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vol. 126 issue 31 | friday, april 9, 2021 | kstatecollegian.com PAGE 5
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‘There is resilience within this work’: Panel discusses importance of 2021 common book
Beach Museum hosts virtual exhibit of Two by Two: Animal Pairs
In My Own Words: Surviving attempts at character assassination
Blossoming into freshman star, leadership is in line for Aliyah Carter
Associate provost for institutional effectiveness announces retirement LANDON REINHARDT staff writer
Brian Niehoff, associate provost for institutional effectiveness, began working at Kansas State in 1988. Now, a few decades later, Neihoff is set to retire on June 12. Despite the lengthy time he’s spent at K-State, Niehoff’s journey to Wildcat territory wasn’t straight. Niehoff, associate provost since 2009, is the fourth of eight kids from a middle-class family in Louisville, Kentucky. While all of his friends decided to go to the University of Louisville or the University of Kentucky for college, Niehoff decided to take a scholarship to St. Joseph’s College, a small school in northern Indiana. Niehoff said at St. Joseph’s, he decided to study math simply because he was good at it. During the summer periods, Niehoff held a variety of jobs, like working in a restaurant and mowing cemeteries, but nothing quite piqued his interest. While in school, Niehoff took a couple of computer classes and ended up back home in Louisville at a consulting firm. Because of the type of work and company disorganization, Niehoff became unhappy with what he was doing. He started taking
night classes in organizational behavior at Louisville. “This organization class opened my eyes to understanding how organization works and good management and core management,” Niehoff said, “so I decided I wanted to get my Ph.D. in organizational behavior.” Niehoff applied and got accepted to the only doctoral school he applied to: Indiana University. He said he didn’t know until he got there that Indiana had one of the highest-rated organizational behavior programs in the country at the time. While looking for a job post-college, Niehoff contacted K-State through some Indiana connections heading the program. Within a week of applying to K-State, Niehoff came down for an interview. “I remember being in the Union in room 207, doing my interview in there,” Niehoff said. “Whenever I’m in there, it brings back memories as my first visit to K-State. I never thought I’d get a Ph.D.; I got a Ph.D. Never thought about K-State at the time, and here I am. I came here; it ended up being the perfect fit.” Niehoff said K-State gave him the freedom to wear many hats during his tenure. Niehoff taught many business classes, oversaw planning and analy-
sis, completed institutional research, dealt with faculty affairs issues, trained new faculty and department heads and worked on curriculum development. Not everything Niehoff provided can be put on a resume, though. Jessica Elmore, associate director of diversity programs at the Alumni Association and former student of Niehoff, describes Niehoff as “the first white, male mentor in [her] life.” “He’s what K-State family means to me,” Elmore said. “When I came [to K-State], he was my support system. Without him, I don’t know if I would have stayed.” For colleagues, Niehoff leaving K-State is bittersweet. Donald Saucier, associate director of the Teaching and Learning Center and colleague of Niehoff, said he’s sad knowing that he won’t get to work with Niehoff anymore. “I love working with [Niehoff],” Saucier said. “I’m sad he’s retiring. He truly gets how to work with people, he knows how to put people in positions to succeed. … It makes me a teeny bit apprehensive that the university is going to have to [recover from COVID-19] without one of its superheroes.” Niehoff said he has looked forward to retirement for some time now, saying he
has always had the age of 65 in his head to stop working. Part of this stems from his father retiring at age 62 and his mother passing away shortly after she retired. Niehoff turned 65 last October. “My dad is now 93-yearsold. He still drives a car, he still takes walks every day, he still plays trombone in a band,” Niehoff said. “I’ve always thought about him as I’ve been closer to 65 and I thought, ‘You know? That’s really what life is about.’ I don’t want to be one of those people who die working. I want to be happy, I want to be healthy. You never know when something bad could happen.” Though he can’t play “noon-time basketball” with students in Ahearn Field House any longer because of knee surgeries, Niehoff already has plans of playing golf and music, along with working with a local non-profit. Niehoff says that his wife, city commissioner Usha Reddi, always says, “[Niehoff] has enough hobbies for the both of [them].” Niehoff said he will miss K-State and the duties he held, as the university gave him more than he could ever dream of. see page
3, “RETIREMENT”
Photo courtesy of the Division of Communications
K-State gave Brian Niehoff the freedom to wear many hats during his tenure. Niehoff taught many business classes, oversaw planning and analysis, completed institutional research, dealt with faculty affairs issues, trained new faculty and department heads and worked on curriculum development.
