Š 2019 collegian media group
T H E I N D E P E N D E N T V O I C E F O R K A N S A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
FOLKS BEHIND THE FOURTH Meet the people who make your fiery Fourth possible on page 4
vol. 124, issue 92
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kstatecollegian.com
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Buttery or bland: Student’s research focuses on potatoes
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Local tattoo artists bring personality to their work
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Only new K-Staters must complete ASAP this year
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wednesday, July 3, 2019
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EDITORIAL BOARD Rachel Hogan Editor-in-Chief Dené Dryden Copy Chief Leah Zimmerli Community Editor
Olivia Bergmeier Multimedia Editor Rebecca Vrbas Culture Editor Assistant News Editor
Monica Diaz Social Media Editors Gabby Farris Design Chief
ON THE COVER
The Mission of the Collegian Media Group is to use best practices of journalism to cover and document life at Kansas State University from a diverse set of voices to inform and engage the K-State community. The Collegian welcomes your letters. We reserve the right to edit submitted letters for length and style. A letter intended for publication should be no longer than 600 words and must be relevant to the student body of K-State. It must include the author’s first and last name, year in school and major. If you are a graduate of K-State, the letter should include your year(s) of graduation and must include the city and state where you live. For a letter to be considered, it must include a phone number where you can be contacted. The number will not be published. Letters can be sent to letters@ kstatecollegian.com or submitted through an online form at kstatecollegian.com. Letters may be rejected if they contain abusive content, lack timeliness, contain vulgarity, profanity or falsehood, promote personal and commercial announcements, repeat comments of letters printed in other issues or contain attachments. The Collegian does not publish open letters, third-party letters or letters that have been sent to other publications or people.
CORRECTIONS If you see something that should be corrected, call editor-in-chief Rachel Hogan at 785-370-6356 or email news@kstatecollegian.com.
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Wednesday
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Bikers Against Child Abuse Manhattan Native Stone Chapter president, Snuffy (left), and chapter security Mikey P. (right) stand with their bikes outside of their yearly firework stand on Third Street on July 2. Seventeen different businesses and organizations sold fireworks this year in the hopes of big sales for their year-round expenses.
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What makes a good potato? A grad student finds answers in research DENE DRYDEN
THE COLLEGIAN
Have you ever heard a person describe their baked potato or French fries as "woody?" What about "fun-looking" or "worthy of a Sunday dinner?" Chetan Sharma has heard these descriptors for potatoes, but they are more than words to him — they're part of his research. Sharma, graduate student in human nutrition at Kansas State's Olathe campus, is looking at sensory analysis research to see what qualities, like taste and texture, people enjoy in various types of potatoes. "The research question for the study was to explore the 'liking' behavior among consumers for potatoes and
to profile the sensory aspects of potatoes," Sharma said. The goal of this research is to further define how consumers perceive different potatoes, as terms such as "like" and "dislike" are vague and don't help the producer much, Sharma said. The research — conducted with Sharma's supervising professor Martin Talavera, assistant professor of sensory analysis and consumer behavior — involved two phases. The first: acquiring many, many kinds of potatoes. "We collected ... 55 varieties from Colorado and Oregon, then we had a descriptive study in Manhattan," Sharma said. During this process, Sharma and Talavera decided that the best presentations for consumers to test the dif-
ferent potatoes were raw and mashed. Then, they compiled a lexicon of more than 50 terms that could describe a potato's taste, smell, texture or appearance. "Some potatoes have a cauliflower taste ... some of them have a bean-y, like cooked beans, kind of taste," Sharma said. "Based on the findings in the first phase, we selected the most diverse potatoes, like that have a very unique or very diversified kind of aroma or flavor." The second phase involved hearing what consumers had to say about the 12 types of potatoes that Sharma and Talavera selected. One hundred people from K-State Olathe participated in the study in which Sharma and Talavera used two methods to ask their potato testers for feedback: open-ended
questions and closed questions. "We compare these two methods as well as a 'liking' pattern of the consumers," Sharma said. Many different words were used by the participants when they shared their thoughts; some terms were vague, like "fresh, good, bad, disgusting, excellent," Sharma said. But some were more colorful. "Some of the potatoes have a very bright yellow color," Sharma said. "They mentioned it [was] like mango." Other descriptors that Sharma recalls from the study include buttery, chalky, comfort, fragrant, pungent, chemical, strange and green. While Sharma is still interpreting the data in prepa-
ration for his doctoral dissertation defense later this summer, he said consumers preferred light-colored potatoes with russets being the most liked variety, followed by Yukon gold. Research in the field of sensory analysis and consumer behavior help crop producers, food scientists and others involved in the agriculture industry understand what people do and don't like to eat and why. Questions like "Why does wine taste better in a wine glass?" fascinate Sharma, he said. It's a field of research Sharma found along the way during his post-secondary education, where he earned a master's degree in food science from Punjab Agricultural University in India. Sensory science is "very interrelated with some other
fields," Sharma said. "Many new methods from others are coming up," Sharma said. "And ... psychology has a big role in sensory science; statistics have a big role. Food science and food chemistry information is very critical." Studying why people like certain foods (potatoes included) involves a mix of different disciplines and ways of thinking. Sharma said that's why he likes it. "I recently learned that the language you speak, it has a huge role in your behavior," Sharma said. "So if you have a question like 'Why am I eating this?' ... it might be because of your language. So these are the things that fascinate me, and sensory science, it's an excellent field if you have these kinds of questions."
