02.13.19 by Kansas State Collegian

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

vol. 124, issue 55

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Students benefit from the Counseling Services’ move to Lafene, director says

JANELLE MARNEY THE COLLEGIAN

Kansas State University’s Counseling Services have experienced an overall smooth transition since the move to Lafene Health Center last May, but Daniel Larson, director of Counseling Services, said students don’t always know how to find their way. “Sometimes students will go to the front doors of Lafene,” Larson said, “but they’ll just send them downstairs where we are located. The only confusion is sometimes they go through the wrong doors.” Since the move, the Counseling Services office has more space and private settings, including larger rooms. The new office has two large group rooms, whereas the old location — now the second floor of the English building — had one group room and a conference room. In addition, Lafene Health Center and Counseling Services have been able to collaborate with each other more effectively due to the physical proximity. “It’s easier now,” Larson said. “If a patient is upstairs with Lafene and the doctor

thinks we may serve them better, they can just send them down to us, and we can do the same.” Larson added that it is easier for students to access both Lafene and Counseling Services at one time instead of trekking across campus for one or the other. At the beginning of a given semester, Larson said Counseling Services doesn’t have a wait time of more than a week. But as classes continue, wait times are subject to grow longer. “From the start of the semester to midterms, you can usually get in within about a week,” Larson said. “But once it’s midterms, you can see anywhere up to three weeks.” Busier times for Counseling Services include the months of October and April due to stress from midterms and upcoming finals, Larson said. Larson added that even during busy times, Counseling Services aims to see students within two weeks if possible. Each year, the number of clients and appointments at Counseling Services has a tendency to increase. This is especially true for the fall semester, Larson said.

Hannah Greer | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Kansas State’s Counseling Services is now located in room 101 in Lafene. The center offers focused counseling to currently registered students in crisis-intervention, decision making, adjustment and other matters of personal concern. “I wouldn’t say it’s correlated to the move necessarily,” Larson said, “but I can say this past fall semester did seem to have more sessions than the previous year. We see roughly 600 distinct students each semester. Once we run the numbers, it comes out to us seeing about six percent of the K-State student body.” This doesn’t only account for individual visits.

Dean of Engineering says proposed fee increase will help recruit students

Counseling Services also offers group and couples therapy sessions, stress management courses and academic anxiety therapy. Students typically start off in individual sessions, but may be asked to join a group therapy session by their assigned psychologist. “Group sessions don’t have more than six to 10 people,” Larson said. “Any-

more than that, it can become overwhelming and students may not be as inclined to share in discussion.” The Counseling Services office employs eight full-time psychologists, two part-time psychologists, three pre-doctoral interns and three practicum students. They are currently searching for two more fulltime psychologists.

REVIEW: “On the Come Up” a great follow-up to “The Hate U Give”

NEWS

K-State Libraries holds forum on budget cuts by Rowan Jones At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Lori Goetsch, dean of libraries, held a public forum to discuss the termination of academic journal spending at Kansas State University for the 2019 fiscal year. According to K-State Libraries, the decision to enact a hold on spending for academic subscriptions was made due to the inflated cost of journal and database subscription fees along with Hale Library’s declining budget. This issue is part of an international trend of rising academic journal costs and decreasing library budgets. Library Journal, a trade publication, described this trend as “death by a thousand cuts” in a 2018 article. Goetsch referenced the article at the beginning of the presentation joking that they were considering calling the program by that name. Joelle Pitts, head of content development for K-State Libraries and graduate student in business, said that since fiscal year 2014, the library has had to cut $731,844 worth of academic material. Currently, they are looking at a potential spending cut of $645,000 to cover budget shortfalls for fiscal years 2019 and 2020. For now, research faculty members are barred from purchasing additional research material for the year as the department investigates the budget issue. K-State Libraries plans to address the continued rising cost of academic material by encouraging professors to publish their work in open access journals, applying pressure to academic journals to focus less on profit margins, continue membership with open access journals and utilize interlibrary loan services to lower journal costs.

see page 3, “LIBRARY”

monday, february 13, 2019

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CORRECTIONS

EDITORIAL BOARD Kaylie McLaughlin Rachel Hogan Co-Editors-inChief Dené Dryden Managing Editor

Rebecca Vrbas Assistant Culture Editor

Gabby Farris Colton Seamans Design Chiefs

Molly Hackett Sports Editor

Olivia Bergmeier Multimedia Editor

Rafael Garcia News Editor

Nathan Enserro Julia Jorns Assistant Sports Editors

Bailey Britton Peter Loganbill Assistant News Editors

Olivia Rogers Leah Zimmerli Community Co-Editors

Macy Davis Culture Editor

Kyle Hampel Copy Chief

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The Collegian welcomes your letters. We reserve the right to edit submitted letters for length and style. A letter intended for publication should be no longer than 400 words and must be relevant to the student body of K-State. 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 or submitted through an online form at 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.

