K A N S A S
S TAT E vol. 126, issue 10 monday, sept. 21 2020
kstatecollegian.com
FAMILY A&H Farms kicksoff fall season with annual festival
Page 08 Freshmen grapple with unconventional first year of college
Page 04 Volleyball begins, soccer and football search for victories after slow starts
Page 09 Volleyball scrimmage acts as a final tune-up prior to season opener
Page 10 OPINION: SCOTUS lifetime appointments have outlived their purpose, need reform
Page 12
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ON THE COVER
FALL EDITORIAL BOARD Peyton Froome | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The A&H Farms fall festival features several activities for the whole family, including tricycle races.
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 The number will not be published.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
Gabby Farris Design Chief
Kaylie McLaughlin Managing Editor
Blake Hachen Designer
Julie Freijat Deputy Managing Editor Copy Chief
Sarah Unruh Designer
Emma Witter News Editor Sean Schaper Assistant news Editor Rebecca Vrbas Culture Editor Madison Daniel Assistant Culture Editor Anna Schmidt Community Editor
Cameron Bradley Sports Editor Nathan Enserro Assistant Sports Editor Dalton Wainscott Multimedia Editor Dylan Connell Deputy Multimedia Editor
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PANDEMIC ON THE PRAIRIE
The first case of COVID-19 is reported in Kansas.
Gov. Laura Kelly issues emergency declaration for Kansas. K-State cancels in-person classes over COVID-19 concerns.
JULIE FREIJAT copy chief
This timeline highlights major events that occured during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Kansas and at Kansas State. The number of confirmed deaths, cases and hospitalizations are as they were reported on Sept. 20, 2020.
CONFIRMED DEATHS IN KANSAS
596 2,671
K-State classes will stay online for the rest of the spring semester.
52,285
Information from the Kansas Department of Health & Environment and K-State Department of Communications and Marketing.
03 12 03 16
Gov. Kelly issues statewide stay-at-home order to begin March 30.
03 28
Gov. Kelly’s mask mandate takes effect, requiring masks to be worn in public spaces in the state of Kansas.
07 03
CONFRIMED HOSPITALIZATIONS IN KANSAS TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN KANSAS
03 09
The Manhattan City Commissioners pass an ordinance requiring masks in city limits after Riley County opts out of the governor’s order.
K-State finalizes its fall semester course plan with a mixed modality.
K-State’s fall semester begins with a mixture of in-person, hybrid and online classes.
K-State’s positivity rate nears 20 percent in the second week of classes.
K-State’s positivity rate falls to 12.82 percent.
07 09 08 03 08 17 08 24 09 07
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A DA P T IN G
Freshmen grapple with unconventional first year of college MADDY DANIELS staff writer
The first year of college is usually full of new friends, clubs, fun events and independent living, but this year — thanks to a pandemic — it's not all it is chalked up to be, some students say. “The biggest difference between what I expected, and reality is probably classes being held mostly online." Aenya Richards, freshman in environmental design, said. "I’ve always heard of and seen huge lecture classes and it’s something I’ve looked forward to and wanted to experience. It’s also been harder to meet new people since we can’t gather in large groups.” For Macy Palmer, freshman in animal sciences and industry, taking precautions to stay safe and
healthy has been important. But it means missing out on the new and fun things she thought she would experience in college. “I do fear getting COVID while being on campus," Palmer said. "I don’t believe that if I got COVID it would have been my fault, but there are others who could spread it regardless of everyone else’s efforts, and that’s just the reality of the situation. I really like being here and if we were to suddenly be sent home, I would feel iffy about coming back.” Not only has the pandemic affected the class of 2024's freshman year of college, but for some, it also diminished the end of their senior year of high school. Memories with friends, spring sports, prom dresses and graduation celebrations were
“I do fear getting COVID while being on campus” Macy Palmer • FRESHMAN
missed. "I never got a graduation, a real last day, a senior trip or many other things," Richards said "It was pretty hard, but it definitely taught me not to take things for granted, and I think that’s a lesson that I’ll take with me throughout the rest of my life." Taking to his artistic side to grapple with COVID-19, Travis Leaton, freshman in electrical engineering, uses his hands to bring his emotions to life. “During high school, I was able to cope with things through ceramics," Leaton said. "It was a way to just clear my mind and forget about everything except what was on my mind. Hopefully next semester, I can enroll in a ceramics class and start my art minor.” With no in-person events and not knowing the way around convivial spots on campus or in Manhattan, Palmer said she's trying to avoid getting stuck inside a dorm room. Instead, she tries to find ways to spend time outdoors while social distancing. “My idea of coping with COVID is by introducing myself to new hobbies," Palmer said. "Even though I would’ve liked to explore Manhattan, to go out and do things, I made myself forget about those things so that I didn’t risk myself or others. Instead, I do things that distance myself from others. For example, I recently ordered some roller skates and have been practicing.”
