K A N S A S
S TAT E
vol. 125, issue 67
monday, july 20, 2020
kstatecollegian.com
'BEWARE K-STATE' Students, locals protest against racism, intolerance on campus Page 9
Student-athlete testing revealed a 15 percent positivity rate Page 3
Through 60 hours or more work each week, local officials stay optimistic about pandemic response Page 4 &5
Graduate students assist with COVID-19 containment efforts, gain real-world experience Page 7
Pandemic-related employee, faculty furloughs include more than 1,800 positions Page 10
REAWAKENING?
02
wednesday, january 22, 2020 monday, july 20,
ON THE COVER
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 The number will not be published.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.
SUMMER EDITORIAL BOARD
Illustration by Abigail Compton | Collegian Media Group
Kaylie McLaughlin Editor-in-Chief
Olivia Rogers Community Editor
Madison Daniel Staff Writer
Dene Dryden Managing Editor
Gabby Farris Design Chief
Paige Eichkorn Staff Writer
Julie Freijat News Editor
Sarah Unruh Designer
Lexi Garcia Staff Writer
Rebecca Vrbas Culture Editor
Angie Moss Social Media Editor
Emma Witter Staff Writer
Andrew Lind Sports Editor Cameron Bradley Assistant Sports Editor Dalton Wainscott Multimedia Editor
Sean Schaper Staff Writer Hallie Everett Staff Writer Lexi Garcia Staff Writer
CORRECTIONS
If you see something that should be corrected, call editor-in-chief Kaylie McLaughlin at 785-370-6356 or email collegian@kstatecollegian.com
Bailey Britton Staff Writer Abigail Compton photographer Dylan Connell photographer
The Collegian, a student newspaper at Kansas State University, is published by Collegian Media Group. It is published Mondays, Wednesdays, 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 665067167. First copy free, additional copies 25 cents. [USPS 291 020] © Collegian Media Group, 2019
Photo by Kaylie McLaughlin | Collegian Media Group
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN editor-in-chief
These are trying times for everyone and college students are not immune. Life, it seems, has been put on hold while we wait for the threat of an invisible adversary to pass. The university’s limited operations and online-only format planned for through the summer has forced everyone to scramble to find solutions to serve the student body during this time of uncertainty. The Collegian staff — though unable to create a regular print paper for the foreseeable future and unable to access our newsroom
on campus while practicing social distancing — is still dedicated to doing our duty to the students of Kansas State. As promised at the beginning of the March, the Collegian is committed to providing accurate and timely updates as information becomes available regarding the local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other important issues related to student life. This will not change. Again, the decision to suspend print papers was not made lightly, but at this time it does not seem feasible nor appropriate to continue print production. When the fall semester begins, I hope you will happily pick up
our annual Back To School Guide. As I noted in January when the spring semester was beginning, social media and technology, at its finest, connect us to each other in ways that were unthinkable less than 20 years ago. As a staff, the Collegian will continue to search for ways to best serve our mission as the independent voice of the student body, albeit remotely. In addition to our Monday, Wednesday and Friday emailed newsletter, the Collegian plans to publish online regularly throughout the next couple of months. This virtual paper you are reading right now is an interactive PDF. Clicking on the
An update on Collegian coverage going forward, a promise
headlines, photos or body copy of each story will take you to an easier-to-read version of the article published to kstatecollegian.com. If you do not already, follow the Collegian on Twitter @kstatecollegian for regular updates. The Collegian will continue to accept news tips through news@ kstatecollegian.com and letters to the editor via letters@kstatecollegian.com. This period of time is difficult, and it’s only the beginning of what is certain to be a tough road to recovery. At this time, I wish you all health and safety. Please, take care of yourselves and take care of each other.