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Kansas State, Fort Riley renew 12-year community partnership SEAN SCHAPER news editor
Kansas State formally renewed its partnership with the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley Wednesday evening, April 7, inside Anderson Hall. President Richard Myers and Fort Riley Maj. Gen. DA Sims signed the agreement, refreshing the 12-year university-to-military community partnership. This renewal will focus on and support the 1st Infantry Division’s Victory Wellness Program and the Big Red One Year of Honor professional development program, among other efforts. Sims said the 1st Infantry Division is working hard on the Victory Wellness for people, soldiers, civilians and family members. “We’re working across the five dimensions of strength ...
emotional, physical, social, spiritual and family,” Sims said. “Every one of those dimensions of strength is enhanced by this partnership. It’s not possible to think one of those five where we don’t have a connection back to Kansas State.” With the continued partnership, K-State will expand its academic public service student internships with Fort Riley’s Garrison activities and will assist in many human services offered to local military. Since Fort Riley’s establishment in 1852, there has been a connection between the two institutions, Sims said. “[K-State has] been providing a great deal of support in all sorts of ways — academic and otherwise — to the United States Army in Fort Riley ever since then,” Sims said. “So, to be able today to reaffirm our connection to one another is a huge deal for us.”
The central aim of this public-to-public partnership is to mutually support each institution’s unique missions through collaboration and intellectual and cultural sharing. “This is about a true partnership where we find places where we can add value to the other’s mission, and we go help with that,” Myers said. “Service is a big part of [the land grant mission], and this is a part of our mission to serve, and to be able to do it with a community partner is so important for our nation and so important to our community.” One objective Fort Riley is working towards is normalizing counseling, Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, director of public affairs for the First Infantry Division said. “The analogy we use is, ‘Everyone goes to the dentist, so if you come back and say, “Well, I was at the dentist,” no one thinks
EDITORIAL BOARD Bailey Britton Editor-in-Chief
Lori Leiszler Asst. Culture Editor
Julie Freijat Managing Editor
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Sean Schaper News Editor
Marshall Sunner Asst. Sports Editor
Josie Whitaker Asst. News Editor
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Jared Shuff Culture Editor
Dalton Wainscott Multimedia Editor
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President Richard Myers and Fort Riley Major General D.A. Douglas Sims II hold the freshly signed partnership agreement. This renews the 12-year university-to-military community partnership. twice. But, if someone comes back and says, ‘Well, I was at a counseling appointment,’ well, no one thinks twice because we
all have to go, too,” Kelley said. This program is changing the paradigm of how soldiers receive counseling services,
Kelley said. K-State played a major influence on getting this program going.
ON THE COVER Dalton Wainscott COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Freshman outside hitter Aliyah Carter prepares for No. 1 Texas to serve the ball in K-State’s 3-0 loss to the Longhorns at Bramlage Coliseum on Oct. 17, 2020.
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RETIREMENT continued from page 01
“This school gave me an opportunity I never thought I’d have,” Niehoff said. “The thing about academia, about being a professor, it continually brings you new life every year. You meet new students, you meet new colleagues, it’s a constant process of newness going on. I really took a lot of pride in the work that I’ve done with students.”
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Community members make money-saving adjustments to compensate for high gas prices CLAIBORN SCHMIDT staff writer
While working as a Shop Quik employee, Abbey Luedders, freshman in animal science, noticed the recent increase in gas prices is affecting how much gas or diesel people in Manhattan fill their vehicles with. “People [used to] come in and say they want $20 in gas when gas was almost under $2 a gallon. Now people come in and don’t even know how much it will cost to fill up their car,” Luedders said. “Customers will ask us, but we don’t know either.” Devin Conley, senior in kinesiology, finds this increase in price is making it more difficult for some students to choose between traveling back home or using the money to pay for overall normal
expenses. “I would say that with gas prices going up it’s harder for me as a student to support myself with rent because I do like to go home to Kansas City to see my family. It really makes me think about if I can afford it that week,” Conley said. Some people are choosing not to fill their tanks all the way as a result of being unsure of how much a full tank will cost. “There are a lot of people who come in and will just pay for half a tank because they want to limit how much they spend on gas since it is very expensive right now,” Luedders said. “Gas right now is $2.69 and diesel is $2.99, almost $3.” Tevis Blandi, junior in business administration, said he noticed the increase since working for DoorDash because he has to
fill his tank more often than in the past. “I DoorDash four to five days a week, and while I do get decent miles per gallon, I’m definitely going to the pump more than ever. I’ve probably doubled the amount of trips I make to the gas station on a given month,” Blandi said. Conley finds it hard to spend the money it takes to pay for a full tank of gas in her vehicle every other week when she has other expenses that she could be using the money for. “Even though I work, it cost me $50 to fill up my gas tank, and it’s really hard to do that every other week, financially,” Conley said. “For me, a whole tank of gas is five hours of work and $50 every couple of weeks could be my groceries or part of my rent or a whole utility bill.”
Even with a 40-cent difference between diesel and gasoline, gas prices still affect students such as Luedders. Some students try to limit their amount of driving so they do not have to fill up as often. “I am being affected by this because when I used to fill up my tank, it would only cost $20 and now it takes around $25 each week,” Luedders said. “I drive a lot less than I did last semester because gas was so cheap last semester and this semester it has skyrocketed.” Students like Conley also find it harder to have a social life because of the increase. “It’s also hard to make other financial choices such as buying more groceries for the week or having a social life and going out to dinner with your friends,” Conley said.
