04.02.21

K A N S A S

S TAT E

vol. 126 issue 30 | friday, april 2, 2021 | kstatecollegian.com

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Students to receive COVID-19 relief funds starting Friday

OPINION: K-State needs to increase support to CARE office

‘He’s above and beyond’: How Nick Goodwin is hitting expectations out of the park

On-campus vaccine clinics open to all students, staff — here’s what you need to know

Students struggle to keep up without spring break, feel burnt out JULIE FREIJAT managing editor

It's been just over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to shutter its windows and ride out a oncein-a-century storm. Students say they feel the pressure from yet another semester in a pandemic, but that toll on their mental health and general wellness is compounded by the lack of a spring break.

Instead, the Kansas State's faculty senate and administration approved a single Friday off in mid-April for a mental health day in lieu of a regular spring break in an effort to curb the potential spread of COVID-19 caused by mass travel.

Angel Layfield, sophomore in entrepreneurship and supply chain management, said the pandemic has been hard for her because she relies only on herself for emotional and financial support. Layfield aged out of the foster system and said FAFSA and K-State consider her an independent.

"I work 40 hours a week to financially sustain myself," she said. "That's part of the life of being an independent student.

I am currently enrolled in 18 credit hours because of a dual major. I'm in some pretty intense course loads. And then, you know I have a personal life. ... Life goes on outside of school

and work, and it's really easy to burn out when you're sitting in front of a screen for more than 12 hours a day."

Alex Wilson, senior in anthropology, said he only gets a few evenings a month to take a breath.

"It's constant go, go, go," Wilson said. "There is never a moment that I don't have something on my plate. In the past, I typically — and I think a lot of students do this too — would use spring break as a bit of a catch-up."

While Layfield said she believes it's ethically responsible to keep students on campus to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 spread, one mental health day is not an adequate replacement.

"What I mean by that is that when K-State made this decision, they made it clearly on safety protocols," Layfield said. "However, they weren't being mindful of the general health of a student, which is more than just the pandemic."

While it's a liability to have students going out and traveling, she said, it is also a liability to not have a spring break.

Marco Saucedo, senior in American ethnic studies, said he considered the decision to remove the break "ignorant and volatile" to student health and wellness. Given the last year and chaos that has plagued the country, Saucedo said, there

Photo Illustration by Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Ben Adams, senior in accounting, feels the stresses of a semester with no spring break. With the global pandemic still in effect, many students are feeling isolated and depressed this semester. appears to be no consideration for the next generation.

"We're just like, 'Oh, let's just keep moving, let's just keep it going,' without taking into

account all the different things that could have changed people's lives in the past year," he said. "I think it's just an outlandish concept for the univer-

sity to replace a week with a single day. But from previous experience, I'm not surprised by their actions."

Saucedo said he didn't

consider spring break as an opportunity for students to go out and travel. see page

03, “BURNOUT”

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Some students to receive COVID-19 relief funds BAILEY BRITTON editor-in-chief

Approximately 7,000 Kansas State students will receive Higher Education Emergency Relief II funds in their bank accounts by Friday, April 2.

If students did not set up direct deposit in KSIS, they will still receive their funds by mail.

Those checks will be mailed on April 2 as well, but will arrive after that.

These grants, totaling $5.8 million, are part of the second round of the Federal Coronavirus response and relief supplemental appropriations act.

K-State received about $6.3 million to go towards student financial relief in all. The remaining sum — approximately $500,000 — is available for

students who did not receive a block grant to apply for.

Robert Gamez, director of Student Financial Assistance, said the Office of Student Financial Assistance is moving as quickly as possible. Funds were disbursed to students' university accounts on March 30.

"That money is now in the process of going out to the students who got the block grants," Gamez said.

Gamez said the university used students' expected family contributions from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to make it "equitable."

"We want to be very, very transparent with the community," Gamez said. "We went and looked at those individuals who had the lowest expected family contribution as it is calculated by the federal government."

Gamez said the university will not use these grants to pay for outstanding charges a student may have. The full amount will go to the students.

"They're going to get the money and they may need to turn around pay a bill they have with the university ... but the federal government is very clear about this," Gamez said.

"We want to make sure it gets in the hands of students to help them out."

The financial assistance office made its policies and processes available on its website.

Denver Hall, senior in animal science, said they will receive $1,000 from the grant.

"I have my tuition paid off for this semester, but I'll use the rest [of the grant] to pay off loans and then applying for an internship that I also have to pay

EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Britton Editor-in-Chief

Lori Leiszler Asst. Culture Editor

Julie Freijat Managing Editor

Cameron Bradley Sports Editor

Sean Schaper News Editor

Marshall Sunner Asst. Sports Editor

Josie Whitaker Asst. News Editor

Nathan Enserro Asst. Sports Editor

Jared Shuff Culture Editor

Dalton Wainscott Multimedia Editor

Dylan Connell Deputy Multimedia Editor Gabby Farris Design Lead Blake Hachen Designer Sarah Unruh Designer

tuition for," Hall said.

Hall said they were able to work through the spring and summer, so they didn't experience financial issues related to COVID-19.

Those who didn't receive funds can still apply for some of the remaining money. Gamez said $200,000 is available for students who have financial difficulties related to COVID-19.

Another $300,000 is earmarked for graduate students who work as teaching assistants or research assistants and have incurred expenses in order to work remotely.

"It seems like a lot of money but it's probably spent fairly quickly," Gamez said.

For those ineligible for the COVID-19 relief funds, other options are available on the Office of Financial Assistance website.

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BURNOUT continued from page 01

"I considered it as something where students are going to literally take that walk that they probably haven't taken in a couple of weeks, or actually, you know, replenish themselves — maybe do some other hobbies that they're into," he said.

Saucedo said the current situation is becoming too much for some students — having to work, attend classes, participate in extracurriculars, deal with their own family struggles and financial struggles.

"People are starting to, quote-unquote, lose it, like mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally," Saucedo said.

Wilson said while college students are always stressed, this year differs from others because there is an added sense of hopelessness for some students.

"Knowing that there is no break that with each week that goes on, there's going to be another week that follows, and then another week after that," he said. "So obviously, we look forward to summer.

