VOL. 121, ISSUE 75
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© 2016 collegian media group
T U E S D AY, J A N U A RY 1 9 , 2 0 1 6
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSIT Y
INSIDE
Student Union remains open as renovations continue
this issue
>>
PAGE 4: Conflict in Oregon leads to standoff, trials
JASON TIDD the collegian
S
tudents and staff returning to campus for the first week of classes will be greeted by the familiar sight of construction, especially with the renovations to the K-State Student Union at the heart of campus. The site that once housed Caribou Coffee will now be the location of Radina’s Coffeehouse and Roastery. As construction takes place on the food court, food trucks will be in the Bosco Student Plaza during lunch hours, and Subway will continue to operate. The Union renovation is scheduled for completion in December 2016, according to Bill Smriga, executive director of the Union. Contracts with the new restaurants that will occupy it have have yet to be signed; however Smriga said there are verbal agreements in place while the final details are negotiated. In addition to Radina’s and Subway, the Union will include Panda Express, Qdoba Mexican Eats, Just Salads, Call Hall Ice Cream Shop, Chick-fil-A and a sports bar and grill. Other student services, such as Commerce Bank, the Copy Center and the Union Bowling Center will also remain open. “We worked really hard to continue operating all student services,”
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PAGE 5: Interior architecture student wins $5,000
Discovering new routes to save time on campus LYDIA LIERZ
Smriga said. Once complete, the Union will include improved, renovated and enlarged facilities, Smriga said. There will also be new lounges for students and an information desk for visitors. According to the K-State website, the Student Governing Association decided to renovate the Union to “develop a solution that
K-STATE
Class just got out, it’s the beginning of the semester and you haven’t had time to walk your schedule yet. Your next class starts in less than 10 minutes and is on the other side of campus. It seems as if every other student is getting out of class at the same time. Traffic is heavy, and you wish all it took was the snap of your fingers to instantly transfer you to the next lecture. In hopes of making it on time, you instead rely on shortcuts you have either simply heard of or see everyone else taking. If a student is trekking through the Strong Complex heading directly south, a quick jog through the Quinlan Natural Area, across the bridge and along the sidewalk will take the student behind King Hall and eventually behind Dickens Hall. This will then lead to Bluemont Hall, which is where Naomi Henry, sophomore in life sciences, said she learned something new. “This is a fairly well-known route to those who live in the Strong Complex,” Henry said. “But early during my freshman year, my friend walked me through it on the way to class, and it just made sense ever since.” Henry said it was about four minutes faster to bypass the Leadership Studies Building and cross behind the buildings that she had previously walked in front of. Making it to the Quad in a timely manner from Umberger Hall is also doable, or is at least a safer travel when weather is an obstacle.
Associate Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator Sean Snyder was named Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.
SPORTS during winter break
TIMOTHY EVERSON | THE COLLEGIAN Even though the average student got a long winter break, certain K-State student athletes were very busy over the past month as football season came to a close and men's basketball, women's basketball and track and field begin to pick up steam. Here is an overview of what you might have missed while you were away:
Jan. 11
Junior Akela Jones is named to the 2016 Preseason Bowerman Trophy watch list. The Bowerman is given to the top collegiate male and female track athletes.
Jan. 12
On this day in 2007, Beijing, China, the capital city of the planet’s most populous nation, gets its first drive-thru McDonald’s restaurant. The opening ceremony for the new two-story fast-food eatery, located next to a gas station, included traditional Chinese lion dancers and a Chinese Ronald McDonald.
6, “UNION”
Jan. 2 K-State loses 4523 to Arkansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Junior fullback and four-year graduate Glenn Gronkowski declares for the 2016 NFL draft, forgoing his senior year.
Jan. 6
Jan. 5
K-State men’s and women’s track and field both receive preseason top25 rankings. The women are ranked fourth while the men are ranked 20th. The fourth place ranking for the Wildcat women is the highest ranking K-State women’s track has ever received.