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LGBT Resource Center coordinator works to improve campus environment EDEN BROCKMAN staff writer
In the last 11 years, Brandon Haddock has worked on Kansas State’s campus for the LGBTQ+ community and other historically underrepresented groups. As the LGBT Resource Center coordinator, Haddock takes a leading role in nurturing a positive environment on campus. Haddock said they appreciate the Student Governing Association and everyone else involved helping create the LGBT Resource Center and appointing them as coordinator. However, the position is more than an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job, Haddock said. In just one day, they can work with K-State administration on best-practices policy, work with students on class schedules and recommendations for mental health and other resources, discuss opportunities for students with parents and caregivers, reach out to community organizations and make sure students know there is a community at K-State for them. “I wouldn’t change it because that is my job and it is not just a job,” Haddock said.
“I am a queer person with a queer job, and that overlap is exhausting. But the thing is, I want to be the person that was never there for me.” Program and project administrator for multicultural programs in the department of diversity and multicultural student affairs Adam Carr worked with Haddock as an undergraduate and graduate assistant at the LGBT Resource Center. He said Haddock has shown LGBTQ+ students they do belong on K-State’s campus. “Brandon was instrumental in creating the LGBT Center and this space for students,” Carr said. “As an identity that is not as outward projecting, it can be difficult in the midwest for students to have that sense of safety, comfort and community. Brandon has really helped develop that sense on campus that queer students belong on campus.” Haddock said the resource center is a big step for students and alumni. “We have alums today that walk into the resource center who haven’t been on campus for 25 years and they see that space and it is immediately emotional for them,” Haddock said. “As I
have heard so many times, they never imagined that this would be a possibility when they attended K-State.” Debra Bolton, director of intercultural learning and academic success, works with Haddock very closely and said they help provide K-State’s LGBTQ+ community with safe spaces on campus. “[Haddock improves] the campus by being on committees to tell administrators that they have left a group out of their policy and work to get that changed,” Bolton said. “They are an advocate for historically excluded identities.” Carr said many people have helped improve K-State’s campus to be more inclusive and accepting, but Haddock is leading the charge. “This work takes a lot of people. If it were not for the Office of Student Life, the CARE office, Diversity and Multicultural Students Affairs, Lafene Health Center and all of our partners on campus, this work would not get done. It is not just Brandon, we also have queer faculty staff and administration,” Carr said. “Brandon will say it is wholeheartedly a community effort, but Bran-
don has led the charge for a lot of this work.” A lot of Haddock’s work includes working with administration, faculty, staff and students. Haddock is also the advisor for the Sexuality and Gender Alliance, Gender Collective and OSTEM. “[Haddock does] so much for us on the planning side of things,” Anna Casner, senior in social work and SAGA president, said. “They help us with finances, making sure we are getting our promotional content sent out to the right places and getting events registered. ... They are just wonderful.” Maggie Borders, academic specialist for the McNair Scholars Program, has known Haddock for 10 years and said Haddock’s example helped her feel comfortable being out at K-State. “Obviously, there are still
I wouldn’t change it because that is my job and it is not just a job. I am a queer person with a queer job, and that overlap is exhausting. But the thing is, I want to be the person that was never there for me. Brandon Haddock LGBT Resource Center coordinator problems, but I can have pictures of my spouse in my office now, and my spouse can come into my office,” Borders said. “All of my students know my spouse and are happy to see her, and I do not have to worry about it or what people will think. A lot of that — I would argue — goes to the
work that Brandon has done in 10 plus years.” Haddock said the job is not done. “There is always going to be another hurdle. If I can help make that hurdle shorter, I will,” Haddock said.
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Brandon Haddock is the coordinator for the LGBT Resource Center located in Holton Hall.
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‘There is resilience within this work’: Panel discusses importance of 2021 common book ‘The Marrow Thieves’ MADDY DANIELS staff writer
On April 7, a panel of professors, coordinators and members of the common book committee met via Zoom to discuss the importance of the 2021 common book “The Marrow Thieves” and how it fits into many classes at Kansas State. Set in a dystopian world ruined by global warming, “The Marrow Thieves” brings to light issues of race and sexuality. The Indigenous North American protagonist fights against being hunted for their bone marrow, which will allow others the ability to dream. “Something that really has struck me is the language that is used in the book, returning to traditional language,” Brandon Haddock, coordinator of the LGBT resource center, said. “I think there is a real importance in our students’ understanding about language …” Haddock said. “We have tribal identities that have lost their language completely. There is a huge movement right now to take back our language and to really explore how that language can help us through the cultural trauma.”