But a number of students will take summer classes, or the pandemic is still going to be in effect in the summer."

A student who wishes to remain anonymous said she's suffering because she can't see her mental health professional. Her psychotherapist is in Texas, but she's unable to do telehealth because of state boundaries and licensing and she can't travel home.

She said she has tried five

different mental health professionals while she's been at K-State, including the program offered on campus.

"This is my final semester, I am applying for jobs after eight years of schooling, working on my master's thesis, and I can't see my therapist," she said. "My mental health is deteriorating, and I'm afraid after graduation I may have to be medicated. All we are told is, 'This is architecture, we always push hard, it's a master's program, and we are in a pandemic.' Then we are thanked for 'understanding.'

But I don't understand, and I don't think administration understands either."

MOVING FORWARD

Vanessa McVay, therapist at Counseling Services, said it's important to recognize the symptoms of burnout in order

Committee to design university-wide multicultural requirement BAILEY BRITTON editor-in-chief

In an effort to foster an understanding of diversity across campus, Kansas State is working to create a multicultural overlay requirement for all colleges.

The College of Arts and Sciences actively requires this for its students, but it remains the only college at K-State with such a requirement. The initiative to expand this degree requirement is one part of the Action Plan for a More Inclusive K-State.

"The main idea is that we don't want this process to be that students come take a class and say, 'Alright, I'm done with this multicultural overlay thing,'" Amit Chakrabarti, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said. "We don't want that because learning about diversity and inclusion is an everyday thing. Students should

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be well-versed in this subject when they graduate."

Chakrabarti said the new requirement will likely look different for each college once it is introduced.

"This will not be an exact copy of the Arts and Sciences," Chakrabarti said. "We are talking about how to make this a process, how to bring the students' life experience into the picture."

The committee, which features faculty and advisers from each of K-State's colleges, also wants to stress the importance of these skills post-graduation.

"We need to bring it to the students saying, 'This is not only good for you because of learning diverse issues that will make you a better student, a better person, better citizen, but also from an employment perspective — this will make you a stronger candidate,'" Chakrabarti said.

In order to achieve this, Chakrabarti said the goal is to make sure the courses are taught by experts in their fields who have experience teaching and learning about diversity.

"The other thing that we are discussing is what should be the main characteristic of courses that that should be included in the overlay," Chakrabarti said. "How do we make it a process that the students go through and get exposure to multicultural questions in the context of their discipline."

While the process is ongoing, Chakrabarti said the committee hopes to bring a proposal to President Richard Myers by the end of the spring semester.

"It's taking us time to do it but we're going to do it right," Chakrabarti said. "There's just so much at stake here that we have to we have to do the best job we can."

to recover from it. These can include physical symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, getting sick or headaches. Students might also be more worried or irritable, isolate from others or feel a lack of motivation.

"As far as things that could be helpful once you're able to recognize it in yourself or, you know, somebody else is just kind of increasing your self-care," she said. "Which I think a big part of that is connecting with your social network and staying connected with people in your academic social networks or your professors or advisors and stuff like using the support that the university has. And then, of course, counseling."

McVay said Counseling Services is offering some workshops for students that might be feeling burned out.

These workshops are called Reset and Thrive and will be offered every Friday begin-

ning April 9.

"We offered them last semester in the middle of the semester exactly for this reason because we know that this is the kind of challenging time," McVay said. "The topics are on self-compassion, motivation and resilience.

And so we can see how those would be really beneficial for students that are maybe experiencing burnout right now."

Students who are interested will need to call the front desk of Counseling Services, McVay said, as the workshops might not be drop-in.

As far as what needs to be done to help alleviate the stress, Saucedo said he wants to see action from the university. They need to take notice of the situation, he said said, and look at a reformation.

"I'm like 'Look at these kids. They're just falling apart, in every sense,' And it's just very saddening to see," Saucedo said.

Layfield said she wants to call on K-State officials to evaluate the financial impact of the pandemic on students.

"So the Office of the Provost, President [Richard] Myers and K-State administration really, really need to take a look at their ethical rules and standards, and think about whether they're putting the well-being of students and their faculty first, or if they are trying to make up for the loss of money and revenue that has vanished over the past year and a half, due to not having sports, or on-campus fees or whatever," she said.

The stress is taking a toll on people, Saucedo said.

"You can just see it in people's eyes when you walk through Aggieville or through campus," he said. "Everybody just looks drained and exhausted and they're just kind of like, 'I just want to leave and go home right now.'"

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04

NEWS

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On-campus vaccine clinics now open to all students, faculty and staff KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN

enough vaccine for those that come, and that it's organized," she said.

Now, students, faculty and staff can book appointments for an on-campus clinic through the Lafene patient portal like they would for any other medical service, such as a flu shot or physical therapy. Eligibility won't necessarily ensure an immediate appointment because availability will depend on how many doses the university receives from the Riley County Health Department each week.

Alice Massimi, the county public information officer, said the calculus for determining how many doses Lafene and other medical institutions in the community receive depends on the health department's plans for each week.

"We're very hopeful that we'll continue to get a supply every week. Whether or not that's a very large amount or not, we're still going to distribute it," King said.

For the next few weeks at least, allocations to Lafene are expected to be limited.

staff writer

healthy 22-year-old and was still curb-stomped by the disease."

King agrees.

"It's such a great opportunity to protect yourself and others," King said.

MORE VACCINE OPPORTUNITIES

Beyond campus clinics, vaccines are available at any participating location by appointment now that there are no eligibility requirements.

That includes pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, county health department vaccine appointments and a few pop-up opportunities around the county.

For more information about finding a vaccine in the area, visit the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's vaccine search dashboard.

Photo courtesy of DAcey Hagedorn

Dacey Hagedorn, senior in mass communications, received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Feb. 26. He says other students should decide to get a vaccine as well.

Now that the state of Kansas opened vaccine eligibility to everyone ages 16 and up, Kansas State's vaccine clinic appointment setup looks a little different.

When vaccines first started coming to K-State for on-campus clinics, the state was still under its structured phase approach to vaccine distribution. That meant eligibility was limited to ensure vaccines were available for populations most vulnerable to severe COVID-19 infection or more likely to contract the virus, like senior citizens

and essential workers.

