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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
vol. 124, issue 34
kstatecollegian.com NEWS
Racist sign found on Jardine residence door by Kaylie Mclaughlin When Brodrick Burse returned to his home from campus Monday night, he found a sign with a racial slur clipped to the doorframe of his second-floor Jardine Apartments residence. “Beware N*****s Live Here!!! Knock at your own risk,” the sign read. At about 8 p.m., Burse, junior in mass communications, posted an image on his Twitter. The tweet, which generated more than 300 retweets in less than 24 hours, included the sign in an attached photo. “It’s 2018 and this was posted on my apartment door. This is still happening here at @ KState,” Burse wrote. “I refuse to let this blatant racism stop me from moving onward and upward.” Kansas State Housing and Dining Services commented on the tweet a couple of hours later saying the poster is being investigated. Just after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, the K-State Twitter account responded similarly, promising updates as they are available. Cindy Hollingsworth, executive director of the division of communications and marketing, said there are two investigations that can operate “simultaneously” in cases such as this.
see page 3, “JARDINE”
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wednesday, november 7, 2 0 1 8
KELLY WINS
Traditionally red Kansas swings blue as state elects Kelly as next governor JANELLE MARNEY ROWAN JONES RAFAEL GARCIA THE COLLEGIAN
Democrat Laura Kelly of Topeka will be Kansas’s next governor. Kelly’s election to the top spot in the state follows a long, contentious debate that saw national figures, including President Donald Trump, come to campaign on behalf of the candidates. In the polls, Kelly took an early lead Kobach was not able to surmount. Jo Ella Hoye, chapter leader for Kansas’s Moms Demand Action, said she jumped up and screamed when it was announced Kelly would be the next governor of Kansas. The moment Kelly walked in, the crowd erupted into a symphony of cheers. Kelly’s speech was filled with thanks for her supporter, young voters
and the people of Kansas. “Today Kansans voted for change — it’s a change that brings the priorities and the spirit of Kansas back to Topeka,” Kelly said. “You know, Kansans look out for each other. We cooperate, whether on the farm, or in school, or church or the workplace. We’re all part of the same community, and today voters across Kansas came together. We decided to put people before politics.” After the Associated Press called the election for Kelly at about 10:30 p.m., Kobach conceded the race a half hour later. “We had a strong fight, but it just wasn’t in God’s will for this year,” Kobach said. “Although for the governor’s race we didn’t turn out on top, we still had more voters reported than in years past.”
see page 3, “KELLY”
Rowan Jones | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Laura Kelly waves farewell to her supporters after her victory speech. In the speech she detailed a plan to work across the aisle and bring common sense to Kansas.
Elections office lost voter registrations, fraternity says KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN THE COLLEGIAN
Before the voter registration deadline, Alpha Phi Alpha said it registered 104 Kansas State students and community members to vote in Riley County, but none of those students are able to vote, according to a statement released by the fraternity. The registration drive, called “A Voteless People is a
Hopeless People,” ran from Sept. 24 to Sept. 27 and again from Oct.1 to Oct. 4. It was part of a national movement to register voters. The statement signed by fraternity president, Dariyan Springfield, junior in animal sciences and industry, said the forms from the drive were turned into the Riley County Election Office by Oct. 8, which was eight days before the registration deadline. In the same statement,
released by chapter adviser Brandon Clark on his personal Facebook account, the fraternity said they were alerted that the registrations had not gone through when a student informed them that he never received a voter registration card in the mail. When the student contacted the election office, he was informed he was not registered to vote in the general election. As it turns out, none of the 104 people who registered at
the Alpha Phi Alpha tabling events were actually registered to vote. The statement said the fraternity sent Kemondre Taylor, drive coordinator and junior in sociology, to the Riley County Election Office on Nov. 5. “Upon arriving at the office, the voter registration coordinator walked in and saw that many of the staff members in the office were already looking around in an effort to find the missing voter registration
forms,” the statement said. “A senior elections analyst stated that she did remember that the voter registration coordinator had [come] in and dropped off the registration forms and she also remembered how both of them went through the forms together and looked for any forms that may have had errors in them.”
see page 3, “ELECTION”
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EDITORIAL BOARD Rafael Garcia Editor-in-chief
Dené Dryden Managing editor Rachel Hogan Deputy managing editor Kyle Hampel Community co-editor Olivia Rogers Community co-editor
Kaylie McLaughlin News editor
Molly Hackett Assistant sports editor
Leah Zimmerli Assistant news editor
Monica Diaz Social media editor Karaline Schreiner Assistant
Katelin Woods Culture editor
Olivia Bergmeier Photography editor
Macy Davis Assistant culture editor
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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 400 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 or clarified, call editor-in-chief Rafael Garcia at 785-370-6356 or email news@kstatecollegian.com.
