K A N S A S
S TAT E vol. 126, issue 04 friday, aug. 28, 2020
kstatecollegian.com
I N TH E D OR MS
Some students say they want more guidance on campus COVID-19 rules TIFFANY DULL-HUTTIS staff writer
In the second week of the fall semester, COVID-19 news and regulations on Kansas State's campus remain in flux. Under university guidelines, masks must be worn on campus by faculty, professors and students at all times while also maintaining social distancing. These measures are simple in the classroom-setting, students say, but get more complicated when it comes to living on campus. Jacob Cummings, senior in social sciences, said it's "impossible to social distance” while sharing a dorm with his roommate. In addition to confusion with social distancing policies, Cummings said the mask orders in the dorms are problematic. “There are some things we can do, like take out the trash without a mask, use the restroom without a mask,” Cummings said. “We should be able to take a shower without a mask.” In other areas on campus, like dining halls, Cummings said rules should be more strict. "Employees should be following the social distancing protocols and enforce the six feet apart rule," he said. While he's unsure whether social distanc-
ing practices are being followed as strongly as they should be, Cummings said he does appreciate other precautions taken by dining halls. “What I do have to praise the dining halls on is their service,” he said. “They pack up the meals in a to-go box, they have one line for entrées, appetizers, drinks and desserts, and after that, we get out since there is no eating at the dining halls." The precautions in place haven't changed Cummings' opinion that K-State would've been better off holding classes fully online this semester, he said. "I wish we would've stayed off-campus in the first place," Cummings said. "Football should be canceled, and we should've had a stay-at-home order." Fiona Turner, sophomore in chemistry, said that while K-State is doing well with enforcing mask-wearing, she also thinks classes should’ve stayed online this fall. “On the surface level, [the university] is doing a good job with mask mandates, social distancing and limiting capacity and hours,” she said. At the same time, Turner said she believes bringing students back to campus at all was irresponsible. "Of course, students want to be back here,
CHANGE ‘It’s not the same’: Marching band plays this season by ear
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Lyft gives SafeRide a second wind for safe, late-night transportation
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Archive Photo by Karen Mikols Bonar | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Life on campus has been complicated by the pandemic, students say. Some seek more clarification, guidance and certainty about rules in on-campus living and other areas of student life. but there's only so much a university can do," she said. "Students will still party, and that's been a big source of spreading the virus.” After an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at a fraternity off-campus, Turner said it's helpful that if one of the dorms gets a positive case, they can stay in quarantine housing in Jardine Apartments. Currently, there are
no guests allowed in the dorms, but Amanda Finch, sophomore in accounting, said that may change in the coming weeks. While she said she appreciates that guests will likely be allowed back into the dorms at the end of August, Finch said she would prefer "if we weren’t allowed guests at all." Keeping guests out of the equation might help "mitigate the spread within the
dorms,” she said. Finch echoed Turner's thoughts that while she would prefer that classes were online, she believes K-State is handling the pandemic well in enforcing the mask ordinance on campus. K-State announced in June that classes will be fully remote after Thanksgiving break. The last day of in-person classes will be Nov. 20.
Electric scooters make their debut in Manhattan as the fall semester begins
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today:
High: 98°F Low: 66°F
saturday: High: 80°F Low: 60°F
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ON THE COVER
FALL EDITORIAL BOARD Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The Kansas State marching band rehearses outside with instrument coverings and face masks. August 27.