To accommodate those requirements and determine who among the K-State population fell into what phase, Lafene Health Center set up a survey system. That won't be necessary anymore, director of nursing Abby King said.

It won't just be a free-forall, however, King says. Appointments will still be required.

"We have to be mindful of social distancing, we don't want large crowds and all sorts of things, so scheduling is a great way for us to make sure we have

The K-State vaccine clinic will be located at the Peters Recreation Complex during the day on Friday.

People coming for the clinic should come through the north entrance. Parking will be set aside on the west side of the building.

Face coverings are required and you should not attend the clinic if you are currently isolating or quarantining. King recommends you come at least 15 minutes early.

Bring your driver’s license or campus identification card. Some additional paperwork is required — a vaccine consent form and a

treatment agreement form available online. If you are getting a second dose, you should bring your vaccine information card with you.

When you come to the clinic be prepared to wait about 15 minutes after the fact for observation.

Hagedorn said the clinic he attended ran like “a breeze,” but he did experience some side effects — soreness at the injection site and dizziness and nausea — which is to be expected as the body mounts an immune response to the mRNA delivered in the vaccine.

“Follow Kansas State’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic from the campus closure to the opening of fall semester. Told through student accounts, the Collegian newspaper staff chronicles this paramount time in history in an all new, limited-edition coffee table book.”

WHY GET THE VACCINE?

When senior in mass communications Dacey Hagedorn was offered an on-campus vaccine appointment in February, he happily signed up, despite feeling a little nervous about it. One of the main reasons he decided to get the vaccine, he said, was because he had a pretty serious COVID-19 infection in the fall.

"I wouldn’t wish my symptoms on my worst enemy. I wanted to protect myself from ever going through that hell again," he said. "Along with that, COVID is a big numbers game. If I can be one more vaccination among 300 million, I’ll do it. It’s the right thing to do in order to fully open up." this is an image If other students have the opportunity to get the vaccine, Hagedorn said he'd urge them to take it.

"I would recommend students [get] the shot because COVID-19 can make anyone very sick," he said. "I’m a

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Buy the book and get a free calendar!

05

NEWS

friday, april 2, 2021

Myers holds virtual town hall to discuss campus safety, COVID-19 updates SEAN SCHAPER news desk editor

In Thursday’s virtual town hall, President Richard Myers and others addressed a number of issues, including campus safety.

Additionally, Lafene Health Center’s medical director Dr. Kyle Goerl gave an update on COVID-19. He said things are looking pretty good in Riley County based on the latest statistics.

“The [Riley County] percent positivity rate has been under five percent I think for nine weeks now, and we’re actually under two percent the last couple of weeks, which is extremely encouraging for our county,” Goerl said.

Myers said the fall semester should be close to a normal, pre-pandemic class arrangement.

“We’ve got a team working on the details for moving the university to the phase-out portion of our pandemic recovery plan this

summer,” Myers said.

While many students are receiving vaccinations, there are still uncertainties related to the durability of the doses — how long the immunity will last.

“The unfortunate answer that I have right now is, we’re just not sure,” Goerl said.

“We don’t have long-term data — or at least long enough data — yet to know how long the immunity from the vaccine will last.”

In addition to COVID-19 concerns, some town hall attendees expressed concern about safety on campus in light of recent mass shootings and a rise in anti-Asian American Pacific violence in the U.S. There were also concerns about the potential of the state legislature reducing the conceal carry age to 18.

Some faculty said they do not feel safe returning to in-person classes next semester.

“We take safety very seriously,” Myers said. “You can call campus security [who] will escort you to your destination on campus

or within two blocks of campus. We’ve got the blue light phone boxes to notify campus police. Of course, we recommend you use the best-lit paths when you’re traveling walkways at night.”

Myers also recommended people sign up for K-State Alerts and utilize the SafeRide and Safe Zone programs.

“We understand what’s going on around the nation,” Myers said. “Our campus police are tied in very well with Riley County police, with the FBI – always trying to be on the lookout for any intelligence that would say that we were at higher risk of some sort of incident here in Manhattan, or specifically on campus.”

In other news, Cindy Bontrager discussed the decision to close the K-State Natatorium.

“The Natatorium was very difficult to close because we understand that there just aren’t a lot of those facilities in our Manhattan area,” Bontrager, university operations vice

president and chief operations officer, said.

“We had to make difficult decisions because of the lack of funds to maintain the facility.”

Despite calls to raise funds for renovations, Greg Willems, the KSU Foundation’s president and CEO, said there are many other COVID-19 and economic priorities at this time.

“We haven’t started discussions for fundraising for this facility,” Willems said. “I think we’d have to begin with the university really thinking about what’s the long-term solution. Is it modernizing or renovating the current facility or a newer facility? And then, how does that fit in with the current priorities that we got for the institution moving forward?”

Chief of staff and director of community relations Linda Cook said her office is working with the Manhattan community to develop a plan for a community aquatic center.

The next virtual town hall meeting is at 8 a.m May 10.

Sports sales team takes fourth at National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition BLAKE CRAWFORD staff writer

The Kansas State sports sales team finished in fourth place at the National Collegiate Sports Sales Competition.

Thirty universities and more than 120 students competed.

The competition involved a role-play scenario where students sold premium ticket packages for the Atlanta Hawks NBA Team. In the role-play, packages were sold to potential buyers who represented bigger companies in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.

The “buyers” were actually recruiters for various professional and collegiate sports organizations.

The entirely-virtual competition consisted of three 20-minute rounds held each Wednesday since Feb. 17. The following Mondays, judges notified students if

they moved to the next round.

The final round only took the top eight competitors, which included Bailey Short, senior in marketing and mass communications, who finished seventh.

Short said she attributed her success to her coaches — marketing associate professor Doug Walker, National Strategic Selling Institute managing director Kellie Jackson and student-coach and senior in marketing and professional strategic selling Katie Horton.

“They really helped us prepare for the competition,” Short said. “We spent weeks before practicing which really helped me out. Otherwise, I would’ve had no idea what I was doing.”