Senior offensive lineman Cody Whitehair accepts an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
Gronkowski accepts an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. He will be the fifth K-State player to play in the game in the past four years. WEATHER
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Jan. 15
K-State women’s basketball earns its first conference win in a come-frombehind victory over Oklahoma State.
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Jan. 13
Akela Jones is named K-State men’s the U.S. Track and Field basketball earns and Cross Country its first conferCoaches Association Di- ence win of the vision I National Female season over TexAthlete of the Week. as Tech.
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
and air conditioning, plumbing and electric, Smriga said. The Union was built in 1956, and according to Smriga, the last renovations were done in the early 1990s. The project was originally expected to cost $25 million, but Smriga said it will now cost $31 million.
Graphic by Audrey Hockersmith | Photos by Parker Robb and Rodney Dimick
Jan. 7
Freshman guard Barry Brown is named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
5, “ROUTES”
will address the Union’s structural deficiencies as well as the needs of a growing student body.” The additional lounges and extra space that will be added in the renovations are to help serve the needs of the growing student body. As for the Union’s “structural deficiencies,” a lot of work is being done on the building’s infrastructure, including the roof, windows, heating
Dec. 29
What you might have missed in
the collegian
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George Walker | THE COLLEGIAN A construction worker applies glue to the floor of the K-State Student Union in preparation for new carpet laid Monday.
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Tim Everson sports editor
Jon Parton editor-in-chief
Kelsey Kendall current editor
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Emily Starkey co-photo editor
Jamie Teixeira managing editor
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Kaitlyn Cotton opinion editor
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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. 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 or clarified, call editor-in-chief, Jon Parton, at 785-370-6356 or email news@kstatecollegian.com.
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OPINION tuesday, january 19, 2016
Guns, ranchers, feds create standoff in Oregon
AUSTIN MCCAMPBELL the collegian
A cold chill hangs in the air of Burns, Oregon, 17 days after relations between obstinate ranchers and the federal government turned into a standoff over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. While many of us were enjoying our time off from school, the situation in Oregon sprouted up with surprising speed. What began as a protest march for two imprisoned Oregon farmers soon became an armed standoff between ranchers and the federal government. The standoff is the result of several issues, specifically land disputes that have plagued southeastern Oregon for the last century. Some background information is needed to gain an understanding of the situation. President Theodore Roosevelt is popular for many things, but in particular, he organized the modern national park system. Roosevelt authorized the establishment of the Malheur Refuge in 1908, known then as the Lake Malheur Reservation; it was a breeding ground for native birds in the area, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s website. Over time, the federal government purchased land from local farmers to enlarge the refuge. The Hammond family purchased ranch land for cattle grazing and three water rights in an area near the Malheur Refuge in 1964, according to a timeline from the Conservative Treehouse, a website dedicated to conservative beliefs. In the 1970s, however, things began to get less clear-cut as both the federal government and the Hammonds pulled the ‘get off my land’ card. Federal attempts to take the land through both overt and subversive means were met with objection from the Hammonds when they purchased more land rights. In 2001, a fire set by the Hammonds spread to federal land on the Malheur Refuge. Five years later, another case of burning federal land occurred when the Hammonds started a defensive fire to counter lightning fires from getting to their ranch and the grass needed to feed its cattle. The burning was started with good intentions, but the flames spread to public land where a burn ban was in place.
Illustration by Savannah Thaemert
As a result, Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven were indicted on federal arson charges. They both fulfilled their sentences; Dwight Hammond Jr. served three months while Steven served 12, both beginning in January 2013. The family was also ordered to pay a $400,000 fine to the Bureau of Land Management. Still with me? Great. Because this next part is where things get complicated. Following their releases, Steven and Dwight were resentenced to fulfill the minimum five-year penalty given to those deemed guilty of domestic terrorism charges. An article on popehat. com, a website dealing with legal cases, reported that the local federal prosecution pushed for the full five years by calling back to similar charges committed by others under the same terrorism clause. The judge in the case, however, ruled that the full sentence would be a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Seeing that the call for the minimum penalty did not, however, violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, a U.S. District Court appealed for the resentencing of the Hammonds to the full minimum sentence, according to popehat.com. Steven and Dwight Hammond Jr. obediently and quietly began fulfilling that sentence on Jan. 4.