Olivia Bergmeier | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Kaylie McLaughlin is the editor-in-chief of the Collegian. For the second half of the spring semester, the Collegian was unable to make a print paper because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
03
monday, july 20, 2020
CAMPUS
Fall semester plan unchanged by recent spike in cases, football outbreak, officials say
Student-athlete testing revealed a 15 percent positivity rate ANDREW LIND sports editor
File Photo by Kaylie McLaughlin | Collegian Media Group
KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN editor-in-chief
Though local cases of COVID-19 rise daily and new outbreaks are pinpointed in Riley County, Kansas State still plans to hold some in-person classes starting on Aug. 17, vice president of student life and dean of students Thomas Lane said. “We’re writing a playbook in real time right now. So, you know, everything that we decide, we don’t necessarily have perfect data to make decisions on,” Lafene Health Center medical director Dr. Kyle Goerl said. “This isn’t a perfectly written playbook and changes ... are likely down the line. We’re all going to have to be a little bit flexible through this school year in order to make it work as best we can, because we don’t have all the answers right now, and if anybody tells you they do, that’s a bold-faced lie.” Across five sports, 29 of 190 people have tested positive through mandatory testing proceedures at K-State Athletics. Additionally, three of the five known outbreaks in the county declared by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment
are associated with Aggieville, a business district regularly frequented by students. “We want students to stay healthy and stay safe during this period of time because it’s an unknown and it seems risky — maybe not to a lot of college students, it doesn’t, but the facts prove that it’s risky,” Jim Parker, director of student health services and Counseling Services, said. When cases in Riley County started spiking again, local health officer Julie Gibbs said she thinks the community let its guard down. The local and statewide spikes in cases “accentuates” the point the university is trying to get across to students, Lane said. “I think it reinforces what we’ve been saying in stressing that it’s really important that we wear masks, that we socially distance and that we wash our hands,” Lane said. “If we do those three things we should be able to help mitigate COVID-19 in a very effective way.” As cases of COVID-19 skyrocket, the age of positivity goes down. Andrew Adams, emergency preparedness coordinator for public health in Riley County, said the majority of new cases continue to be in the 18 to 24 age range — college-aged individuals.
“For this to be successful, it has to be a community and university partnership,” Lane said. “The virus doesn’t care whether you’re on campus, or whether you’re in the community. We want to encourage those behaviors that that I’ve been talking about where we’re caring for ourselves, we’re caring for our fellow Wildcats, we’re caring for K-State and the larger community.” When students start to return to campus for fall classes, Lane said the university will push the “Every Wildcat a Wellcat” wellness campaign. The campaign will encourage mask-wearing and other measures known to prevent virus spread. Students will also be asked to sign a pledge that acknowledges their commitment to social distancing both on and off campus. There will be enforcement mechanisms, Lane said, as there will be amendments to the policy handbook to include COVID-19 prevention measures.Enforcement will “no doubt” be difficult, Lane said. “Here’s another opportunity I think, and I can’t really think of a better one, to help bring alive that notion of K-State family where we’ve got each other’s back,” Lane said.
Earlier this month, the football team started its summer access program, and other programs at Kansas State continued their voluntary workouts. The summer football access program includes weight programs, film and other preparatory team activities. Since K-State Athletics began testing last month, 29 student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19, according to an emailed press release. A total of 190 athletes have been tested across five sports, making a positivity rate of about 15 percent. Two student athletes remain in isolation with active cases as of last Monday afternoon. Senior defensive back Jonathan Alexander revealed on Twitter last week that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
“Yes, I tested positive for COVID-19,” he tweeted. “I don’t have any symptoms though and if you know me you know I keep my room clean and my body clean so I believe I’ll be straight. Thanks for all prayers and the love!” At the time that practices resumed, the Riley County Health Department had yet to declare K-State Athletics as a closed outbreak site. It takes 28 days — two viral incubation periods — without a new positive case to reach that declaration, Andrew Adams, emergency preparedness coordinator for public health, said previously. Adams did say that the outbreak had nearly run its course. Less than a week after they began, voluntary football workouts were put on hiatus for at least two weeks in June after several student-athletes tested positive for COVID-19.
How will college athletics look during the pandemic?
Infographic by Kaylie McLaughlin | Collegian Media Group For 24 hours, a Twitter poll asked people what they think college athletics will look like in the coming academic year. Of the 202 respondents, 44.6 percent said they don’t think college athletics will happen at all. Additionally, 28.2 percent said they think it will be played with an “altered schedule” and a “few fans,” and 23.8 percent said they think it will be played with an “altered schedule” and “no fans.” The remaining 3.4 percent said they think college athletics will be played “like normal.”
