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The Bulletin | September 29, 2011
Emporia library hosts transgender education W hitney C oleman
coleman@esubulletin.com Transgender education was the topic of discussion last Saturday at the Emporia Public Library. Students and local residents gathered to hear Stephanie Mott speak on the stereotypes and struggles associated with being transgendered. Mott, founder and spokesperson for the Kansas Statewide Transgender Education Project, said the project is dedicated to providing education on transgender issues across Kansas. The term “transgender” is an umbrella term that encompasses anyone whose identity falls outside of the binary and stereotypical gender dichotomy, Mott said. But for Mott, transgender education has a special meaning. Born a boy in a town just outside of Lawrence, and at the time named Stephen, Mott said she felt like she was placed in the wrong body and was not sure how to express her feelings. “Any moment I got to myself, I would use it to express myself as a girl,” Mott said, recounting her childhood struggles. Mott’s story impressed some of the
attendees. “I thought it was very inspiring hearing about Stephanie’s story, even more so that even though she had been through so much and seen so much hardship, she was able to find happiness and wanted to share her happiness with others and see that their road was not so long,” said Beth King, senior art education major. Many questions were asked at the end of the presentation but the audience seemed moved by Mott’s story and her mission to educate people about the trials and tribulations of being transgender. “I was moved by Stephanie’s story and wowed by her strength,” said Carl Dillman, freshman at Flint Hills Technical College. “I also found it extraordinary that she maintained her Christian faith through it all, until she described the church to which she belongs. She’s an excellent example of the kind of tolerance and acceptance that Topeka isn’t exactly known for, but by rights ought to be.” Mott gave insight on just how misunderstood the transgendered community is, but she also said that some of the same struggles transgender individuals face are shared by all people. “ We all figuratively wear masks and
Stephanie Mott, the executive director of Kansas Statewide Transgender Project, speaks on transgender education at the Emporia Public Library last Saturday. Stephanie Mott said it is common for transgender people to be homeless. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin
are not always our true selves, so this isn’t something that affects transgendered people, but something that affects all people,”
said Mott. To learn more about transgender education, go to K-step.org.
YOUNG... from page 1
receiving the award and wondered what her elementary school teacher, who had taught her William Allen White’s writings, would think of her receiving the award. Kenji Anderson, also a sixth grade student at Emporia middle school, presented the award for “The Boy Who Dared” to Bartoletti. The book is based around the Hitler Youth and a boy who was executed for resisting the Nazi movement �in Germany during WWII. Bartoletti said she had found inspiration for the main character when she was writing a non-fiction book on the Hitler Youth. He was the youngest person on death row in Nazi Germany. She said she instantly knew that she had to write the story. “The book was irresistible and hard to put down,” Anderson said. “You had to keep reading until you got to the very last page.” The winning books are chosen from a master list, which is set up by a group and is then voted on by 40,000 children. The book list for next year’s award is posted on the book award’s website at Waw.emporia.edu. Neinas ‘confident’ Missouri will stay in Big 12
Pam Kurzen and Darcy Stevens of dining services prepare a cardboard cutout by pasting a printed sheet onto large cardboard on Tuesday afternoon outside of the Memorial Union. This cutout will be used for an upcoming Oktoberfest event, which will be held during lunch on Oct. 19 in the cafeteria area. Julie Thephachan/The Bulletin
Cantaloupe outbreak is deadliest in a decade WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials say as many as 16 people have died from possible listeria illnesses traced to Colorado cantaloupes, the deadliest food outbreak in more than a decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that 72 illnesses, including 13 deaths, are linked to the tainted fruit. State and local officials say they are investigating three additional deaths that may be connected. The death toll released by the CDC Tuesday — including newly confirmed deaths in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas — surpassed the number of deaths linked to an outbreak of salmonella in peanuts almost three years ago. Nine people died in that outbreak. The CDC said Tuesday that they have confirmed two deaths in Texas and one death each in in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Last week the CDC reported two deaths in Colorado, four deaths in New Mexico, one in Oklahoma and one in Maryland. New Mexico officials said Tuesday they are investigating a fifth death, while health authorities in Kansas and Wyoming said they too are investigating additional deaths possibly linked to the
tainted fruit. Listeria is more deadly than well-known pathogens like salmonella and E. coli, though those outbreaks generally cause many more illnesses. Twenty-one people died in an outbreak of listeria poisoning in 1998 traced to contaminated hot dogs and possibly deli meats made by Bil Mar Foods, a subsidiary of Sara Lee Corp. Another large listeria outbreak in 1985 killed 52 people and was linked to Mexican-style soft cheese. Listeria generally only sickens the elderly, pregnant women and others with compromised immune systems. The CDC said the median age of those sickened is 78 and that one in five who contract the disease can die. Dr. Robert Tauxe of the CDC says the number of illnesses and deaths will probably grow in coming weeks because the symptoms of listeria don’t always show up right away. It can take four weeks or more for a person to fall ill after eating food contaminated with listeria. “That long incubation period is a real problem,” Tauxe said. “People who ate a contaminated food two weeks ago or even a week ago could still be falling sick weeks later.”
Interim Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas says he is confident Missouri will stay in the Big 12. The Big 12 athletic directors wrapped up two days of meetings in Dallas on Wednesday and Neinas met with each individually. Missouri is the latest Big 12 school in the spotlight, considering whether to stay in the conference or move to another league. It has been reported that Missouri was eyeing a move to the Southeastern
Conference when it looked as if Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech could be heading to the Pac-12. The Big 12 has already lost Texas A&M to the SEC. Last week, Oklahoma President David Boren said all nine remaining schools had agreed to grant their top-tier television rights to the conference for six years. Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton wouldn’t go that far, saying members would pursue that deal.
RECOVERY... from page 1 ful and they are a great asset to us,” Jackson said. “Now that summer is over and winter is coming on, there are a lot of things that need to be done before winter gets here… so when big groups like the ESU students come in, that’s so great for us because we can get so much more accomplished.” Students used magnets to pick up debris around the church, parking lots, streets and several homes. “I think it’s going to help a lot to show them other people care about their town,” said Kelly Rethorst, freshman elementary education major. “It’s four months after, but we are still picking up glass from the yards. So it will probably be a lot safer for everybody living here.” The Big Event group is the biggest group to help Reading so far, according to Steve Burnett, assistant disaster response coordinator of Reading. “It’s hard, especially for a small town, to try to recover from something like this,” said Ashley Vogts, senior interdisciplinary studies and pre-occupational therapy major and ASG president. “I think this will be very beneficial, just for the families on the emotional side, when you see people out the communities caring and wanting to help.” Big Events are usually held within the Emporia community, but Vogts said that visiting a community in need to see the damage and the improvements Reading has made in the four months made an impact on the students. To learn how to get involved in the Reading relief effort, call Steve Burnett at 785-410-0210 or email srburn@madtel.net.
Senior information system major Qassim Almukhtar and graduate earth science student Darrel Drake help the tornado relief in Reading Saturday morning. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin
Freshman music education major Huynhmy Phan helps the tornado relief in Reading Saturday morning. Phan picked up trash by the railroad. Yiqing Fu/The Bulletin