It is because of the resentencing that a group of 300 marchers paraded through Burns, Oregon, in protest, according to a Jan. 2 Oregon Live article by Les Zaitz. From the marchers came an armed group that took over the vacant Malheur refuge headquarters on Jan. 2. Since then, the armed group, led by Nevada rancher Ammon Bundy, has held the building. With the background covered, what are the ranchers protesting, exactly? The root cause of the resentencing goes back to the fires. Opinions on the circumstances around the fires vary among those who have studied the case. Some sources, like prosecutors, reported that the fires were “set to cover up deer poaching,” according to the Washington Post. Others like the Conservative Treehouse reported that the burn was not ill-intended, claiming the “backfire saved much of the range and vegetation needed to feed the cattle through the winter.” The ranchers believe in the second explanation and have taken up arms against the government. They view the Hammonds’ resentencing as the federal government taking away peoples’ rights to land by imprisoning anyone whose land the government wants. But are they justified in an armed taking of federal property? That question boils down to a discussion about
interpretations of the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is a tricky thing to analyze because there are hundreds of ways to interpret it, and each person believes his or her interpretation is right. The amendment describes the necessity of an armed militia to keep the security of a free state, and these ranchers have taken it upon themselves to stand up to the federal government in the name of freedom, specifically for freedom of land rights. As a pro-gun Texas conservative, I believe that an armed militia should be used for the protection of American citizens’ rights from foreign as well as domestic threats when all peaceful options have been exhausted. In regards to making a stand against the government by invoking the Second Amendment, I can see where the ranchers are coming from. As the federal government takes up more land with the refuge, there becomes less land for farmers to use and cultivate for profits as well as for their families to live on. After decades of the farmers’ land being bought off, someone has to put their foot down and say no. On the other hand, I don’t see the need for holding federal property hostage over something that can be negotiated or fought for in court like land rights. Even the Hammonds disagree with
those who are holding the Malheur building; it was reported in a Jan. 3 CBS article that the Hammonds said neither Bundy nor anyone else in his organization speaks for the Hammond family. Are the ranchers’ concerns valid? Absolutely. But I think they are going about voicing their concerns in the wrong way. With that in mind, I feel the label of ‘terrorist’ being thrown around by some media sources, like Time magazine, is an unsound label by definition. The ranchers aren’t trying to scare people into getting what they want. Rather, I see their actions as taking the law into their own hands to suit their needs, which by definition makes the ranchers vigilantes and not terrorists. So at the end of all this, what should be done? I may not be the foremost authority on federal law, but I can try and offer some alternatives to militarily taking over a federal building. While utilizing force can cause a more rapid response to a situation, faster decisions may not always work out for the better. The federal siege on the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, Texas, back in 1993 is a prime example of a rushed situation gone bad. Rather, I suggest a peaceful demonstration like forming a blockade of camps around the district court that resentenced the Hammonds. If that doesn’t provide action quickly enough, a lawsuit against the Malheur Wildlife Refuge would yield faster action. While the ranchers’ concerns are legitimate, there are safer and more legal options to express discontentment with the government than taking a federal building with armed force. While the sensationalism surrounding the Oregon standoff has somewhat dissipated, the fact that there was a standoff to begin with came as an early surprise. Anyone who has paid a lick of attention to politics this election cycle knows that there is a lot of anger behind varying causes, and this standoff is proof that some are willing to act upon those sentiments. It may be easier to take the quick and response-provoking action in the hopes of achieving your goals, but there are more reasonable and legally secure methods of getting what you want. With the upcoming insanity of the presidential election, all I can hope is that cooler heads prevail. Austin McCampbell is a senior in history. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com. 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.
