T H E I N D E P E N D E N T V O I C E F O R K A N S A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
Colombia to NBAF director See pages 4 and 5
wednesday, october 2 3 , 2 0 1 9
kstatecollegian.com
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‘People still want truth,’ Desert Storm colonel says
vol. 125, issue 25
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LETTER: Solutions to broken relationship with police
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Pothole season looms on the horizon
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
‘People still want truth,’ Desert Storm colonel says of news consumers REBECCA VRBAS THE COLLEGIAN
Col. Chip Bircher spoke to media at a luncheon Tuesday on the pressing cybersecurity issues facing our world ahead of a lecture as part of the Kansas State University Political, Diplomatic and Military Lecture Series. Bircher retired from the army in 2017, after 28 years of service. He started as an infantry officer and was a mechanized infantry platoon leader during Desert Storm. He switched to military intelligence and spent three years as a strategic planner and operations officer in the National Security Agency. This was, he said, where he first started to learn about electronic warfare. He switched to information operations in 1999 and ran the information operations programs in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. U.S. messaging at the time
was based on truth to "hopefully build up a pattern of facts so that people decided that what you're speaking is the truth," he said, "whereas what we saw from our adversaries … and what you see in Russian aggression now, is it isn’t based in truth.” When he left Afghanistan in 2005, he said he thought he would be teaching information
operations when things took an unexpected turn. “Walked in, my boss says. ‘Do you know what electronic warfare is?’ I say. ‘Yes sir,'" he said. "‘Good, it’s broken, you’ve got 30 days to tell the boss General Petreaus how to fix it.” “So I spent three years building the Army’s electronic warfare program and helped write the
We’re being assaulted every single day with information... Col. Chip Bircher
army’s first doctrinal mag concept on cyberspace operations," he said. In 2008, Petraeus asked Bircher to help with Central Command's strategic communication team. Bircher said it is important for Americans to understand they are under cyber warfare. “We’re being assaulted ev-
ery single day with information, whether it’s truthful information, false information, information amplification,” Bircher said. Bircher spoke in-depth about the controversy stemming from Russian meddling in affairs, including the 2016 election, and the strategies they might employ. “I think there’s three primary considerations at play here,"
Bircher said. "The first is, Russia wants to be dominant on the European landmass … the second piece is Russia views everybody outside of Russia as a threat … and the third one is self survival.”
see page 8, “CYBER”
As weather cools down, pothole season looms on the horizon STEPHANIE NUTT THE COLLEGIAN
The expansion and contraction of groundwater beneath pavement creates a plethora of potholes that pepper the streets of Manhattan, damaging cars and irritating drivers. Kara Wray, Aggieville Business Association marketing intern and senior in marketing, said she takes precautions to reduce potholes in Aggieville by using an application that enables users to say something when they see something. “I’ve used the ‘Report It!’ app to turn some [potholes into] the city,” Wray said. “I’ve done a bunch.” Gary Bonawitz, local mechanic, said potholes can do a lot of damage to your car. “If you hit a big enough one, it can bend a rim and ruin a
tire and knock suspension out of alignment,” Bonawitz said. He suggested trying not to hit the brakes, as it will cause more damage. Bonawitz said drivers can avoid potholes by staying off their phones. Other tips include slowing down, leaving space between you and the car in front of you, being cautious around puddles, tightly holding onto your steering wheel and keeping your tires properly inflated. Hitting a pothole may warrant a quick inspection of your car — look for a bulge on the sidewall of your tires, misalignment, abnormal vibrations or odd noises. A dashboard warning light could appear if something is wrong. If you notice any of those you should take your car to a professional, such as a tire technician or a mechanic, to get it thoroughly checked. Ask for an inspection that checks alignment, tire steel
belts, balancing weights, wheel rims, shocks, struts and other suspension components. Robert Ott, Public Works director for the city of Manhattan, said there are hundreds of miles of city streets in Manhattan, and 21,765 potholes have been filled in so far this year. “In terms of potholes as they’re reported, we patch them temporarily, hoping to get anywhere between three and six months out of them,” Ott said. “Every week crews work on potholes.” The city crews use patch materials, or hot mixed asphalt, from local asphalt companies in the warmer months and cold patches in the colder months. Cold patches do not work as well, and crews often have to go back through the winter due to snow. You can report potholes online or on the Report It! app.