Online via Handshake, 11 am - 5pm Monday, Sept. 21: Agriculture, Health, Science/ Math, Vet Medicine Tuesday, Sept. 22: Business, Communications, Hospitality, Visual Arts Wednesday, Sept. 23: Education, Government, Humanities, Social Services Thursday, Sept. 24: Architecture, Aviation, Computer Science, Engineering Registration and sign up for sessions is all hosted in Handshake, log in to your account and click “Events” then “Career Fairs”. • Format is 30-minute group sessions and 10minute one-on-one sessions with employers. • Audio, video and chat features will be available.
e! er H er t Regis
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I NCLUS I ON
Due to importance of in-person instruction, university won’t cancel classes for virtual KSUnite
MADDY DANIELS
staff writer
File photo by Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Bryan Samuel speaks at the third annual KSUnite event located in the Union Ballroom on Nov. 6, 2019.
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To ensure the few in-person classes students attend this fall won’t be disrupted, Kansas State won't cancel classes for KSUnite this October. Organizers decided to hold the conference virtually on Oct. 13 due to COVID-19. Chief diversity and inclusion officer Bryan Samuel said the event usually draws huge crowds every year. “Here at Kansas State, we have been fortunate enough to have three very, very successful KSUnite conferences, all of them bringing thousands of K-Staters to the Anderson lawn and the Student Union, and with this pandemic, that’s just not possible [this year],” Samuel said. Because of the reduced time on campus this semester and the value currently placed on the few in-person class meeting times, Samuel said canceling classes would not be the best option. “It’s very important ... because we are operating in a hybrid modality for the delivery of our instruction that we recognize the strain that has been placed upon our faculty as well as our students in the reduction of face-to-face class time,” Samuel said. “Because of this it really would not be good for us to cancel class knowing that we are going to be doing [the conference] virtually.” While students will miss out on the opportunity to connect with others during the event, Samuel hopes the virtual conference will have a good turnout. “I sure hope it won’t take away from students' ability to tune in,” Samuel said. “I’m hopeful that faculty can leverage the content of their curriculum to encourage their students to participate. Maybe they could even engage in some of the dialogue
or do something during the class period.” Speakers will present virtually beginning at 1 p.m. Students can participate in live breakout sessions from 2 to 4 p.m. Kate Thomas, freshman in political science, worries the decision to cancel classes will take away the importance of the event. If students have prior commitments to classes, they may be less inclined to participate. “Not only do we have the Black Lives Matter movement and all of the racial tensions here, but we also have the Twitter scandal that happened and the continued support for specific instances of racism at Kansas State,” Thomas said. “It’s something that we as a community and as a school need to work on, so [the conference] could
definitely be beneficial with everything going on.” Over the summer, K-State athletes organized a strike after a student made a controversial tweet about George Floyd's death. After K-State administration created an 11-step plan to work on campus diversity efforts, the athletes ended their strike. In addition, Black Lives Matter protests and protests against police brutality occurred in Manhattan several times from May to the present. Nevertheless, Thomas wishes for a prosperous turnout at KSUnite and the virtual conference proves educational to all Kansas State students. “Just because it’s online doesn’t make it less of an important event,” Thomas said.