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KELLY continued from page
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Kelly is the third woman to hold the governorship in Kansas history, following former governors Kathleen Sebelius and Joan Finney. At the state level, attorney general Derek Schmidt kept his seat for a third consecutive term. At the Secretary of State spot, Republican state representative Scott Schwab will succeed Kobach as the state’s top election official. Republican Vicki Schmidt will be the state’s next commissioner of insurance. Elsewhere across the state,
history was made as Democrat Sharice Davids defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder and was elected to Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District seat. Davids is Kansas’s first LGBTQ representative, and together with Deb Haaland, who was elected to New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District seat, the pair will be the first Native American women in the House of Representatives. In the western part of the state, Republican Rep. Roger Marshall held his 1st Congressional District seat against challenger Democrat Alan LaPolice. In Kansas’s 4th District, Republican Rep. Ron Estes
held off a second challenge from Democrat James Thompson to hold GOP control of the district, which encompasses most of south-central Kansas. After having narrowly lost a short-notice special election to Estes in 2017, Thompson had hoped to build-off of the momentum of a longer campaign that saw Sen. Bernie Sanders visit Wichita to campaign on behalf of Thompson. On the east end of the state in Kansas’s 2nd District, Republican Steve Watkins edged over opponent Democrat Paul Davis with 48 percent of the vote compared to Davis’s 46 percent.
Kelly wins governorship, Schwab wins secretary of State UPDATED 10:52 p.m.
GOVERNOR • •
•
COMMISSIONER INSURANCE •
JARDINE continued from page
ELECTION continued from page
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There are not security cameras in the part of Jardine where Burse lives. “Kansas State University Police respond to an initial call and investigate for any criminal violations,” Hollingsworth said via email. “Additionally, the university’s Office of Institutional Equity, or OIE, investigates any complaints about the violation of the university’s discrimination policy.” This particular note comes over a year after the white nationalist posters appeared overnight at K-State, bringing with them controversy over free speech and multiculturalism to the Manhattan campus and social media. In the weeks and months that followed, similar acts including a snapchat referencing the KKK and later debunked car vandal-
1
The election analyst, who Taylor identified as Anita Cook, has since flip-flopped, Clark said. Now Taylor said she is agreeing with the rest of the election office in saying the registration forms never arrived. Rich Vargo, Riley County clerk, said via phone call that this “statement is false” and that the
Kris Kobach (R), 6,272 Riley County 33%, 413,937, Statewide 43% Laura Kelly (D), 10,61910,619 Riley County 56%, 469,420 Statewide 48% Greg Orman (I), 1,455 Riley County 8%, 61,693 Statewide 6%
Vicki Schmidt (R), 10,620 Riley County 58%, 539,746 Statewide 62% Nathaniel McLaughlin (D), 7,559 Riley County 42%, 352,805 Statewide 38%
SECRETARY OF STATE •
Twitter photo by Brodrick Burse
A sign with a racial slur was posted on the door of Brodrick Burse’s apartment on Monday evening. K-State officials said they are investigating the incident. ism forced the university to cancel classes for the first KSUnite. The victims of the posting did not immediately comment. The Black Student Union opened its Tuesday night meeting
to community members to discuss the posting. The meeting lasted more than an hour and a mix of students, faculty and administrators spoke to the group in the open forum.
