08.31.20 by Kansas State Collegian

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S TAT E vol. 126, issue 05 monday, aug. 31, 2020

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WALK AGAINST INJUSTICE ‘ We have voices’: Student-athletes, staff speak out during walk against injustice

CAMERON BRADLEY sports editor

Roughly 200 student-athletes and Kansas State Athletics faculty members took to the streets on Sunday afternoon dressed in black shirts. The reason? To protest racial injustice. Organized by women’s basketball junior guard Christianna Carr, the walk started at the ICE Family Basketball Center and went to Ahearn Fieldhouse. Once at Ahearn, student-athletes, K-State President Richard Myers, Athletics Director Gene Taylor and head football coach Chris Klieman spoke to the gathered crowd. “I just thought it was a good idea to add our own twist to [the protests],” Carr said. “Whenever I was discussing ideas, I remembered that Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here and so I just thought what a better spot to march to. From one of our athletic places where we all go every day, to a place where one of the best people who has ever walked for social justice has [talked].” Carr planned the protest only a day in advance while getting coffee with her teammates. “I was kind of just sitting, getting coffee with [Ayoka Lee] and Sydney Goodson and I was like ‘Guys I want to do a protest,’” Carr said. “So [Lee] reached out to Brynn [Carlson] on the volleyball team

Cameron Bradley | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Athletes march at the intersection of Claflin and Dension on Sunday afternoon. and I reached out to Julian Jones, he talked to Gene Taylor and he was like ‘Let’s do it tomorrow.’ So it was a really quick turnaround. I made the flyer last night at 10:30 and got everything set up but I thought it was a really good turnout.” Chants of “No justice, no peace” echoed across the streets as the group walked together. Upon arriving at Ahearn, senior quarterback Skylar Thompson, senior running back Tyler Burns, sophomore rower Maya Morrow and Carr all spoke on injustices Black people face in America. “Y’all know the names George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Jacob Blake,” Burns said to the

protestors. “Those are just a handful of the names that have been victims and have suffered due to racial injustice and systematic racism and police brutality in our country. We just can not stand idly by and pretend like nothing is happening, we can’t be indifferent, we have to take action.” The protest comes exactly one week after Jacob Blake was shot in the back seven times by Kenosha, Wis., police officers. Klieman then spoke, saying that he was “saddened and hurting,” seeing fear in his student-athletes’ eyes every day. “We have voices, many of those voices have been heard on this campus already,” Klieman said.

“Some of the silent voices, and a lot of that is many people like myself, the white people. Stand up and say something, stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough,’ don’t say ‘It’s not your problem,’ it is your problem. The only way we are going to get through this is by everybody coming together and not saying, ‘That’s their problem, they’ll deal with it.’ That’s bullshit.” President Myers talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and his visit to Ahearn on Jan. 19, 1968, paraphrasing one of King’s quotes from that visit. “[King] said, ‘You know when I come here and I am with young people, I get rejuvenated, I get hope, because you’re the hope,

the young people are the hope. They have a better idea of what we should be like than the older folks,’” Myers said. “It’s true — you are the hope and you give me hope.” Taylor finished the speeches by talking about the power athletes have on campus. “Right now our world is upside down, our country is upside down, and the way to turn that right side up is all of you,” Taylor said. “It’s the people out here, it’s your teammates, it’s your friends, because you do have power, you do have a voice and we need to continue to take action.” Once the speeches were over, the entire group either kneeled or sat in silence and solidarity as Keedron Bryant’s “I Just Wanna Live” was played over the speakers, before the group walked back to the ICE Family Basketball Center. Carr said she hopes this will be the first step in motivating the athletes and others to start making change. “It wasn’t like a call to action, it was more like motivation,” Carr said. “I feel like a lot of people in these times are stuck on what to do next or what to do at all, so I’m hoping by hearing from our president, our athletic director, some of our student-athletes, that people will self reflect on their life and it will motivate them to reach out and do their part.”

