page 3: NEWS
Cats’ Cupboard moving locations, increasing space and supply
page 6: ARTS & CULTURE
Social Media Week events Feb. 13-17 includes sessions from social media marketing professionals and local voices
page 10: sports
The Glenn twins lean on each other during their journey as teammates at K-State
page 12: sports Super Bowl picks from the sports desk staff
gieville could be taken over by big corporations.
When Caroline Diederich decided to attend K-State four years ago, she said it was not because of the school itself, but the authenticity of the city.
“What sold me instantly was my first walk through Aggieville,” Diederich said. “I come from Overland Park where all we have is food chains and big businesses, so the authenticity and the community aspect of this town is ultimately why I decided to spend these important years of my life here.”
On Jan. 17 the city of Manhattan started charging for parking in Aggieville. Employees must purchase a monthly pass if they want to park, which is $25 a month for part-time employees and $40 a month for full-time.
Diederich, senior in mass communications, said the feeling, along with her experiences as a Bluestem employee, inspired her to create a petition against charging Aggieville employees for parking.
“I did not start this petition because I am against seeing big changes in this place. I think there are great things coming,” Diederich said. “I started it because small business is a huge reason why I came here and I think that is true for a lot of people, or at least why people have fallen in love with this place and creat-
ed so many memories.”
The petition received over 6,000 signatures urging the city commissioners to reconsider these charges. At a city commission meeting on Feb. 7, Nancy Evangelidis, part-owner of Bluestem Bistro, asked the commissioners how many of them go into Aggieville — only one-and-ahalf hands went up.
“I love that one-and-ahalf of you come into Aggieville, but yet you have made de-
cisions that impact me, impact every other business owner in here,” Evangelidis said. “And you are going to dictate and tell me how you think it is going to be. All we want is a compromise — give us reprieve.”
Jordan Davis, Bluestem employee, said the parking charge is not sustainable for small business employees.
“Twenty-five dollars or 40 dollars a month added to my bills is a lot,” Davis said. “I am already broke and I am
already paying to live day by day.”
Davis said he loves this city and wants to continue working in Aggieville.
“I want to stay here for 20-plus years,” Davis said. “But in order to do that I have to go to work and make money, and right now having to pay for parking and adding that extra bill to my daily life is already hard.”
Evangelidis said with these new rules in place, Ag-
“If you want people like Starbucks and all those big franchises to come in, then you go for it, because that is where you guys are heading,” Evangelidis said. “Thank you for letting them have drive-thrus, thank you for having an entire strip on the other side of town that is nothing but franchises, it is great. I am glad they are making you feel like you are doing something great. But, you are not. At the end of the day, we suffer. All we want to do is provide something. … Please reconsider what we have in place. Please take a step back. Give us a chance to survive.”
Commercial chains such as Chipotle and Starbucks have parking lots in Aggieville — Nico’s Little Italy is the only small business with a designated parking area. Nicolette Unruh, manager at Nico’s, said she is lucky to have a space to park, but she still advocates for her employees and other small businesses.
“What is the City of Manhattan going to do to try and support us as small businesses and not continue to just bring in and support big business?” Unruh said. “So I think we are doing a great job of trying to improve some business districts, but we have got to support small business because this is what makes this small town what it is. I think that is what we all love about
it, and that is, in 1863, what land-grant universities were founded on.”
Unruh said Manhattan was founded primarily on K-State being a land-grant university.
“Land-grant universities were to improve the quality of life of all Kansans,” Unruh said. “I think that one of the things we need to consider is, is what we are doing with the parking garage … are we actually making our quality of life better in Aggieville or are we making it harder?”
The public comment for non-agenda items ended with Mark Hatesohl, mayor of Manhattan, addressing the crowd.
“I think we are going to have to do something and chat about this some more. I’d be willing to consider, I don’t know, something — six months of free parking for Aggieville employees,” Hatesohl said. “We have already got all the equipment and people hired to enforce parking so we can’t probably stop everything. But there ought to be some way to provide some relief for some period of time.”
Evangelidis said the meeting resulted in a positive impact.
“I will follow up and just make sure that we can get this back on the agenda,” Evangelidis said. “To come up with accommodations or a compromise, so we can get through this time.”
