3 8 by Kansas State Collegian

VOL. 121, ISSUE 108

T U E S D AY, M A R C H 8 , 2 0 1 6

THE INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSIT Y

INSIDE

Departments face budget cut decisions

this issue

KEVIN HERNANDEZ the collegian

PAGE 4: Voter fraud made to be bigger deal than it is

-State department heads face a combined 3.5 percent cut after Gov. Sam Brownback cut funding for higher education and President Kirk Schulz issued a callback on general use funding. On March 1 Brownback announced a 3 percent cut, or $17 million, to public universities in Kansas. The cut was due to a revenue shortfall in February. Because state funding comprises about half of K-State’s revenues, the 3 percent state funding cut equates to a 1.5 percent cut for departments. That is in addition to an internal 2 percent callback. On Feb. 19, Schulz addressed the cuts to K-State Today announcing the callback for the remainder of fiscal year 2016. In the letter, Schulz said unit heads in each college will be asked to prepare several options for general use base reductions for fiscal year 2017. Cindy Bontrager, vice president of administration and finance, said this has an impact on administration and finance, president and provost, and student life. She said certain units are self-supporting and receive their revenue through fees to support their funds, including the K-State Student Union, Athletics and Parking Services. Bontrager said each department receives an allocated amount of money based on the general base budget amount, and that each unit head of those departments determines the disbursement and use of money given to them after receiving the prorated amount. The general state budget is made of state appropriations and tuition fees, which impact teaching, student life, administration and facilities. With the budget, it is currently still flat, according to

PAGE 6: Community comes together to help crash survivor

International Women’s Day celebrated globally SARA SAVATOVIC the collegian

Today is International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to appreciating all mothers, sisters, partners, girlfriends, female friends or any woman. It is a global holiday that is celebrated extensively in Europe. Each country has a different way of celebrating it, according to K-State international students. According to George Podaru, graduate student in physical chemistry, everyone in Romania celebrates International Women’s Day. “On March 8, it is all about women; they get all the attention, a lot of presents and flowers,” Podaru said. “It is not only about mothers, but about your sisters, teachers and we make special cards and buy spring flowers for them. Even the police officers pull over female drivers to give them flowers.” According to the “International Women’s Day” page of the United Nations website, the holiday was originally observed on Feb. 28 and began in 1909 in New York City when female garment workers decided to strike in hopes of gaining better working conditions. Rhizlane Siba, sophomore in business administration and student from Morocco, said that International Women’s Day is her favorite holiday because it celebrates women’s achievements. “It is a national holiday in Morocco that aims to recognize women’s actions,” Siba said. “It is the way of saying that we care and know all of the struggles that women went through.” In Morocco, women receive presents and special dinners, Siba said. Some stores will offer sales strictly for women, and many companies offer employees half-days on International Women’s Day. see page

Austin Fuller | THE COLLEGIAN

Sam Brownback, governor of Kansas, speaks during Marco Rubio’s rally in Topeka, Kansas Friday. Bontrager. “It’s important that each unit head has the autonomy to determine how best to absorb those reductions while protecting those services they provide to students, faculty and staff,” Bontrager said. Bontrager said it is important to limit those disruptions. One way she said is how the staff is asked to think wisely, by looking for more efficient ways to perform while doing more with less. There is more stress on faculty because of low pay compared to other peers inside the Big 12, which is factor of not receiving state funding in order to grow, she said. The focus leads to the students, to put more effort toward their success for more students to enroll, Bontrager said. Kenneth Odde, department

head of animal sciences and industry, said the dean of the college decides how each department in the school is affected. According to Odde, there are three factors to consider: teaching, research and extension. “We can manage the cut with minimal impacts on our program,” Odde said. Odde said they are still continuing to teach, advise and provide expected student services, although such areas like research and extension will be impacted the most. The impact will be large if more cuts are being made, but at the moment it is still early to know how the 3 percent will impact the department, Odde said. Other units, such as the 10 different livestock units, generate revenue to support their own programs, Odde said. Such methods

include selling milk, livestock and ice cream, which is a crucial factor, he said. “We can manage livestock with minimal impact,” Odde said. The department has done more with less, with faculty now working with 1,214 students this year, compared to a previous number of 793 students in 2007, Odde said. The steady rise in students has put more pressure on the faculty, becoming a big stress, Odde said. Toward the end of each semester exit interviews are done with all graduating seniors. Odde said these interviews help the faculty learn all the positives and negatives, to best see in what area improvements can be made. see page

6, “CUTS”

International women’s rights activist visits K-State ISABEL LAUBY the collegian

6, “WOMEN”

Photo Courtesy of Rizwan Saffie

THIS DAY IN HISTORY On this day in 1669, Mount Etna, on the island of Sicily in modern-day Italy, begins rumbling. Multiple eruptions over the next few weeks killed more than 20,000 people and left thousands more homeless.