Logan Wassall Kyle Hampel Deputy Multimedia Editors Monica Diaz Autumn Mock Social Media Editors

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The Collegian’s Feb. 11 article, “First annual Mr. Multicultural pageant celebrates diversity of K-State students,” misidentified the sponsor of the pageant as the Delta Chi Fraternity. The Kappa Delta Chi Sorority sponsored Mr. Multicultural. Additionally, the writer neglected to mention the winners of two categories in the pageant. The Collegian regrets these errors.

The Collegian, a student newspaper at Kansas State University, is published by Collegian Media Group. It is published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 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, 2019

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After Hale Library fire, Special Collections still helping students EMILY REDDEL

THE COLLEGIAN

The May 22, 2018 fire at Hale Library caused many inconveniences for Kansas State University students and staff. Limitations have been placed on study space, Einstein Bros. Bagels no longer has a location on campus and thousands of books were relocated. However, one of the few things that was salvaged from the fire was K-State Libraries’ Special Collections. Now housed in Bluemont Hall 116, Special Collections houses rare items and other items of importance to K-State including documents, files and records. The relocation occurred in October 2018. Special Collections has more than just books for browsing. A few items in the collection are Royal Purple yearbooks dating back to 1891,

LIBRARY continued from page

After the presentation by Goetsch and Pitts, the floor was opened for questions. Stefan Bossmann, professor of chemistry, emphasized the importance of having a good library system. “Frequent library cuts will strangle the ability of all of us to do world class competitive research,” Bossmann said. “The university wants to become a recognized research university, and that means we have to have the resources. There has to be a political discussion. It’s really important to make our administra-

commencement files, staff directories and articles detailing past sorority and fraternity events. Cliff Hight, university archivist and head of Special Collections, explained that Bluemont 116 was converted into a temporary reading room to provide research space for students to explore unique items. “Students should take advantage of these resources, not only because they are unique and rare, but to also understand K-State’s traditions, explore historical documents and to understand the value of exploration,” Hight said. Traci Brimhall, associate professor of English, took her advanced poetry writing class to visit Special Collections. The class was given 20 minutes to find something interesting in the collection, reflect on what they found and start working on a potential poem. As the class was on their

quest to find interesting artifacts, Brimhall looked at the St. John’s Bible. “I appreciate the flora and fauna in the pictures and the gold filigree that encapsulates the Psalms,” Brimhall said. Brimhall said she saw the filigree as “a golden image of a voice on paper.” The St. John’s Bible is one of the most iconic items in the collection. “It took 11 years to make, and it’s called the St. John’s Bible because it was commissioned at the St. John’s Abbey,” Shannon Harkins, senior in English, said. The St. John’s Bible is one of a kind and contains verses from the Psalms with real gold filigree imprinted on the page. There are 299 reproductions of the St. John’s Bible, and Special Collections has number 17. Special Collections is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

tion understand that they are jeopardizing their goal.” This statement was met with applause from the crowd.

Archive Photo by Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

A snowy morning outside Hale Library at the Kansas State campus on Jan. 16, 2018. Hale suffered extensive fire and water damage on May 22, 2018.

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Dean of Engineering makes case for proposed course fee increase RACHEL HOGAN THE COLLEGIAN

During the Tuition and Fees Strategies Committee meeting on Tuesday evening, Dean of Engineering Darren Dawson, alongside the engineering department heads, made the case for and answered questions regarding the proposed $15 per credit hour fee increase. The fee would generate an estimated $918,000 in recurring funds for graduate teaching assistant compensation to free up money from the University Engineering Initiative Act grant, which ends in three years. Funds will also be used for undergraduate lab improvements. The proposed fee increase is coming on the heels of another similar $15 fee increase that was passed for the College of Engineering last year. Dawson said the new fee increase centers on adding value to undergraduate students’ experience and recruitment. By improving the undergraduate experience with

lab renovations, “we become more competitive with other engineering colleges in regard to recruiting faculty and students,” Dawson’s presentation read. “When you think about it, when you improve the quality of an undergraduate education program, what it’s about is your ability to recruit faculty and students, at least from an administrative standpoint,” Dawson said. “If you have trouble recruiting students, you’ll have trouble recruiting faculty.” Questions compiled during last week’s TFSC meeting prompted Dawson to go into more detail on how Kansas State University competes with other universities —including the University of Kansas and Wichita State University — in terms of degree costs with scholarships factored in. But doing so is complicated due to a lack of information, as most universities, including K-State, do not usually divulge that information, Dawson said. The college tuition committee was particularly inter-