The number of COVID-19 cases on Kansas State’s campus is lower compared to Feb. 2022, LeAnn Sturdy, director of nursing at Lafene Health Center, said.
“Jan. 1 to Feb. 3, 2022, we had done 2,701 total COVID tests and 702 were positive,” Sturdy said. “Now from Jan. 1, 2023 to Feb. 3, 2023, we have done 245 total COVID tests and 27 of those were positive.”
Josie Morris, sophomore in secondary education, said she has seen a difference between COVID on campus in 2022 and 2023.
“I’ve had multiple professors get COVID this semester and have to cancel class,” Morris said. “I’ve never really had an issue of any friends getting it yet. I had more friends get it then rather than now.”
Sturdy said people who are exposed to COVID no longer have to isolate themselves.
“That has been let go, you know, in an effort to give people a chance to kind of return to some sense of normalcy, but also being cautious of your symptoms and the idea of doing everything you can to protect others,” Sturdy said.
Abby King, communicable disease nurse at Lafene Health Center, said the current Center for Disease Control guidelines for individuals exposed to COVID are to wear a mask for ten days and monitor for symptoms.
“If you start to develop symptoms, then they recommend that you get tested,” King said.
If an individual tests positive for COVID they should isolate themselves, Sturdy said.
“The current guidance, if positive for COVID, is isolation for five days,” Sturdy
said. “Then at the end of that five days, if fever-free for the previous 24 hours, significant reduction in symptoms, you know, feeling significantly better, then you can return to normal activities, but you do need to mask for an additional five days when you’re around other people.”
Sturdy said students with COVID symptoms can get tested at Lafene Health Center.
“They should call and schedule an appointment with one of the providers and we can help facilitate that, you know, have them evaluated and do COVID testing,” Sturdy said.
Sturdy said Lafene is only testing individuals with symptoms.
“Maybe they’ve been exposed and they’re wanting
to do testing, but they don’t have any symptoms and that’s just where the home testing comes into play,” Sturdy said.
King said home COVID tests can be found at several places in Manhattan.
“The health department has free COVID tests that they have in their lobby that you can pick up,” King said. “Walgreens has them. Local retailers have them if you want to purchase them.”
King said students sick with COVID or any other virus can treat symptoms with over-the-counter medication, and she encourages them to use Lafene to get personalized recommendations.
“If they’re not feeling well, they can always call and talk to one of our triage nurses,” King said. “They
pointment in our immunization clinic or they can also look online through their portals,” Sturdy said.
King said there is an administration fee for COVID vaccines.
“Most insurance companies pay for the vaccine — that administration fee — so it’s at no cost to the students. If they don’t have insurance, than that’s a little bit of a different story,” Sturdy said.
King said it is recom-
mended for students who are not vaccinated to get the primary series of a COVID vaccine.
“We have the Moderna. They also can go into the community and get Pfizer if they prefer. Both of those are a two dose primary series,” King said.
Lafene Health Center can be reached at 785-5326544 or through the myLafene portal on the K-State website.
can talk through the patient’s symptoms, give them recommendations over the phone for medications, or … if their symptoms are severe, you know, an extreme situation where they need to go to the hospital … they give that recommendation to them.”
Sturdy said Lafene is still carrying vaccines for COVID.
“We have the monovalent and that would be for individuals who have not been vaccinated for COVID yet. And then we also are carrying the Moderna bivalent, so that would be for individuals who have had the primary series but are looking to get boosters,” Sturdy said.
Sturdy said there are several ways to schedule a vaccination appointment.
“They can just call Lafene to schedule an ap-
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 3, 2022, Lafene administered 2701 COVID-19 tests — 702 were positive.
From Jan. 1 to Feb. 3, 2023, Lafene administered 245 COVID-19 tests — 27 were positive.
the cupboard, the bigger the shelf.”
Around 40% of Kansas State students struggle with food insecurity, according to the 2022 American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment III.
The KSU Foundation announced via a news release that Cats’ Cupboard, a no-cost food pantry for K-State affiliates, will open a new and updated facility in the 2023-24 school year.