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 Bailey Britton at 785-370-6356 or email collegian@kstatecollegian.com The Collegian, a student newspaper at Kansas State University, is published by Collegian Media Group. It is published Mondays and Fridays during the school year and on Wednesdays during the summer. Periodical postage is paid at Manhattan, KS. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 828 Mid-Campus Drive South, Kedzie 103, Manhattan, KS 66506-7167. First copy free, additional copies 25 cents. [USPS 291 020] Š Collegian Media Group, 2020
Bailey Britton Editor-in-Chief
Anna Schmidt Community Editor
Kaylie McLaughlin Managing Editor
Gabby Farris Design Chief
Julie Freijat Deputy Managing Editor Copy Chief
Cameron Bradley Sports Editor
Emma Witter News Editor Sean Schaper Assistant News Editor Rebecca Vrbas Culture Editor Madison Daniel Assistant Culture Editor
Nathan Enserro Assistant Sports Editor Dalton Wainscott Multimedia Editor Dylan Connell Deputy Multimedia Editor
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FA C E LY F T SEAN SCHAPER
staff writer
The Center for Student Involvement announced Tuesday that the campus SafeRide program beginning Thursday is operated by Lyft. This new partnership will provide all students on the Manhattan campus latenight rides within city limits through the Lyft app from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday nights. “We’re launching [the program] off with free rides for students just so we can get the word out and get students excited about it,” Kelli Farris, executive director of the CSI, said. “It’ll probably move to just a discounted ride at some point.” All students enrolled
in classes on the Manhattan campus are eligible to enroll in the program launching at 11 p.m. Thursday. Two emails were sent to students at the Manhattan campus this week, one explaining the program’s parameters and how to request rides using the Lyft app. Wednesday, the second email was sent from Lyft Business with a link inviting students to activate their Lyft Pass, allowing for free rides up to $10 in certain areas. “Students will just go in [to the Lyft app] and accept those invites, create their account connecting their K-State email address and those credits will show up in Lyft,” Farris said. Under COVID-19 regulations, both drivers and the riders are required to wear
masks for the duration of any ride. SafeRide, which is funded by K-State’s campus privilege fee, received a budget cut last year from the Student Governing Association. “Part of the reason why we went through this process was because we would no longer be able to afford aTa Bus with the budget that SGA approved,” Farris said. This change is also in response to a student feedback survey from the fall 2019 semester asking about the program and the former operation provider. “The former system was with Flint Hills aTa Bus, and it had specific routes for SafeRide,” Harris said. “Those routes were different than any of their normal, day-time routes.” Grace Allen, sophomore
in financial management, said the old system was still helpful and easy to use. “I felt safe and got where I was going without any issues,” Allen said. Through the survey, however, many students expressed their frustrations with the program. With that in mind, Lyft was selected as the winning bid of a review process to identify potential operation providers. Farris said while “a lot of students are already utilizing the service anyway,” Lyft was chosen for several reasons beyond just name recognition. “Ease of use, door-todoor service, and flexibility to adjust the program based on the needs of students in real-time,” were among qualities mentioned in the K-State Today newsletter
Lyft gives SafeRide a second wind for safe, late-night transportation announcing the new partnership. An estimated 2,000 students utilized the old system, but with Lyft, the Center of Student Involvement will be able to accurately track every ride a student takes down to the miles and minutes. Data like this is important to show the CSI how it can adjust to students’ needs. For example, students might like the service to start earlier in the night or run later and account for busier weeks like Homecoming and Fake Patty’s Day, Farris said. The next item on the agenda for the Center for Student Involvement is to continue working with Flint Hills aTa Bus and continue to provide wheelchair-accessible rides.
“We’re not sure that there are a ton of independent contractors who have wheelchair-accessible vehicles,” Farris said. “So we want to make sure that the program is offered to all students, even those with mobility challenges.” Since Lyft employees are independent contractors who drive passengers in their personal vehicles, K-State does not need to provide a means of transportation for this service. Farris said that students could even be hired by Lyft as drivers, potentially providing another income opportunity. “Once students learn that they can get a free Lyft ride for like five bucks, they’re probably going to take advantage of it,” Farris said.
