K-State Collegian (Sept. 16, 2016)

JONES-ING FOR A WIN

GAMEDAYGUIDE friday, september 16, 2016

K-STATE vs FLORIDA ATLANTIC

Bill Snyder Family Stadium Saturday @ 1:30 P.M.

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friday, september 16, 2016 The Collegian welcomes your letters. We reserve the right to edit submitted letters for clarity, accuracy, space and relevance. A letter intended for publication should be no longer than 350 words and must refer to an article that appeared in the Collegian within the last 10 issues. 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 The number will not be published.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 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.

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ON THE COVER File Photo by Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Junior running back Charles Jones sneaks past a few Baylor defenders en route to a 12-yard run on Kansas State’s first possession in the first quarter of the Wildcats’ 24-31 loss to the Bears Nov. 5, 2015, in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

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K-State offense aims to improve against Florida Atlantic SCOTT POPP

THE COLLEGIAN

Kansas State’s last 100-yard rusher was quarterback Joe Hubener, last season against Baylor in week 10. The game before that, against Texas, was the last time a K-State running back recorded 100 yards in a game.

The opportunity for the Wildcats to improve their rushing attack, and their offense as a whole, appears to be Saturday against Florida Atlantic. The Owls have struggled on defense this year especially in their last game, a 3810 loss to Miami.

K-State should be excited to face a team that allows 500 yards of offense a game, 211 of those on the ground.

Sophomore running back Justin Silmon said he’s disappointed in the performance against Stanford, but expects improvement this week.

“It was a struggle,” Silmon said.

“We didn’t score till the fourth quarter.

It just wasn’t clean. We played hard, but we didn’t play to the best of our

abilities. I’m proud of everybody, and we’ll get it fixed.”

The struggle in the running game wasn’t as much on short yardage situations but on the inability to break off long runs. Silmon thinks if the Wildcats can start executing better, they can make some big plays.

“I feel like if we execute and we run hard, we can break some big runs against whoever we play,” Silmon said.

“So it’s up to us to make the best of our opportunities.”

The Owls struggle on defense but have some weapons on offense the Wildcats will need to be aware of.

Sophomore quarterback Jason Driskel leads the Owl offense. If his name sounds familiar, its because his brother, former Louisiana Tech quarterback Jeff Driskel, took the Wildcats into triple overtime a year ago.

Head coach Bill Snyder is aware of Jason’s abilities.

“Last year we were able to play against his brother (Jeff), and he is a very fine quarterback,” Snyder said. “(Jason) presents some problems be-

cause he is a good scrambler as well.

He is a good-sized young guy, good strength, large lower body, and he can stay on his feet.”

Jason isn’t the only talented player Florida Atlantic boasts, junior running back Gregory Howell Jr. has 203 yards on the ground and is capable of breaking a big run, as he had one for 38 yards against Miami. And junior wide receiver Kalib Woods is a talented receiver; he recorded 121 yards against Miami.

Senior linebacker Charmeachealle Moore said the players are aware of the Owls’ weapons.

“They have weapons,” Moore said. “Their quarterback is good, their running back is good, their wide receivers are good; you can’t sleep on ‘em. Like coach said, we’ve got to be assignment sound and we can’t give up big plays. That’s what beat us last game so we’ve got to eliminate giving up big plays.”

K-State and Florida Atlantic will kick off at 1:30 p.m. Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

File Photo by Rodney Dimick | THE COLLEGIAN

Then-junior running back Charles Jones carries the ball on Nov. 14, 2015, at Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas.

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04 Defensive power rankings include trio of Wildcats friday, september 16, 2016

BRETT ENGLE

THE COLLEGIAN

1. REGGAN NORTHRUP, SOPHOMORE LB, IOWA STATE

To say the least, Iowa State doesn’t have a lot going for them. But what they do have going right for them is Northrup. He’s racked up 19 tackles in his two contests so far, including a sack. The young linebacker is proving he has a nose for the football.

2. ELIJAH LEE, JUNIOR LB, KANSAS STATE

Against Stanford, Lee proved why he was one of the best defenders in the Big 12. He came up with 12 stops, including one for loss, against the Cardinal offense led by Heisman hopeful Christian McCaffrey.

The success the Wildcat defense has this year will be in direct correlation to Lee’s play.