“I hope that this new location not only provides confidence and security for every individual at Kansas State, but that food is always going to be accessible,” Shelly Williams, director of Cats’ Cupboard, said. “That empowers them to be their best selves and pursue their dreams.”
The new Cats’ Cupboard will be located at 1021 Denison Ave. in place of the former Campus Ecumenical Center.
Greg Lohrentz, chief operating financial officer at the KSU Foundation, said the new facility will bring huge changes to Cats’ Cupboard, which has been located in Fairchild 009 since its opening in 2017.
“Right now it’s just a big, open concrete floor,” Lohrentz said. “The current space is 800 square feet and it’s expanding to 8,000 square feet. Part of that is to be able to have a lot more storage for dry goods. There will be full walk-in freezers and refrigerators.”
Lohrentz said these advancements mean Cats’ Cupboard staff will provide more items for its guests.
“The next focus is how they can go out and source a lot more products,” Lohrentz said. “The bigger
Williams said the new facility will enhance guests’ experiences.
“Our goal is to incorporate a fully automated guest check-in system where a guest can come in and walk right up to an iPad station, enter their information, complete the survey, grab a cart or basket and do their shopping,” Williams said. “There’s going to be a space where they can take their products, put them on a counter and pack them into bags or boxes.”
Williams said this location will be more accessible to students.
“There will be a parking lot so that students don’t have to park several miles off-campus and carry their items,” Williams said. “It’ll be much easier.”
Williams said there will also be a checkout system, which hasn’t been a part of the process at Cats’ Cupboard’s current location.
“Currently we do not have any kind of checkout system, but with our inventory upgrade we’re seeing a strong need to check items out, not to track what people are taking, but so we can have a better inventory and a better ordering process,” Williams said.
Susan Berhow, vice president of marketing and communications at the KSU Foundation, said the new building will open very soon.
“This project isn’t going to be a particularly slow one,” Berhow said. “By August, this should be complete.”
According to the KSU Foundation’s news release, “The facility project … was made possible by a gift from David and Tracy Lockton of Naples, Florida. In addition
to their gift to Cats’ Cupboard, the Locktons have provided support for food pantries in the Kansas City area.”
Williams said the bigger facility means a need for more help from the K-State community.
“With this new location, we’re going to need passionate, committed volunteers,” Williams said. “We’re going to need funding to supplement the donations we receive with purchased goods. It’s an opportunity to get involved and give back to those who are less fortunate than you.”
To volunteer for Cats’ Cupboard, fill out the application on the Get Involved page on the Cats’ Cupboard website.
“If you don’t hear back, call or drop by,” Williams said. “We’re most interested in those that are most passionate.”
When Kenedi Kelso, Quinn Tilley, Tyler Bolz and Santino Trombino went viral on TikTok for their pasta drive-thru, they saw an opportunity to make an impact on the Manhattan community, and they continue to do just that.
Kelso said she thinks the group’s antics are still relevant because of the innocence and fun showcased in their content.
“I think it’s kind of refreshing for people to see college kids not doing your stereotypical partying and going out,” Kelso said. “It was just them coming up with unique, crazy ideas. I think that’s what
made it viral.”
The group recently got the opportunity to appear on the Kelly Clarkson Show. After producers reached out, Bolz said there was radio silence for a period of time. But, when the show reached out once again, production began in full force.
“It was crazy because it had been a couple of months since we heard from them, had done a couple of pasta Sundays and thought our five minutes of fame was over. Then this kind of came out of nowhere,” Bolz said.
Trombino said, when preparing for the interview, he experienced some stress. With such a strict timeline, there was a lot of preparation to accomplish in a short time
period.
“We went through an interview with the producer and then an interview with Kelly Clarkson,” Trombino said. “The whole thing was probably a week of preparation.”
Once on the show, however, the crew said they didn’t feel as stressed. The interview was done from the comfort of their home, which aided in calming their nerves. But Tilley said being together was one of the biggest reasons they were able to stay so calm.
“It’s pretty much like running a business, so being able to have fun and be successful and not get mad or butt heads or anything shows how close we are,” Tilley said.