Riley County Elections Office never received registration forms from the Alpha Phi Alpha drive. The statement said the K-State chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha will investigate the matter and promised updates as they are available. Clark said the election office has changed their story multiple times, saying they had lost the ballots and now, saying the ballots were never received. Clark said he is insulted anyone would insinuate the fault of the missing registra-
tions falls onto the fraternity. Most of the students who registered to vote with Alpha Phi Alpha were multicultural students who decided to register because they trusted the people putting on the drive, Clark said. “If you lost them or misplaced them, just say that,” Clark said. “Don’t say we just didn’t submit them. If the mistake was on us, we’d go off to the side and be quiet. We are not going to be quiet about this. You can’t just dismiss us.”
Scott Schwab (R), 8,268
• •
Riley County 44%, 501,259 Statewide 52% Rob Hodgkinson (L), 722 Riley County 4%, 33,446 Statewide 4% Brian “BAM” McClendon (D), 9,613 Riley County 52%, 424,297 Statewide 44%
ATTORNEY GENERAL • •
Sarah G. Swain (D), 8,546 Riley County 46%, 396,578 Statewide 42% Derek Schmidt (R), 9,964 Riley County 54%, 559,891 Statewide 58%
STATE TREASURER •
•
Jake LaTurner (R), 9,733 Riley County 53%,544,583 Statewide 57% Marci Francisco (D), 8,627 Riley County 47%, 406,899 Statewide 43%
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE 1ST DISTRICT •
•
Roger Marshall (R), 9,254 Riley County 50%, 126,383 Statewide 68% Alan LaPolice (D), 9,376 Riley County 50%, 60,055 Statewide 32%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE 66TH DISTRICT •
•
Edgar Chambers (L), 1,399 Riley County 23%, 1,400 Statewide 23% Sydney Carlin (D), 4,757 Riley County 77%, 4,757 Statewide 77%
BOND 383 • •
Yes, 10,088, 62.85 percent No, 5,963, 37.15 percent
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OPINION: Songs to add to your perfect wedding playlist This article was originally published on Dec. 5, 2017. Everyone knows that in order to have a legendary wedding, the couple will need the perfect playlist. From the classics to current pop, here are the songs everyone must make sure the DJ plays at their wedding.
CLASSICS
The classics come first. These will get everyone from your great-grandma to your 8-year-old nephew ready to dance. Songs like “Love Shack” by The B-52s, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, “Brown Eyed Girl” by Van Morrison and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen are sure to please everyone’s music tastes. These songs are wedding classics that everyone is sure to enjoy.
LINE DANCES
If those aren’t enough to get everyone dancing, then it’s time for the line dances. We have the classic “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex, “YMCA” by Village People, “Cupid Shuffle” by Cupid and “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” by Silentó (for all the kids who still think it’s the coolest dance move). These songs are the go-to when it’s time to get people on the dance floor. I will also throw in “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy and “Stanky Legg (Main Edit)” by GS Boyz, because you all know we want to relive our glory days of middle school dances.
SLOW DANCES
At this point in the reception, everyone may be getting tired (or tired of being single), so here are some slow songs that will get the couples, newlyweds and paired single people on the dance floor to enjoy some time
together. Starting it off, we have “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith and “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain. Newer songs like “All of Me” by John Legend and “I Won’t Give Up” by Jason Mraz are also good for slow dancing. These songs are sure to bring out the romantic energy that all weddings should have. I mean, a really good wedding dance could lead to more weddings later when you think about it.
NOSTALGIA BOMBS
By this time, many of the little kids and elderly people may have gone home, and the open bar has done its job — it’s time to relive the glory days and play songs from your high school and college years. To start this section, we have “All the Small Things” by blink-182, “Gold Digger” by Kanye West, “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys and other songs that are sure to get those memories from partying in the 2000s coming right back.
FINALE
The last song that should be played at any wedding if you are proud of your alma mater is “Wildcat Victory” by the one and only Kansas State University Marching Band. I created a playlist on Spotify called “KSU Wedding Playlist” with all these songs and more. Find it now and check out all the songs that go along with this list. Acacia Lael Thalmann is a senior in fine arts. 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.
Photo illustration by George Walker | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
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After the bouquet: Here’s a go-to guide to wedding planning KATELIN WOODS
the work for you.