ested in how K-State compares to Wichita State, but Dawson said the two schools don’t really line up as Wichita State is neither a division one nor research tier one school. “To compare our College of Engineering at Kansas State with Wichita State is really kind of like comparing a watermelon to an orange,” Dawson said. “The comparison will generate no useful information.” Engineering department heads also shared details on how undergraduate labs in their departments would be updated using UEIA grant money: increasing server capacities and upgrading hardware for computer sciences, creating a lab for the new biomedical engineering major and providing new equipment for industrial and manufacturing engineering, among others. “We have equipment that your grandfathers would have thought was old,” said Bradley Kramer, head of the department of industrial and manufacturing systems. “It’s 1930s, 1940s equipment, and we need to significantly reno-

vate that so we can manufacture using modern materials and processes. That would be the bare bones, and from there we have plans to integrate that laboratory even more fully into classes and the curriculum.” If the fee fails to pass, Dawson said he will come back to the tuition committee with the same proposal next year. “If it doesn’t pass next year, we will bring it back the next year and we will continue to bring it back all the way until the end of the UEIA cycle,” Dawson said. Chase Brokke, junior in industrial engineering, said he has mixed feelings on the fee. “At this point in time, I feel like making a decision is two bad decisions of either draining the students or lowing the accessibility of the degree, or putting the whole college in the path of deteriorating in a very real sense,” Brokke said. “There’s a lot of things like the GTAs or the labs that if we didn’t fund ... bad things could happen

Big round 2 powers women’s golf to second place NATHAN ENSERRO THE COLLEGIAN

The Kansas State women’s golf team came roaring back after a rough first round to finish second at the Texas State Invitational hosted by Texas State University in Kyle, Texas. The tournament, which started with two full rounds on Monday, finished its final round on Tuesday afternoon. It was hosted at the par 71 Plum Creek Golf Course, a 6,059-yard course. K-State finished the first round Monday morning at a whopping 11 strokes over par. That put them at 10th out of 16 teams in the tournament. Sophomores Ella Ad-

ams and Reid Issac led the five-player K-State squad through the first round with a pair of two-over-par 73s. K-State put together an even 284 stroke score in the second round. This was the top score in the round, just edging out eventual champion UTSA and fourth-place finisher Houston Baptist, who each shot 285 as a team. That 284-stroke second round vaulted the Wildcats from tenth place to sixth in the tournament going into the final round. Adams put together an even 70-stroke second round, as did senior Chloe Weir. Sophomore Niamh McSherry scored a two-under 69 in the second round. McSherry’s

second round was the best by a Wildcat this weekend. K-State floated another 11-over round on Tuesday to finish out the tournament. That 295-stroke round pushed K-State up to second place in the tournament. The Wildcats finished plus 22, 20 strokes behind tournament-winner UTSA and just one ahead of third-place Tulsa. K-State’s total score for the weekend was 874. The best eighteen holes of the third round for K-State came from freshman Briony Bayles. She shot a one-under 70 to pace K-State into their second place finish. Bayles and Weir tied to lead K-State at five-over apiece for the whole weekend.

They each took 218 strokes through the 54-hole tournament. The Wildcats will be in action again on Feb. 25 at The Dickson, a tournament hosted by Houston at The Woodlands Country Club in The Woodlands, Texas. Alex Todd COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

The only senior on the Kansas State University women’s golf team, Chloe Weir, practices on the Colbert Hills range. At the the Texas State tournament this week, Weir scored a 71-stroke second round to help the Wildcats finish second at the inventational.

with a lot of things. It’s just kind of like two bad sides to it. I don’t like the fee at all — trying to increase the fee for students. It’s tough to put on students.” There will be a student forum to discuss the fee on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in room 1109 in the Engineering Complex.

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Diarra out due to injury, date of return to men’s team unknown LUIS VILLARREAL-REYES THE COLLEGIAN

It was a sad day for Kansas State men’s basketball fans as K-State Athletics announced early Tuesday morning that sophomore guard Cartier Diarra was not able to travel to Aus-

tin, Texas, with the team due to a sustained hand injury that will require him to undergo surgery. The injury came at an unfortunate time for the Wildcats, who faced the Texas Longhorns — then a team with a record of 14-10 overall, 6-5 in the Big 12 Conference. K-State head coach Bruce

Weber confirmed that the surgery will cause Diarra to be out for an undetermined period of time. “Obviously, I’m disappointed for Cartier and his family,” Weber said. “He has worked hard on the court this year, and I know he will work equally hard to come back

strong. Our team has faced adversity many times this season, and this is just another hurdle they must climb.” Diarra has played in all 23 games the Wildcats have had this season apart from Tuesday’s game, including seven games on the starting lineup and averaging 25 minutes of play per

game. He is currently averaging 39.5 percent in shooting (45114), 3.2 rebounds per game and 1.7 assists per game. In terms of points, Diarra has scored 10 or more points in the last four games where he played. One of his most notable performances was his 11-point game versus Kansas. He scored

an astonishing windmill dunk in Bramlage Coliseum, which helped the Wildcats snap an eight-game losing streak against their KU rivals.