PROTEST K-State student stands at corner to raise awareness for people of color

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Origins of student body president requirements unknown by current SGA leadership

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K-State financial planning team heads to final phases of national competition

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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] © Collegian Media Group, 2020

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S O L O P R OT E S T PEYTON FROOME

staff writer

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Amidst a wave of national protests against racial injustice in the United States and the recent shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., on Aug. 23, undergraduate student Rajat Kodira started a solo protest on Kansas State's campus. Since the shooting of Jacob Blake, a man police officers shot seven times from behind at close range while he attempted to get into his car, Kodira was reminded of the struggles and barriers people of color experience daily. Kodira participated in the George Floyd protests in Kansas City this

Origins of student body president requirements unknown by current SGA leadership BAILEY BRITTON editor-in-chief

Just as the President of the United States must meet certain requirements, so does the Kansas State Student Body President. For K-State, those requirements include maintaining at least seven credit hours during both semesters of their term. However, current SGA leadership expressed they don’t know where the seven credit hour requirement comes from. Several of them didn’t know that was the requirement. The Student Governing Association constitution states, “The Student Body President and Student Body Vice President shall be required to maintain seven hours undergraduate credit or six hours graduate credit during the fall and spring semesters to be eligible to

remain in office.” “I’m not entirely sure ... what exactly the history is behind it,” Tel Wittmer, student body president and senior in secondary education, said. However, former vice president for student life and dean of students Pat Bosco said the rule originated in the ‘90s. “My recollection is there was a period of time where students wanted to increase the pool of eligible students to run for Student Senate and their Student Body President,” Bosco said. To increase the pool of candidates, the credit hour requirements were lowered to seven credits so the student body president would pay full-time privilege fee rates but be able to dedicate more time to the position by taking fewer classes. Fran Willbrant, assistant vice president of the Di-

vision of Financial Services, said at that time, there were only two rates for the privilege fee: a part-time rate for students taking six or fewer credits, and a full-time rate for students taking seven or more. Currently, students taking less than six credits on campus pay a rate based on their credit hour amount. Students taking six or more credits pay the full privilege fee. “Typically a student body president will reduce his or her hours during his or her term,” Bosco said. Currently, Wittmer is enrolled in 14 credit hours. Former student body president and senior in industrial engineering Jansen Penny said he also maintained the federal full-time status of 12

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year, where he said he was tear-gassed by police officers, but the tragedy with Jacob Blake inspired him to bring protests at K-State. Kodira arrived at the corner of Manhattan Ave. and Anderson Ave. the morning of Aug. 28 at 9:00 a.m. and left at 2:00 p.m. for an appointment, only to return and remain at the corner until 6:00 p.m. He stood the entire time in solitude with the Black Lives Matter movement and was the only person near campus protesting. Kodira held a sign which read, "Wolves disguised as sheep patrol our streets," so all the cars that passed the cor-

K-State student stands at corner to raise awareness for people of color

ner could read the words clearly. "I told myself then that I wouldn’t stop until the issues we are advocating for come to fruition," he said. Kodira said although he is a person of color, since he is Indian he does not fully understand the struggles of people in the Black, Asian, Latino or other communities. He believes empathy must exist to create useful change in the world. "There’s that saying, like, 'Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes.' But I would say I don’t think that’s necessarily enough to get the full scope of experience," Kodira said. Although Kodira

said there will be a virtual event for the Black Lives Matter movement in Manhattan, he had hoped to see a more organized and prominent effort from those who protested previously this year on July 4. Even though the Kansas State campus is composed of mainly white students, Kodira’s feedback from passersby has been mainly positive. In his efforts, Kodira hopes to bring to light the struggles people of color face to the white community. “I wanted to stand here so that everyone who walks by has to think about it [the struggles for people of color] at least once today,” Kodira said.