3. OGBONNIA OKORONKWO, JUNIOR LB, OKLAHOMA

Okoronkwo has been dominant so far this year. He ranks second on the team with 12 total tackles and leads the team

in tackles for loss and sacks with three and two, respectively. In order for the Sooners to make a playoff run, Okoronkwo will have to continue his stellar play.

points, the biggest question will be if TCU’s defense can stop its opponents.

10. DANTE BARNETT, SENIOR S, KANSAS STATE

4. PATRICK LEVELS, SENIOR DB, BAYLOR

Barnett is the final member of the Wildcats’ trio on the list.

Barnett only registered four

The defensive standout for the Bears has by far been Levels.

Levels leads the team with 17 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Levels has also had three forced fumbles this year, including a fumble recovery.

5. KAMARI COTTONMOYA, JUNIOR DB, IOWA STATE

The second Cyclone on the list ranks second in the team in tackles with 15, only trailing Northrup. Though the offense might struggle to put up points, the duo of Cotton-Moya and Northrup make for a scary onetwo punch for the Cyclones.

6. JORDAN EVANS, SENIOR LB, OKLAHOMA

Another force on the Sooners’ defense is Evans.

Evans leads the defense with 18 stops to go along with two pass breakups. Evans and Okoronkwo make a case for the best duo of linebackers in the Big 12.

tackles against Stanford, but 2.5 were for a loss, including a sack. After missing last year, the defense gets a huge boost with Barnett’s return.

Brett Engle is a freshman in mass communications.

Please send comments to sports@kstatecollegian.com.

File Photo by Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall evades a tackle from junior safety Dante Barnett during the second quarter of the Wildcats’ 20-14 loss to Auburn in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.

7. BAZIE BATES IV, SENIOR S, KANSAS

Just like Iowa State, the Jayhawks also don’t have a lot going for them. Bates, however, is a glimmer of hope for the team, recording 15 tackles in two games, 13 of them solo.

Bates also has one of the Jayhawks’ two interceptions on the year.

8. JORDAN WILLIS, SENIOR DE, KANSAS STATE

Willis, the second Wildcat on the list, could easily find himself at one of the top three spots at year’s end. Willis had five stops against Stanford, including a sack that resulted in a fumble.

9. SAMMY DOUGLAS, JUNIOR LB, TCU

Douglas already has a season-high in tackles in just two games this year with 18, three of which have been for a loss.

It’s not a question of whether TCU’s offense will put up

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Classy Cat hopes to return soon after brain tumor diagnosis education, said she caught wind of Lincoln’s story, and was impressed by her ability to continue her education in the midst of the medical procedures.

“Personally I would feel defeated if I were in her shoes,” Farmer said. “I wouldn’t know how to balance anything in my life. There are some very strong young men and women at this university who can handle these sorts of things, and she is one of them.”

NICHOLAS CADY THE COLLEGIAN

M

ackenzie Lincoln, junior in accounting and member of the Kansas State Classy Cats, started having eye problems in April, but went to study abroad in Ireland during summer break anyway.

When she returned, Lincoln said her mom noticed her eyes were constantly shaking.

“I went to a new eye doctor, and after about 15 minutes of an examination, he left to make a phone call,” Lincoln said.

“When he came back, he asked me if I was on drugs.”

The cause of Lincoln’s eye rotations were not drugs. Lincoln was suffering from nystagmus, a condition of involuntary eye movement, but her state of nystagmus was unusual by normal standards.

“Usually if you have nystagmus, your eyes rotate either up and down, or left and right,” Lincoln said. “Mine were rotating in opposite directions, and they’d never seen anything like that before.”

Lincoln’s doctor suggested an immediate MRI exam, which showed a brain tumor and a cyst attached to her brain stem.

“The doctors were surprised that I could even walk, have balance or have any function left in my face,” Lincoln said.

The news shook Lincoln’s friends, family and teammates.

Maddison Downard, senior in elementary education and fellow Classy Cat, said she was shocked by the news, but inspired by Lincoln’s positive spirit.

“The whole team is amazed at the amount of strength and determination she has,” Downard said. “She is the most inspiring gal I know.”

Further testing revealed that these were not new growths, and had been developing in Lincoln’s head for over a decade.

“The tumor and cyst had been there for over 10 years, and I could have had a stroke or gone into a coma at any point,” Lincoln said. “It was crazy to think that the weekend before, I’d been

MOVING FORWARD

Lincoln said she looks forward to possibly returning to dance with the Classy Cats by the third home game on Oct. 8. She said her dance team is a source of support and reassurance during this unusual period of her life.