see page 6, “DIARRA”

wednesday, february 13, 2019

A Place to Call Home REVIEW: ‘On the Come Up’ is another bold novel from Angie Thomas MACY DAVIS

THE COLLEGIAN

Angie Thomas’ debut novel “The Hate U Give” was a breakout success and has been on The New York Times’ best-seller list for more than 100 weeks. “The Hate U Give” was also chosen as the 2018-2019 Book Network Common Read for Kansas State University. “On the Come Up,”

released on Feb. 5, is Thomas’ first novel following her success with “The Hate U Give.” The book tells the story of Bri Jackson, a girl who wants to follow in her dad’s footsteps by being a rapper. The difference is Bri wants to make it big, and her dad was murdered before he ever had the chance. Bri has to navigate her first rap battle, an incident with school security guards and dropping her first song. Being thrust into the limelight

because of these events leaves Bri grappling with her voice and identity. Thomas’ well constructed prose features a strong female character and realistic situations in a story that is just as timely as “The Hate U Give.” It’s tempting to compare Bri to Thomas’ first breakout character, Starr Carter. However, Starr and Bri are very different. Where Starr has learned to “code-switch” to survive, Bri often fails to adapt to these situations. Bri is a messy, complex character who messes up, and that’s okay because that’s real life. Like “The Hate U Give” before it, “On the Come Up” is also set in the fictional neighborhood of Garden Heights, and the tension of Khalil’s death still runs in the background of the story. There are important conversations

that are had about social issues that resonate across the books. Thomas knows the impact that “The Hate U Give” had, and she continues her work in her sophomore novel as well. Additionally, Thomas continues to explore themes of family, friendship and community in this novel. I appreciated the addition of scenes that took place in church and the role that religion plays in Garden Heights and in Bri’s family. While Bri and Starr come from two different social circles, this story still places an important emphasis on voice and speaking out. However, instead of a character trying to find her voice like Starr, Thomas presents a character who has a loud voice and has to figure out how she’s going to use it. The bars that Thomas writes for Bri are phenomenal and really help bring life to this character and

her experiences. Thomas has a background as a teen rapper herself, so those aspects of this novel are especially on point. Her voice is an important addition to the young adult literary canon, especially in conjunction with the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag movement. Additionally, from Bri’s school life to the sexism she experiences in her budding rap career, Thomas writes situations that are both oddly descriptive and realistic. For instance, there’s a part where Thomas describes a kiss that tastes like Cheetos Puffs. Even in conveying a big, impactful story, Thomas’ prose is so down to earth and enjoyable to read. There is so much I could say about this novel. I read this nearly 500-page book in just under five hours; this book

is engrossing, to say the least. If you previously read “The Hate U Give” for fun or as the K-State Common Read, you should make “On the Come Up” the next novel on your list. It’s an important novel and well worth a read. If you need any other reason to give the book a try, or if you’re already a die-hard fan, Thomas will be visiting K-State on April 11, 2019 to give a talk about activism and the themes she explores in her books. Macy Davis is the culture editor for the Collegian and a senior in English. The views and opinions expressed in this review are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.

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DIARRA continued from page

Diarra has been a key player for Bruce Weber this season, helping boost the Wildcats to an 18-5 overall record and 8-2 in the Big 12. After K-State’s narrow win without Diarra on Tuesday night, the Wildcats are now 19-5 overall and 9-2 in the Big 12.

The Wildcats have not been nationally ranked since the preseason rankings, but they showed up again on Monday after stellar back-to-back performances against KU and Baylor. The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 18 and sitting at the top of the Big 12. The Wildcats’ next home game is against No. 23 Iowa State on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 3 p.m.

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During one of the last posessions of the game, sophomore guard Cartier Diarra celebrates a steal by dunking to score for the Wildcats. K-State faced off against the University of Kansas Jayhawks at Bramlage Coliseum and won 74-67 on Feb. 5, 2019.

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A Place to Call Home OPINION: Single on Valentine's Day? Here are 10 ways to thrive GABRIELLE ALBERTSON

THE COLLEGIAN

I would consider Valentine’s Day as one of my least favorite days of the year. Why? Because it’s a day dedicated to celebrating love and relationships, and that excludes us who haven’t yet found our person. But don’t worry — there are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day if you’re single. Trust me, it’s not the end of the world.

1. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Chances are you have a friend or two who are single as well and don’t have plans for Valentine’s Day. Grab some coffee with them, explore Manhattan, or head to one of the many events held on campus to enjoy time with the people who matter most.

2. CUDDLE WITH YOUR FURRY PAL

If your pet is here in Manhattan, cuddle with them. If your pet is back at home, video call them. Phone a friend who has a dog. Whatever it takes, find a furry creature and pet it. Trust me, you'll be glad you did. 3. Buy yourself flowers You're a strong, independent person. Buy flowers for yourself! And don't limit it to Valentine's Day — flowers are a great pickme-up any time of the year.

4. TREAT YOURSELF

Go get your nails done, schedule a massage, go for a long walk. You deserve it between work and school!

5. RETAIL THERAPY

Shopping can solve many problems. Hit up the mall with friends, or scout out the local thrift stores for some sweet deals.

6. EAT CHOCOLATE

Probably the best part of Valentine's Day are the sales on chocolate. Use this to your advantage and stock up while you can.

7. ORDER TAKEOUT

Feeling like pizza? Chinese food? Chick-fil-A? Treat yourself to a night in and put in as little effort as possible by ordering takeout. Pair this with a fun movie and you've got yourself a solid Thursday night.

8. BINGE WATCH

Hey, you've made it this far into the school year. Relax for a while and catch up on your favorite shows, podcasts or what have you in a nice, long binge session.

Take a break from the constant stream of photos of couples, outfits-of-the-day and kittens. Actually, kittens are possibly the best part of social media. But do take a break from the other stuff and focus on yourself for the day. You’re one in a million. Don't ever forget it. Valentine’s Day isn’t the best holiday of the year, but it is one to celebrate. Whether you're single or in a relationship, enjoy your day of love. There’s more than enough to go around.

Treat yourself or best friend to chocolates and a teddy bear for Valentines Day, even when you’re single.

Here is How:

9. STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA

10. LOVE YOURSELF

Archive Photo by Mary Kate Zach | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

YOU can have the BEST LIVING EXPERIENCE in MANHATTAN!

Gabrielle Albertson is a senior in mass communications. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@ kstatecollegian.com.

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OPINION: Four political myths everybody needs to shut up about KYLE HAMPEL

THE COLLEGIAN

Howdy, stranger. If you're becoming increasingly annoyed by the misinformation being spread around the political Twitter-sphere as our species throttles through the Information Age like Vin Diesel without a seat belt, then you've come to the right place. I tend to consider myself politically moderate — mostly because I think leaning too far in any philosophical direction is going to lead to radicalized thinking and poor decision-making. Most of my opinions come from listening to scientists and researchers and going with what they suggest, so it's frustrating to see the same myths get repeated over and over by people across the political spectrum. With that in mind, here are four common political myths I just wish people would shut up about.

While it's honestly quite likely that some women in the country do get paid less than men in the same position at the same company, this practice has been explicitly illegal since 1963 under the Equal Pay Act, which was specifically enacted to combat this issue and amended at least once to increase its effectiveness.

interests that extend into women's career choices, careers which are often criminally underpaid — seriously, look up a teacher's starting salary. Workplace discrimination and "boys' clubs" don't help break any boundaries, either. While gender discrimination is an unfortunate reality in the workplace and likely will be for

hormones in the womb could end up gay or bisexual, and vice versa for female fetuses in a similar situation. There are other biological factors involved in queerness, too. Most queer men have index fingers longer than their ring fingers — the opposite of most straight men, but similar to most

it — inconsistent sex hormones in the womb, which can cause transgender people to essentially have a biochemically female brain in a male body, or vice versa. Even as children, the brain activity of trans people is more like their preferred gender identity than anything else. Hundreds of scientists

1. THE GENDER PAY GAP ISN'T WHAT PEOPLE THINK IT IS

Much like gender discrimination itself, the gap between the average salaries of male and female workers in the United States — currently, around 18 percent — is a measurable phenomenon with real effects, and denying its existence is completely ridiculous. That said, a lot of the discourse surrounding the pay gap seems to indicate that many Americans don't actually understand what the statistic means. A common line of thinking is that the pay gap shows how women are paid less than men for working the same jobs at the same companies. Even former president Barack Obama espoused this idea throughout the 2010s, including the 2014 State of the Union address, but this is heavily misleading at best. The key to understanding the pay gap is that it is an average. I always hated math class, so to put it another way, the pay gap is a statistic describing the salary trends of every working person in every career field in the United States.