Jack Boedeker, senior in marketing and professional strategic selling, said he thinks K-State has one of

the best sales programs in the country and helped lay the groundwork for its success.

“I feel like we were probably as prepared or more prepared than any other team in this competition because of our sales program,” Boedeker said. “The practice role-plays we did with Katie, Doug Walker and Kellie were pretty spot-on to the real thing.”

For each round, judges watched the recorded negotiation process and scored team performances based on the rubric.

Horton said to fully prepare for the competition, the team studied the rubric, which included each ticket package option, the prices and the number of people each suite could hold.

As part of the sales team for four years, Horton said she has a lot of experience doing internal and external

sales competitions, but her sports sales background is slim. However, her experience in other sales competitions still applied.

“I helped the team with the process of a sales call, how to win points using the rubric, how to fill an introduction and presentation materials,” Horton said. “I primarily helped with the sales side and not the sports side.”

The team practiced over Zoom every Monday, going through different role-play scenarios.

Horton said it’s more stressful competing than coaching.

“It’s more stressful competing because you are representing K-State, you’re competing against other schools and there are recruiters watching you,” Horton said.

“It’s very rewarding when you are coaching, and to see other

people do well, and know you helped them succeed. I’m super proud of them.”

The competition also allowed time for students to make connections with recruiters, set up interviews and even receive job offers. this is an image “We got to talk to employers in the sports world,” Kylee Stec, senior in marketing, said. “It gave us a good idea of what a career in the sports world would look like.”

Short said she had the chance to make connections with people in the Phoenix Suns organization along with two other teams in the NBA and MLS. Katherine Trumble, senior in marketing and professional strategic selling, joined the sports sales team because she said sales have always been a part of her life.

“Sales has always come

very naturally to me,” Trumble said. “I was always the person that did the fundraisers in school.”

Because of the ongoing pandemic, the competition, usually held in Atlanta, was held virtually. Stec and Trumble both said they were hurt.

“I always like to be in-person,” Stec said. “When you’re in person you can see the aura of a person — how they walk, how they talk.

When you’re on Zoom, all you see is their face.”

Similarly, Trumble said not having the cues when in-person was a lot different.

The four students who competed also share a commonality of being a part of the business of sports and entertainment certificate program. They plan to meet and have dinner to celebrate their fourth-place finish.

06

THINK LOCAL

friday, april 2, 2021

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EatStreet promotes ‘staycation,’ offers featured-restaurant delivery deals RACHEL SEIFFERT staff writer

Spring break may have been canceled, but EatStreet is still giving cause to celebrate. Diners with EatStreet will receive free delivery from featured restau-

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With limited travel, many people miss their favorite vacation spots and food from those places. With EatStreet delivery, authentic style cuisine and inspired staycations are a click away.

KSU Meat Sale Order by 10 am Thursday and pickup Friday 1pm-6pm.

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Whether travelers stay close to home or prefer trips abroad, there is something in Manhattan for everyone.

New York City is one popular hub because of the city’s tourist attractions. It is also home to countless pizzerias that sell famous wide, thin-crusted pizza.

The “Big Apple” meets the “Little Apple” at 301 Poyntz Ave, home of AJ’s NY Pizzeria. The local restaurant uses Brooklyn Pizzeria’s recipe to create their New York flavor.

“AJ’s is unique to Manhattan because it brings an authentic New York Style pizzeria to the Little Apple, from the unique decorations to the hand-tossed pizza,” server Laryn Wilson said.

Diners can grab a slice of New York pizza and explore the nightlife of Aggieville, Manhattan’s own Times Square. The hustle and bustle emulate the big city feeling

found on the east coast.

“I love that there are a wide variety of toppings that you can add to make your own personalized slice or to add onto our specialty pizzas,” Wilson said. “I never thought I would like ranch as a topping, but our Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza pie is now definitely my favorite.”

For those who prefer warm destinations, Manhattan has restaurants that serves texmex cuisine.

Carlos O’Kelly’s, known for its Mexican-inspired menu was opened in 1981 and is located at 622 Tuttle Creek Blvd.

The Town Center mall was home to the first Manhattan location, but Darren Schumacher, brand director of operations for Carlos O’Kelly’s, said, it was time only a matter of time before its upgrade.

“We wanted to get out of the mall but we wanted to stay in

Bailey Britton | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Manhattan,” Schumacher said.

“This gave us a chance to get a fresh look and an update. We are very proud to be a part of Manhattan because we’ve been here over 40 years.”

Carlos O’Kelly’s makes their recipes from scratch daily, which translates into their unique menu.

“What you cannot get anywhere else is our chicken picado, our pasta diablo, our chicken chipotle burrito. Those would be three of our favorites,” Schumacher said.

Along with Carlos O’Kelly’s, Manhattan provides other dining options for people who enjoy foods from across the globe.

One example is Green Tea Sushi, located at 1120 Laramie St. The sushi restaurant offers an assortment of authentic Japanese food and drink, and their wide

selection has made them a fan favorite in Aggieville.

“Green Tea is basically the only Japanese restaurant I like to go to,” frequent customer and junior in geography Grace Blazek said. “I like that they offer Japanese sodas, like Ramune, and their sushi is always super fresh, which makes it all the better. It’s hard to find good cultural food, so I love to eat here whenever I get the chance.”

Green Tea Sushi strives to use the best ingredients at an affordable price. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner which can be enjoyed in-store or via takeout.

With EatStreet’s new deal, diners can enjoy meals from the three featured restaurants free of delivery charge.

07

CULTURE

friday, april 2, 2021

AJR’s “OK Orchestra” is an attempt at therapy for America COLIN SETTLE staff writer

Released on March 26, "OK Orchestra" focuses on the theme of coping with past issues. Songs like “The Trick," “Humpty Dumpty” and “Joe” contribute the most to this, passing on messages of learning not to care what people think and learning to get back up when you fall.

Along with dealing with the past, lead vocalist Jack Met sings about coping with past experiences and learning and growing from them as well, such as in the song “Ordinaryish People" feat.

Blue Man Group. The song brings a more amplified version of the AJR sound that people expect. Big horns and brass mix with the harmonies

of the three brothers — known for their outlandish concepts in making sounds — to create an experience pleasant to the ears despite how busy the song appears.