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
A DIAGNOSTIC DREAM From Colombia to NBAF director, here’s Dr. Alfonso Clavijo’s story
PETER LOGANBILL THE COLLEGIAN
Dr. Alfonso Clavijo comes from a middle-class family from Colombia. He said he was in the top of his class at school and his parents were very supportive of anything he wanted to do. On Oct. 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed him to be director of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, which will open in Manhattan in 2021 and be fully operational by 2023. Throughout his life, he said he's always had a passion for diagnostics of animal diseases. While he studied to be
a veterinarian, his focus was in research and laboratory work. “There is very strong interaction between animals and humans," Clavijo said. "You cannot see it any better than in rabies. In South America, there are still countries where people are dying from rabies, which is not acceptable.” He's worked in this field all his life — going back and forth between South and North America. When he left Colombia, he traveled to Canada and obtained a doctorate in virology. When he was there, he began working for the federal government at the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease. "[I started] to work with the federal government in
I saw the opportunity. ... I enjoyed the time that I was here in Manhattan. How could I say ‘No’? Dr. Alfonso Clavijo NBAF director
Canada in '96 or '97 within the foreign animal disease diagnostic lab there," Clavijo said. "We worked with avian influenza, classical swine fever, African swine fever, most of the diseases that are foreign to Canada, and also foreign to the U.S." In 2008, he went to Brazil to work for the Pan American Health Organization. His role involved checking for proper laboratory equipment, personnel and diagnostics. “That was a really good experience," Clavijo said. "[It] helped me to understand many of the limitations that the developing countries have related to diagnostics. They are not the same level as we are in North America, for many reasons.” After spending some time there, he came back to the U.S. and began working leadership and advisory positions at Texas A&M and Kansas State, where he worked as a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the 2015-2016 academic year. He then went back up to Canada to become the director of the NCFAD. "[I had] the opportunity to go back to the lab where I developed my career as a scientist, but this time as a director," Clavijo said. "It prepared me for this job too." When he heard about the opportunity to lead NBAF and come back to Manhattan, he started the long, competitive process of interviews and presentations with many different groups, including K-State and the USDA. "It's like in any job when you apply, you really don't know who made the decision," Clavijo said. "I guess it's a collective decision." As the successful candidate, he said he is very happy to be here.
Peter Loganbill| THE COLLEGIAN
The animal diseases studied in the Biosecurity Research Institute are similar to what will be studied in the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. “This will be a great life," Clavijo said. "I saw the opportunity. This is a great time to come. I enjoyed the time that I was here in Manhattan. How could I say ‘No?'” While he has not yet had time to explore Manhattan much, he said that when he was here as a professor he enjoyed eating dinner downtown and being able to drive to Kansas City to watch a soccer game. His wife is with him as well. “She has been very supportive, and I think that [I] wouldn’t be able to do what I'm doing if it wasn't for her support, and her flexibility to move with me," Clavijo said.
"It has been hard, because moving that much is not easy.” Ken Burton, NBAF coordinator and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service director of operations, said Clavijo is a people person and a very good communicator. "He places the importance of personnel and interacting with people and explaining the mission of NBAF and why the work that will be done in the facility is so important to public health," Burton said. Just south of NBAF's construction site, Stephen Higgs, the associate vice president of research at K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute, also
Wnoted Clavijo's interpersonal skills. "He will engage communities," Higgs said. "He can make complicated things understandable to everybody.” While what he is most looking forward to is opening day, and the culmination of —most likely — three years of work, Clavijo said the toughest obstacle is making sure it all comes together correctly. “I think that the biggest challenge right now is making sure everything is going as planned, because there are many parts of this project," he said. "There are many, many pieces that need to come together to build the right lab.”