Illustration by Kyle Hampel This widespread misunderstanding of statistics among laypeople is upsetting because I feel it distracts us from fighting the real problem. What the pay gap really illustrates is that women are in lower-paying careers than men on average. There are many, many possible reasons for this, and it's incredibly unlikely that there's only one cause in reality. Maybe occupations that are popular with women get less monetary respect than they deserve — teaching, for starters. Maybe women just tend to choose career paths that don't pay as well, such as social work and nursing, due to personal preferences for that kind of work. If you ask me, it's because of the social pressure to conform at a young age and take up "feminine"

some time, grossly misunderstanding the pay gap helps no one.

2. TRANS PEOPLE AREN'T FAKING IT, SCIENCE SAYS SO

One surprisingly popular viewpoint that frankly embarrasses me is the idea that trans people are all whiny teenagers who are just "faking it" for attention. Sorry, but science says otherwise. Biologically speaking, one of the most common reasons for someone to have a queer identity — that is, not being straight in some way — is a hormone imbalance in the womb that continues into adulthood, causing the brain to be a little different. For example, some research suggests that a male fetus that doesn't get the expected amounts of male sex

straight women. This is because the length ratio of your fingers is believed to be strongly linked to testosterone exposure in the womb. Additionally, some research suggests that men with more older brothers are more likely to be queer. To be specific, the more sons a mother has, the more likely it is that the next one is going to be queer. A likely explanation is that producing and providing male sex hormones for a straight son creates some kind of strain on a mother's body, making her slightly less capable of providing these hormones with every subsequent son. To cap it all off, transgenderism specifically is believed to have a basis in prenatal biology. It is often a result of — you guessed

around the world can't all be liars. Trans people exist and their identities are as valid and real as yours and mine. To say otherwise is not only scientifically inaccurate, but demonstrably cruel.

3. ASSAULT WEAPONS AREN'T REALLY A THING I haven't yet done the research to hold any majorly concrete opinions on the regulation of civilian firearm sales in this country, but this one is just annoying. One proposal that often comes up when people ask for better gun regulations is the idea to ban "assault weapons" in the United States. This idea sounds nice — I mean, I certainly don't want to be assaulted by any

weapons — but the problem is that it would be a difficult ban to enforce because "assault weapon" is something of a nonsense term. Assault rifles are universally defined as two-handed firearms capable of switching from fully automatic to semi-automatic firing modes. In other words, assault rifles can shoot really fast when you hold the trigger, or they can shoot a single bullet every time you tap the trigger. They are extremely expensive, illegal to own without a highly selective federal license and outright banned in several U.S. states. Assault weapons, meanwhile, are a mixed bag that varies in definition from state to state, and even person to person. Some states define them as weapons with a certain kind of grip, and others say they're weapons within a certain size range. However, the most common definition regarding assault weapons is that they are, essentially, a scary-looking gun with "military-style features." It's no secret that the AR-15 — the semi-automatic civilian equivalent of the military M16 assault rifle — is a startlingly common sight at American mass shootings, but this is not necessarily because the AR-15 is a vicious assault weapon that's deadlier than any other civilian rifle. In fact, gun experts have said the reason so many mass shooters use the AR-15 is likely because they're just copy-catting other mass shooters who had the same weapon. Functionally, the AR-15 is no different on the inside from, say, the Ruger Mini-14 hunting rifle your grandpa keeps locked in his garage. Both weapons use the same sized bullets, both are semi-automatic and similar in size, and both weapons use magazines for loading bullets — up to 30 per magazine. Yet no one is calling for the Mini-14 to be banned as an assault weapon, nor is it popular among American psychopaths with murderous intent. Why? Because it's largely made out of wood. It's not scary-looking, and thus it's not an assault weapon.

see page 9, “MYTHS”

wednesday, february 13, 2019

MYTHS continued from page

While I’m at it, consider that only around 3 percent of American gun deaths are caused by rifles, while over 68 percent are caused by handguns. Shouldn’t handguns be the banned assault weapons, then? I support some form of stricter gun regulation because the U.S. seems to have a uniquely bloody problem on its hands, but it’s incredibly annoying to see champions of gun control demonstrate that they have very little knowledge of the guns they’re trying to control. My advice: if you want gun aficionados to listen to you, try speaking their language first.