The K-State First Book Committee chooses a book each year to help students transitioning to college have a common experience with a book and through classes and experiences surrounding that reading. Haddock explained that K-State and K-State First chose this book because it focuses on a variety of topics that many students can relate to and learn from, such as gender, classism and racism. Above all, reclaiming identity is at the heart of the novel. “There is resilience within this work,” Haddock said. “Dominant culture controls spirituality, language, education, tradition; those get erased … Individuals are taking those back and reasserting their identities to survive … Taking back an identity that you may have and how difficult it might be to face a generational trauma that has occurred and to face oppression and racism and homophobia are things that are evident in this work.” As Haddock read a quote from the book, they stressed how the book would teach students to make changes for the future, not only for their benefit but for others. “‘Sometimes you risk everything for a life worth living, even
if you are not the one alive to live it.’” Haddock said. “Teaching this to our first-year students is an amazing opportunity for us to convey to them the importance of not just the moment; of doing for others so they can live better lives.” The group talked about how the relevance of this book today continues with its themes of resistance and the ability to not be docile as we live through a pandemic, where it may be easy to give up or feel discouraged. “We are living in a pandemic and Indigenous people have lived through multiple pandemics and we have been resilient and resistant,” Haddock said. “And when we think about queer themes, we have survived a pandemic as well.” English professor Lisa Tatonetti has taught this book in several classes already and said her students loved it. Many students grew up reading dystopian books like “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent,” so this book resonates with this generation. But many popular books and movies feature a white protagonist, and “The Marrow Thieves” brings needed diversity to the field with its characters taking back Indigenous representation. It also challenges the narrative of what is considered a YA
Not only is ‘The Marrow Thieves’ a great book, and students love it because of that, but these sorts of statistics speak to why we need Indigenous futurisms and and why our students need [this book]
Lisa Tatonetti English Professor
dystopian novel, as it pushes against homophobia and ageism, revolving around a middle-aged love story between two queer characters. “Not only is “The Marrow Thieves” a great book, and students
love it because of that, but these sorts of statistics speak to why we need Indigenous futurisms and why our students need [this book],” Tatonetti said.
One Tank Trip: The Arabia Steamboat Museum uncovers treasures excavated from century-old sunken steamship MADISON DANIEL staff writer
There are many places Manhattan residents can travel to with just a tank of gas, but The Arabia Steamboat Museum is a great option many people might not know about. Located in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, — a little under two hours away from Manhattan — the Arabia is rich in history. Accord-
ing to the museum website, it was voted “Favorite Kansas City Hidden Gem” by Visit KC. The website also calls the museum “one of Kansas City’s most popular attractions. It is the largest single collection of pre-Civil War artifacts in the world, featured by National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian Magazine, PBS, Antiques Roadshow, Good Morning America, Southern Living, CNN, the History Channel
and many other news and entertainment organizations.” The Arabia Steamboat Museum was constructed in 1991 after five men excavated the sunken steamboat and its cargo. It sank in 1856 after hitting a tree snag in the Missouri River. The excavation process started in 1988 and took about four months. The museum includes remnants of the Arabia and nearly 160 tons of artifacts that it held. The museum
is still working to clean and preserve about 60 tons of artifacts to this day. Discovered under a cornfield, the artifacts were naturally preserved and are still in great condition over a century later. The 30,000 square-foot museum houses hundreds of thousands of pieces of cargo and has the largest collection of pre-civil war artifacts in the world — ranging from tools to clothes to toys. The museum tour begins
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with several videos and short films explaining the history of the boat and its cargo, then moves through the artifacts and an open preservation lab where visitors can observe preservationists working on other artifacts from the boat. After this, you can see a full-scale replica of the Arabia and videos about the excavation, along with original pieces from the boat. If you have extra time to peruse the area after your tour, you might try explor-
ing the historic City Market. City Market is a large market where vendors gather and sell homemade goods, groceries, plants and trinkets. It also has several restaurants, apparel stores and antique shops. For more information about the museum, history, hours and COVID-19 restrictions, you can call or visit the museum website. Still, the best way to learn more is to see it yourself.
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REVIEW: New podcast goes behind-the-scenes of the indie filmmaking process JARED SHUFF culture editor
While multi-million dollar film companies push out formulaic content like a factory line, independent filmmakers are lucky to even get their films off the ground. It takes blood, sweat, tears and a nice chunk of money to get an indie film
made, which begs the question — what actually goes into the process of making a movie? MCS Media announced the first season of its docu-series podcast “Make Cool Sh!t” in early February and launched on March 2. The podcast is hosted by comedian, actor and writer Aaron Kheifets, known for his work with College Humor and Comedy Central.
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Season one of “Make Cool Sh!t” follows award-winning actor and writer Josh Ruben on his journey to write, direct and star in his first-ever feature film. Ruben — another College Humor alumnus — has starred in hundreds of comedy shorts and written for shows like “The Late Late Show with James Corden” and “Adam Ruins Everything.”