Wet spring weather delays accessible viewpoint construction on Bluemont Hill RACHEL HOGAN THE COLLEGIAN
This spring's rain has delayed plans to make the scenic outlook on Bluemont Hill, more commonly known as Manhattan Hill, more accessible. The project consisted of adding a handicap accessible viewpoint platform above the current outlook, and was originally planned to begin last fall and wrap up before the end of 2018. It was delayed due to contracting, Kitty Pursley, secretary of the Manhattan Kiwanis Club, said in an emailed statement. "We expected to get through the process earlier than we did and since contracts were not signed until (I believe October), we were already getting into the fall and thought it would be easier to start in the spring," Pursley said.
However, recent weather has further delayed the planned construction. "The wet springtime weather delayed the Bluemont Hill Overlook Project," Wyatt Thompson, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, said in an email. "D&R Construction is now set to begin work in August. Work should take 30-45 days. I anticipate the Kiwanis Club and Manhattan Parks and Recreation will host a ribbon cutting event to officially open the viewing platform once the work is complete." The viewpoint project also serves as commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Kiwanis International, which was founded in 1915. The local chapter built the iconic Manhattan sign on the side of Bluemont Hill in 1927, and has maintained it ever since, cleaning and whitewashing the letters twice each year.
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Sunset falls over Bluemont Hill, commonly known as Manhattan Hill, on Tuesday, July 2. Construction will begin on a handicap accessible viewpoint in August 2019.
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Derby Dining Center renovations aim to improve dining experience, community space
Firework stands: More than just sparks and puffs of smoke OLIVIA BERGMEIER THE COLLEGIAN
Julian Naber | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP The renovations in Derby Dining Center will not get rid of the long community tables. “We really listened to the students, and they said they love those tables,” said Derek Jackson, director of Housing and Dining Services and associate vice president of student life.
EMMA WITTER
THE COLLEGIAN
Renovations to Derby Dining Center began this summer and are scheduled to continue into the school year. “The Derb,” as many students call it, opened 1965. Since then, it has received only minor tweaks and changes. Derek Jackson, associate vice president for student life and director of Housing and Dining Services, said this project is its first real renovation. The goal, Jackson said, is to create continuity between dining centers on campus. Kramer Dining Center is the model for the project in terms of open space, natural light and food prepared in front of guests. Jackson said students will experience a different kind of service from Derby's "cafeteria-style"
feel and have more of a hand in how their food is prepared as well as increased opportunities to build relationships with staff. "We have a lot of friendly people who enjoy what they do on behalf of students, so let's bring them forward and let them be part of the team," Jackson said. Derby will keep its long communal tables used by many students for dinners with their residence hall floors. "We really listened to the students, and they said they love those tables," Jackson said. Overall, Jackson said the renovated Derby will be an open and inviting space for students to spend their time in community with one another. The first floor will also be updated in hopes of encouraging students to spend more time in Derby, even when they're not eating.The plans include higher ceilings, large windows and
the addition of study rooms and co-working spaces for students. One concern of students living in the Derby Complex in the past has been the inconvenience of multiple staircase entryways all feeding directly into a different food line. Students essentially have to decide what they're going to eat before entering the dining center, and the line system often causes traffic issues for students trying to get around. The renovation will include the closing of each individual entrance and open a new, main stairway that Jackson said will lead students into an open space where they can then choose what line to get in. Andrew Kofoid, sophomore in business administration, will be returning to live in the Derby Complex for his second year this fall. He said Derby featured "lots of options and nice open seating for large groups."