... it really would not be good for us to cancel class knowing that we are going to be doing [the conference] virtually. BRYANSAMUEL
chief diversity officer
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campus covid-19 statistics
527 245 707 4,110 12.8%
students in quarantine
students in isolation
cumulative positives
cumulative negatives
positivity rate
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Students say campus, local health workers gave conflicting COVID-19 advice KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN managing editor
From varying quarantine lengths to advice about what activities are permitted while in quarantine, students say they received conflicting guidance from Lafene Health Center and the Riley County Health Department about how to manage possible COVID-19 exposures. Rajat Kodira, an undergraduate student, knew he had been exposed to COVID-19 because his roommate — who had been to the bars in Aggieville — was starting to show symptoms and eventually tested positive. Kodira also shares a bathroom with this roommate, which he believed heightened his chances of contracting COVID-19 himself. Kodira says he was in contact with local health officials immediately after his roommate started showing symptoms. The health department informed him that his quarantine would end on Tuesday, Sept. 22, based on his last possible exposure to his roommate. On the other hand, Lafene, where he eventually tested negative, told him he could leave his quarantine on Thursday, Sept. 17 — a discrepancy of five days. Lafene medical director Dr. Kyle Goerl said the only way such a discrepancy could occur is if a student gives Lafene or the health department different or incomplete data, something Kodira denies outright. “Personally, I wouldn’t fabricate information regarding public health and my exposure details. I was very honest with both parties,” Kodira said. Garrett Menees, junior in mass communications, wasn’t told conflicting information about when his quarantine ended, but said Lafene told him he was allowed to go to the grocery
store during his quarantine even though someone was positive in his household. His roommate tested positive, but Menees was negative. Still, it concerned him he was told he could go out in public in the middle of his quarantine — something that directly contradicted formal guidance from local health officials. “It did surprise me that they were being so sort of lenient on that,” Menees said. He didn’t leave his house during his isolation period “out of courtesy” to others in the community, he said. Menees said there was also some confusion about when his last point of exposure to a person with COVID-19 was, but that didn’t have too much impact on his overall quarantine length because Lafene and the health department agreed on when it should end. “Maybe that was my personal error and telling them the wrong day. I don’t think I did, but I suppose there is a chance of that,” Menees said. “It was just kind of like a weird disconnect.” Local health officer Julie Gibbs said the mixed messages about quarantine and other information could have been caused by any number of variables on either side of the contact tracing procedure. “We’re all humans and people do make mistakes so there could be something there,” Gibbs said. “The bottom line — there are lots of mistakes that
could have been made.” In general, campus and local health officials follow the same quarantine guidance from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Gibbs said, which requires people to quarantine for 14 days from their last point of contact with a person known to have COVID-19 no matter their test results. “We are all on the same page as far as that’s concerned,” Gibbs said. Sill, she said, situations with mixed messages or contradictory advice aren’t unheard of. Kodira says he thinks this situation shows a breakdown in the system of communication between Lafene and local health officials. However, he understands that the health system locally and around the world faces a public health crisis unlike any other in recent history. “I understand that they’re extremely overwhelmed. I mean, a pandemic of this severity affecting a smaller town, ... it’s something that they’re just not equipped for,” Kodira said. Presumably, Kodira said, there should be a way for the two organizations to share information with each other about students who come in contact with or test positive for COVID-19. “I feel like if they were cross-checking each other’s information regarding people who have been exposed or who come up positive then they have the means in which they can
sort that out,” Kodira said. Menees agreed. He thinks some of the confusion about his date of contact originated from switching care from the health department to Lafene. If they were truly working together there wouldn’t be room for doubt. “I thought that they would share that information with Lafene but I guess that’s not true,” Menees said. Gibbs said there is a collaboration between the health department and Lafene that predates the pandemic. As it relates to COVID-19, there is an active Memorandum of Understanding that outlines how the entities will collaborate to control the spread of the novel coronavirus locally. Specifically, it details how Lafene will manage cases in on-campus residents while RCHD will focus on off-campus cases. That being said, the local health department maintains complete authority over all cases in the county. “We’ve already met with them to make sure that our process is the same and make sure that we’re telling all the same information and so far that partnership has gone very well,” Gibbs said. Goerl said he wasn’t aware of any specific cases of unaligned advice from Lafene and RCHD about COVID-19, but it’s not impossible. “This is a process that relies on information sharing and in-
“I thought that they would share that information with Lafene but I guess that’s not true.”