Each episode centers around a specific aspect of the filmmaking process, breaking down the elements in an informative yet entertaining manner. Kheifets narrates the highs and lows of Ruben’s creative efforts, from writing the screenplay to gathering a film crew. The first few episodes focus on Ruben’s background,
the technical and business aspects of filmmaking and pre-production. While this might not interest everyone, it offers a unique perspective of the filmmaking machine, showing how all the gears work together to create a quality production. The idea for “Make Cool Sh!t” came from podcast executive producers and MCS Media founders Mike Bulger and Donny Dykowsky. They wanted to explore the creative and technical processes behind — well — cool shit. Even if the product failed, the story of how and why it failed would still be interesting. Bulger and Dykowsky agreed to help fund Ruben’s film, and in return, the filmmaking process became the concept of their first podcast series. The series features behind-the-scenes audio and interviews with different members of the cast and crew. Ruben’s film, a horror/ comedy called “Scare Me,” premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival to largely positive reviews and is Cer-
tified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Aya Cash (The Boys), Rebecca Drysdale (Key & Peele) and Chris Redd (SNL) star alongside Ruben in his feature film debut. The team faced plenty of obstacles when making the film, from funding to casting to a literal polar vortex. However, these obstacles never stopped Ruben and his team from making cool shit. The podcast currently has seven episodes available through various streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music and Stitcher. This podcast is great for film students interested in the realistic making of an independent film or anyone who just wants to know how cool shit gets made. Jared Shuff is the Collegian culture editor and a junior in secondary education. 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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friday, april 9, 2021
Beach Museum hosts virtual exhibit of Two by Two: Animal Pairs WENDY BARNES staff writer
Mythical dragons, playful pigs, elegant swans and prairie bison are only a few of the unique animal pairs on display in the Beach Museum of Art’s virtual exhibit Two by Two: Animal Pairs. Consisting of 24 unique animal pairings, the exhibit appeals to adults and children alike. Kathrine Schlageck, associate curator of education, curated the artwork pairings, culled from the museum’s vast 10,000-piece collection. The art represents a wide range of artists and art mediums. The museum and Manhattan Public Library have collaborated for the last 11 years in creating a show for the summer reading program. This year’s theme is Tales to Tails. Creating the yearly exhi-
bition allows Schlageck to work with many of the museum’s lesser-seen pieces and create a catchy title to attract attention. Two by Two: Animal Pairs provides just that and gives viewers an opportunity for comparison. “The other thing I thought was really fun about is to take two artworks and have that chance to sort of look at them as a pair and have them have a conversation with each other and whether the conversation was about similarities or differences, it happens,” Schlageck said. “It could be something to do with the work stylistically. It could be the intent of the artist. ... There’s different ways for these pairs to have a conversation with each other.” Lilla Wanklyn, 7, said she liked the exhibit and her favorite animal pairs included the horses, the goats, the cats, the
bunnies and the sheep. However, she said she was confused at first by the goat pair. “It’s like a circle-shaped one, and at first, I was like, ‘Why is there is just a weird eye in the middle of the picture?’” Lilla said. “Then my family pointed out that it was a goat head, and then mom was pointing out the shape, with the direction it was. And I was like, ‘That makes no sense,’ but then when I tilted my head to one side, and then I was like, ‘Oooh, that’s why.’” Lilla’s father Kevin Wanklyn, engineering associate professor, said he also felt confused by Picasso’s goat. “I had the same experience that Lilla had looking at it. I thought it was an eye, and then we zoomed in on it, and I said, ‘Oh, it’s a goat,’ and there I thought, ‘Oh, that’s clever,’” Kevin said.
“Once you see the goat, you can’t figure out how you didn’t see the goat there in the first place,” Jonah Wanklyn, Lilla’s 9-year-old brother said. Melissa Glaser Wanklyn, English instructor, said when people compare and contrast the art pieces, they notice more about the works of art. The pairings also provide the viewer with more indepth knowledge about each artwork. Tony Crawford, president of the Friends of the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, was once a curator of manuscripts in the Morse Department of Special Collections of Hale Library. He said the exhibit is a learning opportunity for all who view it. “Probably, a lot of people think of art as just a pretty picture on a wall, but of course, art is more than that — it’s the story behind the artist, the culture he or
she represents, the scenes, or whatever that’s in the painting,” Crawford said. It’s more than just a person or an animal, Crawford said. “There’s a story behind those animals, whether they were just like pigs on a farm or a turtle, that may represent something entirely different to Native Americans,” Crawford said. “So, there’s a lot to be learned from this exhibit.” Luke Dempsey, exhibition designer and museum technology lead, is the mastermind behind the virtual exhibit’s design. Dempsey said he used Schlageck’s concept of animal pairings by different artists to show them sideby-side so viewers could make their own comparisons. As a result of this placement, the virtual exhibit’s design helps direct the viewer’s focus when comparing the two pieces. “What I did was, I made these icons that have on one side the animal by one artist
and the same animal by a different artist,” Dempsey said. “That kind of gives you an easy way to navigate through the show, just getting a glimpse of each of those pairs. When you click on them, you get the full piece and you get the information.” Dempsey is also partly responsible for designing the upcoming Two by Two in-person exhibit that will be on display in the museum’s Vanier gallery. Interested viewers can attend the scaled-down version of the virtual exhibition during one of four sessions offered on Thursday, July 15. Sessions are available from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Each session includes activities. However, session attendance is limited to seven families, and registration is required.