THE COLLEGIAN
ACQUIRE A PARTNER
You just caught the bouquet at your distant cousin’s wedding. This omen doesn’t come without questions. With your dream wedding imminent according to traditional superstition, you have a lot of planning to do. Thankfully, you have a guide to do the majority of
This is potentially the hardest part of your dream wedding. A celebration of love can’t come to its full fruition without a solid relationship being the center of it. As much as the divorce statistics could be subsided if we had a “build-a-babe,” our technology is not advanced enough to manifest your beau.
Find someone who will grow with you, and not just the “you” plastered onto dating sites. We all know you don’t enjoy running that much. Find a partner who also truthfully despises running as much as you do and doesn’t mind you shoving your ice-cold feet between their legs come wintertime.
SET A DATE
When you announce your engagement, this will be the first question you will be asked. By selecting a specific date, you will then be able to narrow down what locations, themes and opportunities are available to you.
PLAN A THEME
Planning a cohesive theme will avoid stylistic confusion during your planning. Find an aesthetic that embodies the personality of both your partner and yourself. Some common themes listed by the website Brides are vintage, whimsical, modern, rustic, bohemian, casual and southern-style. Planning a theme will also help you determine your budget.
friend would be happy for you regardless of if they had a slice of your wedding cake or not. Heck, maybe there will be leftovers.
GATHER SUPPORT
If you’re a control freak, this is where you need to let go. In order to ensure your sanity, allocating funds for a wedding planner or consultant would be ideal. Utilizing an online checklist that is available to be viewed by family members will help relatives know how they can realistically assist you. Yeah, a new blender may be nice, but this will help result in a fiscally responsible wedding.
FUN STUFF
Now with your key foundations set, you can gather the fun items for you wedding. This involves buying flowers, dresses, tuxes, décor, music, party favors and more. No matter what your planning involves, know what matters most — your significant other and your life-long journey. All champagne and bohemian décor aside, even the most stylish wedding doesn’t secure a relationship. Make sure to continue open communication with your partner, and be grateful for the little things. Through that, a healthy relationship can flourish.
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CREATE A BUDGET
Communicate with your partner and figure out how much each of you are willing to contribute to get hitched. Determine this with a financially realistic view to ensure your honeymoon isn’t spent worrying about the impending doom that is your credit card bill.
SELECT YOUR GUESTS
Parker Robb | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
The process of finding a wedding cake for the special day is one of the most important aspects of a wedding that must not wait at the last minute to be planned.
By selecting who will be at your special day, you’ll be able to narrow down your budget when it comes to catering and other necessities. If individuals are offended by not being able to witness your ceremony, don’t sweat it. This day is about you and your partner, not them. Kindly tell them there was not enough placements financially, and recognize that a true
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wednesday, november 7, 2018
Football team looks ahead to Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown AVERY OSEN
THE COLLEGIAN
The Kansas State football team flipped the page after the loss to TCU last Saturday, moving on to talk about playing rival Kansas at Tuesday’s press conference. K-State will have to win its final three games of the season in
order to make a bowl game this season. This week, the Wildcats must be ready for an improved Kansas Jayhawks team that beat TCU two weeks ago. At Tuesday’s press conference, head coach Bill Snyder said “it’s easy to say I expect to win, period.” Snyder acknowledged that a win does not come without preparation.
“For me to say we are going to win and not do anything about it when preparing for it, then that doesn’t make sense,” he added. Last season, K-State beat Kansas 30-20 in Lawrence, and Snyder said he recognizes that this year’s game will be competitive as well. “Last year it was a one-touchdown ballgame, late in the ballgame, three minutes to go,” he
Delton, Williams are latest Collegian Athletes of the Week
Meg Shearer | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Looking for his next move, quarterback Alex Delton prepares to throw the ball to his teammate at the game against TCU on Saturday. K-State lost against TCU 14-13.