- Garrett Menees junior
formation ... it changes. ... That’s just the nature of medicine,” Goerl said. “I’ve got to believe that it’s probably a few isolated cases and it’s not a larger issue. If it’s a larger issue then obviously we can work through that ... but I don’t get the sense and haven’t been made aware that we’re dealing with something bigger.” If contact tracers do encounter discrepancies in what a person under their supervision has been told — either by primary care providers or contact tracers in other counties — Gibbs said they follow up as soon as possible with the other health care personnel. Goerl said if Lafene is made aware of conflicting information about quarantine length or anything else related to COVID-19 exposure, it can call RCHD to sort through the situation. “We’ll reach out to the health department and say ‘Hey, can we work through this case together’ and [we’ll] figure out why there’s a difference,” Goerl said. If students or community members do encounter conflicting advice from primary care providers or health officials, Gibbs said they should ask clarifying questions. “I would just really recommend anyone who is getting conflicting information go ahead and follow up with that contact tracer and just make sure that they have all the correct information,” Gibbs said. Goerl seconded that. “In that situation it’s just good to call and have a conversation — we can work through it,” he said. People with non-emergent questions about COVID-19 in Riley County can send an email to rileycountycovid19@gmail. com. Local health workers monitor that account regularly.
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Progress reports replace midterm evaluations for second semester in a row EMMA WITTER news editor
In the spring, as all Kansas State students transitioned to distance learning, the university used an evaluation process previously reserved for freshmen throughout the entire undergraduate population. Progress reports were traditionally submitted by professors to gauge first-year students’ engagement midway through the semester and identify those who may need extra support. Last spring, that process was expanded to include all
PROACTIVE MEASURES
undergraduates, “to see who was still connected after we went fully online,” Jeannie Leonard, vice provost for student success, said. It began as a recovery effort from the effects of the pandemic on students, but this semester, Leonard said progress reports will serve as a proactive measure to promote student success. “If someone has not figured out Canvas or has not turned in a major assignment, there’s still plenty of time to do things differently to be successful,” Leonard said. “We want students to understand that they will
make mistakes, but they’re recoverable.” Leonard said it’s common for students who begin the semester struggling academically to not seek help. “Either students don’t ask questions because they’re embarrassed, or they explain it away as a fluke,” she said. Progress reports are intended to give professors opportunities to check in with struggling students and make sure they can receive the support they need. “Faculty are critical partners in knowing when students need a little extra support or a little extra chal-
C OM M UNIT Y A&H Farms celebrates ten years of annual fall festival with a socially distanced twist PEYTON FROOME staff writer
A&H Farms kicked off its annual Fall Festival on Saturday, which will last through the end of October. The farm is owned by Andrea and Hugo DeJesus. A decade ago, the pair began the fall festival tradition. The front part of the building functions as a farm store, featuring fresh produce such as watermelon, cantaloupe and tomatoes. The farm also makes homemade cider slushies, cider doughnuts and salsa. Since COVID-19 restrictions began, A&H Farms has seen an increase in business with their products. “Demand for our products, for our produce, is up this year,” Andrea DeJesus said. “I expect it to be up for our pumpkin patch as well.” However, COVID-19 restrictions have rendered cer-
tain activities unavailable. The farm also set up sanitizing stations and increased acreage to accommodate for social distancing. The farm is scattered with seasonal decorations, including painted hay bales the employees create and small play areas for children made of things found on the farm. Activities and attractions include train rides, a new apple cannon, a petting zoo, a corn maze and a pumpkin patch. The pumpkin patch features pumpkins of different shapes and colors, including orange, white and green pumpkins. This year, the pumpkin patch is open seven days a week to keep crowds smaller. The petting zoo includes goats, ponies and pigs. Attendees this year will also have the opportunity to see piglets, since one of the pigs at the farm gave birth a week ago. The animals are friendly, and
freely roam within the pen for attendees to interact with. A fan favorite among the opening day visitors was the giant slide and tricycle races, open to both children and adults. “Our giant slide, they say it’s the best in the area,” Andrea DeJesus said. The fall festival is just one event A&H Farms hosts. Throughout the year, they also host many other activities available to the public, including a sunflower patch before the fall festival and a petting zoo with baby animals in the spring. The farm also holds bonfires year-round available for all, and is looking into hiring bands to play music. “I think nowadays kids don’t get to see so many things,” Andrea DeJesus said. “They get to come out and see a baby goat or a baby pig. You know, they’ve never seen it before. Getting to teach that is so important I think.”