Kofoid said his one qualm was the lack of a bathroom. "One of the biggest complaints since the building was built was that there were no bathrooms," Jackson said. "Yes, we'll have bathrooms up there in the seating area with this renovation." Behind the scenes, Derby will undergo safety and mechanical updates that Jackson said will improve the often unstable temperatures of the complex as well as the overall environment. Renovations are scheduled to be completed in two sections, one in August 2020 and the other in December of 2020. Derby Dining Center will continue to serve students as renovations occur throughout the upcoming school year. According to a statement made by Housing and Dining Services, the department will work closely with students to minimize inconvenience.
Manhattan has no shortage of pyrotechnics this week. Currently, Manhattan is home to 17 firework stands, each filled with mountains of fireworks ranging from smoke bombs to artillery shells in advance of Independence Day. Some of those stands are for-profit, some are for school fundraisers and some are for charities for the betterment of the community — all have their reasons for selling fireworks during the holiday season. Brandon Ratzloff and his mother Sandy Ratzloff started their family business, Celebration Fireworks, 12 years ago. Brandon became interested in fireworks when he took on the job of manning a firework stand for the first time after returning to Kansas from a Disney internship in Florida. “I love fireworks, and the whole idea was near and dear to my heart, [so] I found an ad in a newspaper to run a local
tent,” Brandon said. “After a couple of years of trying that I asked myself, ‘Why don’t we take this on?’” Over time, Brandon and his mother expanded their business and now have multiple locations in and outside of Manhattan, but they started right in the Little Apple. This year, the Celebration Fireworks stand on the corner of Kimball Avenues and Tuttle Creek Boulevard is run by a local family. Joe Heckman said it began as a fundraiser four years ago, but now it is a good way for his kids to make some pocket change. His family started working firework stands for fundraising in their church community, but since a friend of Heckman stopped working the Celebration Fireworks stand on the same corner, he took it over this year with the help from his children.
see page 5, “FIREWORKS”
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Owner of Celebration Fireworks Brandon Ratzloff and associate Diana Guercio stand in their main tent where Ratzloff and his mom personally run the stand. Seventeen different businesses and organizations sold fireworks this year in the hopes of big sales for their year-round expenses.
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Tattoo culture offers unique opportunity for artistic expression OLIVIA BERGMEIER THE COLLEGIAN
Tattooing is a popular body modification that requires a special level of trust and communication with one's tattoo artist. Whether rooted in religious tradition or pure self-expression, tattoo culture has grown steadily, and is now a mainstream practice in western society. The art of tattooing grew from service-based history for sailors and military members to a community that traverses professions, filled with artists who push the boundary of
what can be designed on a human canvas. Getting tattooed is considered by many artists a form of connection and artistry, where two people come together to create one-of-a-kind piece art, achieved through communication. Rarely do tattoo clients walk into a shop and pick a piece off the wall or from a "flash," a board with multiple tattoo designs on it. Today, it is more common for individuals to enter a tattoo shop and talk to an artist about what they want. "I think that instead of leading someone on the path, that we are there to kind of
walk beside them," said Matt Goss, artist at Syndicate Tattoo in downtown Manhattan. "Instead of leading, we're with them." Using both the ideas of the client and the artistic talents of the artist can make for a great tattoo, but not every artist can do every sort of style or image, said Cody Bader, artist at Black Mammoth Tattoo. "A lot of times I think people sometimes can have expectations that all artists are the same," Bader said. "It's going to look different from whatever artist does it because they all have their own styles."
Marcus Van Royse of Mash Up Gallery, another local tattoo shop, said something similar: "We're all artists, and we all do things just slightly different. Every tattoo shop is going to be slightly different ... And it's trying to create their image in the best way that we know how to translate that into our type of artistic style." Bader also said it's important for artists to keep in mind the permanence of their work. "[We] just have to remember that, it's a big deal to each person, even if it's small tattoo," Bader said. "We might forget that we did a week from now, but it'll be with that person for the rest of their lives." Olivia Bergmeier COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Marcus Van Royse chats with guests in the main entrance of the Mashup Gallery shop in Aggieville.
FIREWORKS continued from page
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Cody Bader at Black Mammoth Tattoo focuses in on his work for a client. Bader has been tattooing for more than ten years and has worked at multiple shops in Manhattan.
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Heckman’s daughter, Christina Heckman, works the cash register while his other children would help out around the stand during the week of Fourth of July. Another firework stand in Manhattan is the Bikers Against Child Abuse fundraiser stand on Third Street, where Manhattan’s Native Stone chapter use the pyro-filled holiday to fund their chapter activities year-round.