‘I kind of hate it’: Online classes account for 34 percent of all offered courses BAILEY BRITTON editor-in-chief
For open option sophomore Jordyn Harris, taking classes at home makes it hard to concentrate. She said she feels stressed in her own home and can’t find time for herself, which can make it difficult to unwind after a long day of Zoom classes and staring at a computer screen. “It makes me want to procrastinate even more,” Harris said. “I kind of hate it, but I would hate getting sick and missing out way more.” This fall, online classes account for 34 percent of all classes at Kansas State and are taken by 45 percent of the total student body enrollment. Harris is enrolled in 15 credit hours. Each of her classes is online. “We have ... close to 1,500 courses that are online,” Brian Niehoff, associate provost of institutional effectiveness, said. “Normally, we have had a percent of classes that were online ... through
Global Campus, so this isn’t just classes that moved to being online this semester. This includes all distance classes, whether they’re from ... Manhattan, out of Salina, Olathe and Global Campus classes, as well as ones that were faceto-face classes originally and they moved to being online.” Hybrid classes are offered at the same frequency as online classes this fall but account for 3 percent less of the enrollment at 42 percent. Fully in-person classes only account for 28 percent of current courses. According to data from the registrar’s office, last fall, nearly 86 percent of classes were offered in person at 4,072 classes. “I think everybody has learned from the last six months of teaching that there are some things that can be done online that add value and contribute to students learning,” Niehoff said. In the early 2000s, Niehoff said he taught classes online. Since then, he said, technology has improved immensely. These improvements help with teaching online, but it remains a challenge
to some. “A lot of our students like all face-to-face, and a lot of our faculty really like teaching face-toface,” Niehoff said. For some students, Niehoff said, online classes may not work based on their learning style. “Back in the early 2000s ... I came to the realization that your students have different learning styles,” he said. “If you’re very visual, if you like to read, online classes are ... not as challenging because that’s sort of in your wheelhouse. But for students who prefer handson activity, it can be hard. It’s a little more difficult.” Still, external factors could affect how students fare in online classes. Apartments act as classrooms, so there isn’t a way for Harris to get away from the stress of school. “I wish there was another way to get around being stressed in my own place, but there is not,” Harris said. Some classes, such as labs and studios or classes in the College of Veterinary Medicine, can be hard to move online based on “the na-
File photo by Rowan Jones | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
In-person classes only account for 28 percent of current courses. Last fall, nearly 85 percent of classes were offered in person at 4,072 classes. ture of the discipline,” Niehoff said. “There’s plenty of others ... which just have a lot of hands-on activity that people have to do,” he said. “Usually, faculty in those areas implement as much face-to-
face time as they can.” Niehoff said K-State offers online training courses for faculty to learn to teach effectively online. Several training sessions were offered over the summer and Niehoff said “there was a good turnout.”
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‘IT ’S NOT T HE S A M E ’ Marching band plays this season by ear CLAIBORN SCHMIDT staff writer
Between breaking into groups, practicing at home and canceling band camp, the Kansas State marching band has been through a lot of changes in the past few months. “It is not the same unless you’re playing ‘Wabash Cannonball’ in the Bill,” Lindsey Verran, sophomore in animal sciences and industry, said. While the band is known for its “family dynamic,” members haven’t been able to meet all together this fall. Some band members have said they haven’t had the chance to become as tight-knit as in past seasons. Ryan Nelson, senior in music education, said though
the band’s identity “hasn’t been formed yet,” members are still excited to help pump up the crowds, players and students this year. During rehearsals, the band splits into instrumental sections around campus to practice while social distancing. Each rehearsal lasts 45 minutes to prevent time exposed to any aerosols that could spread from the instruments, and members are given bell covers to place on their instruments, further preventing the spread of germs. The bell covers are especially important with wind instruments, Brett Broadbent, senior in theatre, said. Broadbent is the section leader for the alto saxophones. “With wind instruments,
you have a cannon of air that could potentially get affected,” Broadbent said. Katie Messerla, senior in mass communications, is an assistant tuba section leader. Messerla made special masks that instrumentalists are able to wear that cover their noses while enabling them to still play their instruments. This fall, the band is dedicating most of its rehearsal time to working on music rather than marching. Broadbent said he is excited for the K-State staff, students and fans to hear the band all together this year due to the improvements and dedication made to the music itself. In previous years, the band would meet two times per week for two hours of class time and only an hour
Climb in new COVID-19 cases steeper than anticipated, health officials say KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN managing editor
The Riley County Health Department reported 68 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing the local total to 674. It's one of the steepest increases in cases documented locally throughout the pandemic. The recent rise in new cases is more than the county was anticipating, Vivienne Uccello, public information officer for the city of Manhattan, said, even with classes restarting on Kansas State's campus. "It's not the direction that we wanted to see in the community," Uccello said. Last week, the positivity rate was greater than 11 percent, but the two-week cumulative percent of positivity remains below the 10 percent threshold still. The majority of the new cases, local health officer Julie
Gibbs said, are in the 18-yearold to 24-year-old age group. "We are not accusing them, we are fighting ... alongside them to keep them healthy and safe," Uccello said. "Nobody's against anyone we want to ... keep you safe and healthy." Most of these newer cases are more mild, but correlate with an increase in gatherings, Andrew Adams, public health emergency preparedness coordinator, said. However, Uccello spoke briefly about a 21-year-old county resident in the hospital for over 30 days after testing positive for COVID-19. She doesn't have any pre-existing conditions, but ultimately had a portion of her lung removed because of virus complications. "Please be mindful of others," Gibbs said. "If you're experiencing any symptoms or you have been in contact with someone who has tested posi-
tive needs to stay home." Currently, one positive patient remains hospitalized at Ascension Via Christi hospital. They are not a Riley County resident and should be able to be discharged from in-patient care soon, Bob Copple, CEO and president of the hospital, said. As cases rise, Copple said there is a possibility hospitalizations could begin to rise as younger people spread the virus to other community members who are of a higher-risk age category. Additionally, 379 of those who previously tested positive are considered to be recovered, leaving 290 active cases in the county. Riley County has documented five COVID-19-related deaths.