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H E LP IN G O U T Konza Student Table targets food insecurity with multi-organization collaboration

LORI LEISZLER staff writer

Starting Sept. 9, St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Center will host Konza Student Table, a new program offering free evening meals and light breakfast items for the next morning for Kansas State students facing food insecurity. The Konza Student Table will be open every Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A collaborative effort, Konza Student Table has partners from St. Isidore’s, the Food and Farm Council of Riley County and the City of Manhattan, Cats’ Cupboard, K-State Student Governing Association, K-State’s Department of Hospitality and K-State’s International Student Center. Hospitality students at Lacy’s Fresh Fare and Catering, located in Justin Hall, will prepare the food for distribution. Food insecurity is one of the biggest issues in the community, Vickie James, coordinator for the Food and Farm Council for Riley County and the City of Manhattan and a facilitator for Konza Student Table, said. “We have the highest rate of food insecurity of any county in Kansas,” James said. “Our food insecurity rate in Riley County is around 18.5 percent. The statewide average is about 14 percent. This is a significant problem. This is not just happening because of COVID. The need was already there, and we had already started planning before this happened; but now, the need has grown even more.” According to James, Konza Student Table intends to continue operating through the end of the semester, even if classes shift fully online. It may be less noticeable, but people will still be in need. Lizz Daniels, junior in dietetics, works at Cats’ Cupboard, the campus food pantry. Daniels said 173 students already visited Cats’ Cupboard between Aug. 17 and 28 of this year. “When students have food insecurity,” Daniels said, “It can cause health problems, and it can negatively affect their schoolwork. Many students are too willing to put work or school needs above getting enough

food. This [food distribution] is an opportunity to bridge the gap the best we can to make sure everyone is getting fed and reaching their academic goals.” However, according to James, a pantry is not always enough. “Many students need more help than that,” James said. “We know things are a little upside-down right now, and this team has come together saying ‘We’re here to help, at least in a small way. We care.’ Lots of challenges are going on, but in spite of that, this feels like something we can do to support the students in the long run.” Konza Student Table will be held at St. Isidore’s Catholic Student Cen-

ter, located on the corner of Anderson Ave. and Denison. “Konza Student Table is something we at St. Isidore’s have been longing for for some time,” Gale Hammerschmidt, the church’s chaplain, said. “We recognize that if we’re going to be true Christians, we have to help our brothers and sisters in need. We’re in the middle of a large building project, but if all we’re doing is building a castle on the corner of Dennison and Anderson to celebrate ourselves, and not to serve other people, we wouldn’t be living up to our call as Christians. Part of the reason we need a renovation is so we can serve people better.” St. Isidore’s already serves meals

monday, august 31, 2020 to students on Sundays while school is in session, with around 200 students eating “Dollar Dinner” each week, according to their food chair Myka Kuhlman, senior in secondary education. However, Konza Student Table is different. While St. Isidore’s will serve as a location for the Wednesday meals, many people have helped the program come together. Ericka Bauer, hospitality management instructor, helps oversee the effort for the hospitality management department and works with volunteers to ensure that everyone making, distributing and receiving these meals stays safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. “All staff at Lacy’s follows the Riley County Health Department standards in place for any licensed food service establishment,” Bauer said. “We’ll be wearing PPE and will also use a peroxide-based chemical to prevent the spread of COVID. We will disinfect and then sanitize, so there’s double the protection in preparing these meals.” According to Bauer, those serv-

ing will wear masks, maintain a sixfoot distance and sanitize or wash hands in addition to wearing gloves. Meals will also be served grab-andgo style, to avoid unnecessary contact and make students feel safer. Bauer said she is excited to build community relations in Manhattan while bringing students to see a different side of hospitality. “A lot of what we talk about in class has to do with the higher-class side of hospitality like hotels and restaurants, but we don’t usually discuss the nonprofit side, which is really important too, especially for students on campus,” Bauer said. “If we can take the burden off of students for one meal a week, they can put that saved money towards something else like rent or utilities.” According to James, Konza Student Table wants students to feel confident and comfortable in how these things are being approached. “In a world of so many wrongs, this feels like the next right thing,” James said.