02 04
wednesday, january 22, 2020 monday, july 20,
BEHIND THE SCENES
Through 60 hours or more work each week, local officials stay optimistic about pandemic response BAILEY BRITTON staff writer
Riley County and city of Manhattan employees have risen to face many challenges since March. Many people who work behind the scenes have moved to the spotlight to help communicate with the public about COVID-19 and how to stay healthy as the crisis continues. Andrew Adams, emergency preparedness coordinator, said his job is often behind the scenes, but now he has more of a public presence. There are very few opportunities for him to detach from work. “I try to get everybody on the same page and growing together, essentially, and with that open communication,” Adams said. “There are always difficult elements of it. I think it’s just compounded a bit by the you know the 24-hour data ... that we’re getting information all the time. Things change very quickly. ... I don’t think it’s anything new, just a much larg-
“ My record was 105 [hours],
and that was that was early in the response. ... This is the
hardest I’ve ever worked.” Vivienne Uccello public information officer
er scale.” Adams said he works around 60 to 70 hours a week. Vivienne Uccello, city of Manhattan public information officer, and Julie Gibbs, local health officer, say they work roughly the same amount. “My record was 105, and that was that was early in the response,” Uccello said. “This is the hardest I’ve ever worked. In 2019, during the Tuttle Creek flood, I worked quite a lot of hours then as well, but it still doesn’t compare to this.”
Uccello’s main job is communicating decisions made by the city with the public. However, since March, she said she is essentially “on loan” to the Riley County Health Department as the lead public information officer for the Riley County COVID-19 response. “My job has changed pretty dramatically,” Uccello said. “Most of my duties at the city are being covered by other staff as possible. I am spending most of my time working on COVID-19
communications.” Gibbs said her job duties have changed as well. Normally, she manages the health department and focuses on writing grants and reporting information to the board of the department. “My health director role took a back seat to my health officer role,” Gibbs said. “Many supervisors have had to step up to help assume some of my regular responsibilities.” For Adams, his job remains the same, but he said it has been more public and
requires more work. “Right now, public health is on everybody’s mind,” Adams said. “It’s in the forefront of everybody’s thoughts and we’re all over Facebook and the City Commission and all these things and, you know, we’re always here. So just because we’re in the news now doesn’t mean we go away when we get to the point where we’re in a little bit of a better situation with COVID.” As people have returned to work after stay-at-home orders have been relaxed, so have the people informing the public. However, Uccello still works from home, which she said she enjoys. “I have my whole setup like my multiple monitors and all the stuff that I need,” Uccello said. “I can roll out of bed and get to work. I can work late but then still take a break and go watch a little TV if I need to unplug and then get back to it. So it’s been it’s been nicer for me. I think I prefer working at home.”
05
monday, july 20, 2020
Screenshot from the July 6 Riley County Health Department briefing over Facebook Live that shows the public information officer from the city of Manhattan Vivienne Uccello (top left), emergency preparedness coordinator for public health Andrew Adams (top right), local health officer Julie Gibbs (bottom left) and sign language interpreter Toni Kroll (bottom right).
On the other hand, Adams still goes into his office. He arrives around 7:30 a.m. and won’t go home until 7 p.m. He can’t work from home because his office has all the IT infrastructure and an open line of communication to coworkers that are imperative for his job. The nature of their work has drawbacks. Many have difficulty maintaining their family relationships even while living in the same house. “[There’s] not a lot of time with my son, who I miss,” Gibbs said via email.
“We are in the same house, we just don’t see each other a lot.” Both Uccello and Adams aren’t originally from Manhattan and it has been a long time since they visited family. Uccello’s family lives in southern California and she doesn’t get to visit much anyway. Adams is from Alton, Illinois, which he says is an easy drive, but he hasn’t been home since Christmas. “I think from driveway to driveway, it’s about six turns for those 400 miles, so it’s pretty easy to get to,” Adams said.
All three agree that the work is difficult and requires long hours, but it’s rewarding. “Just because it’s been difficult doesn’t mean it’s not rewarding,” Adams said. “I think every day there are small wins I think ... even if it doesn’t seem like it.” Gibbs said there is a lot of pressure to get the correct information to the community and make the right decisions, but at the end of the day, it’s rewarding knowing the community comes together to keep everyone safe. I know there may seem
like there’s a lot of tension — especially on social media — but everyone has the same end goal,” Gibbs said. Uccello wants to help as many people as she can, but acknowledges her job is difficult. If she doesn’t give the right information, people’s health may be at stake. “I want to make sure folks have access to the most up-to-date information and make sure it’s accurate because they need to take action based on kind of the reports that I’m sending out,” Uccello said. “I don’t want to fail them.”