To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com
of music time. This semester, meetings focus purely on the music. Band members are still learning to march, but members said they feel the music is the real showcase this year. The band canceled the summer band camp due to COVID-19. To replace in-person camp, directors recorded videos of the music and basic marching steps. Rookies took the time this summer to memorize the music and marching steps online. Payton Lee, freshman in mechanical engineering, said even through videos, listening to band director Frank Tracz was a helpful experience as a new member of the band. Many members of the marching band also expressed their disappointment with the possibility of not being able to
Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The Kansas State marching band rehearses outside with instrument coverings and face masks. August 27. perform as a complete band at football games. Currently, there are no plans for the band to perform on the field, but options for members to be in the stands are being considered. The band has been split into two groups: the silver band and the purple band. The current plan is for these two groups to either alternate games or switch out at half
time. Although the band has not been able to meet as a complete group yet, many members have enjoyed growing closer within their sections. Lee said he is “glad to be part of the marching family” and excited to see where his next years in the marching band will take him.
G N O R T S E T A T S K Times are tough, but advertising doesn’t have to be.
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friday, august 28, 2020
Electric scooters make their debut in Manhattan as the fall semester begins PAIGE EICHKORN staff writer
Kansas State students have a new way to get to classes and around town this semester. In partnership with the university, LINK electric scooters made their debut in the Manhattan community this summer. Superpedestrian, the
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leading micro mobility tech company from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, engineered these scooters. According to the Superpedestrian website, LINK scooters can withstand 10 times the bumps of industry requirements and are able to come to a stop 37 percent faster than competing scooters.
The company also says the wider deck and lower center of gravity of the scooters make them easier to balance and more accessible for a variety of riders. Adrienne Tucker, assistant director of Parking and Transportation Services, works as the liaison between the K-State community and Superpedestrian. One of the main rea-
sons LINK was chosen over other scooter companies, Tucker said, is because each scooter is equipped with a GPS, making it easier to locate lost or broken scooters. At the end of each night, the scooters are collected and cleaned before they’re put back out for riders the next day. To ride, students have to download the LINK app and connect a form of payment. Scooters are $1 to unlock plus 25 cents per minute of use. Evan Lochmiller, operations manager for Superpedestrian, helps respond to any issues that arise for customers. From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Lochmiller said he keeps the “flow maintained” to ensure the daily schedule is on track. “I think the main mes-
sage that we would like to get out is to look for a parking space,” Lochmiller said. “Don’t park [the scooters] on the sidewalks or park them in an actual vehicle parking space.” In addition to parking etiquette, Lochmiller said Superpedestrian also places an emphasis on safety. “We encourage everybody to wear a helmet, just like they would if they’re riding a bicycle,” he said, “and to really respect pedestrians and share the road.” LINK’s safety features are meant to help prevent any accidents. If riders are behaving dangerously or trying to make skid marks, the scooters will shut themselves down. This technology gives the scooter a sense of when it’s being mistreated.
Tucker said LINK scooters are likely to be more successful in Manhattan than Green Apple Bikes since the technology eliminates the threat of stealing. If someone were to keep a scooter in their garage or throw one in a bush, LINK employees would be able to find it immediately. Even with these features, Tucker said LINK’s success isn’t all on the company’s shoulders. “The success of this program at K-State is going to depend upon the riders and how the riders respect the scooters, people around them and the space that they’re occupying, Tucker said. “If the K-State community wants to keep the scooters, they need to ride with safety in mind.