lenge,” Leonard said. “Most professors do this themselves by checking in with students, but in larger classes, or in this COVID landscape, we wanted to provide another layer of opportunity.” The Student Success Center is working to compile data collected through progress reports and build a database that will be accessible to K-State students, faculty and staff. “I want to have transparency with this data,” Leonard said. While going to professors for help can be intimidating, Leonard said the Student Success Center is hoping to create programs to aid in “building skills to help students reach out when they need support.” In the spring, the Stu-
Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Kansas State’s Intermediate Photography course is taught by professor Shree Joglekar. Due to COVID-19 protocols, the classroom has been split into two sections. The class will alternate days to meet in person. dent Success Center received a 59 percent response rate from faculty. This semester, Leonard said, she’s expecting a 65 percent response rate and hoping to learn how her department can best help
students succeed. “We’re in crazy times,” Leonard said. “Let’s do the best we can.” Progress report forms were sent out to faculty Friday and are due on Sept. 28.
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Volleyball begins, soccer takes on TCU, football looks for an upset this week in sports CAMERON BRADLEY sports editor
Volleyball looks to start its season against Iowa State at home. Football and soccer search for victories after starting their respective seasons with losses.
VOLLEYBALL
After a hectic offseason that included the transfers of sophomore Gloria Mutiri and freshman Anna Dixon, coupled with the chaos of the pandemic, volleyball begins this week. Iowa State comes to town for a weekend series against the Wildcats starting at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bramlage Coliseum. The weekend series style of matches is new this year. Due to COVID-19, the scheduling changes were implemented to minimize travel. The second match of the series is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Bramlage Coliseum. Iowa State was picked to finish third in the Big 12 Conference preseason poll while
K-State was picked to finish eighth. Both matches will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with live audio broadcasted on KMAN Radio.
SOCCER
FOOTBALL
A 35-31 upset loss to Sun Belt opponent Arkansas State was the result of Kansas State’s last outing on Sept. 12. That game was the first and only non-conference game
The Wildcats have had it rough to start their 2020 campaign, squaring off against the top two teams in the Big 12 standings. They gave up seven goals in those first two games against Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Things don’t get any easier for the Wildcats this week as they take on the TCU Horned Frogs at 7 p.m. at Buser Family Park on Friday. The Horned Frogs are currently ranked third in the Big 12 standings coming off of a 3-0 victory against Texas. The match will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with live audio on KROCK Radio.
for the Wildcats this year. K-State opens up conference play against freshman phenom quarterback Spencer Rattler and No. 3 Oklahoma at 11 a.m. Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma. OU is coming off of 48-0
dismantling of Missouri State on Sept. 12. Rattler threw for 290 yards and four touchdowns in the first half against the Bears. K-State looks to make it two in a row against OU — the Wildcats upset the No. 5 Soon-
ers and Heisman finalist Jalen Hurts last season at home, 4841. The matchup will be televised nationally on FOX as a part of Big Noon Saturday with live audio through the K-State Sports Network.
Golf thankful for opportunity to play during COVID-19 CONNOR COTTENMYRE players to look at the opstaff writer
Dylan Connell | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The women’s golf team practices at Colbert Hills Golf Course on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020.