Shortly after their experience on the show, the group
had a huge opportunity to run a philanthropy partnership event. On Feb. 5 the boys hosted a pasta night in collaboration with Pi Kappa Phi fraternity to benefit the Ability Experience, an organization with the goal of empowering those with disabilities. The event was a hit, with about 150 people in attendance.
Implementing their normal drive-through system — this time out of the Pi Kappa Phi house instead of the Pasta Boys’ own home — the group served customers in their cars. All of the proceeds went to charity.
A large amount of preparation went into the event, as the addition of more people and a different location added an extra layer of planning.
“I made about 20 pounds of spaghetti and enough sauce for all of it,” Trombino said. “They ended up going through two containers, which is about 15 pounds of pasta.”
After expanding their outreach and gaining more
experience, Kelso said she believes the group’s main focus will now turn to philanthropy.
M a c k e n n a C a s s e l @ F l i g h t C r e w C o f f e e
L i q u i d L a u g h s C o m e d y @ L i q u i d A r t W i n e r y , 7 P M
T h u n d e r i n g C a t s J a z z C o m b o @ H i l t o n G a r d e n I n n , 6 P M
K S U D r a g S h o w @ M c C a i n A u d i t o r i u m , 7 P M
B l e e d t h e V i c t i m + T h e S o i l e d D o v e s @ T h e R e p l a y L o u n g e , 1 0 P M
B r e n d a n H e n a u l t h a s a l w a y s h a d a p a s s i o n f o r c r e a t i v e a r t s a n d m u s i c . S i n c e g e t t i n g i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e M H K M u s i c S c e n e i n 2 0 1 9 , B r e n d a n h a s h e l p e d t o g r o w t h e s c e n e w i t h a s s e t s s u c h a s g r a p h i c d e s i g n , v i d e o g r a p h y , w e b d e s i g n , a n d m a r k e t i n g . B r e n d a n h a s b e e n a M H K M u s i c N e t w o r k b o a r d m e m b e r s i n c e 2 0 2 1 , a n d h a s c o n t i n u e d t o e x p a n d h i s n e t w o r k a n d s e r v i c e s b y l a u n c h i n g h i s o w n c o m p a n y , H e n H o u s e P r o d u c t i o n s L L C e a r l i e r t h i s y e a r .
It’s a quiet, sun-filled day in the forests of Pennsylvania. The birds sing, the grasshoppers chirp and the trees rustle. Eric and Andrew, played by Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge respectively, and their daughter Wen, played by Kristen Cui, are enjoying the wonderful weather during a much-needed vacation. While Eric and Andrew are sharing a snack on the back deck, Wen collects grasshoppers on the front lawn. She is joined by an unexpected guest who offers to help, and after a polite conversation, things turn sour.
Suddenly Wen is on the back deck, horrified. She hides behind her dads, telling them there are people out front who want to come in. Eric and Andrew try to prevent this strange group’s entry, but they come in anyway, and the small, unsuspecting family finds themselves fighting for their lives. Little do they know, more than just their lives are at stake.
“Knock at the Cabin” is an apocalyptic story directed by M. Night Shyamalan. In addition to Eric, Andrew and Wen, the small cast stars Dave Bautista as Leonard, Rupert Grint as Redmond, Nikki Amuka-Bird as Sabrina and Abby Quinn as Adriene. Given multiple lackluster scores from sites like Rotten Toma-
toes at 68% and an IMDb 6.4/10, one might assume the movie is mediocre, and honestly, the storyline is.
After the family finds itself tied up and sitting before this group of four, they are informed they must sacrifice one family member to save all of mankind. This sacrifice must be made voluntarily and if they refuse, their choice will come at a massive loss. Each time they don’t sacrifice a family member, a devastating judgment is released on the world.
There are not unlimited judgments; there are four, and the last one is said to leave the family wandering alone across the face of a scorched earth and forced to live with the consequences of their actions. The family is asked at certain times if they will make the sacrifice; each time they refuse. Upon refusal, one of the members of the group of four is killed in ritualistic fash-
ion and a judgment is cast on the earth.