Archive photo by Hannah Hunsinger | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

St. Isidore’s already serves meals to students on Sundays while school is in session, with around 200 students eating “Dollar Dinner” each week, according to their food chair Myka Kuhlman, senior in secondary education.

monday, august 31, 2020

NE W IN TOWN JAZSMIN HALLIBURTON staff writer

Brothers Coffee Co. now occupies the space where Sparrow Specialty Coffee used to be, before its owners decided to sell after they were forced to close due to COVID-19. The new partial owner and manager of Brothers Coffee Co., David Romero, has lived in Manhattan for 10 years and has been a life coach and pastor for over 30 years. Romero found what he described as “a great opportunity,” when he and his business partner, Scott Clark decided to purchase Sparrow. After a month and a half of preparation, the brand-new Brothers Coffee

Co. was open for business by Aug. 10. The name Brothers Coffee Co. was inspired by the friendship between the owners. “We always say we’re brothers from another mother,” Romero said. According to the website, Brothers Coffee Co. hopes to “becomes a place of belonging for all, a welcoming hang out full of joy, hope, peace and great food and coffee.” “We’re not in the coffee business, we’re in the people business,” Romero said. Romero said that he wants their customers to still feel connected, even though they are in an open space and 6 feet apart. Brothers Coffee Co. employees Jaetyn Conrad, sophomore in dietetics,

and Joy Underwood, freshman in animal sciences and industry, said their experience working there is enjoyable and upbeat. “David brings that sort of energy that we all feed off of that just makes it a really happy place to be in,” Conrad said. Brothers Coffee Co. is planning grand re-opening celebration Sept. 11-13, in which they will also honor the first responders that lost their lives on 9/11. The weekend-long event will include specials and hopefully live music, while still maintaining social distancing. In the future, when things are back to normal Brothers Coffee Co. hopes to have music events as well as promote community involvement.

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‘A great opportunity’: Brothers Coffee Co. opens in Sparrow’s old roost

Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Brothers Coffee Co. now occupies the space where Sparrow Specialty Coffee used to be.

F INA LIS T S K-State’s Financial Team among finalists in national competition CHANDLER MIXON staff writer

Three seniors will represent Kansas State in the final phases of the national Financial Planning Challenge this fall hosted by the Financial Planning Association. Claire Herrmann, Garrett Jackson and Delaney Johnson, all seniors in personal financial planning, make up the personal finance planning team this year. The three students will compete for up to $10,000 in scholarships for the personal financial planning department, according to the Financial Planning Association. “I’m super excited to represent the department and hopefully come out on top as well,” Herrmann said. Johnson said she is looking to give back to the department that helped her find her passion. “Giving back to the program that gave us so much would be super awesome and that’s why I want to do well.”

Johnson said. “I want to make my professors proud and show them that we appreciate them going above and beyond.” Previous teams have set the bar high at the national level. K-State finished in the top three places 13 out of the 20 times the competition has been held. “We have great faculty and staff that teach us what we need to know to prepare this financial plan to get there,” Jackson said. Jackson said he was inspired after watching the 2019 team finish second in the competition. “I was so happy and proud of them after all that hard work they put in for them to get second, it was tears of joy kind of stuff,” Jackson said. “I hope the hard work can lead to us being successful like last year’s team did.” The competition was going to be held in Phoenix, Ariz. but due to COVID-19, the competition will be held via Zoom. “We sat — I don’t know how many hours — on Zoom

together, working on this,” Johnson said. The competition is broken up into three phases. The K-State team advanced through the first phase, with the second and third phase taking place as part of the FPA Annual Conference beginning Sept. 30. “We’re looking forward to compete against some of the top schools in the country and we look to keep K-State on top,” Jackson said. “The experience we’re getting and the connections we’re making will hopefully lead us to jobs after graduation.” Herrmann said the success of previous teams makes it exciting to be a part of the current team. “I’ve always looked up to everyone that has previously been on the team because they have great careers now and have done really good on their certified financial planning exam,” Herrmann said. “It’s also exciting that the faculty see me the same way they saw those people too.”

monday, august 31, 2020

K-State soccer talks altered fall schedule, confidence about season ADAM MEYER staff writer

The Kansas State women's soccer team is back together in Manhattan. They had their first press conference of the season on Thursday afternoon. “We are excited for the year,” head coach Mike Dibbini said. “It’s a new norm, and we are adjusting every day.