Noorjahan Akbar, an internationally-recognized gender equality and human rights activist, is visiting K-State March 7-9 to give several speeches on social justice and empowering women in honor of International Women’s Day, according to the “Noorjahan Akbar” page on the K-State Staley School of Leadership Studies’ website. Akbar’s keynote speech is today in Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union at 4 p.m. and will be followed by a reception in the Forum Hall lobby. During her visit, Akbar will also present to classes. Akbar, 24, has worked internationally and established organizations to fight gender-based violence and empower women around the world, according to the website. Akbar co-founded

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Young Women for Change, an organization that works to advocate for Afghan women’s rights through protests to end street harassment in Afghanistan. Akbar has worked as a communications associate with Women for Women International, where she wrote blogs and press releases about the organization’s work to support marginalized women. She has also worked as the marketing and communications assistant at the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at American University where she promoted diversity through different multimedia platforms. Akbar also created “Stories to Heal: Afghan Youth Creative Writing Initiative” to encourage children’s peaceful expression through creative writing. She created the Free Women Writers blog that publishes Afghan women’s writings about women issues and social injustice. She published a book and a CD

of Afghan’s children’s songs in order to promote children literacy and folkloric music. “I feel that even if I reach one woman and amplify her glories and tell her story effectively the way she wants it to be told then that’s success to me,” Akbar said. Akbar said she is currently working on translating Afghan entries on her Free Women Writers blog to English, as well as traveling abroad to speak about women’s issues, education and youth empowerment. She also said she feels Afghan women, “are often talked about and rarely listened to.” She said she hopes her Free Women Writers blog will provide the opportunity to bring “Afghan women to the table to see what she thinks.” “Even the most isolated woman, the most marginalized woman has a voice that if we support and if we give a platform to, can really create change,” Akbar said.

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6, “AKBAR”

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ARREST REPORTS Brandon Lee Gage Flanagan, of Topeka, was booked for obstructing the legal process and disorderly conduct. Bond was set at $1,500. Marshall Kendricks Jr., of Enterprise, Alabama, was booked for driving under the influence. Bond was set at $750. Carlos Juan Silva, of the 500 block of South Manhattan

Avenue, was booked for criminal trespass. Bond was set at $750.

Topeka, was booked for failure to appear. Bond was set at $402.

Jacob Dakota Sifford, of Hays, Kansas, was booked for aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, aggravated battery, criminal threat and conspiracy to commit a crime. Bond was set at $50,000.

MONDAY, MARCH 7

Nicole Ann Holt, of Chapman, Kansas, was booked for failure to appear. No bond was listed.

Raidian Rose Williams-Jackson, of Junction City, was booked for driving under the influence. Bond was set at $750.

Kataka Oshea West, of

Akira Amani Porter, of the 6000 block of Tuttle Terrace, was booked for driving while suspended. Bond was set at $750.

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OPINION tuesday, march 8, 2016

Voter ID laws lead to further American injustice PATRICK WHITE the collegian

Voting is the fundamental cornerstone of democracy, and is a right that is so important, we have amended the U.S. Constitution five times to protect and expand that right. Despite such protections, the fear of voter fraud has led states to enact voter ID requirements, but they are proving to do more harm than good. “A total of 36 states have passed laws requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls,” according to the “Voter Identification Requirements-Voter ID Laws” page of the National Conference of State Legislatures website. Voter ID laws have become a growing trend lately, with more states adopting or moving to enact the requirement. As with most governmental regulations, however, there are some who agree and others who disagree. Supporters see the voter ID requirements “as a way to prevent in-person voter impersonation and increase public confidence in the election process.” On the other hand, opponents say ID requirements “restricts the right to vote and imposes unnecessary costs and administrative burdens on elections administrators,” according to the NCSL. The government has basically put up a barrier to stop a crime whose occurrence is described as infinitesimal, which has left about a million people without the right to vote. A million is a pretty big number, so where did it come from? According to Ross Ramsey in The Texas Tribune article, “Analysis: a missing piece in the voter ID debate,” more than 500,000 of the state’s registered voters did not have the necessary credentials to cast ballots. The number of people who do not have the credentials to vote in Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Virginia totals to approximately 1.3 billion, according to a segment on “Tonight with John Oliver.” Ninety thousand registered voters in Pennsylvania may not have had the required documentation to vote, Amy Bing-