ADAM MEYER
THE COLLEGIAN
This week for the Collegian Athletes of the Week, the award will be given to junior quarterback Alex Delton of the football team and junior forward Peyton Williams of the women’s basketball team. Williams made a layup with less than 30 seconds to seal K-State’s 48-46 exhibition win over Fort Hays State on Nov. 1. Williams finished with eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Delton was faced with the task of replacing the injured Skylar Thompson in the first quarter against TCU on Saturday. The redshirt junior had not played since the first half of a loss to Texas on Sept. 29. Delton completed 15 of his 25 passes for 155 yards and recorded both of K-State’s touchdowns — one on the ground and one in the air — in the 1413 loss to TCU. Williams and the women’s basketball team just defeated Pittsburg State in their final exhibition game on Monday
night. Williams was inactive, but should play in next Monday’s regular season opener against Omaha. Delton and the football team will take on Kansas in Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown. Adam Meyer is a staff writer for the Collegian and a junior in 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.
said. “It is competitive, very much so. KU has become a competitive football team.” KU freshman running back Pooka Williams Jr. has burst onto the scene this year. The New Orleans native is averaging 88.9 rushing yards per game, which is fourth in the Big 12. He has four touchdowns in the running game, and has two receiving touchdowns and 259 receiving yards as well. Snyder said that Williams can create problems for K-State due to his talent, saying that he can make defenders miss. He also commented on his capability in the receiving game. “He has had games with six to seven catches, which makes him a viable threat in that part of it as well,” Snyder said. While the Wildcats are fighting to become bowl eligible, they are also fighting to retain bragging rights over the
Archive photo by George Walker | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Then-junior Jesse Ertz is tackled during K-State’s football game against KU at Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Nov. 26, 2016. The Wildcats beat the Jayhawks 34-19. Governor’s Cup trophy and to be the best Division I football team in the state of Kansas. “We’re fighting for the state of Kansas,” senior wide receiver Zach Reuter said. “I think that’s definitely extra motivation, especially in the position that we’re in.
We’re in no position to look past anyone.” The Jayhawks and Wildcats will battle it out on Saturday inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium with kickoff set for 11 a.m. and the game televised on Fox Sports Network.
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wednesday, november 7, 2018
REVIEW: ‘Heartland’ an honest look at poverty, growing up in Kansas MACY DAVIS
THE COLLEGIAN
Sarah Smarsh grew up bouncing around between Wichita and a family farm 30 miles west of the city. In “Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth,” Smarsh explores her childhood through economics, agriculture and family history. I placed a hold on this book at the Manhattan Public Library before it was ever released because I’d read about it online and fell in love with the honest way Smarsh wrote about Kansas and her life. In Smarsh’s memoir, I found eye-opening depictions of poverty, beautiful descriptions of the state I love and an opportunity for deeper thinking. Smarsh grounds her exploration of what it meant to live in poverty through her family history. She breaks down stories from both her mother and father’s sides of the family to show the cyclical nature of transience, abuse and struggling to survive. I was most impressed by Smarsh’s portrayal of the women in her family. From her grandma Betty and her grandma Teresa to her mother Jeannie, Smarsh provides complex portraits of what it means to be poor and female in a system that works against both
Smarsh’s exploration of women centers on the fact that she came from a long line of teenage mothers, something she herself was able to avoid. This emphasis of motherhood includes Smarsh’s framing device of “Heartland” being a sort of letter to the unborn child that she is likely to never have. At first, I was a little weirded out by this narrative device, and I was afraid that it would distract from the rest of the memoir. However, by the time I reached the end of the first chapter the unborn child became part of the background of the story “Heartland” book cover. Smarsh was telling. By the time I finished women and the impoverished. “Heartland,” I found myself In the last third of the novel, Smarsh dives into the progressive appreciating what Smarsh was attitude that Kansas historically trying to accomplish with this took toward women’s issues. She narrative device and I think it did writes that “a spirit as strong as add to her story. Before reading “Heartland” the female prairie population I had never stopped to think that shaped Kansas’s early years doesn’t leave a place. It reverber- about the economic situation of many of the people I’d grown up ates through culture.” This line and this historical with. This book opened my eyes breakdown that Smarsh provides to the way that many of my high was one of my favorite parts of school classmates could easily the book. It’s hard sometimes to have grown up. Poverty can be easy to igremember that Kansas was a hisnore, and after reading this book torically progressive state, so I’m glad that Smarsh pulled these I hope that it becomes something historical facts out and connected I think about more. “Heartland” is a good starting point because them to herself and her family.