Players are excited and anxious and ready to get rolling here as we have some direction here with our schedule being announced.” The schedule announced for this season, with the impact of COVID-19, features only conference games. Dibbini said the team understands the circumstances, and is happy that safety is a priority to players and coach-

es with the cancellation of the non-conference games. “We obviously want to make sure our players are safe and healthy, and that is the priority right now and as we move forward,” Dibbini said. “Obviously not having those games at the beginning of the year makes it a challenge for us knowing that we don’t have those opportunities to play matches to get battle

U P DAT E S

K-State volleyball reveals modified 2020 schedule MARSHALL SUNNER staff writer

The Kansas State volleyball team, in conjunction with the Big 12, revealed its 2020 schedule on Friday which features 16 conference-only matches. The Big 12 made an effort to minimize travel with the new schedule. The league's modified schedule has twomatch weekend series on consecutive days in a single location, instead of the customary home-and-home format. At the end of the season, the team with the highest winning percentage will be the conference champion. "I think, right now, we are just excited about the opportunity to play," Volleyball head coach Suzie Fritz said in a release from K-State Athletics. "The Big 12 and our administration, in particular, have done an amazing job of thinking about the health and safety of the student-athletes first. We have excellent protocols in place, both from an institutional and a Big 12 perspective, to make sure that we are going into events as protected and as safe as we possibly can be. As a program, we are optimistic about being able to play and being able to get through a season." Fritz said the new format

tested and prepare for the Big 12. So now we are going into a pretty big sprint. Nine matches in the Big 12 without being prepared with a lot of new players and returning players who have been off for six months." K-State is led by senior forward Brookelynn Entz, who has been a major part of the foundation of the program as it heads into its fifth season. Entz said this year more than before she has seen the team's mentality change in training. "It's just every day we were coming out with intensity, we’re competing, it’s really good soccer," Entz said. "That’s something I haven’t really seen in the past three years that I've been here. I feel like we’re very consistent and everybody is kind of at the same level now.

We are all competing against each other and it’s going to be difficult to find positions on the field, and having that competitiveness at practice just really helps raise the level everywhere on the field.” Junior Rachel Harris, who has taken over the starting goalkeeper role, said the team is as close in chemistry as it has ever been even after being separated from each other due to the quarantine. “It’s kind of crazy to say, but I feel like we’ve been playing together for a long time and we only got back and started playing together a month ago,” Harris said. “Everybody’s sticking together, everything’s jelling. It’s really exciting to see and we’re excited for all of y’all to get to see what we’ve been doing here soon.” Senior midfielder Maddie Souder thinks we will see

a more attack-minded team this year. Scoring goals has been a struggle the past couple years, but Souder thinks that is going to change. “I think overall we have become more attacking-minded,” Souder said. “We’ve always been a defensive team and we’re not going to forget those principles, but we’ve definitely been trying to pick it up." The girls and the coaching staff are excited about the improvements they have made and are continuing to make. “We are ready to get out there and compete and play against someone other than ourselves, so we are excited about this fall,” Dibbini said. Their first chance to display their improvements is in the season opener against Big 12 favorite Texas Tech on Friday, Sept. 11.