The group of four plead with the family to make a sacrifice so humanity might be saved, but they never force it. They prevent the family from leaving, but this band of apocalypse-believing, ritualistic sacrificers care for each family members’ wounds, feed them, talk to them and never try to coerce them. They keep their word; the sacrifice is never forced upon them. This leaves the family confused about this mysterious group’s true intentions. They wonder if this is fake, if they’ll all die anyway, if they are being targeted because they’re gay and if these people are who they say they are. The family fights for the right to walk out together and go on with life. Unfortunately, they lose, and one member is lost.
Spoiler alert: in the final hours, after Leonard kills himself — ringing in the final judgment — Andrew and Eric begin talking. They planned to be together forever, but it seems this may not happen. It is at this point the group of four’s true identity is revealed — they are the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The quick-tempered convict, Redmond, is Malice. The scatter-brained and loving mother, Adriene, is Nurture. The loving and servant-hearted nurse,
Sabrina, is Healing. The empathetic, down-to-earth 2ndgrade teacher, Leonard, is
ers are left to ponder deep and meaningful questions. These questions span from simply
rely on the characters to tell them — they are equally confused. One thing holds true:
To
From Feb. 13-17, Kansas State Social Media Week will give students opportunities to learn and network with social media influencers and professionals.
Jana Thomas, professor of practice in the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication, said her passion for social media inspired her to create K-State Social Media Week last year.
“There are so many opportunities built into social media, that too often the narrative is about the negative impacts,” Thomas said. “My passion, my lens through which I see the world and how I want to make an impact, is about helping people see those opportunities, see that there is so much power in the palm of your hand.”
One of the main goals of
the event is to show students how impactful their presence on social media can be, Thomas said.
“We want to help students critically evaluate their own social media use in a very rapidly changing world,” Thomas said. “We want to help students recognize opportunities for proactive and collaborative communication that can benefit communities or inspire civic engagement, lead to positive change. We want to help students practice critical thinking, use problem-solving skills to really evaluate content they see in their timelines.”
Thomas said she hopes students from all corners of the university attend, not just students of the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication.
“We also want to talk about ethical and societal issues related to social media,” Thomas said. “We want to talk about the role that social media plays in all in-
dustries. Whether you are a student in English or you’re an architecture student or you are in park management, there’s literally something for everyone at this event. Social media touches every single one of our industries. This is an all-university event.”
WEEK EVENTS:
3 P.M., MONDAY, FEB. 13
“Social Media Team Talk: Spirit Halloween and Spencer’s”
This event will take place on Zoom and will be led by Carly Pearlman, who manages digital media for the two businesses, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
3 P.M., TUESDAY, FEB. 14
“Making Brands Cool Again: Neutrogena Breaks Through The TikTok Noise”
This event will take place
on Zoom and will be led by Megan Herren, strategy director for Movers+Shakers, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
11 A.M., WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15
“Social Media’s Role in Developing and Executing the NextGen University Land Grant Mission (Panel Discussion and Roundtable)”
This event will be a conversation about K-State’s ability to use social media in its future endeavors and will take place in the Leadership Studies Building, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
4 P.M., WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15
“How Athletes Can Attract Attention from Brands on Social Media and Drive Successful NIL Partnerships (Panel Discussion)”
A group of experienced
sports marketers and athletes will answer audience questions and participate in a discussion about how social media plays a part in sports roles according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website. It will take place in room 1088 in the College of Business Building.
10 A.M., THURSDAY, FEB. 16
“Social Media Content Creator & Influencer Fair”
The K-State Department of Communications and Marketing and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication will host a professional social media marketing fair in the K-State Student Union Courtyard, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
12 P.M., THURSDAY, FEB. 16
“Leading Cultural Change Through Social Media: Going
Viral on TikTok With An Idea”
In the K-State Student Union Forum Hall, a presentation inspired by Julia Riew’s social media presence will motivate attendees to make innovative online content, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
12 P.M., FRIDAY, FEB. 17
“Online Social Media Management Certificate Information Session”
This event is an informational session on Zoom. Attendees can ask questions about the online social media management certificate, according to the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website. Register on K-State OrgCentral for any of these events. For more information on K-State Social Media Week, visit the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication website.
Who do you think is winning?
Eagles: 10%
Who’s your favorite Chiefs player?
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 6% Harrison
Which is your favorite Kelce?