File Photo by Rodney Dimick | THE COLLEGIAN

A STEP BACK

Lincoln’s homecoming was short-lived, however. As she prepared to return to the field at Bill Snyder Family Stadium by the season’s first home game, one of Lincoln’s incisions filled with fluid, demanding immediate medical attention.

“They went back in for

a second procedure,” Lincoln said. “A dissolvable stitch from the previous surgery did not heal correctly, and spinal fluid was leaking out of it. This was another thing my doctor said he’d never seen before. This past Friday (Sept. 9), my incision ripped open and was leaking outward.”

The higher risk for infection after the incision from her second procedure ripped open prompted Lincoln to drop her current on-campus classes, and exclusively take online courses from home in Topeka.

“I’m at such a high risk for infection right now that I needed to be at home,” Lincoln said.

“I’ve been having to miss so many of my classes. It has been hard to balance classes while being on narcotics, anesthesia and just being so tired that I couldn’t study.”

Lindsey Farmer, junior in

been helpful, but she’s also found significant guidance from her faith.

“Sometimes I feel very alone going through all of this, but just seeing the real power of prayer has been incredible,” Lincoln said. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without my faith. So far, everything that could’ve gone right, did, and I am very blessed in these ways.”

Lincoln is optimistic about the situation, and said she looks forward to eventually returning to the normalcy of being a student, a privilege she said is often taken for granted.

“A lot of the time as college students, we complain so much about not wanting to attend class and do these simple things, and now, these are what I want to be able to do more than anything,” Lincoln said.

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Then-sophomore Classy Cat Mackenzie Lincoln performs a routine during halftime on Feb. 10 in Bramlage Coliseum. at practice dancing for the Classy Cats.”

Lincoln immediately went into surgery and 99 percent of the tumor and growth were successfully removed.

“They weren’t able to get the last part, which is still attached to my brain stem and still growing, “ Lincoln said. “But I was only in the hospital for six days. I was released to do activity three weeks ago and started dancing, and returned to school on time.”

“The Classy Cats have been very supportive,” Lincoln said.

“They’ve been very understanding and they want me to get back just as much as I want to get back.”

Lincoln is still a dedicated member of both the Classy Cats and Pi Beta Phi despite the current state of her health and distance from campus.

“I personally feel like I’m letting my team down by not being there,” Lincoln said.

“They’ve been doing a really good job of making me not feel that way. The same can definitely be said about my sorority.

They’ve driven me on days that I couldn’t drive, made me feel included when I was far out of the way and even driven to Topeka to just hang out with me.”

Lincoln says the support from her friends and family has

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ALL UNIVERSITY CAREER FAIR

September 20th - 22nd

New Berney Family Welcome Center helping students be career ready

Nick Horvath | THE COLLEGIAN

Andrew Walber, senior in civil engineering, browses through the selection of suits at the Career Closet in the Berney Family Welcome Center. The Career Closet offers free gently used business clothing to students 12-4 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

EMILY MOORE

THE COLLEGIAN

S

tarting this past summer, a prospective Kansas State student’s journey now begins in the Berney Family Welcome Center. The center, which is located in the former East Memorial Stadium next to the K-State Alumni Center, will offer several different services for incoming, current and graduating students.

“This building project is unique in that it's not new construction, it’s taking an old structure and really preserving it for the campus,” Emily Lehning, associate vice president for student life and director of New Student Services, said.

The newly-renovated structure has become home to other departments like the Career Center. The Career Center is a combined service with Career and Employment Services and the Academic Career and Informa-

tion Center, which were separate entities previously.

“We feel like this is much more convenient for students, for both of our departments to be located in the same space,” Kerri Keller, director of the Career Center, said. “Especially since it was so confusing between the names of our [previous] buildings and for students to understand what different kinds of help we provided in the career services area.”

Schulz, April Mason, many of the great teachers from across campus,” Jared Meitler, senior assistant director of career exploration for the Career Center, said.

“So what a cool opportunity to be able to wear the same purple tie that Dr. Bosco did when he recruited you to come to K-State.”

Before, the Career Closet did not have a permanent home, as there was no designated space for all of the clothes. Meitler said that because of this, it used to only function whenever it was possible to wheel the clothes out on racks.