In a season of uncertainty the men’s and women’s golf teams are getting adjusted to life and competitive golf during the COVID-19 pandemic. Players for both teams have been encouraged to stay inside a “bubble” as much as possible. With many players on the men’s team being international students and many on the women’s team living with other athletes, keeping players healthy and safe remains the main focus for golf. Both coaching staffs have tried to encourage
portunity they have and do everything they can to stay healthy. To do this the teams have focused more on the positive aspects of this year and have tried to block out the negative. “They have to kind of change their habits really, they have to stay in their bubble as much as possible right now,” men’s golf head coach Grant Robbins said. “They can’t have much of a social life right now.” Riley County has documented more than 1,500 COVID-19 cases since March, and breakouts have been frequent in Manhattan
since the beginning of the semester in August. Luckily, golf is not a high contact sport and many preventative measures have been taken simply by using the space it provides. As a result, the day-to-day activities for the teams have not changed much. “Social distancing is pretty inherent with what we do anyway,” Robbins said. “Our meetings are different, everyone’s indoors and wears a mask, we try to meet as much possible outside.” Both coaching staffs encouraged the use of good hygiene, maintaining diligence with daily tasks, wip-
ing down surfaces and disinfecting carts after each use. For the student athletes to continue to play, both teams are making sure that every preventative measure is taken, whether that is on or off the course. “All you can do is everything you can do,” women’s golf head coach Kristi Knight said. “They have opportunities that golfers in the PAC 12, ACC, Big 10 and the American Conference don’t have.” The Big 12 was one of the few power five conferences that elected to play fall sports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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P R E PA R AT I O N
MARSHALL SUNNER staff writer
With one week until the start of the volleyball season, Kansas State head coach Suzie Fritz feels optimistic — largely due to the extra-long preseason the team was given due to COVID-19 after effects. Fritz knows that her team is young. With just four upperclassmen on the roster and one that is a transfer, the Wildcats can be viewed as a young, inexperienced and rebuilding team. But Fritz doesn't see it that way – she likes the way her roster is built. "The chemistry is pretty solid," Fritz said. "I'm really optimistic. I
think we have some concerns with our youth and inexperience right now. . . but we have enough experience back to hold it together — and enough new blood and energy that’s shaken things up to make it interesting right now." The prolonged preseason has had its perks. Fritz said she feels like her liberos progress is ahead of schedule and the middle blockers have made their strides as well. But the thing that stands out most for the Wildcats' coach is the team's overall effort. "To me, it’s been wonderful," Fritz said. "It’s given us more time to prepare and just more time for the team to come
together. Our libero core is as far along as we’ve ever had. We’ve got four liberos, and what they’re doing defensively and their ability to stabilize us with their ball control has been really ahead of schedule. Our middles as well have made a tremendous amount of improvement. Just the collective overall camaraderie, the chemistry’s good and the collective effort overall has been consistent.” Fritz is pleased with how the team has grown. "We’ve seen our young players be able to integrate themselves into a system and learn different ways to doing things – just having that time prior to having to compete, that time has been
really good," she said. The Wildcats took the floor for the first time this season on Friday for a final tune-up scrimmage before Big 12 play starts next week and to put to the test what they had learned in those six weeks. For the players, it was all about getting back into the competitive grove. "Just seeing how we play in a game like situation," sophomore setter Teana Adams-Kaonohi said. "Seeing how we are going to be next week is important." Redshirt junior Brynn Carlson saw the scrimmage in the same light — a way to get ready for the team's first match against Iowa State.
Volleyball scrimmage acts as a final tune-up prior to first game "I would just say that this is a good opportunity for us to play in a competitive environment," Carlson said. "We’ve been in training mode for the last two months, so this was a good opportunity for us to really prepare for what a game situation is going to be like." Carlson said before the match the connections between setters and hitters were getting better every day and that confidence as a whole was improving on the offensive side of the net. That confidence showed as she led either team with 19 kills in four sets of play. As for the others, freshman defensive specialist Mackenzie Morris led the match with 25
digs. Sophomore libero Dru Kuck added 16 digs and redshirt junior Jacque Smith added 16 digs of her own. Adams-Kaonohi led the match with 31 assists. Even with impressive performances, Carlson is always looking ahead. "One thing our team always does is constantly look for improvement," Carlson said. "I can’t say there’s any one area where we feel weak right now. We feel strong on all fronts. We’re always looking to find that next level, so there’s always another level we can reach." K-State officially starts the 2020 season at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bramlage Coliseum against Iowa State.
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Volleyball players Jayden Nembhard, Megan Vernon and Loren Hinkle kneel during the national anthem prior to the Purple and White Scrimmage on Sept. 18 at Bramlage Coliseum.