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K-State women’s Volleyball team celebrates after scoring a point in their match against Texas Tech on Oct 3, 2019. will help cut some costs and keeps the players in familiar environments. "The doubleheader format significantly reduces travel, so there will be some cost savings, but it helps keep our student-athletes at home and in familiar environments. It's a new challenge that is exciting and different," she said. The Wildcats hosts Iowa State to start the season on Sept. 25 in Bramlage Coliseum. The series against the Cyclones will conclude the following day. K-State will

play all of their home matches in Bramlage this season as the team is moving away from their traditional home of Ahearn Field House. Oklahoma, Texas and TCU are the other three teams who will make their way to Manhattan this season. Similar to how K-State soccer is distributing its tickets, the volleyball program will also have no season tickets for the 2020 season. Gameday policies, capacity limits and protocols will be released at a later date.

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Sports media production looks different, has added difficulty this season CODY FRIESEN staff writer

March 11, 2020 — a date that doesn’t feel too long ago and will be a day that Kansas State basketball fans will remember forever. The men’s basketball team defeated TCU to move on in the Big 12 Championship tournament. The conference then announced the rest of the tournament would be played without fans in attendance. What seemed like a minor delay turned into months of uncertainty and anticipation for the return of sports. Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic bar fans from entering and watching games live, but it has also changed the way sports media can operate. Director of Video Services for K-State Athletics Andy Liebsch was at the T-Mobile Center, formally known as the Sprint Center, on the day of the cancelation of the tournament. “I was getting ready to go, and then there was a press conference, and everyone starts running, and you figure out pretty quickly what was happening,” Liebsch said. K-State baseball was also shut down around that time, and Liebsch had to take down all of the equipment at Tointon Family Stadium. “It was eerie just getting all that stuff and taking it all down so soon,” Liebsch said. “It was just kind of empty at that point when normally it should be bustling and ready for stuff and coaches and players around.” Business marketing senior Johnny Douglas works as a videographer for K-State volleyball and track and field. Douglas was in New Mexico with the K-State indoor track and field team at the time. “In the middle of all the teams practicing on the second practice day before the tournament, first the ACC packed up and then left, and then the Big 10 went and then they said, ‘It’s not happening,’” Douglas said. As recruiting shut down, Liebsch worked with coaches to face the challenge of keeping communication with recruits from a distance.

“We’ve got to be able to sell the campus a little bit more,” Liebsch said. “We had some of that stuff, but that’s the only thing we rely on, we had to get more of it — what can we do to continue to promote a little more outside of games because there are no games, we’ve got to promote something.” As the athletics begin once again, new protocols have created new challenges for sports media, challenges that have now become the new normal. Liebsch has worked to use areas around the stadium to help create some distance for his crew. “Our space is always limited, so it’s always a challenge of how many people, how many positions and equipment can we cram in a small (space) as near as possible, so we’re taking less footprint and being able to get as much bang for our buck,” Liebsch said. “Certainly, that’s not a great situation right now. Social distancing is also going to be something that we’re trying to do as best as we can. There are certainly limits on what we can do.” Liebsch said they are expanding the area where they can work by using elevator lobbies, a production truck and a site box to spread people out. In order to create some element of distance, Liebsch said they installed clear curtain liners in the truck. A large portion of employees for K-State HD are students. The training that Liebsch had organize has been a challenge due to COVID-19. “We get full in our rooms without anybody training, and we can’t really get by without training because you kind of got to do a lot of training during games,” Liebsch said. “We can do only do so much stuff outside of games.” There are a lot of protocols not only to limit the interaction with the athletes but also to limit the exposure of fellow employees. “A lot tighter access to be on the field, it’s a big worry that when we come in and we are getting ready to do a game and someone tests positive, and then we just took out 20 people

Shortened soccer schedule features nine Big 12 matches MARSHALL SUNNER staff writer

The Kansas State soccer team released an updated schedule on Aug. 25 featuring an all-Big 12 slate. No out-of-conference games are allowed this fall. The Wildcats play nine matches in a nine-week span with five of those games at home. In addition, three of the first four matches are scheduled in Manhattan at Buser Family Park. K-State starts the season Sept. 11 against Texas Tech, a 2020 conference coaches poll favorite. K-State will end their home match stretch against Kansas 7 p.m. on Oct. 2. The season ends on Nov. 6 at home against Oklahoma State. The Wildcats don't usually play in November, but with the possibility of make-up matches due to COVID-19, the team could end up playing past Nov. 6. Last season letter-winners return to the K-State team including senior midfielder Brooklyn Entz, who earned All-Big 12 honors last year.