The new space of the Welcome Center has allowed these donated clothes to have a specific place inside the Career Center with set hours.

“Now, where it’s got a permanent home and a consistent schedule that students can rely on, it gives them a resource that they know they can trust and go to as they’re preparing for those interviews or whatever else they

might need that professional dress for,” Meitler said.

Keller said she hopes that students will come and utilize the opportunity for free professional clothes. She also said that her hope is that students learn of the Career Closet and utilize it as soon as possible so that they will then also discover the many other

LOOKING AHEAD

“Even as new, prospective students are coming into this facility, they’re going to be exposed to the Career Center as

they make decisions about where they’re going to go to school and they’ll already know what kinds of resources we have through the Career Center,” Keller said.

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

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THE CAREER CLOSET

The Career Center can provide students with access to several different resources and services, including access to the Career Closet. The Career Closet provides K-State students with professional clothing for free. This allows students to prepare more appropriately for interviews and other professional settings, like career fairs.

“There are clothes in there from people such as Dr. Bosco, former [K-State] President

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Forum allows for community, faculty, student input in evolving weapons policy DANIELLE COOK THE COLLEGIAN

Kansas State’s Weapons Advisory Work Group held an open forum Thursday in Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union, during which students, faculty, staff and community members could voice input for or questions about the university’s changing on-campus concealed-carry weapons policy.

This forum was the work group’s second, having held a similar one in May. The workgroup is in the process of adapting K-State’s weapons policy, which will begin compliance with state concealed-carry laws beginning July 1, 2017, allowing concealed-carry on campus.

The goal of Thursday’s forum was to gauge opinions concerning the weapons policy, according to Cindy Bontrager, vice president for administration and finance and member of the work group.

“This is an emotional issue, and so, we felt it was important that people had kind of an individual voice and that they were able to share their perceptions and get questions asked,” Bontrager said.

Pat Bosco, vice president of student life and dean of students, said the forum allowed the work group to let students, faculty and community members know how serious the work group is in its goal to make all aspects of the policy work together.

“The forum gave the university and the community a chance, once again, to understand the law is coming into effect July 1, and that there are implications to the law and that we’re doing the best job we can to represent the nuances of this particular change in state law,” Bosco said. “It not only effects K-State, but all the other Regents schools.”

K-State’s work group has been looking at the evolved weapons policies of other Board of Regents schools to help create one similar to most of theirs, Ronnie Grice, assistant vice president for university police and public safety,

said.

“A lot of them went through the same thing we’re going through, and we’ve even been kind of sharing information on the different policies, so we can keep them as consistent as possible,” Grice said.

Regarding student concerns with safety issues due to concealed-carry being allowed on

campus, Fred Guzek, work group member and former Faculty Senate president, said the work group has spent much time considering a multitude of recommendations for possible training and education programs to follow the implementation of the policy.

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

Miranda Snyder | THE COLLEGIAN

Fred Gusek, professor of arts, science and business, answers questions during the open forum regarding the campus weapons policy in Forum Hall on Thursday.

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Soccer set for first regular-season home game SHELTON BURCH THE COLLEGIAN

File Photo by Evert Nelson | THE COLLEGIAN

Head coach Mike Dibbini and assistant coach Gabe Romo watch the Wildcats during their scrimmage on Aug. 6 at the Kansas State Soccer Complex.

The Kansas State Wildcats finally get to play a home soccer game when they take on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers tonight at the K-State Soccer Complex.

The game against the Panthers, who are winless on the road so far this season, going 0-4-1, will commence a four-game home-

stand for the Wildcats.

K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said he hasn’t looked too much into that statistic.

“They still have wins under their belt,” Dibbini said. “It’s going to be a good game. They’re a team that’s been around awhile.

They have a lot of returning players and obviously a new coaching staff, however, we’re a team starting from scratch and still trying to build our traditions and still try-

ing to build our methods of play.”

Still, Dibbini said the team is excited to play at home, and he hopes it plays a part in the game.

“Having the energy from our fans and our support is going to help us quite a bit,” Dibbini said.

While he hopes there is lots of noise from the fans tonight, Dibbini said those things could create new challenges for the team.

“I honestly think it’s more of just a mentality factor on our side,” Dibbini said. “I think the biggest challenge is ‘OK, there’s going to be a lot of supporting fans, and there’s going to be a lot of positive noise that’s going to help us. Can we still focus on the game and not get distracted?’”

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

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