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friday, april 9, 2021
Asian, Asian-American students and staff share K-State experiences The Atlanta, Georgia, attacks on Asian-American women rocked the country a few weeks ago. Since then, protests and calls for action to support Asians and Asian Americans have erupted across the country. April marked the beginning of Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month for Kansas State’s Asian American Student Union. While it usually takes place in May, having it in the month of April allows for students to engage in a full month of celebration while on campus. AASU will host several events throughout the month to celebrate.
These events are meant to educate K-State students, staff and faculty about issues that affect members of the APIDA community, according to the Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs website. All of these factors are sparking conversations about the experiences of the APIDA community at K-State. Dat Tran, graduate student in mass communications and teaching assistant, said he believes K-State should encourage students to take diversity-related courses in their disciplines, he also thinks these kinds of topics should be introduced to children at an even younger age, somewhere around the elementary-level. “As a graduate student and
GTA at JMC, I have mutual respect with faculty members and students. Our school is incredibly inclusive and open,” Tran said. “I have never had to suffer acts of overt racism or discrimination, although there have been glances thrown at me in the grocery store or other public places. Nevertheless, I cannot affirm that they all meant malice.” Tran said his introverted personality, on top of COVID-19 restrictions, has impacted his experience at K-State more than his race or ethnicity. “I am not a sociable person who is proactive in networking and making new friends,” Tran said. “I try to focus on my works and keep my social circle minimal. As an introvert, I am comfortable with that, but
it also means that I have never joined any student union or organization on campus.” As a graduate teaching assistant for MC612 — Gender, Race, Class and Media — Tran said he realized such courses can benefit everyone, including instructors. “I cannot say that a quick solution can help us create and strengthen a more diverse community,” Tran said. “However, as I believe that the more we understand, the less we hate. I encourage everyone to read and study as much as they can about diversity and inclusivity.” Yue Teng-Vaughan, assistant professor in hospitality management, said K-State has fostered diversity on campus despite the difficulties brought
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experience has been different because of her race. Zhang is from an eastern province in China called Fujian. While her family has never been to the United States, she has lived and gone to school here for seven years. After attending high school in Overland Park, Zhang chose to fulfill her college career at K-State with her friends from high school. “Half of my class in high school [chose to] come to K-State. Me and some of my friends [chose] to be together in college,” Zhang said. Zhang believes nonAsian and Asian American people can stay united to create and strengthen a more diverse community.
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on by COVID-19. “Because of COVID-19 I didn’t get to experience much, but I am impressed by the university’s effort on diversity and inclusion,” Teng-Vaughan said. “I am happy to see the multicultural center being built.” Teng-Vaughan said her children go to K-State’s Center for Childhood Development, where she was invited to speak about her culture. “I feel valued that they learn about Chinese New Year and decorate their center during Chinese New Year,” Teng-Vaughan said. In the three years she has spent at K-State, Xinyu Zhang, senior in hospitality management, said she noticed few Asian people on campus but doesn’t feel her
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JOSIE WHITAKER assistant news editor
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friday, april 9, 2021
Some stadium re-openings are jumping the gun, but just by a little MARSHALL SUNNER assistant sports editor
We are not out of the woods just yet. But the Texas Rangers think so. On Monday, the Rangers — of Major League Baseball — welcomed an official count of 38,238 fans into Globe Life Field for its game against the Toronto Blue Jays. In the state of Texas, there are currently 243.7 tests per 100,000 people per day, at a 4.3 percent positivity rate. With stats like that, it seems like welcoming 38,000-plus fans is jumping the gun — especially since it topped the number of people that were allowed for both the Super Bowl and Daytona 500. It made sense for the Super Bowl (24,835) and Daytona 500 (a little over 30,000) to allow that many fans because both of those events could enforce social distancing. Fans were
spread out, masks were on and everyone could be happy. However, social distancing disappeared at Globe Life Field on Monday. Fans were shoulder-to-shoulder, masks were off and even though it seemed like they were having a good time, maybe they won’t be here soon. Even Dr. Philip Huang, director of health and human services in neighboring Dallas County, believes it was too early for large gatherings such as the one on Monday. Now, I understand people are wanting to go back to their normal lives. With 19.2 percent of the U.S. population vaccinated — 63 million — it’s safe to say things will start to go back to normal soon enough, but that doesn’t mean we should right now. Sports leagues and teams should take action — and some are. The NBA is limiting fans. Other MLB teams, too. The NHL even has restrictions.