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RECAP CODY FRIESEN
staff writer
The Kansas State cross country team opened the season at the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence on Saturday. The event was the first of four that the Wildcats will participate in this season. Both the K-State men's and women's teams placed second. K-State, Kansas and Iowa State squared off in the meet. This marked the first time since 2015 that K-State has opened the season in Lawrence. Iowa State took the men's 6k race with 20 points with the top three finishers, including an 18:06, first-place finish by junior Wesley Kiptoo. Sophomore Cooper Schroeder placed fourth with a time of 18:27, which was the top spot for K-State. Senior
K-State cross country takes second place in opening races
Noah Stevenson finished in fifth. Sophomore Kerby Depenbusch and junior Stephen Kielhofner finished tenth and eleventh to help the Wildcats lock up second place. Kansas struggled in the opening event finishing with 65 points. The Jayhawks had one top ten finish by senior Ben Butler. The majority of the Kansas runners finished below 17th place. Iowa State completed the sweep in the women's 5k race, taking the top four spots, including a 17:08.5 finish by senior Cailie Logue. The Cyclones took eight of the top ten finishes to secure the win. Junior Kassidy Johnson placed fifth in the race with an 18:09 finish. Sophomores Sydney Burton and Emma Lucas finished just outside of the top ten at 11th and 13th places to take second. The Wildcats finished with 60 points to take second
in the opening event of the season. Sophomore Avryl Johnson was the lone top ten finish for the Kansas women's team. The Jayhawks finished with 62 points to finished third as a team. Kansas again finished in the middle of the pack. "The men ran well today," said head coach Ryun Godfrey to K-State Athletics. "We had our top-four runners together for the majority of the race. We will need to hold together for a longer stretch as we prepare for championship racing. The women ran well today." The Wildcats will be back in action on Oct. 3 in Stillwater to participate in the Oklahoma Jamboree. K-State has had success in the event with five total top-five finishes and back-to-back third-place performances by the women's team.
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Wildcats lose 1-4 against Mountaineers in first away game of the season NATHAN ENSERRO assistant sports editor
“Let’s go purple! Let’s go! Come on!” senior midfielder Brookelynn Entz shouted — loud enough to be picked up on the ESPN+ broadcast — to her teammates about five minutes into the Kansas State soccer team’s 4-1 loss at West Virginia. Just a couple minutes later, she settled a pass over the top and kicked the ball past a sliding goalie at the top of the goalie’s box. She stumbled out of the keeper’s tackle and attempted to shoot the ball with a slide. A Mountaineer partially blocked the shot, but Entz powered through and scored with another shot attempt to put K-State up 1-0. Senior defender Shelby Lierz delivered the pass to Entz to record her first career assist. She played 82 minutes — the most in her career. “Tonight was an opportunity for a lot
of our players to get on the field,” K-State head coach Mike Dibbini said to K-State Sports. “There were a lot of players that weren’t here this evening that would have given us depth and experience, but it was beneficial for the players that made the trip. They held their own but we have a lot of work to do.” K-State scored its first goal against West Virginia in the five-year history of the program and marked Entz’s program-record 11th career goal. Mo m e n t a r i l y, K-State lead West Virginia despite being dominated in possession early in the game. The lead lasted four minutes before Mountaineer sophomore forward Enzi Broussard found her way past Wildcat freshman goalkeeper Alaina Werremeyer to tie the game at 1-1, her first of two goals. “Unfortunately, we haven’t been in a position in the early stages
of this season of being up a goal,” Dibbini said. “We sat back for the next 10 minutes and some of the anxiety of defending came back into our play. They kept coming at us during that time.” West Virginia added goals 12 minutes in, 53 minutes in and 67 minutes in to secure the win. Werremeyer recorded eight saves in her first career start for the Wildcats, who struggled to clear the ball in front of her and prevent the Mountaineers from open possession in the defensive third. The Mountaineers outshot K-State 17-4 in the game and put 12 of those on target vs just two shots on goal for the Wildcats. K-State is now 0-4 against West Virginia and 2-27-0 in Big 12 play in program history. K-State will take on the TCU Horned Frogs in Manhattan at Buser Family Park at 7 p.m. September 25 on ESPN+ and 101.5 KROCK.
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OP IN ION SCOTUS lifetime appointments have outlived their purpose REBECCA VRBAS culture editor
The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this weekend has already reignited the flames of political discourse, the culmination of decades of bitter dispute surrounding appointment of Supreme Court justices. The analogous nomination and subsequent refusal to even hear the nomination of Merrick Garland in the final year of Barack Obama’s presidency makes the politics surrounding this process more petty than ever. In the current political landscape, it’s clear there are hypocrites on both sides and the process has been politicized nearly beyond repair. The current conversation around Supreme Court nominations is destructive to democracy, and it is past time something substantial is done about it. The nomination narrative is not only divisive, but unsustainable. In the coming years, the court
will see reform, or contribute to the further degradation of political discourse and democracy in our country. While several Democratic candidates voiced support for the following reforms to the Supreme Court last year, it is in all parties’ interest long term to change the dynamic of the game, rather than bet on the current system that is undemocratically beholden to chance. The establishment of lifetime appointment, given good behavior, has its basis in the desire to give law immunity from public opinion, however the practice has long outlived its usefulness. Continuing to pretend the court is an apolitical institution is at odds with reality. The span and scope of the influence individual justices have has increased drastically over time — far beyond the imagination of those who fashioned the institution. Historically, the average number of years that justices served was 16, according to the Supreme Court website.