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Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
LINK Scooters have been placed around the Manhattan area to serve the Kansas State University Campus and Manhattan residents. Aug. 27, 2020.
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F R OM S IDE HUS T LE S TO R E A L HUS T LE S Pandemic provides opportunities to move money-making out of the office LEXI GARCIA staff writer
With consumer traffic limited because of COVID-19, many nonessential businesses have either gone bankrupt or seen a large decrease in sales. Throughout the pandemic, many have relied on both DoorDash and Uber for food delivery or getting from point A to point B. Bill Bernard, senior in mass communications, has been driving for Uber for over two years. After a break at the start of the pandemic, Bernard picked his side hustle back up. “I’ve only recently started [driving] again because I
determined that people are taking the safety precautions to actually do things,” he said. So far, Bernard said, business has been steady. “In the one day that I had done it, I got back-toback rides,” he said. Bernard said Uber saw a decline in business over the summer because of the lack of students in Manhattan. “When students aren’t here, there’s really not that many people looking for rides,” he said. “Summers are always going to be hardest, but I would think there’s probably a lot more [business] now because of the fact that people are looking for ways to get around.”
Uber, as well as other ride-sharing programs like Lyft, have strict regulations when it comes to COVID-19. If an Uber driver is sick and transfers the virus to a rider, that employee could be held liable. In addition, food delivery services have seen an increase in business as many restaurants are limiting dine-in seating, “I was talking to a DoorDash guy, and he said that people are ordering often enough where he’s able to make a good income off of it,” Bernard said. But DoorDash and Uber are not the only side hustles people are taking advantage of.
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Kansas State alumnus Joshua Yankoviz works as a digital freelancer. “There’s never been a better time for millennials to invest in the economy, to start their side hustle, to realize their true passion,” Yankovz said. Since so many in-person businesses are turning digital, Yankoviz said he makes more money now than before the pandemic.
“Businesses have had to improve every aspect of their online presence. That’s where I come in,” Yankoviz said. “I help improve media quality, whether it’s getting a website up and running or editing weekly video content. There’s so many jobs that need to be done that the older generations don’t know how to do.” In addition to his freelance media work and part-
time gig at a local restaurant, Yankoviz said he’s also about to start producing a podcast. “If I could give any advice right now, it would be that right now is the best time to make your side hustle your real hustle,” Yankovz said. “Now is the time for people to start monetizing their passion. Whether they love fantasy football or knitting sweaters — now is the time to start.”
Three years after new policy, no incidents on campus related to concealed carry violations SEAN SCHAPER assistant news editor
The allowance for concealed carry of handguns at Kansas State and other Kansas Board of Regents schools began on July 1, 2017. In accordance with state law, KBOR approved this new weapons policy, and since then, there have been no direct incidents on campus involving a concealed carrier. This policy allows each university in the state to determine more specific ways to implement the policy on its campus. KBOR approved K-State’s revised policy in Dec. 2016. “Board policy also requires that lawful possession of a handgun on a campus be done safely in accordance with the law,” Matt Keith, director of communications for the Kansas Board of Regents, said. The policy in reference states that secured and holstered handguns must be completely hidden under
clothing or in a bag and are only to be used for self-defense. Gun owners also must always have complete control over their weapon. Dropping, openly carrying or intentionally showing off a gun violates K-State’s weapons policy and state law. “Kansas State University police have no reports of policy violations or open carry incidents on campus last year,” Bradli Millington, lieutenant with the K-State Police Department, said in an email. Additionally, since the introduction of the campus carry policy, no traditionally alcohol-heavy events like Fake Patty’s Day have seen any weapon-related incidents. “University police maintain an excellent working relationship with all local emergency responders, including Riley County Police Department,” Millington said. It is also a crime under state law for felons and individuals under the
influence of or addicted to alcohol or drugs to carry a concealed handgun. Owners of handguns are prohibited from storing them in any university classroom, lab, office or other on-campus facility. However, exceptions to this provision allow individuals to keep handguns locked in their personal vehicle or in storage devices for on-campus housing provided the individual is at least 21 years old and has received approval from university administration. Any policy violation can be reported by calling campus police at 785-5326412, with any of the blue emergency phones across campus or by using the LiveSafe app. Millington said the university and surrounding community are encouraged to understand and take the weapons policy training on the campus police department website. A list of concealed carry instructors created by the state attorney general can also be found at that page.