4. BORDER WALLS ARE INEFFECTIVE FORMS OF SECURITY

This is probably the hottest issue I can think of right now. This should be fun. President Donald Trump was very insistent on the campaign trail that he was going to spearhead the construction of a physical wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to further discourage illegal immigration. Mexico was supposed to pay for it, but imagine my surprise when it became clear that America would be footing the bill. I’m sure I’ll be getting some weird, strongly worded emails for this, but border walls aren’t very good at doing their jobs, historically speaking. To use a famous example, the border wall between East Germany and West Germany in the 20th century was so ineffective at keeping people out that it was eventually torn down around the time the two halves of the country started to reunify, and there are hundreds of personal accounts out there of people crossing the border illegally for various reasons. Walls can be damaged and blown over by weather, tunneled under without detection and even climbed over

with the right equipment. For a variety of practical reasons, a wall seems to only be as effective as the guards behind it. So, on such a large scale, why have the wall at all? The cost is more enormous than my human brain can comprehend. Trump’s wall is estimated to cost somewhere in the tens of billions in taxpayers’ dollars, possibly as high as $18 billion. Even conservative institutions are finding that a border wall won’t work for numerous economic and practical reasons. Isn’t the point of conservatism to avoid wasteful spending, anyway? On top of the fact that the wall will be monstrously expensive and not terribly effective at its job even if it’s completed, there’s also an environmental factor to consider. Over two-thirds of the border land is owned by private citizens, state governments and Native American tribes. That’s a lot of red tape. Plus, any animal species that migrate across the U.S.-Mexico border (terrestrial species especially) are going to have their livelihoods greatly affected by the presence of a wall on their natural habitat. And that’s not even mentioning effects on the soil, wind and even weather that could result from any kind of obstruction on that large of a scale. I could go on for reasons America doesn’t need any border walls — bad practice in foreign policy, possible racial insensitivity and more — but hopefully a look at the evidence has shown that political myths are more pervasive than we might usually think. Stay vigilant, all of you; the future needs you. Kyle Hampel is the copy chief and deputy multimedia editor for the Collegian and a senior in English. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian. com.

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wednesday, february 13, 2019

LETTER: Voting in SGA elections is an important opportunity

This letter to the editor was written by Hayley Spellman, student senator. If you would like to write a letter to the Collegian, send us an email at letters@ kstatecollegian.com or visit kstatecollegian.com/contact. It’s the same way we view American politics. Often, we avoid political debates, unfollow the social media of the heavily politically involved and tune out the advertisements we see online and on TV. The biggest threat to our democracy? Ignoring it. On a small scale (a very much smaller scale), the same concepts and dilemmas arise when we talk about Kansas State University's Student Governing Association elections. Take last year’s student body presidential election as an example — an election that all K-State students have the opportunity to vote for. Last year, less than 20 percent of students voted in the elections, with only

3,557 students voting for the next student body president. For years, SGA has been considered a “friends club,” whose positions were occupied by the most popular members in Greek life. After last year’s election of student senators, I strongly believe it was the first step in challenging the status quo— the first step in having a student senate that truly represents our K-State student population. In the current 2018-2019 term, we saw a massive shift in SGA’s approach in its method to recruit students to join the intern program. During the 2017-2018 term, the intern program underwent a massive change in structure, including new ways to get students involved in SGA throughout the entire term. This year, being the first year these changes were implemented, over 110 students partook in the new program — up from the 35-member limit from previous years. With the deadline to file

for SGA’s general election now passed, there is now a new record of students who will begin campaigning in the next few days. Student senate consists of 60 student positions, a number that has been difficult to meet in years past. This year, over 120 students filed to run for this year’s election. The most packed races? The College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business and the College of Engineering. The culture of SGA is changing, but it’s dependent on the student body to continue to push for change. When SGA has control over $17 million student dollars every year, including $16 million from the privilege fee, it is up to the student body to decide on the student senator who will wholeheartedly represent their constituents’ priorities, concerns and motives. In years past, senators have been passively unengaged without consequence. I challenge the student body

to vote for representatives that will help drive change on campus, push for transparency of student resources and genuinely act on behalf of the students that voted them into office in the first place. There are two major elections coming up — and coming up quickly. The election that is steadily upon us is the SGA primary election for the student body president candidates. Until Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m., students have the opportunity to vote for one of two candidates or opt in for a write-in candidate. The next, more important election is the SGA general election. This election will have all positions on the ballot, including student body president & vice president, student senators, college councils and the Union Governing Board. This election will be held from Tuesday, Feb. 26 at noon until Wednesday, Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. The link to vote is at

Alex Todd | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Hayley Spellman, the SGA governmental relations committee chair, says she enjoys her job and meeting new people every day. sgaelections.ksu.edu. It’s time we think twice about not voting in SGA elections because we, as the student body, have more power than we often realize. Let’s start exercising our right to vote at K-State. Hayley Spellman is a student senator, chair of the Gov-

ernmental Relations Committee and a senior in political science and communication studies. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.

wednesday, february 13, 2019

OPINION: How K-Staters can reach out to international students VEDANT DEEPAK KULKARNI THE COLLEGIAN

“Cultural exchange” is defined as the mutual sharing of information between individuals of two or more cultures or cultural backgrounds. Having a productive cultural exchange is one of my most favorite activities. It helps me understand different cultures that exist in this world, and I get to share facts and information about my own culture. Being part of a healthy cultural exchange has undoubtedly made me a more open-minded individual and has helped get rid of stereotypes that I had about some cultures. However, over time, I have experienced a lack of exchange between the American students and international students at Kansas State University. As an international student, my orientation at K-State was with students from all around the world. The first day of orientation, I met and made friends with fellow students from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Dominican Republic, Armenia, Egypt, Ethiopia and many more. It was one of the best experiences I ever had. Throughout my first semester, I spent a lot of time with these individuals and I learned many interesting things about their culture, and all the stereotypes I had about their home countries slowly vanished. However, I noticed that while I made a lot of international friends, my American friends did not and chose to remain in their circle of friends.