With what happened in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, no one should follow what the Rangers did — not until we as a society know we are in the clear. The Rangers are only doing this for a few games and will dial back attendance in the near future, but the damage could have already been done because all it can take is one person to ruin the fun in the Petri dish-setting it was. And I expect cases to rise as a result. When it comes to local sports, Kansas State was spoiled with fans at sporting events, from football to basketball. Even volleyball had attendees. So when it comes to next season, I expect capacity to be higher — but how much higher should it be? That depends on how many people are vaccinated. It’s an answer that will have to wait — but expect Bill Synder Family stadium to be full again, or nearly full in the fall.
Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The K-State football student section, adorned with masks, clap along to the Pride of Wildcat Land band in the fall. K-State was one of the few schools in the fall to allow for fans inside their football stadium But for now, here’s your daily reminder to wear your mask, follow health and safety protocols and get the vaccine if you can, because in the long run, it will allow for all of us to gather in stadiums once again.
Marshall Sunner is the Collegian’s assistant sports editor and 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.
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Blossoming into freshman star, leadership is in line for Aliyah Carter
friday, april 9, 2021
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Freshman outside hitter Aliyah Carter prepares for No. 1 Texas to serve the ball in K-State’s 3-0 loss to the Longhorns at Bramlage Coliseum on Oct. 17, 2020.
MARSHALL SUNNER assistant sports editor
In eighth grade, reality started to kick in for Aliyah Carter, who’s now a freshman with the Kansas State volleyball team. Just one year after getting started in club volleyball, she received her first college scholarship. It was the exact moment that Carter knew she was talented — and talented enough to play the sport at a high level. “Around seventh grade is when I really started enjoying volleyball,” Carter said. “I decided to go into club and just be more competitive. I just wanted to play to the best of my ability with that competitive style. In eighth grade, I got my first scholarship for college and that’s when I realized I’m kind of good at this sport and I can help myself in the long run by continuing to play volleyball and excelling at it.” Carter knew if she wanted to succeed at the next level, she needed to devote herself to getting better athletically.
In high school, Carter came to a crossroads. Growing up as a soccer fanatic, her original plans were to play soccer instead of participating in track and field. But she knew track was the best option for future endeavors. “In high school, I actually wanted to play soccer,” she said. “I had to decide between track and soccer — and I knew track was going to make me more athletic on the volleyball court. I think it helped me improve with my jumping ability — I think I can jump higher because I did track. I’m more explosive and faster because of it too. Overall, it just made me a better athlete.” Much like the narrative she is writing for herself at Kansas State — one where she excels at what she puts her mind to — Carter excelled in track. She claimed Iowa state titles in the long jump and placed in the high jump. Her performances — which also include two straight 4A state titles in volleyball — made her one of
three finalists for the 2019 All-Female Iowa Athlete of the Year Award which honors the top multi-sport female athletes in the state. With accomplishments following her to Manhattan, Carter graduated high school ahead of schedule to join the Wildcats early — prior to the fall season in 2020. Her determination was to learn the system and find out a way to get on the court as a freshman. She wanted to help the team — no matter the role — from the start. “I knew that coming in that I wanted to be on the court — whether that be if I’m playing three rotations, six rotations or just as a serving specialist,” Carter said. “I wanted to help my team any way I could. … I have high expectations for myself so I can’t say that I knew I was going to play, but I knew I was going to hold myself accountable to be the best that I could possibly be.” see page
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From the start, it was evident Carter has talent — recording five-straight double-digit kill games to start the season, including a freshman record 26 kill game against nationally-ranked Texas in that fifth game. She was able to do all of this standing at 5-foot-9, which is shorter than the average 6-foot-1 outside hitter. All of the hard work Cater put in during her freshman year and prior paid off,
as she was recently honored as the Big 12 freshman of the year. Cater also helped lead K-State to its best Big 12 Conference finish — third place — since 2008 in the fall — but she knew she could still get better. From the outside, fans saw her as a dominant offensive player at the net. She knew she was more than just that. “Ever since I started playing the three rotations, I wanted to play the six rotations,” Carter said. “Suzie [Fritz] and I always talk about what goals I have and one of those — from the start of me
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being at K-State — was to eventually become a six rotation player. I wanted to do it as soon as possible, but also make sure I was ready for it.” In the spring portion of the team’s schedule, she became a six rotation player. In a ranked match-up with Creighton in mid-March, Carter recorded her first double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. Head coach Suzie Fritz is pleased with the evolution of her star freshman. “I think the thing I am most pleased with is how Aliyah’s all-around game is coming along,” Fritz said earlier
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this season. “This spring, we have started to ask more of her, as in her responsibilities. … In her case, every time she has an opportunity to grow, we see her evolving as a volleyball player.” Fritz also described Carter as fearless — something that goes back to the competitiveness trait she developed as a kid. “She’s fearless. That might be the thing I like about her most,” Fritz said. “She’s done a nice job of competing — she doesn’t back down from a challenge. She’ll make a mistake, but she’ll come back and do something pro-
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ductive with the next one. That’s showing some nice maturity on her part.” Carter finished the season as the team leader in kills (325) and points (353.5). She also tallied 86 digs, 35 block assists and five solo blocks. Her five Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors tie Wildcat great Kylee Zumach for the most in a single season in program history, while her six total weekly awards are the most by any K-State player in the Big 12 era. Moving forward, Carter knows her evolution as a player, and this team isn’t done yet, saying, “It can only go up
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from here.” For her, the next step is taking on a leadership role, even though she’s only going into her sophomore year. It’s a goal she’s set out for herself from the moment she stepped onto campus. “I think that’s my biggest goal for me on this team is to be a leader,” Carter said. “Be someone people can look to for help — off and on the court. Like I said, I hold high expectations for myself. I don’t see it as, ‘Just because I’m a sophomore I have to look up to other people.’ Even though I do look up to other people on the team. I just hope that people can look up to me, too.”