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BACA chapter president Snuffy and chapter security Mikey P. have helped run the stand with the rest of the 33-member chapter for the last four years. Snuffy and Mikey P. talked about the mission behind BACA and how it provies a safe space for children experiencing violence and or abuse. Snuffy said was previously enlisted to the military, and once he returned to civilian life, he wanted an organization to ride with. He then saw a picture of one of his friends in a leather vest, or a “cut,” and asked him what organization he was involved in. His friend then told him about BACA. “[He asked] who do you ride with?” Snuffy said. “And he said, ‘I ride with BACA,’ and I said, ‘Who’s BACA?’ And he told me to watch this 14-minute video. I did, and as soon as I did, I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do and who I wanted to ride with.” The fireworks stand operated by the Native Stone chapter generates funds for chapter operations and the funds necessary for the children involved in the Manhattan chapter. “We have a lot of returning customers and a lot of folks that are here to support the cause, and they’re coming back [because] they know what 100 percent of their money goes to,” Snuffy said. “It all goes back to the kids.” Fireworks began selling in Manhattan on Monday and will conclude at midnight on the Fourth of July, but elsewhere Riley County, sales are permitted to continue until midnight next Tuesday.
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Think about this: Alcohol, sexual assault prevention training required for new students only RACHEL HOGAN THE COLLEGIAN
The requirements for the online Alcohol and Sexual Assault Prevention (ASAP) training have been altered, only requiring new students to complete the modules as opposed to all students. The ASAP webpage on
made by a work group headed by the Office of Student Life. It also comes during the last year of K-State's contract with the provider of the "Think About It" series used in the ASAP Training, Campus Clarity. In the year since the work group was created, its members — which include representatives from Student Life, the Global
“Repetition has a place, but we don’t want to push that. We want to create new options that will reinforce change where you are in that stage of development. Jean DeDonder
director of alcohol and other drug education at Lafene Health Center Lafene Health Center's website was updated on June 26 to reflect that change. "Instead of having the students do it every year, which you know is not well accepted, and in order to meet the requirements and at least attempt to provide some standard educational concepts to all new students at K-State regardless of age, online, off-line, the revised 2019 policy now requires only new students to k-state complete the web-based alcohol and sexual assault prevent program,” said Jean DeDonder, director of alcohol and other drug education at Lafene Health Center. The recommendation was
Campus, Student Governing Association — have also looked at potential replacements for the "Think About It" modules. There was some hope, DeDonder said, to have a new program in place for this summer, but financial factors and contracts prevented it. “The one thing that is the biggest roadblock would be the cost and how different departments would split it up,” said Lane Lundeen, former SGA health and wellness director and junior in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology. However, the work group will continue to look at options "to try to determine based upon
dwindling fiscal resources, as well as our commitment to improve programming, what the best fit is,” DeDonder said. A committee within the work group spent the last year looking into other programs which could replace the "Think About It" modules of the ASAP Training, which are powered by Campus Clarity, a company that was recently bought out by EverFi, Inc., an educational technology company. Lundeen said the committee looked at programs on the market, potential changes and how to meet the needs of different groups on campus, including non-traditional students, LGBT+ students and students whose primary language may not be English. While a future replacement remains to be seen, the work group has put in effort to address students' issues with ASAP training including the limits of an online-online education and the repetition from year to year. Requiring completed training of new students only solves the latter issue while simultaneously fulfilling federal requirements related to Title IX, Clery Act, drug abuse and sexual heath education. “Repetition has a place, but we don’t want to push that," DeDonder said. "We want to create new options that will reinforce change where you are in that stage of development. So when you came as a freshman, you are different than as you are now. Not to single out freshmen, but as you go through the life experiences of college, what worked at the beginning isn’t necessarily — or shouldn’t be — the same at the end.” Paige Eichkorn, president of Wildcats Against Sexual Violence and senior in mass communications, said another issue with the current ASAP Training is it's position of online-only education. "The main concern is that it is just online," Eichkorn said. "It's not productive or educational in the way we would like it to be ... We really want something interactive." Part of this may be ad-
dressed through other educational endeavors from Lafene which focus on behavior and education that is more individualized. “Nobody has the perfect solution, so we try different strategies," DeDonder said. "Education is the cornerstone of any public health program. That’s just a given. However, education in and of itself doesn’t necessarily change behavior.” These efforts include brief screenings of patients who seek care at Lafene, additional screening with a program called eCheckup To Go, the 21st Birthday Project and presentations. When a patient receives care at Lafene, providers ask three questions to gain insight into the patient's alcohol use to distinguish whether their behavior is low-risk, harmful or dependent. If a provider is concerned by the self-reported behaviors, the patient may be referred to Jessi Blasi, Alcohol and Other Drug Education Director, who is also a licensed masters addiction counselor. Blasi is also qualified to give presentations tailored to different groups like fraternities and sororities. "I also think that ASAP is sort of the starter course," Blasi said. "Then, we start to build onto the program and help the students be more aware of the prevention piece." eCheckup To Go is another online option that is free for students to gain insight into their relationship with alcohol and how it might be affected by genetics and family history. The 21st Birthday Project, launched last August, sends an email invitation to students ahead of their 21st birthday to attend a brief educational session on responsible alcohol use and receive a "celebration coupon book." “We really do ultimately want students to succeed, and if there’s alcohol, substance use, or traumatic events, it’s going to affect dramatically the person’s academic life, personal life, the whole component," DeDonder said. "Prevention would be great, but we’re also here when those situations might occur.”