Most of the sounds on the album don't diverge much from anything we’ve heard from AJR since their second album “The Click” came out in 2017.

However, unlike in their last album, “Neotheater”, which came out in 2019, “OK Orchestra” stays upbeat for the whole album.

Whereas “Neotheater” had slower parts throughout it, with songs like “Dear Winter” and “Turning Out Pt. ii”, AJR keeps the new songs consistent in tempo and doesn't slow very often.

The only song that

differs much, "Christmas in June," comes as the album's final track. The ballad describes a relationship between two individuals, in which the singer falls in love but fears messing up the relationship. The song touches on the entire album's themes of the past, pain and coping with trauma, providing a great way to end this album, especially when Jack Met says he just wants to be happy in a relationship.

Something everyone can relate to.

The album gained traction before, as AJR released songs like “Bummerland," "My Play," “Bang!” and “Way Less Sad” as singles ahead of the album: and for good reason. These three are some of the better songs

on the album and sound the most like typical AJR songs.

I have no complaints about them, except they feel like songs the band was paid to record instead of songs the band members really wanted to make from the heart.

The biggest complaint I have about this album is how it sounds very commercialized. It sounds like an album made to play in commercials on TV, as we’ve already seen with “Bang!” Adam, Jack and Ryan Met have come a long way from recording in their apartment in New York, but this album just doesn’t feel as authentic as some of their past songs and albums.

I also found some of the songs on the album easy to forget, even after the first and second listen all the way

through. Of course, not every song will stand out on an album with a song that peaked at number eight on the Billboard’s Top 100 chart.

The songs that stand out really stand out, and the ones that don’t really don’t, as in the case of “3 O’Clock Things,” “Adventure Is Out There” and “World’s Smallest Violin."

Not for everyone, AJR has a very unique and distinctive sound not many others can replicate. For an album conceived and produced in the middle of a pandemic, it sounds very well done. AJR conveys the themes and purpose behind the album very nicely as well.

If you are a fan of AJR, you will most likely enjoy this album. If you are not an AJR fan, it may be a little difficult

to look past the bigger singles released ahead of the album to fully enjoy it.

This is by no means a bad album. The fact that they wrote this in the middle of a pandemic speaks the most to its sound and themes.

People face a world of uncertainty and suffering. AJR has come forward with an album purposefully to calm the nerves of those who don't know what to expect. But, for those who don't care what comes next, now you know to go out with a "Bang!"

Final Verdict: 8/10 Colin Settle is a junior 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.

Hospitality management students host pop-up restaurants during spring semester MADDY DANIELS staff writer

On March 29, the sound of students bustling and buzzing around to chop, flip and monitor food filled the kitchen of a pop-up restaurant.

Pots and pans clanged and meat sizzled on the grill as students prepared the barbecue-themed menu.

Seniors on the food and beverage track of hospitality management have the opportunity to plan and operate a restaurant for one day, with new themes every Monday of the spring semester.

“This is the first semester I took this class over, and I said, ‘You guys are going to be graduating and operating a restaurant, so let’s do something fun thing this semester,’” Junehee Kwon, co-director of the project, said.

“So, I came up with a project called pop-up restaurants and told students to come up with a concept they are comfortable with, and [to] plan their menu and recipe and scheduling; everything about the restaurant.”

Grant Gustafson and Trent Barnum, seniors in hospitality management, managed the March 29 barbecue restaurant, and they said that although the management was stressful, their involvement felt worth-while.

“This is so much fun,” Gustafson said. “It’s a super unique class and a cool experience getting to put everything together. It puts into perspective managing a kitchen and what’s it’s like to work in the real world.”

Starting a restaurant requires taking risks, and the classroom experiment gives students a safe environment to plan, develop and improve before entering the job field. “[Students] plan it, execute it, sell it and evaluate it,” Kwon said. “Within a short time, students are experiencing restaurant development, cost control, financial management, everything they’ll be experiencing [after graduation] on a smaller scale.”

Along with Kwon, Ericka Bauer, hospitality management instructor, led the class.

Bauer said she created a pos-

itive, laid-back atmosphere for the students to work in throughout the project and during the execution of the restaurants.

“I always say, 'If you’re not having a good time, you should get out of the kitchen,'” Bauer said. “You should leave with a smile on your face.”

Because the pop-ups change menus each week, students prepare the food for pre-orders only. Customers can't dine-in because of COVID-19, so students serve food to the customers through carryout, curbside pickups and delivery.

“It’s not as realistic because it’s a pop-up, but customers are paying real money, this is the real deal; it’s not paper money,” Kwon said.

“We are providing a service and food, and at the end of the day we ask customers to provide feedback so we can correct and improve.”

The next pop-up restaurant will be April 5, and the theme will be barbecue. Serving takes place from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and customers may

choose from curbside pickup, carryout or on-campus delivery. Pickups are from Lacy’s

Fresh Fare and Catering in Justin Hall. To pre-order, visit https://tinyurl.com/pop-up-

restaurants/ or email hospitality@k-state.edu with any questions.

Maddy Daniels | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Starting a restaurant requires risks, and the classroom experiment gives students a safe environment to plan, develop and improve before entering the job field. A new themed pop-up occurs every Monday of the spring semester.

08

CULTURE

JARED SHUFF culture editor

Everyone who knows me knows I hate camping, but Peach Tree Rascals' debut EP "Camp Nowhere" has me ready to pitch a tent and take on the world.

Peach Tree Rascals, a music collective out of San José, California, consists of vocalists Isaac Pech, Tarrek Abdel-Khaliq and Joseph Barros, along with producer/mixer Dominic Pizano and creative director Jorge Olazaba.

The five friends — many of them children of immigrants — formed the group in high school as a hodgepodge of creative ideas, musical talent and mellow personalities. This evidently influences their music, which radiates the warmth of their sunny home state.

They are best known for their hit song "Mariposa," which blew up on TikTok during last summer. With

vaccines rolling out and summer 2021 just around the corner, Peach Tree Rascals have the perfect setlist for the season.