After three steady months of working 60 hours or more, they are ready for a vacation, but it’s unclear when that might be able to happen. “While I enjoy traveling, it would be nice just to spend time with family out in western Kansas. My hometown is pretty low-key and that’s what I need,” Gibbs said. Uccello would like to go somewhere to “be a tourist,” preferably by the ocean. Adams wants to go golfing and “not answer emails the entire time.”
02 06
COMMUNITY
EMMA WITTER staff writer
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manhattan Farmers’ Market, one of the oldest in the state of Kansas, continues to provide a place for local vendors to sell their homemade goods and homegrown produce. As mask mandates and reminders to maintain social distance have become the norm in Manhattan, the farmers’ market has put precautions in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. It was declared an essential business and has continued to deliver “safe food in a safe environment,” according to the Manhattan Farmers’ Market website. Aaron Hemby, freshman in secondary education, said he’s grateful that the market
has stayed open despite other businesses closing temporarily. “There’s not much to do during the summer, so the Farmers’ Market is one of my favorite places to go mess around on a weekend,” Hemby said. “I need to be out and about, and having somewhere to go has helped keep me sane.” Jake Byard, a vendor at the market, agreed. “People were cooped up for so long, and they’re coming out and wanting to interact,” Byard said. For 35 years, Byard has sold his homemade jams, jellies and honey at the farmers’ market. Jake’s Garden Goodies, his Waterville, Kansas-based business, has stayed open at the market throughout the pandemic. Rather than deterring customers from the Dillard’s park-
ing lot where the market is held every Saturday and Wednesday, Byard said the pandemic has been good for his business. “COVID’s brought the best year for the farmers’ market in a long time,” he said. “The farmers’ market is a family friendly venue, and [people have] been buying more than looking this year.” Vendors at the farmers’ market are taking various precautions such as wiping down surfaces frequently and wearing masks when staying six feet from others isn’t possible. The market also encourages vendors to think about options such as rounding prices to minimize coin transactions and placing extra tables between customers and themselves. Byard said providing a safer way to shop is likely part of the market’s success in a time of uncertainty.
Emma Witter | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors at the MHK Farmers’ Market have continued providing their goods to the community.
wednesday, january 22, 2020 monday, july 20,
Vendors at Manhattan Farmers’ Market continues with safety measures in place
Emma Witter | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Shirley York arranges a vase of flowers at her tent on a Saturday morning during the Farmers’ Market.
“I think people feel better being out in the open than cooped up inside a grocery store,” he said. Hemby said the outdoor setting of the market sets his mind at ease. “It’s been really annoying watching people not take the COVID situation seriously,” he said, “so when I go to grocery stores and the people around me aren’t wearing masks, I get a little freaked out.” Hemby said outdoor stands and markets help him feel as safe as possible while out of the house. In a colorful tent a few spaces down from Jake’s Garden Goodies, Shirley York has been selling floral arrangements and handmade crafts
for over 36 years. With family and friends in Manhattan, York said the market is a great place to socialize as well as shop. She said public support for the vendors at the market has remained strong throughout the pandemic, and she hopes to see customers continue to come around. As vendors take precautions to keep customers safe, Manhattan residents and customers of the Farmers’ Market are also expected to wear masks when unable to maintain a distance of six feet from others. The market is held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Wednesday.