MAKING FRIENDS

When I first arrived at K-State, I did not make a lot of local friends. Since I would spend all the time of orientation week with other international students, it was easy to befriend them. Soon, I formed a comfort and protection zone around me that consisted of my friends from the Indian and the international community. However, it did not feel right, since I was not receiving the exposure for which I had

traveled all the way to America. It was one of the things on my bucket list: to make more local Kansan and American friends. To achieve this goal, I broke my boundaries and expanded my horizon and started meeting people outside my comfort zone. My little effort of getting out helped me immediately, and I made numerous friends from America. They helped me understand the life in America, living the “American Way,” how to make the best of my college life in America and how to get more involved on campus. It was one of my friends, Rajat, who introduced me to other members of the Student Governing Association, and it’s because of him and then-student senator Ryan Kelly that I received the opportunity to become an active student leader on campus. But not everyone receives this privilege and opportunity. From my personal experience, international students are initially hesitant and nervous to start a conversation. This anxiety exists because we don’t want to offend anybody or say something that could be considered rude by the local population. And not all of us speak English! Some of the international students come from countries where they don’t speak English at all. When they arrive on campus, they can barely introduce themselves, let alone start and have a productive conversation. These students have to undergo the English Language Program so they can understand their core subject classes. The ELP classes take one to two semesters to be completed, and in this time, the students are unable to make local friends who can teach them the local way of life. They end up having a group of their own and end up living a life that does not make them feel like a part of the Wildcat family. While some do come out of their comfort zone, for others, it’s difficult, and they

think it is better to be with their old friends rather than make new friends. In the end, they don’t receive the experience and exposure to college life for which they traveled halfway across the world. So, what can local students do to have a healthy and productive cultural exchange? It is simple. Talk!

EVENTS AND CONVERSATION

The best way you could make anyone feel like part of the community and a part of the family is by starting conversations with them. International students have at times lacked the feeling of being part of the K-State community and the Wildcat family.

see page 12, “CULTURE”

Rowan Jones | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

A map covered with pins from different home nations draws the attention of juniors Amelia Broadfoot and Briana Vaughns. The map was part of the activities set up by the K-State Alumni Association for the 2018 International Block Party.

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CULTURE continued from page

There is an overall lack of awareness about the struggles of international students on campus. As I see it, forming a friendship with an international student would be one of the best college experiences for local American students as well. International student groups organize multiple cultural events on campus throughout the semester. Sometimes, the number of events is so big that there are two or three events per week. Attending these events is the best way to understand a different culture. Events like the International Coffee Hour organized by the International Coordinating Council or the International Buddies group are some of the best examples of cultural exchanges that happen on campus. Other events such as the

Indian Students Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sanskriti or Holi and the Sri Lankan Students Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sihasara are great opportunities to learn about the cultures of India and Sri Lanka. Similarly, events put on by the Paraguayan Students Association, the Chinese Students Association and many more such organizations would benefit American students as these events are educational about the respective cultures. These events bridge a gap between international students and American students and help abolish stereotypes. International student events are also a great place to make new friends, as international students attend all the events mentioned earlier. This makes it an excellent opportunity to engage with international students. I have met so many people who said they made great friends with international students because they met them at an event. I have stories

of how some local students found their soulmates and partners at these events! Participating in activities with international students is a win-win situation, where you get to make more friends, get to know another culture and create everlasting memories.

WAYS OF LIFE

Along with that, a great way an international student can feel like they are part of the community is by helping them understand the local way of life. When I first arrived in the United States, I did not know the difference between a penny, nickel, dime and a quarter. All I knew was the largest coin is worth 25 cents. I understood the difference when one of my local friends sat down with me and taught me.

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Eisenhower Hall evacuated due to Tuesday radiator leak

Post a selfie with #QDOBAFORAKISS and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll donate $1.00 to Rowan Jones | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Captain Newton of the Manhattan Fire Department and other firefighters prepare to go into Eisenhower Hall after a radiator leak caused the buidling to be evacuateed today at around 1:20 p.m. Eisenhower was built in 1953 and still uses the same radiator system 66 years later.