REVIEW BAILEY BRITTON
editor-in-chief
Disney's 2020 live-action remake of "Mulan" is made for a new generation of Disney fans, not necessarily their parents. Disney's foray into remakes of classic movies has been hit-and-miss. One reason they have gotten mixed reviews is the fact that people are comparing the live-action and CGI
movies to the original animated ones, which simply shouldn't be done. The new movies are made for new, young audiences — not necessarily for fans of the originals. However, while "Mulan" was enjoyable, it was probably not worth paying $29.99 for only one viewing. To its credit, the movie was rich in symbolism and filled with color: reds, oranges, yellows, purples —
However, looking at the most recent retirees or deaths, Justice Ginsburg served 27 years (1993-2020), Justice Anthony Kennedy, 30 years (1988-2018), Justice Antonin Scalia, served 30 (19862016) and Justice John Paul Stevens, 35 years (1975-2010). With the consequences of judicial appointments potentially lasting three decades, it is impossible for either party to approach appointments with any semblance of rationality, the stakes are too high for either party to hand over a seat to the other without a fight. In many ways, the length of judicial tenure gives individual justices more power than any individual president, and by extension can give any one president inequitable power through appointing them. A presidential election is pivotal enough without an unspecified number of Supreme Court nominations in play as well. While establishing a reasonable term limit on justices would not entirely take the political swing of presidential elections the court has, it would limit the length and potential impact of each individual appointment, as well as ease the ever-looming panic on both sides around the replacement of current justices.
‘Mulan’ remake is for a new generation all the colors or the rainbow. This felt very Disney-esque and also corresponds to the importance of colors in Chinese culture. The Imperial Army wears red, which symbolizes fortune and joy. Even when Mulan returns home, she wears red to see her family again. Unlike most Disney movies, "Mulan" didn't have any musical numbers. However, the new movie
File Photo by Logan Wassall | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Another method by which the power of an individual justice may be limited is by increasing the size of the bench. While it would be difficult to do this while maintaining a delicate political balance, there is already precedent for this. At its inception, the Supreme Court consisted of six justices, but was expanded to nine by the
Judiciary Act of 1869. The way it currently stands, nine justices is simply not enough to be representative of our diverse, populous democracy that has grown exponentially since the 19th century, and with it the scope of the legal landscape. While the issues in the United States politics extend far beyond even the substantial power of the Supreme
Court, reform would go a long way towards ensuring a more stable, rational democracy. Rebecca Vrbas senior in mass communications and the culture editor for the Collegian. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Collegian. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.
nods to the original with an instrumental version of "Reflection" that played in the background at points when Mulan faced challenges. Other aspects of songs from the 1998 version made it into the dialogue of the movie as well. Some lyrics of "A Girl Worth Fighting For" made it into a conversation between the men and Mulan. Now, a big issue some people have shared on social media is the fact there is no love interest in the movie. To me, that's great. "Mulan" shouldn't be about finding a husband. The movie is about Mulan bringing honor to her family
and saving the country she loves. Her focus when leaving home is to not find a husband — it's to find herself. She does just that. Disney also makes a reference to the #MeToo movement and survivors of sexual assault — the chorus of men saying, "I believe Hua Mulan," was enough to give anyone goosebumps. Overall, this movie has a much different tone than the original animated version, but that's OK. This is a different world and movies should reflect that. Hopefully, children can watch this movie and be inspired. They can see themselves on the screen
and imagine what they can do. Despite not premiering on the big screen, the cinematography and story of the film is nonetheless impressive. Moreover, the new movie reiterates the importance of being true to yourself and fighting for what you believe in. Bailey Britton is the Collegian editor-in-chief and a junior in journalism and English. 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.