monday, july 20, 2020
Graduate students assist with COVID-19 containment effor ts, gain real-world experience REBECCA VRBAS culture editor
The Student Outbreak Response Team at Kansas State works with the Riley County Health Department to aid in public outreach events and provide additional assistance during outbreaks. The student organization consists of members from the College of Veterinary Medicine and master’s of public health program, and was started in 2017 through the collaboration of Andrew Adams, public health emergency preparedness coordinator, and alumna Serina Taylor. Taylor helped design and get approval to start SORT with the goal of creating opportunities for K-State MPH students to get additional epidemiology experience on top of the internship that is required for the program. “It’s basically an organization that is not only used to help out Riley County in what is called ‘surge capacity,’ … it also will allow students to get additional exposure to public health and additional time in a public health setting,” Taylor said. “I know a lot of times when I was looking for jobs, a lot of them were like ‘We want two years of experience.’ Well, if we’re
in school that’s just not going to happen.” Taylor, who graduated in 2018 with an MPH, is now a disease investigator with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment. She said programs like SORT are essential for implementing public health measures and contact tracing. “As somebody who works currently in a large public health department, we rely heavily on additional people outside our core team,” Taylor said. “It’s also helpful for contact tracing. It’s very burdensome if there’s only a small group of people doing it, because you can get
07
SERVICE
overwhelmed very quickly.” Molly Allison, second-year veterinary medicine student at K-State with an MPH in epidemiology, joined SORT at the beginning of the last school year, and is currently volunteering to help with contact tracing for COVID-19 in Riley County. “Contact tracing is reaching out to folks who have either been recently diagnosed with COVID-19, or they are a close contact of somebody who has been recently diagnosed,” Allison said. “So we go through a brief questionnaire with those
people over the phone and ask them questions like, ‘Have you had any symptoms? Where have you been in the two weeks prior to your symptom onset?’ As well as, ‘Have you been anywhere afterwards?’” Last semester, Allison helped with community events that Riley County organized, and said her involvement with SORT has helped her work on her communication skills and affirmed to her decision to study public health. “I like the public health department atmosphere,” Allison said. “Just like really great people to work with, and people who have
“ The team members have been a
vital part of our surge capacity plans for disease
investigation and contact tracing ,
just as we intended them to be.” Andrew Adams public health coordinator
a drive to keep people safe, keep people healthy, keep animals healthy. It’s just like you feel useful, and you feel like you’re doing something good.” In regards to the current pandemic, Adams said SORT was created exactly for this kind of scenario. “The team members have been a vital part of our surge capacity plans for disease investigation and contact tracing, just as we intended them to be,” Adams said in an email. Adams continues to serve as the department’s point of contact for SORT, provides training and works with the team president to activate the team for response. Adams said the pandemic underscores the importance of local health departments leveraging local resources and partnerships. “Specifically, we’ve been able to use our existing relationship with the MPH program and College of Veterinary Medicine to build an even stronger partnership using the SORT,” Adams said. “Many schools and programs of public health have a similar team/initiative, though I would love to see the model adopted for all schools and programs of public health nationwide.”
08
monday, july 20, 2020
SHARED GOVERNANCE
As questions about Student Code of Conduct violations come up, code review process begins ABBY LACY staff writer
The Student Code of Conduct was set to be reviewed in the 2020-2021 school year anyway, but the resurgence of conflicts on social media and other tensions centered around the actions of one student applies new urgency to that task. “The Student Code of Conduct is mandated to be reviewed every five years, and it coincidentally happens to be this very year that the entire code is being reviewed,” speaker of the student senate and senior in political science and communication studies Nathan Bothwell said via email. So far, the only items that have discussed are the “optimal timeline” for the revision process and the “membership of the ad hoc committee” that will be proposing revisions, Bothwell said. Ashton Hess, deputy attorney general of SGA and senior in geography and history, said one of the main focuses for this year’s review is ensuring the ad hoc committee represents all students on campus. “One of our big focuses for this year is making sure that we’re getting a committee with a lot of voices that are way more represen-
tative of our students,” she said. “Especially with where we’re going this year, and where we’re coming from into the Code of Conduct revision. That’s something we’re being really careful on.” Once the committee is formed, Hess said the group will then go through a basic education process to learn about the Code of Conduct policies before revising it. After that, the committee will gauge students’ opinions regarding the current Code of Conduct and take feedback into consideration when discussing revisions and additions. Hess said a big focus of the group will be be looking at policies concerning online conduct. “The conversations that are happening right now at K-State, and especially the conversations that are really being driven by student-athletes, we’re going to be kind of looking into how student conduct ties into those things, and our relationships with other students, how we behave. I think a big focus of ours is going to be looking at online presence,” Hess said. Although these regulations are in place at other universities, Hess says enforcing them can be difficult due to K-State’s jurisdiction. “Another thing about K-State that’s kind of tricky