Remembering Martin Luther King’s legacy by forgetting Trump
KAITLYN COTTON the collegian
In the first month of this election year, we have a holiday that has been celebrated for decades with cancelled school and a documentary on television. This year will bring the same national traditions. This year especially, though, it is important to remember why we have a federal holiday dedicated to a man who lived 48 years ago.
Martin Luther King Jr. is a man of great importance in U.S. history, and his name remains synonymous with phrases such as “civil rights,” “racial equality” and “I have a dream.” It seems ridiculous to give a history lesson about one of the most influential men in the last 50 years; however, the number of times Donald Trump has contradicted the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day by discriminating against certain groups of American citizens proves that some people may be in need of a history lesson. “The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America,” Coretta Scott King said in her article on The King Center’s website.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke for those who were not legally granted a voice by the federal government. King was a key player in the Montgomery Bus Boycott (which eventually “...lead to the United States Supreme Court ruling that segregated buses were unconstitutional,” according to Moralheros.com) to addressing topics such as laws against racial discrimination in employment and protections from police brutality. Presidential candidate Donald Trump exhibits completely different characteristics than King did during his time. King encompassed “the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his
Street Talk compiled by Jessica Robbins
KENDRA BOYD freshman,
animal science “All of it. It gets in the way.”
??
leadership,” according to The King Center. On the topics of immigration and racial equality, it could be said that Trump possesses none of the characteristics previously stated about King. Trump has been caught discriminating against Muslims, African-Americans, women, Asians and many others during his campaign with little to no remorse. According to a Washington Post article titled “Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist,” Trump said Muslims are a “problem” in America, and he also suggested that they should be forced to register in a database. The same article also said that in addition to discriminating against ethnic and religious groups, Trump,
“publicly mocked the movements of New York Times (and former Washington Post) journalist Serge Kovaleski, who has a chronic condition limiting mobility.” King would shake his head at the ignorance of Trump and the lack of acceptance he has for anyone who is not white. Although it may be obvious to most that white is just a color, to others like Trump, a person’s skin color can be the determining factor for whether you are powerful or powerless. Martin Luther King Jr. Day “is not a black holiday; it is a peoples’ holiday. And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream,” according to The King Center. Although Trump is a
WHAT CONSTRUCTION CAN YOU NOT WAIT TO BE DONE AND WHY?
MADISON LUDEWIG
GABE THOMAS
KHALIL NEWTON
“The Union. It looks like it will be cool, but the construction is inconvenient right now.”
“I can’t wait for the construction on the Union to be done. I find it annoying to navigate at the moment.”
“I am ready for the construction on the new business building to be done. It’s gonna be dope.”
freshman, animal science
freshman, open option
freshman, accounting
front-runner in the 2016 presidential election, the American people, especially the younger voting generation, have the power to remember the legacy King started and why he worked so hard to create equality for all races and religions. Maybe after we remember all he did, we may think again before electing a candidate that prefers to break minority groups down in order to bring himself up. Kaitlyn Cotton is a junior in journalism. Please send comments to opinion@ kstatecollegian.com. 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.
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RACHEL BOTT freshman, business
“The new business building. I am a business major and I’m excited to go to class in there.”