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wednesday, october 23, 2019 2009
2011 Facilities & existing infrastructure moved
2013 Site comes under Dept. of Homeland Security control
Site prep started
Location chosen
2018 Utility plant completed, lab construction started
Central utility plant construction underway
2012
2010
anticipated events
2021
Lab work finished
Lab commissioned, movement of labor begins
Proposal to move facility to USDA control
2015
NBAF becomes fully operational
2020
2023
$1.25 billion in expected expenditure
NBAF approaches completion in Manhattan after 10 years of work PETER LOGANBILL THE COLLEGIAN
Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Jan. 22, 2019. Ten years after the announcement of its planned construction in Manhattan, work on the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, or NBAF, is marching along. The $1.25 billion project, which was selected for construction north of Kansas State's campus in January 2009, is on sched-
ule to finish construction in 2020 and be fully operational by 2022. Ron Trewyn, NBAF liaison for K-State, said delays in construction were caused by enhancements to the building's security and infrastructure that raised both the initial cost and the time it took to gather the required funding. “This facility, as currently designed, exceeds the requirements for a nuclear power plant,” Trewyn said. “[If a] tornado picks up a 4,000 pound automobile and hurls it into the building
at 100 mph, it’s not going to penetrate.” Manhattan was chosen as the facility's location after a threeyear selection process. Once the facility is finished, it will be operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “With our vet school and our College of Agriculture, we have a lot of similar expertise and proximity to animal health research, particularly with livestock,” Trewyn said. “They recognized [that] the more scientists you
have working on similar things, the faster you get to solutions.” Fifty-six percent of the total worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales are by companies in what is known as the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, which stretches from Manhattan to Columbia, Missouri. When there are new developments at NBAF, such as vaccines and treatments, these commercial entities can help distribute the new products. NBAF is currently planned to be used for researching eight
harmful animal diseases, which is why security and safety precautions at NBAF were enhanced to be state-of-the-art. It will be a biosafety level 4 laboratory, the highest level of security for hazardous organic materials — and the level of security needed for pathogens with no cure or treatment. “The facilities are designed to protect the people working in there and to keep things isolated in the building,” Trewyn said. “The technology is amazing in these facilities.” Currently, four of the eight
diseases NBAF will focus on are being studied at the Biosecurity Research Institute in Pat Roberts Hall, including African swine fever virus and classical swine fever virus. Owned by K-State, BRI is the first and only non-governmental facility in the U.S. approved to work with these pathogens.
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
Women’s golf ties for 12th at Jim West Challenge in Texas
Luis Villarreal-Reyes | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Teammates congratulate junior Niamh Mcsherry for winning the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational at Colbert Hills Golf Course on Sept. 18, 2019.
NATHAN ENSERRO THE COLLEGIAN
The women’s golf team finished tied for 12th out of 15 schools at the Jim West Invitational hosted by Texas State. The tournament was played at the 6033 yard, par-72 Kissing Tree Golf Club in San Marcos, Texas over the weekend. Kansas State started the tournament out hot. They shot a team score of 280 out of the gate. Despite the solid score, K-State sat at tenth place. The round was led by senior Chloe Weir, whose 4-under 68 was a career low. She was followed up by junior Niamh McSherry, who shot a 3-under 69, and sophomore Heather Fortushniak with 2-under 70. “Chloe did a nice job, she holed a lot of putts, she saved a
lot of pars,” head coach Kristi Knight said to K-State Sports. “She had a lot of good shots, she also had some shots that didn’t go to plan, but she has the short game that she made some really quality saves.” Weir was the lone Wildcat to put together two-straight rounds below par with a second round 1-under 71. K-State’s score on the second round was 1-over as a team. Freshman Haley Vargas joined Weir in holding down the Wildcats’ team score. She shot a 3-under 69, her best round of the tournament. “Overall, I’m proud of the ladies today,” Knight said to K-State Sports. “They showed some resilience today and climbed back from a rough start in round two. I’m really pleased that they bounced back from that, we’re in a good position.
We have an opportunity for a really good finish.” The second day of the tournament was even worse for K-State, which shot 301 as a team and did not record a single score below par. The Wildcats at one point in the round climbed all the way to 6th place, but fell to 12th after a disastrous final nine holes. McSherry and Weir both shot 2-over 74s on the final round to pace K-State. “It was disappointing, but it was not due to a lack of effort,” Knight said to K-State Sports. “They played well for 45 holes. We have to build on that and clean up the lost shots.” K-State has one more tournament for their fall season. They head to Los Cabos, New Mexico for the Battle at the Beach hosted by TCU from Nov. 1 through Nov. 3.