right now is our jurisdiction,” she said. “The Student Code of Conduct only has jurisdiction over students on K-State property at K-State specific events and essentially, on K-State accounts. So when we kind of get into online presence and how we’re interacting like on social media, we kind of get into that gray area of our jurisdiction doesn’t really extend to student personal accounts right now. So I think really like evaluating where the university stands with students behavior on social media.” After the committee has evaluated students’ opinions on campus and has sat down to review and revise the Code of Conduct, they will send it to Thomas Lane, dean of students and vice president for student life, and to the university’s general counsel for approval. According to Hess, they can make any edits they see necessary and send it back to the committee. “We work with that, and we send it back,” she said. “So until we’ve reached kind of an agreement with general counsel and make sure that what we’re putting out there is, you know, legal, that gets sent to [student senate], and then senate votes.” If student senate proposes any changes, those changes will go through the
File Photo by Bailey Britton | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
same process as the initial revisions did before they can be passed. To ensure as many students are involved in weighing in on the Code of Conduct, Hess said they are currently considering various options to give students a voice. “I think a big part of that is, as we move through this process, giving weekly updates, like ‘This is what we’re doing,’” Hess said. “’This is where we’re at in this process’, and making sure that students can also give feedback at this time.” Hess said any students
that have questions regarding the Student Code of Conduct or need assistance in dealing with a certain situation should reach out to her or the Office of Student Life. “I think definitely if people have any other questions about any of the nuances with like student behavior, policies, please reach out to me, the Office of Student Life,” she said. “If students are having anything going on, they’re receiving threats, they’re receiving harassment, those two things that are bigger need to go to the Office of Student Life.”
09
monday, july 20, 2020
‘BEWARE K-STATE’
Students, locals protest against ongoing racism and intolerance on campus DENE DRYDEN
managing editor
On the Fourth of July, roughly 150 Kansas State students and community members gathered for a protest against racism on campus, marching from Triangle Park to the President’s Residence. “I think it’s especially appropriate today that we hold this protest on the Fourth of July, when the Declaration of Independence was adopted in America,” Miranda Urban, senior in social work and protest co-organizer, said to the crowd at the start of the protest. Urban read an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, then offered a call to action. “Racial injustice has been prevalent at K-State for a long time, and the rate in which it is improving is far too slow,” Urban said. “The safety and happiness of Black students at K-State is at risk. We do not need more publicity stunts like KSUnite. ... We need students to know that blatant, outspoken discrimination is not tolerated and can be reprimanded.” Following a route cordoned off by Riley County Police and K-State Police officers, participants marched across Anderson Avenue, through the Beach Museum of Art’s archway and across campus to the President’s Residence. President Richard Myers was not at his home on July 4, something the organizers knew in advance, said Tori Swanson, senior in psychology and protest co-or-
ganizer. On the way to the President’s Residence, the group chanted “Beware K-State, the students aren’t safe.” As protesters filed into the residence’s front lawn, the chant switched to “Black lives matter.” “I am extremely disappointed in our school’s administration and their inaction when it comes to racism and racist events on campus, whether those are words, tweets, nooses on trees or KKK hats,” Swanson said on the president’s doorstep. “I feel as though K-State is waiting until one of us becomes a hashtag, and
what I do not want is for that to happen. I don’t want someone to get hurt, I don’t want someone to get killed on campus in order for K-State to do something.” Swanson outlined six demands for the university: • Revise the attendance policy so underrepresented students who do not feel safe returning to campus can access online classes at the same price as in-person courses • Implement disciplinary action in the Student Code of
•
•
•
Conduct regarding a student’s social media activity that causes fear among students Require that every student take Intercultural Competence in Institutions (AMETH 300) Donate 0.5 percent of K-State Athletics’ earnings to local Black-owned businesses and Manhattan’s Black Lives Matter chapter Allocate resources to resolve issues of racist treatment of students and area citizens by
Kaylie McLaughlin | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP About 100 students and locals protested racism at K-State on July 4, 2020. The protest started in Triangle Park and finished at the President’s Residence on campus. They marched through campus chanting “Beware K-State, the students aren’t safe.”