Birthed in social isolation and recorded in a remote location near Yosemite National Park, the 8-track EP "Camp Nowhere" gives off more of a small beach party vibe than the seclusion that created it.

The genre-fluid record drifts between upbeat anthems, indie-pop melodies and acoustic love songs. At just over 20 minutes long, the record is very well-rounded artistically.

The first three tracks on the EP — "OOZ," "LEAVE ME" and "JoJo" — all ooze the warmth and excitement that comes with summer, while still maintaining a free and relaxing atmosphere.

Though they radiate the same feelings, each song seems unique in its own way.

The fourth track, "Change My Mind," feels gospel-inspired, both musi-

Music collective Peach Tree Rascals releases debut EP ‘Camp Nowhere’

cally and lyrically. The lyrics in the piano-heavy chorus go "I know it's right, I'm rolling light / I'm gon' live my life / And ain't nobody gon' change my mind." It feels inspiring, especially when the verses start and the drum beats take over.

"Doing Fine" opens with piano, smooth vocal runs and a clean bassline before jumping into an R&B style that flows throughout the rest of the song. The production and relaxed vocals have you swaying along to the beat.

The last three songs on the EP take a more acoustic route. While the production level of "papá" is still high, the airy background vocals and acoustic finger-picking create a more intimate sound than earlier songs on the record.

"Pockets" seems to step away from intricate beats and instrumentals, fully embracing acoustic simplicity. The song opens with just vocals and guitar, layering on more elements as it progresses.

7 3

Pretend like youʼre taking notes and do the SUDOKU

5 9 2 Difficulty Level

3 6 8 3 8 1

4 5 3

"Oh Honey! (I Love You)" sounds like someone playing you a personal love song — that is until the clouds break after the first chorus and the musical angels descend upon you.

This type of song makes you feel like you're in love even if you've been single for five years … hypothetically, of course.

Peach Tree Rascals is still a young group in the music industry, but their energy is hypnotic. These guys definitely know what they're doing, and they aren't in any rush to become superstars. However, if they keep releasing projects like "Camp Nowhere," they're going to end up somewhere big.

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.

7 4 8 2 1 4

By Dave Green

2 9 3 6 5

2021 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

REVIEW

friday, april 2, 2020

4/02

09

OPINION

friday, april 2, 2021

OPINION VEDANT KULKARNI

staff writer

April is observed as Sexual Assault Awareness month across the nation. We observe it here at Kansas State as well. Our very own Center for Advocacy, Response and Education, or CARE office, takes up the task to ensure all Wildcats are well-informed about sexual assault awareness and prevention.

This year, as we observe Sexual Assault Awareness month, it is important to support the CARE Office at K-State — it has undergone numerous challenges to make our campus safe and secure, and they need us to be their voice on campus.

Since its inception, everyone at the CARE office has put their heart and soul into their

work to ensure the campus is safe for all Wildcats. Through hosting numerous training sessions like bystander training to ensure sexual assault survivors get the appropriate legal assistance they need, the CARE office has worked day-and-night to make K-State better.

However, a lot of progress needs to be made to expand the CARE office’s reach across our campus.

Firstly, there is a sexual and relationship violence specialist position, which has been held by Jessica Henault at the CARE office since 2019. Under her leadership, CARE has given a total of 95 presentations, 31 Wildcats Make A Pact (WMAP) trainings — to 667 incoming fraternity men — and hosted 32 tabling events.

K-State needs to increase support to CARE office While Henault does an incredible job in her position, she is the only one in this position for a university with over 20,000 students. In comparison, our sister university — the University of Kansas — has six individuals in a similar position as Henault’s.

According to Student Governing Association’s Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Director Sara Haggard, an “average” institute would budget $3.79 per student, while an “advanced” university budgets $9.35 per student for primary prevention education and culture change initiatives.

These average and advanced institutes employ one FTE per 10,273 and 1,298 students, respectively. In contrast, K-State budgets only $0.96 per student and only one and a half FTE

per 22,221 students.

Additionally, Henault’s position is also unfortunately not permanent — it is dependent on student fee funding. Given the ongoing pandemic and lack of adequate funding available at K-State, her position’s future could be in jeopardy. There is, unfortunately, a good chance this position may not get renewed.

This should not happen.

An organization as important as the CARE office needs support through thick and thin.

Throughout its time at K-State, the CARE office has built great relationships across the campus with upper administration, Greek life, multicultural students, international students and all faculty and staff. The CARE office has successfully implemented numerous programs such as the Wildcats Make a Pact bystander intervention program for Greek life fraternity members.

The question arises: “How can we as students and our K-State Administration better

support the CARE office?”

The answer is simple.

First, when it comes to us as students, we need to create more awareness about the CARE office and all the programs they host. The CARE office has multiple events lined up to observe Sexual Assault Awareness Month — if all students could attend at least one of these programs, we can surely create a support system for our CARE office and help them grow their reach and resources on campus.

The CARE office also offers to facilitate discussions and provide prevention education materials to any student, faculty and staff at K-State. Utilizing such opportunities to learn more about prevention and awareness is truly beneficial, and all students should seize these opportunities.

Administration, too, has opportunities to support our CARE office. Including CARE office employees in important policy conversations and other

administrative discussions would certainly help them advocate for better student resources and help grow their reach.

University administration did not include the CARE office in important meetings about the topics of the recent Title IX changes and the impact on campus. This is nothing but a tight slap on the faces of everyone at the CARE office and all students who care about what the CARE office does at K-State.

Second, there should be an increase in funding opportunities for the CARE office. The office is largely funded through the student body’s Privilege Fee money. Au contraire, CARE director Clara Kientz said the KU department, similar to our CARE office, is directly funded through the University Chancellor’s funds.

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

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10

SPORTS

‘I’M JUST EXCITED TO GET BACK OUT THERE’ Goalkeeper Rachel Harris’ journey back to the pitch PAUL BOURK staff writer

Working through adversity is something every Division I athlete is familiar with, but for junior goalkeeper Rachel Harris, adversity takes on a whole new meaning. Her ability to fight through it does not go unnoticed by her teammates and coaches.

For someone who worked her whole life to get to the point she is at right now — playing on a college soccer team with teammates she loves and for a school she loves even more — it was a grueling year.