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EDI TORI A L THE COLLEGIAN Just over a week ago, Kansas State opened campus for the fall semester. As expected, cases in the Riley County area began to rise, but the university continues to dodge questions and concerns students are posing about the situation. Instead, they’ve provided students with vague guidelines and irresolute outlines on the gating criteria for what feels like an unavoidable return to online classes. K-State needs not only to take responsibility for its actions, but to show up for its students and provide them with transparency, ample information and wellthought out plans. The university brought students back to campus in the middle of a global pandemic without direct guidance, risking the health
and lives of students, faculty, staff and community members. Students traveled to Manhattan from around the world, and with some of them came COVID-19. Those living in dorms weren’t given the chance to isolate themselves for two weeks: residence halls opened a week prior to the start of the fall semester, and many students didn’t begin to move in until the weekend before classes started. This is a prime example of poor planning. It is easy to say “wear a mask” and “wash your hands” to students, but difficult to enforce those rules. It is also hard to convince students to isolate or quarantine when they know their grades may be on the line. Riley County’s COVID-19 positive case count increased by over 100 cases since school began. In
K-State must provde clear guidance on COVID-19 protocols
the first week of classes, 63 positive cases are associated with the university. Additionally, Riley County identified a fraternity as the source of an outbreak. While the university is unaffiliated with Greek life, the members are still K-State students. K-State is responsible for bringing those students back to Manhattan, and as a consequence, they contracted the virus. Wearing a face covering is required in all shared spaces on campus, but students can be seen walking about in groups with no masks. Signage and education is great, but how can the university expect students to follow rules that aren’t enforced? In addition, those rules are only limited to campus. Students venture off campus to party, eat and socialize. When students return to
campus, COVID-19 returns with them. The health department ordered O’Malley’s and O’Malley’s Alley to close for multiple ordinance violations, but the bar reopened a few short days later. House parties can be seen around campus all weekend. Nothing will stop students from going to bars, house parties or other off-campus events. All these issues could easily be resolved with clear guidance from the university. K-State must provide clear guidance on testing, isolation, quarantine and mask wearing, as well as transparency regarding positive COVID-19 tests to help students and the university in the long run. The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the Collegian editorial board. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.
New Title IX rules give K-State more excuses to do nothing for student survivors PAIGE EICHKORN staff writer
The moment Kansas State disaffiliated itself with the fraternities and sororities on campus, they said “We don’t care about you if you get raped, assaulted or harassed. There’s nothing we can do.” Leadership in the Office of Institutional Equity yet again supported perpetrators by giving them more freedom to attack people off campus by approving a new Title IX rule this year. Perpetrators will continue to get away with these traumatic crimes every single day. Title IX was previously a powerful tool in stopping sexual violence and harassment in schools, but a little
over a week ago on Aug. 14, the Department of Education’s new Title IX rule went into effect. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos put this new rule into place. It has provisions, but the goal of the rule was stated to be “ensuring that every person’s claim of sexual misconduct is taken seriously while ensuring the fair treatment of every person accused of such misconduct.” Title IX is a part of the Education Amendments created in 1972. Essentially, it prohibits sex discrimination in educational institutions that receive federal funding — the vast majority of schools. While Title IX is a very short statute, U.S. Supreme Court decisions and guidance from the Depart-
ment of Education have given it a broad scope — covering sexual harassment and sexual violence. Under Title IX, schools are legally required to respond to and remedy hostile educational environments and the failure to do so is a violation that could result in a school losing its federal funding. The new rule drastically reduces protections for student survivors and makes it easier for schools to sweep sexual misconduct under the rug. K-State’s Office of Institutional Equity homepage states, “Title IX’s prohibition against sex discrimination applies to persons under any education program or activity operated by the university. Title IX is not just
Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Students return to campus for the beginning of the new year wearing masks and social distancing. With the first day of school beginning during a pandemic on Aug. 17 2020, precautions have been taken in every aspect of campus in order to keep students and staff safe.