Smarsh writes clearly and openly about poverty and economic policies, which makes it easier to understand the complexity of the issue. Easily my favorite part of “Heartland” was the way that Smarsh wrote about the prairie and growing up on a family farm. I’m a poet, and I spend a lot of time writing about Kansas. I found Smarsh’s descriptions to be poetic. They provided something that I could connect to and they made this book relatable even though I can’t relate to the economic situation Smarsh experienced as a child. Smarsh currently lives in Kansas, and it’s clear that she loves this state and loves where she grew up despite her complicated relationship with it. To be clear, Smarsh doesn’t just provide a golden view of Kansas though, she discusses and describes both the good and bad things about living on the plains. Kansas is a complex state and deserves complex treatment. It’s refreshing to see Kansas written by one of its native daughters in such an honest manner. Especially when many people write off the state as being the same desolate thing described by L. Frank Baum in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” I’m from a small town
Letter: Mold in Ford Hall is unacceptable This letter to the editor was written by Jonathan Cole, student senator and senior in mechanical engineering. If you would like to write a letter to the Collegian, send us an email at letters@kstatecollegian.com or visit kstatecollegian.com/contact.
Archive photo by Jessica Robbins COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Mold was found in Ford Hall on Oct. 24, 2018.
Like many students at Kansas State, I have found myself concerned with the horrific stories of unsanitary, unsafe living conditions in our on-campus living spaces. Sitting in student senate last Thursday, I listened to Derek Jackson, associate vice president of Housing and Dining, speak on the action plan for the mold found in the residence
halls. While I appreciate what he was trying to do, Jackson’s words were not comforting. Looking at any social media post regarding the mold found in Ford Hall reveals the living conditions many students are facing in their on-campus residences: everything from unsightly black masses growing on pipes to freezing cold rooms created by shoddy maintenance done to rattling windows.
see page 8, “LETTER”
in western Kansas, and though I never lived on a farm, I spent many Saturdays out in a pasture working cattle. This book made me take a deeper look at my own connection to Kansas and what it means to be a Kansan. My parents moved away from my hometown this fall, and when I graduate from K-State in May 2019, I’m likely to be moving away for graduate school, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to come back to Kansas. I’ve been grappling with this idea for a while now, but Smarsh’s memoir brought it to the forefront of my mind. Kansas and the people who live here deserve to be paid attention to, and even when I do leave, I’m never going to stop calling middle-of-nowhere Kansas home.
“Heartland” is about economics and poverty, sure, but it’s also a book about Kansas and Kansans. It’s a book about a state that sinks its hooks into your heart even when it’s hard to survive here. Smarsh’s memoir is a finalist for the National Book Award in nonfiction and I hope that when the winners are announced on Nov. 14 that it wins, because this is a book that’s deserving of a wide readership both within Kansas and across the country. Macy Davis is the assistant culture editor and a senior in 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.
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LETTER 7
Several students and parents have shared the struggles of getting anyone to address the mold issue, with little to no success. Jackson had mentioned over and over that a lot of the mold was “inactive” and posed no serious threat to students. While this may be the case, as soon as the environment becomes ready for mold to thrive again, it becomes a health issue.
This is still a huge threat to students. K-State will tout that on-campus living is inherently beneficial. In fact, K-State will strongly urge students to live on campus, especially for students in their first year. Admissions even says, “Students who live in the residence halls are more likely to finish their degrees and receive better grades than students who live off campus during the first year or two of college.” Yet, with the ever rising cost of college, students are often paying ridiculous amounts to live on campus. The cheapest on-campus living
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wednesday, november 7, 2018
option goes for $2,450. This works out to be close to $500 a month to live on campus, not including the additional charges students must pay to stay during breaks or any of the meal plans. K-State must serve its students better. With students struggling to pay for things like food, rent, medical costs and other essential things, K-State has a moral obligation to provide safe and affordable on-campus living for its students. I call upon President Richard Myers, vice president Pat Bosco
and associate vice president Derek Jackson to not only provide a safe living environment for students currently living on campus, but to make on-campus living accessible and affordable for all students. Jonathan Cole is a student senator, RESULTS REAL Change fellow and senior in mechanical engineering. The views and opinions expressed in this letter 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.
WASTE
AND RECYCLE