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In My Own Words: Surviving attempts at character assassination VEDANT D. KULKARNI staff writer
Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.” No matter how hard one works, it is their character that speaks volumes. Whether one treats others right or not is how they build their character. When I first came to Kansas State, I knew nobody. I knew that I had to build relationships in this new country and create my image and reputation. I worked hard and long for it — I went out, spoke to people, participated in various activities and worked hard to build myself a positive reputation and character. However, I soon realized that when you try to be an outgoing and friendly person, people tend to grow envious of your personality, which can
lead to burning bridges. During my time at K-State, I built numerous great relationships with many Wildcats, including administrators, alumni, faculty, staff and even members of the Manhattan community. I also witnessed a growing number of assassination attempts of character throughout my college journey, and I faced things that I wish and pray no other students anywhere have to face, including neo-Nazis. While I expected backlash on my views on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging — as I am extremely vocal and open about them — I was not prepared for these social media trolls attacking me, creating fake accounts under my name, hijacking zoom sessions to deface me and overall using their popularity to threaten my reputation. I had no idea what to do. The threats I received were new to me and resulted in plenty of mental health issues. These people were using my name and identity to
spread hatred and tried their best to murder my character. The joke’s on them — because people know who I am and what I stand for. The second character assissination attempt came from members of the K-State administration. A few months ago, I wrote an article about how the K-State administration needs to do a better job addressing racism, where I was critical of the lack of transparency within the K-State administration. When I was in a meeting about the student code of conduct just a few days later, one person from the administration very subtly went on to lambast my piece in front of everyone present. They talked about how offended they were to read articles in the Collegian being critical of how the administration functioned. All of the members in that meeting knew what article they were talking about and who wrote it.
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I felt embarrassed to be there. All I did was use my First Amendment right — the same right that the aforementioned neo-Nazi trolls use to berate people — to be critical of certain administrative processes. Rather than meeting with me to discuss further, this member of the administration thought it would be a good idea to insult me in front of everyone. The third attempt was from fellow Wildcats I have never met. I recently ran for K-State Student Body President and found out halfway into the campaign season that I was being slandered on social media. Running a political campaign is difficult, even as a student, and I knew I would face challenges and backlashes. As it happens, the president of an independent student organization within the panhellenic council made a Snapchat video berating me and asking their followers not to vote for me because I am allegedly “anti-Greek life.” While I acknowledge that I have been critical of some aspects of Greek life
at K-State, I never said they should not exist. Greek life is one of the most important parts of college campuses and they work hard to make the university better. It seems this person, who I have never met during my time at K-State, was unnecessarily impacted by my critique and therefore thought it was a good idea to slander me publicly. These incidents have been my closest encounters with attempts at character assassination. I cannot stress this enough, but I truly hope no one else has to undergo what I went through. Such attempts badly affect a person’s mental health and cause them immense pain. To the individuals who made these attempts against me, I truly hoped you would have reached out to me to meet up and talk our differences out. In such circumstances, I would have accepted whatever you thought of my personality wholeheartedly. However, going behind somebody’s back and trying to damage their reputation is incorrect. Nevertheless, I want all wildcats and everyone reading this article to know that if you are a dynamic, successful
individual, a born leader, highly charismatic, popular, attractive — or all of these things — then at some point, you are guaranteed to be the target of character assassination. This could be because these people are jealous, envious, angry at you or they are just devious in nature. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, remember first to breathe, ignore such people and focus on your life’s positives. Reach out to your friends and family who are always there to support you, because they know who you truly are! Continue doing what you do and ignore these negativities in your life. The people doing negative things do not deserve an inch of space in your mind. Vedant Deepak Kulkarni is a Collegian contributor and a senior in management information systems and 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.