Jason
28%
Chiefs: 90%
What is your favorite Super Bowl snack?
Other: 12%
Pizza: 16%
Wings: 28%
Patrick Mahomes: 62%
Travis
Where are you watching the Super Bowl?
Not watching: 5%
Party: 24%
Chips & Dip: 44%
Home: 71%
Brothers Travis and Jason Kelce facing off in the Super Bowl has people talking about sibling athletes. The two show each other love and support even in the face of heavy competition. This similar sibling dynamic can be found on the Kansas State women’s basketball team. Twin teammates Brylee and Jaelyn Glenn share a similar bond to the Kelce’s, never trying to best the other and always having each other’s backs.
“It’s not really a rivalry, but we’re there to pick each other up. We’ve never been super duper competitive [toward each other],” Jaelyn Glenn said. “We’ve tried playing one-on-one but we
always laugh and it just turns into a joke. It’s a support system kind of thing with us.”
The two sisters have spent years together, dating back to their time at The Barstow School in Kansas City. Now, as teammates at K-State, Brylee and Jaelyn Glenn continue to grow together as twins.
“If you actually think about it, I think it’s kind of crazy because we’re around each other 24/7, every single moment of every day,” Brylee Glenn said. “We really don’t fight … Just being teammates and being able to play the game that we both love together and have that common interest does help our bond.”
In the time spent away from basketball, Jaelyn Glenn said the two don’t do
much besides watching Netflix together or going out for activities like a pedicure. The twins still focus most of their time on the court.
“We have been playing with each other for so long so we know each other’s game,” Jaelyn Glenn said. “I have people come up to me sometimes after the game like, ‘You threw that pass to your sister. I saw her but I didn’t think you were gonna see her and it was like you knew where she was gonna be in that moment.’ Things like that really explain how strong our chemistry is.”
While the twins have grown a chemistry on the court over the years, their styles of play are not nearly as identical as they look. The pair provide the Wildcats with two different types
of players, but they still work together like one unit.
“They [our styles of play] even out pretty well because I’m more of the aggressor,” Brylee Glenn said. “I like to drive to the basket, get fouled and Jaelyn’s more of a shooter. We do two different things, but I know if I drive to the basket I can always count on her to be out there. We work well off of each other.”
The players cherish the ability to have their lives so deeply connected.
“[We enjoy] being able to experience the college life together, doing our basketball careers together,” Brylee
Glenn said. “It does have its highs and lows but to be able to share it with her and for her to actually understand is something that a lot of people don’t get to experience. I am grateful for that opportunity.”
Brylee and Jaelyn always planned to stay together for their journey in college. Their bond with each other made a potential rivalry impossible.
“It was pretty much a given that we were a package deal,” Jaelyn Glenn said. “I wouldn’t go anywhere without her or anywhere that wasn’t at least close to her.”
One young player is garnering respect on the Kansas State men’s basketball team, and he isn’t even a rotational player.
Redshirt freshman forward Taj Manning had a unique high school career, to say the least, playing for three different high school teams in four years and, more impressively, winning two of those respective teams’ state championships.
He signed with K-State under the previous coaching staff, but the three-star recruit held out through the coaching change. Now, under head coach Jerome Tang, Manning is gaining high praise from both coaching
staff and players in practices. Tang and his teammates spoke highly of him at the postgame press conference after defeating TCU.
“I think at some point in time Taj Manning is going to be an all-conference player,” Tang said. “And he is going to score in a ton of basketball games, and every year he is just going to continue to get better and better.”
His talent has had the opportunity to refine as he has taken on some of the Big 12’s best in practice.
“[Manning] does a lot of great things. He really matches my physicality, so we just go at it with each other and make each other better,” guard Tykei Greene said. “He’s gonna be a great player for [Tang].”
Manning’s teammates
have helped his growth and development as a player. His size and athleticism make him a premiere player to watch. He fits into the system at forward, primarily in the paint, standing 6-foot-7.
“He is like a magnet. I don’t know what it is, but whenever the shot goes up Taj is always there rebounding,” guard Markquis Nowell said. “Whether it’s offensive rebounding or defensive rebounding you could always catch Taj.”