RCPD and KSUPD Give land acknowledgments at all university events and programming to honor the Indigenous people of the land Kansas State is on At the President’s Residence, Kirsten Novotny, senior in animal science and industry, shared a special statement from Nire Carter, George Floyd’s niece. “Let me start by saying we love that you all love us,” Novotny said, reading Carter’s words. “We appreciate the love and the support. “Our children are born a suspect, and we worry every day that they come back in one piece ... — hell, even alive,” Novotny continued. “Our babies aren’t able to walk down the street without being racially profiled.” Lane Porter, senior in secondary education, said he attended the protest because of the university’s lack of action surrounding a K-State student’s tweet that made national headlines. “To me, it’s sad that it just has to come to this in order to do something about it,” Porter said. The notion of K-State family is what made Elizabeth Motter, spring 2020 graduate in civil engineering, come to the university in the first place, and she said everyone deserves to feel like a family on campus. “It’s just really disappointing that some people don’t consider everyone on this campus their family,” Motter said. •
02 10
wednesday, january 22, 2020 monday, july 20,
‘This is something I wished I’d never have to do’ Pandemic-related employee, faculty furloughs include more than 1,800 positions ABBY LACY staff writer
In a virtual town hall on July 10, President Richard Myers, Provost Charles Taber and Jay Stephens, vice president for Human Capital Services, released the updated administrative furlough information for fiscal year 2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, declining enrollment and uncertainties in state funding, the university is dealing with substantial fiscal challenges, they said. To date, the spring and summer 2020 emergency furloughs have impacted 430 em-
ployees and have totaled an estimated $2.75 million in savings or cost avoidance. Additional administrative furloughs are predicted to impact about 1,438 employees with an estimated $5.9 million in targeted salary cost reductions. Seven colleges and units will use administrative furloughs within their budget reduction plans. This includes the College of Agriculture and Cooperative Extension, the College of Architecture, Planning and Design, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the Division of Communications and Marketing, the Office of International Programs and
the Office of the President. Also, a six-tier salary structure was designed to help each college or unit leader make furlough decisions in order to meet the needs of their specific budgets. According to Taber, this was essential in providing flexibility for each college and unit since they all face different budget circumstances. “The budget situations in one part of the university is different from those in another part of the university, and in addition, the nature of the job, of the workforce, is very different in different parts of the university,” Taber said. “So a one size fits all was not going to work for us and so we decided
to go with this approach.” All furloughed employees will be notified with an explanation of how the furlough will impact their position. The earliest date in which these administrative furlough plans will be implemented is Aug. 9, and can continue through the end of fiscal year 21. Each college or unit leader has the ability to determine the timing and dates for furloughs depending upon each unit’s individual needs. Colleges and units’ individual plans can be found on the Human Capital Services webpage. In each unit’s plan, there are certain positions, classes,
organizational units and geographical areas, etc. that are exempt. Though the exemptions differ within each unit’s plan, some of the criteria that was included in making these decisions includes budget needs, business needs, instructional needs, funding sources and more. “We have a great community in Manhattan,” Myers said. “They are with us in this COVID-19 fight, very strongly with us, and that’s going to be important as we go here in about a month or so and students start coming back together. Despite the fact this is unprecedented, we’re gonna get through this challenging year.”
File Photo by Dalton Wainscott | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
monday, july 20, 2020
Dual athlete Peyton Williams to continue basketball career in Russia CAMERON BRADLEY
assistant sports editor
Peyton Williams won’t be in Kansas anymore when she plays basketball again. The former Kansas State women’s basketball and volleyball player will be calling Russia her new home after signing with Sparta & K M.R. Vidnoje. After finishing her senior basketball season ranked ninth in career points in program history, as well as being named a two-time All-Big 12 First Team honoree, there were high hopes for the star forward to be drafted in April’s WNBA draft. Though Williams went undrafted, she took the opportunity to continue her basketball career overseas. Signing a two-year contract with Sparta & K M.R. Vidnoje, Williams joins the four-time Euro League Women’s champions and two-time FIBA Europe SuperCup Women’s champions. The team is part of the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League. “I felt a mixture of things,” Williams said. “Relief because [COVID-19] has made this process feel so much longer and has made everything so much more difficult, and, of course, excitement because this is my first contract and Sparta&K is a good team.” Sparta & K M.R. Vidnoje is known for recruiting talented U.S. basketball players like Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Tamika Catchings and Seimone Augustus. Williams had interest from multiple teams outside of the U.S., including from Italy, Poland, Hungary and Turkey. Choosing the team just over a mile outside of Moscow’s city limits, Williams said she believes Sparta & K M.R. Vid-