FULL SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

• Sept. 11: Texas Tech, 7 p.m., Buser Family Park • Sept. 18: At West Virginia, 6 p.m., Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium • Sept. 25: TCU, 7 p.m., Buser Family Park Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Senior Forward Pierson Mcattee watches score board before first game against TCU in the BIG 12 Championship. The BIG 12 conference was cancelled after the first few games due to COVID-19. of our crew, and we only have so many people that know how to run a certain position so that would make it hard for us to fill our crews,” Liebsch said. When working in athletics, there is an added responsibility to keep everyone safe. “We hold each other accountable pretty well,” Douglas said. “Just knowing not to be dumb and make sure to wipe down your station. We all love our jobs, we want to keep doing our jobs, and to do that we’ve got to keep sports going.” Douglas said one of the biggest challenges is the limit on access to athletes. “What we go for here is

getting to know our athletes, getting to know them more and making them feel comfortable,” Douglas said. “We haven’t been able to get near the athletes much at all, and it has made our content harder to come by.” The Big 12 decided to move forward with college athletics in this uncertain time, but as with anything in 2020, nothing is guaranteed. The most significant event for K-State, as of now, will be their only non-conference football game against Arkansas State on Sept. 12, when all of the preparations will be put to the test.

• Oct. 2: Kansas, 7 p.m., Buser Family Park •Oct. 9: At Texas, 7 p.m., Mike A. Myers Stadium •Oct. 16: Oklahoma, 7 p.m., Buser Family Park •Oct. 23: At Baylor, 7 p.m., Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field •Oct. 30: At Iowa State, 7 p.m., Cyclone Sports Complex •Nov. 6: Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., Buser Family Park Season tickets are unavailable. The athletic department will make individual game tickets available online 24 hours before kickoff to avoid lines at ticket booths on game day. Stadium capacity will be limited. Gameday policies will be released at a later date.

EDI TORI AL THE COLLEGIAN It’s time we recognize that responsibility is not limited to just university administration. Kansas State students have to spend more time thinking about the implications of their actions during this public health crisis. Going to parties, bars or other gatherings can harm more people than you might realize. It’s not just that your bad decisions could leave you with a hangover or regret, it’s that now your bad decisions could kill someone. Someone you love. Someone you care about. Think about that next time you’re headed to a party — think about how your choices will affect the lives of other students and the Manhattan community. You don’t live in a bubble. Manhattan is a com-

munity of children, parents, grandparents and more. When you’re not here, thousands of people work to keep the community you love alive. They live here full-time, you do not. Manhattan is not just here for you to party. It’s a place to live and grow. By going out, you risk spreading COVID-19 in the community. You risk the lives of Manhattan residents. And this isn’t just limited to Manhattan — when you visit your own families and friends outside of Manhattan, you could bring COVID-19 with you. You risk the lives of everyone you meet for what? One night of fun? That’s extremely selfish. Since classes began, the COVID-19 new case count in Riley County has skyrocketed. Of the more than 300 cases added since Aug. 17, the vast majority have

Taylor Swift’s ‘Folklore’ tells emotional tales, connects listeners ANNA SCHMIDT opinions editor