The historic season for K-State has allowed the coaching staff to greatly improve on their recruiting. Because of three 2023 signees, K-State is a top 18 recruiting class, according to 247 sports.
“Our scout team is really good, and they really help us prepare,” Tang said. “And
I leave practice a lot of times thinking, ‘Boy we are gonna be really good next year.’”
Tang’s staff has set up premiere talent for K-State’s roster for years to come. Manning’s talent development stands as a motivation for other potential players to commit and transfer to K-State.
The roster stands as an experienced unit, but with experience comes age. Forward Keyontae Johnson, Nowell, Greene, guard Desi Sills and center Abayomi Iyiola are all in their senior year, so bringing in younger talent for the roster will be important for creating lasting competition in the Big 12.
Tang has set the stage for young talent to come to K-State and instilled confidence and high standards in his players. His presence is
a major reason why players buy into the program.
Manning has yet to receive playing time, but it’s clear the coaching staff and his teammates respect his game.
“One day y’all will be sitting here writing stories about maybe the all-time
winningest player in K-State history because he does all the little things and big things that help you win basketball games,” Tang said.
The Eagles hold a major talent advantage over the Chiefs at most positions. The Chiefs’ few advantages lie with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, each possibly the best among their peers and quite more experienced than Jalen Hurts and Nick Siriani. Mahomes and Reid need to outperform the youngsters to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Kansas City. Their own young defense must repeat their performance in the AFC Championship, holding the Bengals to 20 points. With Mahomes and Reid excelling and the defense holding up, the Kansas City Chiefs should win their second Super Bowl in four years to further their efforts in becoming a dynasty.
CHIEFS 26-22
It’s no secret the Chiefs’ offense is the primary path to victory. The real test comes in their defense’s ability to stop Jalen Hurts and the Eagles. The former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback, who has a 0-1 record in Manhattan, possesses dual-threat capabilities the Chiefs have rarely seen this season. On paper, the Eagles’ star-filled defense is more likely to find success. However, in a game where one late stop can be the difference, I expect the Chiefs to stop Hurts and for Mahomes to do Mahomes-like things on offense.
CHIEFS 27-23
The game will inevitably come down to who will make
the right moves at the right time. Andy Reid has been to three Super Bowls and won one. His and the rest of the coaching staff’s experience will be a decisive factor in the Chiefs’ path to victory, but the Eagles’ defensive line stands as a formidable unit that has put up historic sack numbers. Despite this, I’ll take Patrick Mahomes when the game is on the line. The Eagles may seem to have a more talented team, but this game feels oddly reminiscent of the Chiefs-49ers Super Bowl where San Francisco boasted the best defense in the league and Patrick Mahomes found a way to win.
CHIEFS 30-27
Throughout the regular season, the Eagles were the one team to consistently prove doubters wrong, which is eerily similar to their 2017 Super Bowl championship team. Excluding the two games that Jalen Hurts missed due to injury, the team is 16-1 this season including the playoffs. With elite weapons on the outside along with a strong running game — plus an elite offensive line that includes the future Hall of Famer Jason Kelce — the Eagles have the Chiefs beat in all three areas for offensive success. In no way am I
doubting Mahomes’ capabilities, as I think he’s a better quarterback than Hurts. The issues Kansas City has in the running game, on their offensive line and in the secondary make me nervous about their chances entering this game.
I’m going with the smart pick and taking the Eagles to win their second Super Bowl title in the last five years.
EAGLES 37-27
It may be ironic for someone so critical of the Kansas City Chiefs this season to pick the AFC Champions to win in the last game
of the season. However, with Patrick Mahomes battling through banged-up limbs in early postseason games, it seems only fitting for the Red Kingdom to celebrate victoriously Sunday evening. The aggressive offense looks to play with authority, setting the pace by slicing through Philadelphia’s defense in the air, as the Eagles will struggle to match KC in a shootout.
CHIEFS 34-21
By the time the 2015-16 season began, only one member of the highly-recognized 2013 Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball recruiting class remained: Wesley Iwundu, a 195-pound junior from Houston.
In his first two seasons, Iwundu started 56 of 64 games but never truly broke out. He averaged single digits in scoring, rebounding, steals and assists.