“Last time I got to put on cleats was last August,” Harris said.

A knee injury suffered last season which turned out worse than originally expected kept the junior sidelined for seven months.

For Harris, surgery was the last resort, but after exhausting several types of rehab and as the toll of playing through pain became too much, she underwent two surgeries in September and November last year to repair her damaged knee.

Where a lot of athletes might take an injury like hers as an excuse to shut themselves down, Harris did the opposite.

Despite being unable to be out on the field with her teammates, she dedicated herself to helping in any way she could.

It’s something head coach Mike Dibbini said he is thankful for.

“She’s one of our student athletes, but she’s a person of integrity and understanding that whatever she can do to help this team be successful, that’s what she’ll do,” Dibbini said. “Giving her feedback and giving her coaching opinion within their goalkeeper union department is crucial to our development.”

Having to watch from the sidelines helped Harris gain a new perspective on the game. It allowed her to make the most of her time off the field and act as an assistant coach for the Wildcats.

Harris said it’s important to her that her teammates know nothing will stop her from doing what she can to help the team improve. The way she sees it, building up her teammates will always

outweigh the competition to beat each other out. It’s a lesson she’s carried with her from her time playing soccer at Arkansas.

“That was something that was hard at Arkansas,” Harris said. “When I was playing as a freshman and even as a sophomore, I felt like it was me and I didn’t have the support of everybody else, and in a way those other people that aren’t playing, they want you to mess up so they get an opportunity, and that was a big thing that I hated.”

Harris’s ability to bring out the best in her teammates is a big part of why she was named one of two team captains last year.

This leadership trait Harris has is what allows her fellow goalkeepers to know that no matter who is in goal, the other keepers on the bench are cheering them on.

“There’s a lot to be said about what she’s doing for our program,” Dibbini said. “And it’s not going unnoticed.”

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

friday, april 2, 2021

Women’s golfer Niamh McSherry reflects on K-State career ADAM MEYER staff writer

Niamh McSherry saw an opportunity to come to the U.S. to play golf in the small town of Manhattan.

Without golf, McSherry would never have attended Kansas State.

From Ireland to Manhattan is a drastic change, but being from a small town in Ireland allowed some type of normality for McSherry.

“I come from kind of a small town myself,” McSherry said. “It attracted me to K-State with how small Manhattan was. That was probably one of the only things I did not really have to adapt to which helped me a lot. I think it just brings the whole team and everyone around you closer when it is that kind of a small environment.”

McSherry said she was excited to be part of the fam-

Archive Photo by Alex Todd | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Niamh McSherry practices with a 7 iron on the Colbert Hills Golf Course range on September 18, 2018. As a freshman, McSherry tied for 13th at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas, Texas. ily atmosphere that K-State is known for.

“K-State has that family atmosphere that they always talk about,” McSherry said.

“That was something I was really interested in.”

Knowing a teammember from Ireland made it a perfect fit. see page

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Junior goalkeeper Rachel Harris kicks the ball during the soccer game against the Texas Longhorns on Sept 29, 2019.

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“There was a girl from Ireland on the team when I first came here [that] I had known here for a while,” McSherry said. “It was good for me to come somewhere where I knew somebody.”

It was a family decision to travel across the Atlantic for a college degree, but with two siblings, Niamh is the only McSherry child that has left Ireland.

“My family had a big impact, but it was my final deci-

sion,” McSherry said. “They supported me 150 percent throughout. I knew I was never going to come anywhere they did not want me to go. My dad came when I went on my visit, and he liked it here as much as I did. We knew that this was the place for me. They have been so amazing throughout, and I could not have done it without them.”

McSherry settled in quickly and was in the lineup for each of the 10 events her freshman season.

“Going into freshman year, my No. 1 goal was to settle in. It is a completely different life here than it is at home,” McSherry

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said. “I was excited when I got to play my first time at my first tournament. I have played a lot of competitive golf before playing at K-State. Even though it is different competition level, it helped me a lot was the previous experience that I have had to go in freshman year and to still be able to compete.”

The Lurgan, Ireland, native thrived in the opportunity she has had in her K-State golf career. Whether she is in Manhattan or back home in Ireland, she worked to make the most of her four years of collegiate golf.

“Over the years, my game has improved a lot,” McSherry

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said. “A lot of that has been the coaches pushing me to be better and taking a chance on me at the beginning. Giving me this opportunity, and working so hard with me to become a better golfer.

And working myself. I go home every winter and summer and of course last year when the pandemic hit, I went home. I think it is a mixture of a really good team atmosphere and also working hard on my game.”

Now, as the season is winding down, McSherry claims this team as the best team she has been a part of, and it appears they have a solid chance at reaching postseason play in May.

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“This is the strongest team we have had,” McSherry said.

“We are sitting here at ninth, with a really good opportunity to make postseason. Usually at this time in the year, we are outside the bubble, and we are well in the bubble. We are only going to get better. This team has seven awesome players. I am really excited about what we can do for the rest of the semester. I know this team has an amazing opportunity to make postseason. It would be the first time since I have been here.

I know we have a really good opportunity to play in May and that is what we all strive for.”

As McSherry is wrapping

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up her fourth season, she is nostalgic about her time at K-State coming to an end, but she is also looking forward to building onto her future.

“I have mixed emotions,” McSherry said. “I am really proud of myself. Coming from a different country and leaving home to getting to my fourth year knowing I am going to graduate. It will be tough to leave. I have met some amazing friends here. Played at some awesome golf courses and had more opportunities than I would have at home. It will be hard to leave, but at the same time I am happy to spend time with some family and just start a new chapter.”

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SPORTS

‘HE’S ABOVE AND BEYOND’ How Nick Goodwin hits expectations out of the park COLLIN SETTLE staff writer

Freshman Nick Goodwin is no stranger to success on the diamond. Goodwin graduated from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park last spring and was the No. 6 ranked baseball recruit in the state.

He was ranked the second best shortstop in the state of Kansas as well.

But for Goodwin, the game wasn’t about the rankings.

“I was never big into ranking like that,” Goodwin said.

“I never went to the events like PBR or Perfect Game where they get too caught up in ranks. There are plenty of guys out there that don’t get enough attention that could be way better than the guys that are ranked up there.”