LETTER: We need to fix our relationship with the police On Oct. 12, 28-year-old Atatiana Jefferson was killed in her own home by a Fort Worth police officer. Jefferson was babysitting her 8-yearold nephew and had done nothing wrong. A neighbor noticed Jefferson’s door was open after midnight and asked the police for a wellness check. When the officer walked around Jefferson’s home, she went to the window with her gun to see who was snooping around her backyard. With almost no warning and no announcement that he was a member of law enforcement, the police officer shot Jefferson dead. On Oct. 1, former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was convicted of murdering Botham Jean in his own apartment, a year prior and only 30 miles away from where Jefferson was killed. Like Jefferson, Jean had done nothing wrong. The police officer claims to have simply entered the wrong apartment, assuming that it was hers, and shot Jean because she thought he was an intruder. The killings of individuals such as Jefferson and Jean have enraged and saddened many, including me. Some have sought to connect these killings to a broader narrative about systematic racism among police. Such stories receive a lot of attention, but I worry that they oversimplify the problem and only serve to further the divide between cops and communities. Both Jefferson and Jean happened to have been black individuals killed by white cops, but I don’t think most cops are racist. I’m not even sure the specific cops who murdered Jefferson and Jean are racist. I do think that they were bad cops, who lacked the personal preparedness and mental wherewithal to deal with the situations they found themselves in. I think most cops deal
with dangerous and confusing situations that almost everyone would be unprepared for. I also think most cops are undertrained, underpaid, under-appreciated and overworked. Meanwhile, police departments are understaffed and overburdened, which forces them to accept officer candidates who may be less than stellar. All of this contributes to a toxic environment ripe for misconduct. While this helps explain bad behavior, it doesn’t excuse it. I think some cops are trigger happy and abusive, but even among the majority who aren’t, most don’t know the law well enough to enforce it effectively and holding them accountable is almost impossible. Some of them just make honest mistakes. But as we’ve seen, these mistakes can lead to death. There is a vast power differential between cops and civilians. When a person experiences a violation of their rights at the hands of the police, there is little they can do in the moment. Cops don’t generally respond well to people questioning their methods or authority. We are advised to “just do what you’re told” whenever we get pulled over or confronted by police. While this might be legitimate advice if you want to survive such an encounter, it is a sign that something is wrong with the way cops interact with the people they are supposed to protect and serve — although the Supreme Court tells us that they don’t actually have a duty to do so. So, civilians can’t confront armed officers, even when they know that their rights are being violated, for fear that they might be killed. Instead, they must hope to confront these cops in court. Even putting the prohibitive costs associated with suing a police officer
or department aside, such measures have questionable odds of success. Most cops — including “good cops” — will either cover their fellow officers or simply remain silent in the face of bad police behavior rather than side with an accusatory civilian. Meanwhile, evidence can be tampered with and even cameras can be turned off or have their footage edited. Within this paradigm, civilians can feel overwhelmed and hopeless when faced with inappropriate police actions. Clearly, we have a problem but simply labeling cops as bad in general does nothing to solve it. I’m not a police officer or an expert, but I have a few modest suggestions. Police departments must do a better job of selecting good officers and training them to higher standards in knowledge of the law, protection of individual rights, de-escalation and non-violent conflict resolution. In turn, officers should feel comfortable calling out bad behavior, turning to internal affairs when necessary and speaking out when they see something wrong. All of this must be maintained with appropriate oversight. Such changes aren’t easy. I’m suspicious of proposals that make the job of law enforcement “easier,” as they tend to end up violating our rights. In that vein, I acknowledge my proposals will take time and difficulty. Benjamin Ristow is senior in history. 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.
To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
OPINION: International students should align with LGBTQ groups VEDANT DEEPAK KULKARNI THE COLLEGIAN
The word "ally" is powerful. It describes someone who stands by you through thick and thin, someone who fights for you because they know it is the right thing to do. An ally is someone who cares so deeply about you that they will ensure you're not harmed because of how you choose to identify. The LGBTQ and international student communities are two groups that are typically not thought of together or mentioned in the same sentence. I believe it is the time for international student groups to openly ally with LGBTQ causes and support our LGBTQ friends through events and activities. I was first introduced to the LGBTQ community through Indian television talk show "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth Alone Triumphs), which deals with social causes. I did not find it weird at all. I come from a relatively open-minded family culture; I accepted the existence of the LGBTQ community immediately. However, that was not the case with most of my friends back home and some friends here. I remember when one of my friends, who is also an international student at Kansas State, said to me, "OMG! That's so gay!" That statement made me furious and my relationship with them was never the same. It was disheartening to see my friend have such negative opinions about the LGBTQ community. On the contrary, all of my friends
who identify as LGBTQ community members have vocally supported international students at K-State and across America. They are curious to learn about different cultures, and they attend many international student events. International students should now also support LGBTQ individuals on our campuses and align ourselves with causes that push for diversity and inclusion. Straight international students should use resources that are available to us online as well as on campus to understand what it means to be LGBTQ and how we could become better allies: reach out to the LGBT Resource Center on campus, attend Sexuality and Gender Alliance meetings, have a conversation with someone who identifies as LGBTQ. There are multiple peer articles and journals available online to learn more about gender and sexuality. One can watch Ted Talks about gender and sexuality studies. Even the way we speak can make us better allies if we don't use homophobic phrases and use gender neutral pronouns. Most significantly, we should use our events to promote awareness about the LGBTQ community. We should use our stage to promote diversity and equity. Many cultures encourage acceptance, tolerance and diversity. Let us find the inclusivity of our cultures and ensure that those who need our help receive it. If we know someone who is going through a journey of self-exploration, then we should stick by them as they discover themselves and support them at every moment. We should con-
duct or attend events that promote a gay-straight alliance. We should approach our lawmakers to ensure the safety of our non-straight friends. These small steps can have a significant impact on an individual's life and positively change an entire community and our society. I understand most of us come from places where talking about being LGBTQ is still taboo, if not a crime. This is precisely why we should reach out to the LGBTQ community. Using the knowledge we gain here, we should try to expand the mindsets of people back home, thereby making our home countries progressive and open-minded places. The LGBTQ community has been an outspoken supporter of immigrant rights and its members are the first ones to condemn xenophobia, something that international students face regularly. Taking that as inspiration, international students should raise their voices and stand up to homophobia not just on university campuses, but all around the world. The world is changing. We are becoming more accepting and tolerant, making people feel more comfortable in their identity. We have to be progressive enough to accept them for who they are and not force them to change themselves. Vedant Deepak Kulkarni is a junior in management information systems and mass communications. 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.
