue. However, Aggieville and the City Commission are trying to solve the current parking issue by paving current gravel parking lots, increasing parking fines and offering alternative motives of transportation.

This year’s events began with the Week of Welcome during the first week of school. These events included a hypnotist, henna tattoos, an activities carnival and much more. “The Union Program Council hosts substance-free events every Friday night.” Megan Varhola, president of UPC, said. “They are dedicated events for students specifically under the drinking age.” Varhola said she believes the Union is a comfortable place to be. “The Union is like the living room of campus,” Varhola said. “Most of my best college memories were at these events. I’ve met incredible people I may have never met before. There is always something going on, and it’s so conveniently located near campus, and best of all, almost all the events are free.” Beyond campus, Tubby’s Sports Bar and the Dirty Dawg Saloon in Aggieville allow students that are under the drinking age to enter. Emily Jagels, graduate landscape architecture student and Tubby’s bartender, said Tubby’s is a great place to hang out and work. “We have a patio, sports bar and a dance floor,” Jagels said. “We are one of the few dance clubs in Manhattan that actually admits minors.” Tubby’s is known for their various theme parties on Thursday nights. “My favorite theme is ‘Throwback Thursdays,’” Jagels said. “We play old ‘90s hits and everyone has a good time.” Also located in Aggieville, the Dirty Dawg Saloon is a country twostep dance bar. Dirty Dawgs also offers billiard tables, dart boards and a back patio. Dirty Dawgs doubles as a concert venue for various country bands and singers. They have been known to host performers such as Granger Smith, Kyle Park and Bart Crow. Underage students have various options both on and around K-State’s campus during the school year to hang out with friends. K-State’s UPC and underage bars in Aggieville offer minors a place to hang out, meet new people and create new memories.

LATE NIGHTGUIDE

Lower drinking age will positively affect students

JONATHAN GREIG the collegian

Why lowering the legal age to drink will positively affect alcohol and college culture.

hese are sentences that I have actually had to utter at various points in my life: “Well, I had grabbed the half-empty bottle of whiskey I had . . . and I just remember the moment when I realized it was empty.” “I did all 21 shots, but I absolutely should not have.” “If the Catholic Church is short up on official miracles for this week, send them a letter about how I didn’t fall down that whole night.” Now, thankfully, all of those nights ended with me being able to say some variation of “yeah, pretty much everything (except those poor, poor ceramic figurines) ended up fine.” But not everyone's drinking stories end up that way. Most of us here at K-State probably know some of the stories where everything didn’t end up just fine. Binge drinking is now an accepted part of the understanding of the stereotypical college experience. But why has this understanding, bringing with it some terrible consequences, become part of the culture? One of the reasons is the legal drinking age. How we treat alcohol with our high school age teens

File photo by Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Fans of Lindsey Stirling ask for an encore during Stilring’s dubstep violin performance on September 13, 2014 in Bosco Plaza. Activities minors can be involved in when looking for a fun night out is by attending Union Council Program sponsored events that are free of charge and available for all students. also forms and molds the way alcohol is treated in college, which desperately needs some thoughtful reforms. Any culture that includes and accepts things like "Shark Night" is in obvious need of repair and redress. So where does the need to lower the legal drinking age come in? Mary Kate Cary in her May 7, 2014 U.S. News article, “Time to Lower the Drinking Age,” points out that “The U.S. is one of only seven nations in the entire world with a drinking age of 21. Most Western democracies allow their citizens to fight in wars, vote in elections and drink alcohol at age 18.” And our high drinking age hasn’t helped.

“How we’re teaching youth to view drinking alcohol (its image now is a rite of passage forbidden fruit) is far more impactful than letting them legally drink a few years earlier.” For one thing, those under that age are drinking anyway. According to the Center for Disease Control’s Underage Drinking Fact Sheet, a 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed that 35 percent of high school students drank some amount of alcohol during the past 30 days. It revealed that 21 percent binge

drank, 10 percent drove after drinking alcohol and 22 percent rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. And when you get to college, the legal drinking age means even less. William Cohen in his March 20, 2014 CNN article “Get real, lower drinking age to 19,” asserts that “The

drinking age of 21 is a national joke. Every college campus in the country is filled with students who violate the drinking law every week, if not every day, while university administrators turn a mostly blind eye.” Underage and irresponsible drinking isn’t an availability and accessibility problem. It’s bigger

than that – it’s a systemic and engrained cultural one. How we’re teaching youth to view drinking alcohol (its image now is a rite of passage forbidden fruit) is far more impactful than letting them legally drink a few years earlier. There is a similar argument to be found in debate on sex education. Would you rather take on the responsibility for teaching your children a healthy respect for the joys and dangers of alcohol consumption when they’re clearly doing it either way? Or would you rather try to simply forbid it? If we let our youth experience how alcohol affects them earlier and under more parental supervision, then there would be less of an impetus to experiment later on. Finding your reasonable limit before college with this help, instead of on your own in a college environment, is a good example. This would improve the culture of youth drinking and the culture of the college experience. Sexual assault is an enormous problem embedded in this culture that would surely be positively impacted. Drunk driving would be another. Education and understanding is the key here, people, as it always is. Cohen, in his article, passionately concludes that “Continuing to pretend that underage binge drinking on college campuses and the horrific behavior that derives from it doesn’t exist is not a responsible and mature response to an obvious systemic problem. We can’t continue to anesthetize ourselves. One possible solution is to lower the drinking age to 19 and to enact a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving. There are undoubtedly others. Let’s solve this.” 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.

Jonathan Greig is a senior in anthropology. Please send all omments to opinion@ kstatecollegian.com.

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