tuesday, january 19, 2016
Student wins money, prizes for work in design contest KELSEY KENDALL
C
aleb Amundson, graduate student in interior architecture and product design, was announced as the finalist in the NEXT Student Design Competition on Jan. 15. Amundson won $2,500 for himself and another $2,500 for the K-State College of Architecture, Planning and Design. He also won a custom-made Think Chair from the competition’s sponsor, Steelcase Design Alliances. “I’m bringing out the gold for K-State again,” Amundson said. This is the second year a K-State student won the NEXT Student Design Competition. In January 2015, Emma Montgomery, graduate student in interior architecture and product design, won the competition, which encouraged the professors in the college to continue participating in the contest, Amundson said. “This (winning two years) shows K-State has a significant influence in the future design of America,” Amundson said. Of all the submissions in this national competition, there were five honorable mentions, which included K-State student Garrett Steinlage, graduate student in interior architecture and product design, and five semifinalists. These students designed the interior of an assigned building. “Everyone was extremely talented,” Amundson said. “All five (semifinalists) are winners.” Before Amundson won the competition, he and four other semifinalists, one of whom was Alex Marschman, graduate student in interior architecture and product design, were sent on an all-expense-paid trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. There they presented their designs for a collaborative workplace to a panel of judges at Steelcase University. “It was really an honor and really exciting,” Marschman said. Marschman said the experi-
ROUTES | Alternative routes provide warmth continued from page
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“I would go through the north doors of Cardwell Hall to make it to the Quad, Ackert Hall or one of the engineering buildings,” Jack Nolte, sophomore in microbiology said. “Sometimes I would have to fight the crowds of students just getting out of classes, but it was a nice beeline out of the elements for even a little while.” Maggie Mosley, junior in management, revealed a less familiar route that gets someone to Thompson Hall faster due to less foot traffic. “Instead of walking along Mid-Campus Drive, I would take the sidewalk that crosses in front of the president’s house,” Mosley said. “This route is only good for
the collegian
5 a few destinations, but it’s not a commonly used path so you won’t have to dodge as many people.” This sidewalk is found just south of Lovers Lane and will direct a student to Vattier Street. From there, a short jaunt can be taken to All Faiths Chapel, the Beach Museum of Art, McCain Auditorium or Thompson Hall, which is remotely located behind these buildings. Shortcuts can be useful for students and faculty looking for a break from the cold, a straightcut route or a seldomly used path. It could be a hunch that gets you there, passed-on information from a mentor or a just plain luck that you happened upon it. Whatever the reason, punctuality will finally be in sight.
Emily Starkey | THE COLLEGIAN Caleb Amundson, graduate student in interior architecture and product design, was declared the finalist in the NEXT Student Design Competition on Friday. ence of meeting the other semifinalists and Steelcase executives was fun and rewarding, and the ability to present her designs was a great networking opportunity. She said Steelcase took the semifinalists out to eat several times during their trip, so they were able to meet many professionals and receive feedback. Amundson said the design presentations were a big part of the competition, and K-State’s College of Architecture, Planning and Design prepared him for the opportunity.
“We kick ass,” Christopher Manzo, visiting professor in interior architecture and product design, said. “I’m really impressed with K-State’s program.” Manzo was Amundson’s and Marschman’s studio professor while they were working on their contest submissions. Manzo said he was impressed by the professional skill level his students possessed. “Their work process is phenomenal,” Manzo said. “If they were to work at a firm now, they would do just fine. They’re both incredibly creative.”
Emily Starkey | THE COLLEGIAN The Quinlan Natural Area bridge provides a quick shortcut between classes.
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tuesday, january 19,2016
UNION | Students combat difficulties caused by Union renovations continued from page
1
The majority of the expenses are funded by a $20 per semester increase to the student privilege fee for students attending the Manhattan campus. There are also other sources of funding. Follett Higher Education Group, the company that runs the bookstore in the Union, is providing $1 million for the renovations, Smriga said. The student body voted to approve the project in April 2013, and the fee was instituted
in fall 2014. The renovations are using a 30-year bond. For some students, the promise of a better Student Union cannot make up for the added difficulties of navigating the construction. “(The Union) was really hard to navigate because there were walls there that didn’t use to be there last semester,” Ben Walberg, freshman in business administration, said. “It was also difficult to find a bathroom because the main-floor men’s bathroom was closed ... and the bookstore was really confusing
because you have to pick up your books somewhere else.” For Keneysha McKinney, freshman in sports marketing and an employee of the Union Bookstore, the renovations complicate her job. “As an employee, it makes stuff harder because the customer gets upset that they have to go to different places ...” McKinney said. “It’s nice that they have food trucks, but the time isn’t always convenient. It’s good that (the Union) is getting remodeled because it’s new. I like that.”
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