On July 23, Taylor Swift surprised her die-hard fans — along with the rest of the world — by announcing the impromptu release of her eighth studio album, “Folklore.” The album dropped on July 24, and was generally accepted as a light in the hellfire that has been the year 2020. The album was largely made with Aaron Dessner from the National. “Folklore” contains 16 songs and a bonus feature called “The Lakes” released on Aug. 18. It seems that Swift took “Folklore” as an opportunity to explore a slower, indie side of herself. The

monday, august 31, 2020

You’re putting others’ lives, health at risk — stop being selfish

been people aged 18 to 24. Yes, K-State did not put you in a good position by encouraging you to return to campus and offering you limited guidance. However, you have the choice to participate in or ignore prevention efforts. Too many students have decided they are not going to help. This entire situation sucks, but pretending it does not exist will likely only prolong the pandemic. The K-State community prides itself on being a family. Recently, we haven’t been acting like one. Sure, family members have their differences, but families look out for one another, they make choices to benefit the whole, not the individual. Maybe COVID-19 won’t have a huge impact on you. Maybe you won’t have any symptoms at all. There’s still a chance that the people

around you will and there’s still a chance you’ll carry the impacts of the illness on your body for the rest of your life. Do not gamble with the lives of the people around you. If a few students can make the right choice — and there are people who have been — we can all make the right choice. We know what we need to do to make this work — but it will require all of us to put in the effort. Think of more than just yourself and consider the harm your actions can have on others. Wear a mask, social distance, stop going to parties and stop being so goddamn selfish. The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the Collegian editorial board. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian. com.

REVIEW

singer previously known for her country and pop music made it known that she is without a genre. The album starts off with one of the more upbeat songs of the album, “The 1.” This song hooks listeners with its catchy rhymes and pop undertones. Of all of the songs on this album, “The 1” was most reminiscent of the Taylor Swift from albums like “Lover” and “1989.” The song “Exile” is another notable tune from the beginning of the album. It features indie folk artist Bon Iver and takes a slower, more moody approach with deep pianos in the background. The lyrics ooze with emotion and angst, particularly at

the end of the song when it reaches a peak as Swift and Bon Iver go head-to-head with alternating lyrics. A more hopeful song on the album is “Invisible String.” While it’s incredibly difficult to pick a favorite, I would classify this as my favorite song on the album. However, this is likely just the eternal optimist in me. “Invisible String” is the only song on the album with a truly hopeful tone and message of a content relationship. The song is airy and light, the general message is one of fate and gratitude for the highs and lows. My favorite lyric from the song is, “Time, wondrous time gave me the blues and then purple-pink

skies and it’s cool baby, with me / And isn’t it just so pretty to think all along there was some invisible string tying you to me.” Another notable song from the album is “Illicit Affairs.” While the dark tale of an older man with a vulnerable woman was less easy to apply to my life, I found the story grabbing. This was possibly Swift’s most emotional song on the album. Her voice oozes pain and regret, as she sings, “That’s the thing about illicit affairs and clandestine meetings and longing stares / It’s born from just one single glance but it dies and it dies a million little times.” A crowd favorite on the album was “Betty.” I would

File photo by Alex Todd | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

As the sun sets over Aggieville, the crowds of party goers keep flowing into local bars and restaurants.

venture to guess that this is because “Betty” is most reminiscent of all previous versions of Swift. It has touches of country and tells the story of a high school romance gone wrong, one of Swift’s trademarks. The song features a guitar and harmonica which take the listener to the small-town setting that the lyrics speak of. “Folklore” took fans like me on a brand new journey with Swift. A general critique of the album was its lack of upbeat songs. While the critique isn’t inaccurate, I enjoyed the slower side of Swift that hasn’t felt present since her early albums. In this album and all of the rest, Swift’s lyrics have found a way to deeply relate to moments in my life. That’s what I find beautiful about “Folklore.” The different emotion-filled tales that Swift tells showcase love, loss, triumph, frustration and angst that I’ve

felt in the specific ways she describes. There’s something incredibly connecting about listening to a lyric and realizing that your struggle is universal. I’ve found how songs make me feel to be a fairly good metric for success. “Folklore” made me feel more in tune and connected with myself and the people around me, and for this reason I give it glowing reviews and all of my recommendations. Anna Schmidt is the Collegian opinions editor and a junior in mass communications. She is also a student senator for the College of Arts and Sciences in the Student Governing Association. 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.