Goodwin did not get to showcase his talents much during his senior season with the rise of COVID-19 across the U.S. The Kansas native found out about the cancelations while on vacation with his friends — he was the only one that had the opportunity to play at the next level, too.

“I was actually on vacation with some of my buddies and every single one of them is on the baseball team, but none of them were going to go on to play college baseball so I was really the only one that was going to get to play again,” Goodwin said. “It was not a good situation. Everyone was bummed because we were supposed to be really good that season and that was a missed opportunity that we’re going to get back.”

Without a senior season, Goodwin needed to find ways

to stay active and productive with his baseball career. He was able to do so with the Ban Johnson summer baseball league in the Kansas City metro area.

“Even if my season gets canceled that doesn’t mean I can’t just not play baseball,” Goodwin said. “I need to get in the batting cage, I need to get in the weight room to be able to better myself to come into a university like Kansas State to get a chance to play.”

With the work put in during the summer, Goodwin is making an impact on the field. He is batting .295 on the year – which is No. 6 on the team — and is tied for second with 26 hits on the year. The freshman also hit four home runs so far this season with 14 RBIs and leads the team in stolen bases with seven.

“I feel like I’ve played

Sophie Osburn | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Freshman Nick Goodwin throws the ball during the game on March 20, 2021 against New Mexico at Tointon Family Stadium.

well,” Goodwin said. “Baseball is a mental sport, and it’s a game of failure, and you can’t get too caught up in your time at your last at-bat. ... I know this last weekend, I didn’t play as well as I would have liked but you can’t get caught up in that stuff. You have to keep moving forward to the next at-bat and keep trying to piece together good at-bats but all-in-all I think I’ve done pretty well.”

He also credits the coaches at Kansas State for giving him a chance.

“I think I just have to give that one to the coaches,” Goodwin said. “I think they are doing a fantastic job with going out there and finding guys like us. Obviously, I think you have to throw work ethic in there as well. I know personally, I’ve been working my tail off this season and in the off-season, and even last summer to get myself physically and mentally.”

Goodwin wasn’t the only person who saw his potential at the next level — St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Lorne Parks shared the same thoughts as Goodwin.

“At Aquinas, he was a good student and was responsible for his academics and his play on the field,” Parks said. “He is the kind of kid who comes in every day to get better.”

With the lack of a senior season, some may think that would be a set-back for athletes competing at the next level, but Parks says it was more motivation for Goodwin.

“He is very motivated,” Parks said. “He was motivated in the conditioning that we did throughout the winter. When he steps on the field, he’s the type of guy that expects a lot out of himself and he just comes in every day wanting to get better.”

Even though Goodwin has moved on from Aquinas, that hasn’t stopped Parks from keeping an eye on his former player.

“We keep an eye on him,” Parks said. “Not so much

friday, april 2, 2021

watching but we keep track of his stats to see how he’s doing and he’s been productive this first part of the season but that’s just Nick. I know that if his stats drop he’s really hard on himself and he wants to get better for himself, his teammates, and his coaches so I’m not surprised at all with him playing well right now.”

With the level of success that Goodwin has had so far this season, Parks says he isn’t surprised with Goodwin’s production.

“This is something we would expect to see,” Parks said. “As coaches, we were really looking forward to watching him his senior year and that didn’t happen but he’s that guy, he’s an amazing competitor, he’s got great pop in the bat, and he’s just really intense. Everything he’s doing now does not surprise us at all.”

Parks was not the only coach to speak highly of Goodwin’s play so far this season as K-State head coach Pete Hughes echoed some of Parks’ comments.

“We’ve asked him to do a lot since day one,” Hughes said. “He’s above and beyond where a freshman should be at this level of baseball. College baseball is at an all-time high as far as the level of play goes and the learning curve for kids right out of high school is pretty steep right now and for Nick to maneuver around that and perform as well as he has right out of the gate is amazing.”

Hughes said the biggest testament to Goodwin’s character is his resistance and strive to continue to get better when in the slump of a bad stretch of games.

“The biggest struggle for Nick is to deal with the struggles that come with this game with the amount of success he had right out of the gate,” Hughes said. “It may look easy to him but it is inherent that you are going to fail at this game but it’s how you figure out the failures and how you get out of those ruts that define you as a college baseball player but I couldn’t be happier with Nick right now.”

Goodwin was an early target for Hughes and the K-State baseball staff.

Even without a senior season, Goodwin had no trouble catching the eye of the K-State coaches.

“We identified him the

first summer I was hired, which was his junior year,” Hughes said. “He played for ‘Building Champions’ which is one of the top traveling teams in the state and we identified him that fit our profile.

He was athletic, he could run, he could hit, he could swing the bat well and he’s a great kid from a great family and he checked all the boxes we were looking for.

“He made a huge jump after he committed to us and it’s quicker than we anticipated so he came on campus and he was game ready and we saw that the fall of his senior year with the jump he was able to make physically and mentally and he was one of the first kids we signed as a staff.”

Goodwin has adjusted well to the college lifestyle, even though he hasn’t had a typical freshman experience.

“I think it’s been awesome so far,” Goodwin said.

“I’ve enjoyed every second of it and I’m just happy to be able to get on the field every day. I mean there is nothing more than I can ask for. I’m having a blast and I’m having a good time obviously playing against some of the best competition in the country right now and there’s not much more I can ask for.”

Goodwin is an interesting position as a collegiate athlete as both his father and uncle played baseball professionally, which was a big motivator for him growing up.

“My dad was actually my coach all the way up until high school,” Goodwin said. “Once I got into high school my uncle took over so I played for those two my whole life and I’ve gotten a lot of good stuff from those guys so I think it’s fair to say that baseball is in my blood.”

With Goodwin being the new kid on the block as a true freshman playing some of the best ball on the team right now, he wants fans to know that he is more than just a jersey on the field.

“I’m very dedicated to what I do,” Goodwin said.

“I’m passionate and caring and I like to have fun. I just want to shout-out the K-State family because they come out to our games and I appreciate all the support that they’ve given us and I just want to encourage everyone to keep coming out to our games.”