OPINION: What K-State can do better in the next evolution of the ASAP program DENE DRYDEN
THE COLLEGIAN
This academic year may be the last year for Kansas State’s Alcohol & Sexual Assault Prevention Program as I know it. As a rising senior, a student since 2016, I’ve had to take the ASAP training module three times, and the content of the training has stayed mostly the same throughout that time. Change may be in store for the 2020-21 school year; K-State will possibly transition to a another program, changing from the Campus Clarity “Think About It” program to a different course by EverFi, which recently bought out Campus Clarity. In this transitory period coming up, I want to share my takeaways from my experiences with the ASAP program. The rule that only first-time K-State students have to complete ASAP one time only was just implemented for this coming school
year, so I have not experienced ASAP this year. However, I noticed some areas for improvement in my three times through, when it was mandatory for all students every year. Here are the concepts that should stay or should be nixed when K-State considers its next ASAP program.
TO CHANGE: THE CONSENT VIDEO
In the sexual assault portion of “Think About It,” the training prompts the user to watch a video that explains different scenarios when consent isn’t or cannot be given. A person’s phone takes the place of sexual consent — the woman in the video encounters different situations in which she tries to borrow someone’s phone, with some people consenting and others not.
see page 8, “ASAP”
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Campus police activity: June 25 - July 1 COMPILED BY RACHEL HOGAN
THE COLLEGIAN
Tuesday, June 25 Incident: Hit and run Location: 1800 Olympic Dr. Time: 7:49 p.m. Disposition: Investigation complete, citation issued Wednesday, June 26 No incidents reported. Thursday, June 27 No incidents reported. Friday, June 28 Incident: two vehicle, non-in-
jury accident Location: Jardine Drive and Denison Avenue Time: 11:57 a.m. Disposition: Investigation complete, no citation issued
… and buy a piano …
Saturday, June 29 No incidents reported. Sunday, June 30 No incidents reported. Monday, July 1 No incident reported released as of July 2. Compiled from K-State Police's daily incident log.
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same working at Target. You are managing a lot of people all while learning the behind the scenes of Target. Before this summer I’ve never worked retail before. There is so much more to shopping at Target than anyone can imagine. I love getting the opportunity to go into the store everyday and learn and show my co-workers new ideas on improving target.”
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ASAP continued from page
6
I get that there’s way more to consent than just “yes” or “no,” and the video tries to explain that (you can’t give consent while drunk, consent comes with conditions, consent can be revoked and so on). But likening a person’s will to consent or not to a physical object like a phone is not only patronizing to the viewer, but also makes it feel impersonal.
about boundaries while sitting on the edge of a bed would be infinitesimally better than pretending our bodies and our rights are equivalent to phones.
TO KEEP: THE ONETIME-ONLY NATURE OF THE TRAINING
Though this means I’m not able to click through the ASAP program to verify my likes and dislikes this year, I’m glad students are no longer required to complete the ASAP training every year. Beginning this sum-
For new students ... the information in ASAP is valuable. For returning students, completing the program again is an annoyance. The students completing this program are adults. The program shouldn’t beat around the bush; students should be shown clear examples of how to ask for and evaluate a sexual partner’s choice to give or not give consent. Include the nuances of conversation. Show real people having real communication — nothing too risque, of course, but a scene where two sexual partners talk
mer, it’s only mandatory for new K-State students. As a senior, that’s such a relief, and I hope this policy stays through the implementation of a new program. Especially since the ASAP training hardly changed during my time as a student here, having to complete the program again as an upperclassman made me feel that I was not trusted enough to make good,
reasonable decisions for myself. For new students — particularly ones who just got out of high school — the information in ASAP is valuable. For returning students, completing the program again is an annoyance. I’m glad K-State’s on the right track to have students complete ASAP just once, and then students can seek guidance from other campus resources if they have more questions or need help.