But in 2015-16, with an opportunity to become a fulltime starter, Iwundu played his best season to date. He averaged nearly 12 points per game, collecting a career-high in rebounds, steals and assists.
The Wildcats also welcomed in a pair of exciting
and talented young freshmen to the roster in Dean Wade and Barry Brown Jr. Brown
contributed with a bench role during the season while Wade started in all but two games.
Still, the Wildcats struggled in conference despite a 13-9 start entering their Feb. 6 matchup against rival Oklahoma. The Sooners entered the game on a roll with a record of 19-2 under fifth-year head coach Lon Kruger and senior superstar Buddy Hield. Averaging 25 points per game in his senior season, Hield was well on his way to a second straight Big 12 Player of the Year award and an All-American nomination.
The Wildcats needed to win this game to keep their conference hopes alive, plus a victory would deliver confidence to their young roster.
Unfortunately, the game started horribly. Oklahoma jumped out of the shoot on a 9-0 run and took a 14-5 lead in the early stages of the game. Then, Wade caught
fire, drilling a 3-pointer and a layup to narrow the Sooners’ lead to four points.
The Wildcats traded baskets with the Sooners throughout the first half. With 5:41 left in the half, K-State took the lead with a D.J. Johnson layup.
With a six-point lead at the break, Iwundu was mostly quiet, with just four shots attempted and six points in total. In order to put the game fully in the Wildcats’ favor, K-State needed Iwundu to step up in the second half, which he did.
Iwundu dropped 17 of his 22 points as K-State took over in the final minutes of the game. Up five at one point, Iwundu buried his fourth 3-pointer of the season, giving the Wildcats an eight-point lead. K-State had
taken down the number one team in the nation by the final score of 80-69.
The victory did not lead to instant success for the remainder of the 2015-16 season as they dropped six of their last nine games; however, the victory over Oklahoma showed that the program could be a winning program going forward. The following season in 2016-17, the team won 21 games and made the NCAA Tournament in Iwundu’s senior season.
Following Iwundu’s departure to the NBA in 2017, the Wildcats passed the torch to Wade, Brown and sophomore Xavier Sneed. The trio led K-State to an Elite Eight appearance in 2018 and a Big 12 regular season title in 2019.
1. Feb. 11 is _______ Day at Kansas State
2. Basketball head coach Jerome Tang claimed _______ could be “the all-time winningest player in K-State history”
5. Basketball’s last four Big 12 opponents have all been
7. K-State Social Media week will occur _______ 13-17
3. Led K-State with 22 points on Feb. 6, 2016 in the upset defeating No. 1 ranked Oklahoma
4. e petition to stop charging Aggieville employees for parking received ____ 6,000 signatures
6. “Knock at the ______” is a new lm directed by M. Night Shyamalan that takes place in an apocalyptic version of Pennsylvania
8. “Out of the 254 COVID tests done from Jan. 1 to Feb. 3, _____ were positive
9. Cats’ _____ is a resource for K-State students and faculty to get free food, supplies and more
10. “It’s not really a _________ but we’re there to pick each other up,” Jaelyn Glenn said about her and her sister Brylee
Kansas City Chiefs Moneyline vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Eagles +14.5, Patrick Mahomes 250+ passing yards, Kadarius Toney 25+ receiving yards, DeVonta Smith 40+ receiving yards, Travis Kelce 60+ receiving yards: +782
Kansas City Chiefs Moneyline vs. Philadelphia Eagles: +100
Kansas City Chiefs over 16.5 points, Jalen Hurts 200+ passing yards, Patrick Mahomes 250+ passing yards, Hurts 35+ rushing yards, Isiah Pacheco 10+ receiving yards, Travis Kelce 65+ receiving yards: +370
Travis Kelce to score a touchdown: -120
Kansas City Chiefs Moneyline vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Jerick McKinnion over 2.5 receptions, Patrick Mahomes 250+ passing yards, Isiah Pacheco and A.J. Brown touchdowns, over 5.5 touchdowns, over 24.5 Chiefs points: +2200
Philadelphia Eagles Moneyline vs. Kansas City Chiefs: -122
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