noje will help her jump-start her career. “Sparta&K is a good team with a lot of history of success,” Williams said. “They’re in the best league with a lot of exposure, and it seemed like a great way to begin my career.” Even though Williams’ career will not start in the WNBA, she is not letting that initial disappointment get in her way. “Though I was disappointed, I wasn’t too surprised,” Williams said. “The WNBA draft is small — your chances are slim. I certainly felt bad for everyone who was watching and waiting for me to show up, but I guess I wasn’t too shaken by it.” Although Williams will have to deal with a massive change in culture, she will not be doing it alone. Also signing with Sparta & K M.R. Vidnoje is Creighton alumna and fellow Kansan Jaylyn Agnew. The Washington Mystics drafted Agnew in the second round of the WNBA draft this year before waiving her; the Atlanta Dream then picked up Agnew. After playing with the Dream in the summer, Agnew will be spending her WNBA offseason with Williams at Sparta & K M.R. Vidnoje. “It’ll be cool for both of us to feel like we have a little bit of home within each other, I think,” Williams said. “I think it’s great that we’re the same age as well and experiencing this new adventure together. She is also quite the player and I look forward to playing with her on the court as well.” While she said she believes the everyday events in her life will not change that much in the move from the U.S. to Russia, Williams does know she is going to need time to immerse herself. “I’ll still go to practice, work
11
MOVING ON out, spend time doing my normal hobbies, but of course being in a new country will require me to allocate time to learn the language, explore the area, read up on some history, get acclimated, et cetera,” Williams said. “I’m not nervous yet, just excited right now. I studied anthropology and international studies at K-State, so this is right up my alley.” While majoring in anthropology and international studies, Williams also minored in political science. Her studies gives Williams
confidence in what is to come once she arrives in her new home, she said. “Discussing cultural differences and learning how to identify your own biases and your own constructions of the world will prove very useful in the next coming months,” Williams said. “Many of my professors talked about the difficulties and the joys of immersing yourself in a new culture, so I feel like I have at least somewhat of an idea of what to expect.” Williams must report to her
new team before Sept. 10, so she has about two months to further prepare for her new journey in Russia. The season begins in early October. “I’m just really grateful,” Williams said. “These past few months have felt long and difficult, “ Williams said. “Adaptability has been the name of the game, and certainty has been in short supply. I feel lucky to have something to look forward to and, though it could change, I am cautiously optimistic about what my future holds.”
File Photo by Logan Wassall | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP
Senior forward Peyton Williams celebrates from the bench after a successful play during K-State’s women’s basketball game against Oral Roberts in Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 18, 2019. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Eagles with a final score of 109-69.
12
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL BOARD the collegian
In less than a month, Kansas State plans to welcome students back to campus for a semester with at least some in-person classes. This is certainly a mistake. In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised colleges and universities that the safest option, by far, for the fall would be to continue online-only instruction. Since then, the COVID-19 situation in the United States and locally has
only gotten worse. Within a matter of weeks, the number of known cases in Riley County had more than tripled and 18 to 24-year-olds began making up an ever-increasing slice of the new case numbers. The situation at K-State Athletics should be a warning. Voluntary football workouts lasted less than a week before they were shut down because of the sheer volume of positive tests being returned. In the end, 29 of 190 people across five sports tested positive — yielding an alarming 15 percent positivity rate.
monday, july 20, 2020
Reopening campus is a mistake students, faculty will pay for
Not only did Athletics resume workouts for other sports and restart football workouts before the Riley County Health Department had declared the outbreak finished, K-State has made no indication that the findings from this incident have changed any plans going into the fall semester. It is imperative that K-State learn from the K-State Athletics outbreak and apply this knowledge to its fall semester plan. What would a 15 percent positivity rate mean for a student body as large as K-State’s as thousands of
students flock back to Manhattan and the surrounding area for in-person classes that shouldn’t be happening? About 3,000 positive cases. And what about faculty, staff and other university employees? That’s potentially another 1,000 positive cases. Students and faculty will be the ones paying for the university’s premature plans to reopen not only with their money, but especially with their health and their lives. Young people are less likely to face bad outcomes from this novel coronavirus, but nobody knows for sure what the long term effects of
COVID-19 are. Any cases that result from the return to campus and the deaths that follow will have been entirely preventable. K-State officials say the top priority of the university is and always has been the health and safety of its students and the community. We hope their actions reflect those words, because right now, K-State is racing towards a crisis that will be of its own making. The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the Collegian editorial board. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.