TO CHANGE: BRING BACK THE ALCOHOL BY VOLUME CALCULATOR
I really hope I didn’t dream this up, but one of the modules within the “Think About It” program did change between my freshman year (2016) and my sophomore and junior years. I recall during the alcohol portion of the program, the user could input information into an alcohol by volume calculator to show how different factors influence how alcohol will affect them; the calculator considered how many drinks were consumed in an hour plus the person’s sex and body mass and showed the approximate ABV for those factors. The calculator demonstrated what counts as one drink when you compare a bottle of beer to a cocktail. It gave users the opportunity to learn the parameters of pacing and responsible drinking for themselves. I learned with that calculator what would probably be my maximum rate of alcoholic drinks per hour before going too far, and that’s knowledge from freshman year that I’ve implemented since turning 21 several months ago. I hope the next ASAP program includes an ABV calculator. It’s a great interactive tool to help
students learn pacing and setting limits when drinking.
TO KEEP: LINKS TO LAWS AND RESOURCES
As someone who actually does read contracts sometimes, I appreciate all the links to Kansas law regarding alcohol consumption and sexual assault/harassment in the ASAP program. Students need to know how these laws affect them and how they can navigate themselves to different legal resources if need be, like in the instance of reporting sexual assault or handling a minor in consumption charge. Understanding the law can empower us to use our rights, especially when it comes to sexual abuse and harassment. Everyone deserves the right to be free from mistreatment like that, and if that right is infringed upon, it’s crucial to know how to best care for yourself and seek justice through avenues like reporting the crime and accessing therapy when needed.
TO CHANGE: THE GRAY AREA WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT
This portion of the column details a sexual assault scenario presented in “Think About It.” The most frustrating aspect about the current ASAP program so far is how the sexual assault vignette is handled. I will caution that since I can’t take the training this year, I can’t go too far into specifics. However, I do know that the vignette that involves a man and a woman meeting at a house party that later leads to the man raping the woman was dis-
tressing to me for reasons beyond the subject matter. The vignette follows the perspective of both the man and woman in the situation. The woman was too drunk to consent to any sexual acts and falls asleep at the man’s residence. She wakes up without clothes and does not remember what happened, but discloses to a friend that she believes she was assaulted. In another scene, the man talks with a friend about that night and how he and the woman hooked up. Hearing details, the friend expresses concern that the man might have committed assault. I know this program is designed with sensitivity as to not remind users about sexual trauma they might have faced in their lives. However, it is ridiculous how well the man in that scenario is treated. He violated somebody but it’s brushed off on his part as a mistake. Though the vignette does troubleshoot some aspects that could have prevented the situation (such as a bystander at the party stepping in), it is so clear that the man did in fact understand that the woman he took home was too drunk to talk coherently, let alone consent to sex. The vignette portrays a man knowingly assaulting another person and getting away with it. And I fail to see how that is helpful. If we truly want to combat sexual assault and harassment, we can’t just rely on helpful bystanders and self-defense methods. We need to actively shame people who knowingly commit rape and assault, who know full well they did not or could not
get consent from the other party. The ASAP module fails at this by treating what the man did as some mistake on his part. It’s handled well for the woman, whose friend helps her consider her options with reporting and counseling. But for the guy? He’s back to his own life, moving on. And that’s the sad truth about assault: too many perpetrators of rape and sexual assault continue with their lives without repercussion, often without guilt of that incident. The next ASAP program needs to be proactive in shaming the perpetrator and calling out the patriarchal systems built into our society that keep victims from reporting these crimes and keep perpetrators from feeling the guilt of their harmful, inexcusable actions.
IN CONCLUSION
All in all, the ASAP training does a lot of things right, and it covers topics that are important for college students to be aware of and critically consider when it comes to their own lives. But with a new program potentially coming for the 2020-21 academic year, there are some aspects that should carry over to the new K-State class, and some things definitely need improvement. Dene Dryden is a senior in English and copy editor for the Collegian. 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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