O P I NI O N
for athletes — it applies to all students and employees. It applies without regard to sexual orientation, or whether the discrimination is perpetrated by individuals of the same or opposite sex.” Under new rules, I do not believe this holds true. Any student, athlete or employee who suffers trauma at the hands of an abuser on or off campus is not protected by K-State. Know Your IX is a nonprofit organization led by survivors and youth to empower K-12 and college students to end gender violence in schools and beyond. They strongly opposed the new rule and gave nine rules that are their translation of what the new rule actually means.
1. “Schools must dismiss any complaints of sexual misconduct that occurred outside of campus-controlled buildings or educational activities.” Wow, sound familiar? Oh yeah, that’s because K-State already does this.
2. “Colleges must allow live cross-examination by the ‘representative’ of each party’s choosing. Meaning, survivors could be questioned by their perpetrator’s family member, friend or fraternity brothers.” 3. “With the 60-day timeline for a final report on a survivor’s case removed, schools can drag
students through lengthy investigations.”
As a survivor and someone who has connected with many survivors through my activism, I know that K-State already does this. 4. “If you or your perpetrator go to different schools that are not in a consortium, you can’t pursue a case against them.” Yes, K-State already does this too. 5. “Schools can only investigate the most se-
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‘It’s kind of a fluid situation’: Intramural sports adjusting to changes due to COVID-19 CAMERON BRADLEY
sports editor
As COVID-19 continues to change the way Kansas State operates, intramural sports — while still scheduled to be held — are going to look different. Currently, the Peters Recreation Complex is in phase two of its reopening plan. Under this phase, the Rec does not have any type of programming — including intramural
sports. Phase two is set to wrap up on Sept. 4, prior to Labor Day weekend. Sept. 8 marks the beginning of phase three of the Rec’s reopening plan. Then intramural sports can begin. Even though intramural sports are scheduled to be played, the Rec will focus on individual and doubles sports — such as tennis, racquetball and disc golf — rather than team sports such as flag foot-
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ball and ultimate frisbee. “We’ve really tried to plan the schedule in a way that gives us the most flexibility to do what we want, knowing that we can’t do team sports. Everything we’ve tried to put on the schedule focuses on minimal contact and small numbers,” assistant director for intramural sports Armando Espinoza said. Currently, the schedule that has been put out for intramural sports only includes the
month of September. Espinoza said this was done in respect to the fact that anything can change during the reopening process. “What we did was we took our traditional individual and double events in fall session one and spring session two and put them in the month of September in the hope that we can go ahead and proceed with those,” Espinoza said. Sports are planned to begin — at the earliest — on
Sept. 9, the day after Recreational Services plan to move into phase three of the reopening process. However, Espinoza said this could change. “It’s kind of a fluid situation,” Espinoza said. “We have to keep in mind that there is no guarantee that we go to phase three, we can also go to phase three and go back to phase two, depending on the numbers.” Esports and online trivia are part of the back-up plan
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in case phase three is pushed back and in-person sports can’t be held. “I feel confident in saying that we can operate those regardless of what phase we are going to be in,” Espinoza said. Students can play esports with their own set of consoles and games as well as an internet connection. Players can schedule matches against other players and report the results of each game through IMLeagues. Trivia and other activities would be held through Zoom and Kahoot. Students would need to sign up for those activities through IMLeagues as well. If phase three does happen and in-person activities are allowed, individuals participating must still abide by all recreational services procedures in place. These procedures include temperature checks, face coverings, social distancing and the proper sanitation of all equipment used. With high contact team sports not on the schedule at the moment, Espinoza said if they are allowed to bring back a sport missed earlier in the year, they would try to make it happen. “The hidden drawback of not having our traditional schedule is missing a year of development with our staff,” Espinoza said. “Our intent is if we are given a green light, how can we reintroduce a sport that we missed in a season.” Even with the uncertainty of it all, Espinoza is still encouraging students to get involved if they are interested. “It’s a challenging environment, we obviously want to go full board but we have to do it safely within parameters of university guidelines and Rec guidelines,” Espinoza said. “What I would encourage is, if anybody is interested, reach out to us specifically with any questions you might have.”