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wednesday, october 23, 2019
Black Student Union celebrates its 50th year with alumni reunion REBECCA VRBAS THE COLLEGIAN
The K-State Alumni Association hosted the biennial Black Alumni Reunion over the weekend at the Prairiewood Retreat and Preserve, featuring a special gala that celebrated the 50th anniversary of Kansas State’s Black Student Union. The reunion was spearheaded by Jessica Elmore, associate director of diversity programs, who is already moving onto the next project: organizing K-State Homecoming Week activities. The Black Alumni Reunion is held every other fall. This year, multiple events were scheduled Thursday through Saturday, including fishing, canoeing, painting, oral histories, educational speakers and a gala. “This weekend was just very special overall,” Brandon Clark, student programs coordinator for Diversity and Multicultural Student Affairs and BSU advisor, said. “But the 50th
CYBER continued from page
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When the the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 integrated the U.S. Information Agency into the Department of State, Bircher said the U.S. lost its ability to tell the story. “You got to be in the fight, and you got to be the one to, you gotta be willing to engage your narrative,” he said. “If we’re not
anniversary gala for me, really is what made this weekend so special. It speaks to the power of our BSU.” The gala, Clark said, was the signature event to celebrate the 50th anniversary. “We thought it would be a good idea to collaborate and say, instead of BSU doing its own separate celebration – which we kind of have been celebrating the 50th Anniversary all year – but why don’t we make this the signature large scale event by doing a big banquet or gala during the Black Alumni Reunion, so that our alumni can participate and be a part of the 50th anniversary celebration?” Clark said. Clark said it is impactful for alumni to see the traditions they shared as students carried on by the organization to this day. “I think that speaks to the power of our BSU too, when you can build some strong traditional programming that is still beneficial and impactful, and allowing the alumni to see that
those traditions carry on, because they know how important it was for them and their development while they were here,” Clark said. Bryon Williams, former BSU alumnus and interim director of new student services, agreed. “There is that common thread that binds us all in that organization — almost spiritual in a sense at this point — that allows people to be safe, and to grow and feel nourished and to get what they need outside of the classroom,” Williams said. K-State’s BSU has earned many accolades in its history — in February, it was named the best in the Big 12 Conference for the 11th time in 14 years. “I believe that our organization continues to be in a better and better place,” Williams said. “I think there continues to be a stronger foundation and kind of Photo Courtesy of Brandon Clark business mindset to the organiFormer BSU executive board members at the Black Alumni Reunion. zation, while still maintaining that student family feel within the organization.”
going to be in the narrative fight, then we just get to watch, I guess, the headlines come across Twitter. “I think people are still interested in facts, people still want truth, fact-based truth,” Bircher said. “The challenge we have though is we have a really short attention span.” Art DeGroat, K-State’s executive director of military and veterans affairs and a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, is the facilitator of the lecture series. “We chose cyber war as a
very relevant topic, the military is really ahead of this issue in the United States, so we wanted a military expert, not a diplomatic expert or a political expert," DeGroat said. DeGroat said staying ahead of cyberwarfare attacks is "critical." “It seems to be the mega threat that affects all other politics, military and diplomatic efforts at the national level," DeGroat said. "So, I think it’s the most critical functional issue to deal with.”
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