ham said in her ABC News article “Pa. voter ID law leads to DMV trips from ‘hell.’” There could be many reasons why someone may not have a form of ID. One being when the elderly have their driver’s licenses taken away. Another example could possibly be those who cannot afford a car, therefore having no reason to have a license. So how prevalent is voter fraud that we need a photo ID requirement? There have only been 31 confirmed incidents of voter impersonation, according to Justin Levitt in his Washington Post article “A comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast.” Although this number seems high, there are many out there who seem to think that voter fraud is being made a bigger deal than it actually is. Texas has convicted 51 people of voter fraud going back 10 years, only four of those cases were for voter impersonation, the only type of voter fraud that voter ID laws prevent, according to Amy Bingham in her ABC News article “Voter fraud: non-existent problem or election-threatening epidemic.” In the same piece, Pennsylvania State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe said that the push behind enacting these laws is fraud prevention and common sense. One cannot dress this issue up as a common sense reform because it isn’t. Voting ID requirements prevent one of the rarest crimes we have in America at the expense of many more. In my opinion, our government shouldn’t be finding ways to decide who gets to vote for or against them. We need to be finding a way to make it easier for people to even vote at all, and the voting ID requirements are just one giant step backward. 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.

Patrick White is a senior in mass communications. Please send comments to opinion@kstatecollegian.com.

Graphic by Audrey Hockersmith

Peyton Manning’s final season, a comeback story for the books DALTON BURTON the collegian

Peyton Manning’s 201516 NFL season has been a remarkable one. Many have said he was too old, too broken down and that time had passed him by. But Manning proved them all wrong and had what is, in my opinion, simply the greatest comeback story in sports history. For me personally, Manning’s season was about much more than football, though. I am someone who is diagnosed with a disability, or what I call a mobility problem, known as cerebral palsy.

In short, my mobility problem makes it difficult to get from place to place and I have to workout every day in order to keep my legs in good condition, yet people still doubt me, like they did Manning. Manning’s four-interception game against the Chiefs was his “Tittle Moment,” said Kevin Seifert in his ESPN article “Peyton Manning joins long list of Hall of Fame QBs who played too long.” The article compares Manning to NFL greats like Brett Favre, Troy Aikman, Jim Kelly and Dan Fouts, not for their incredible careers, but rather for the games and moments that proved them to be, “too-late retirements,”

according to the ESPN article. Even after making this comeback seven weeks later and leading the Denver Broncos to the playoffs, people still doubted “The Sheriff.” “Pardon the gloating, but I told you so, I told you so, I told you so,” Tony Massarotti said in his CBS Local Sports article, “Peyton Manning is Done,” after the Denver Broncos took on the New England Patriots. The article talked at length about Manning’s body not being able to withstand the throws and hits that come with the game of football. “It’s all over for Peyton Manning, folks. And it has been for a while,” Massarotti

Street Talk compiled by Jessica Robbins

AMANDA RIPPEL freshman,

open option “Unfortunately, the harder you make it to vote, the more it discourages people from voting. If the process was made easier, I think more people would vote.”

said. Despite this claim, Manning proved those in doubt wrong and led the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory in what will go down, in my opinion, as the greatest Super Bowl of all time. Immediately after the clock hit zero and the Broncos were declared the Super Bowl champions, questions of a possible retirement flooded Manning. After weeks of anticipation, Manning gave word of his decision. “After 28 days of deliberation, Manning retired, drawing the curtain on a breathtaking 18-year career in which he broke every meaningful NFL passing record and

won two Super Bowls,” Troy E. Renck said in The Denver Post article “Peyton Manning retires from football after 18 NFL seasons.” While the numbers are important, I believe the truly meaningful thing Manning did was make football more than just a game. Despite the doubters and the injuries, Manning came back and accomplished what some said would be impossible. I, like Peyton, have been told that I can’t do things, that I’m simply not good enough and that my body is too broken to accomplish something. Manning has showed me that you can do anything you set your mind to and that he is

more than just a great football player. “The Sheriff” or a “too-late retiree,” Manning is the perfect example of perseverance and dedication. While it’s sad to see him go, the end of Manning’s football career is the beginning of his legacy, so thanks 18, it’s been one hell of a ride. 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.

Dalton Burton is a sophomore in mass communications. Please send comments to opinion@ kstatecollegian.com.

DO YOU THINK VOTER ID LAWS ARE HELPFUL OR HURTFUL TO VOTERS? WHY?

KRISTIN RUSSELL

BRYCE TURNER

BAILEY PORTER

NICK GRECO

“I feel like you should have to have your ID because you should be able to provide identification, and it helps prevent fraud.”

“I think it is hurtful because if you are not an official citizen that means your opinion does not matter.”

“They are helpful because I think voting is a very serious right to have, so we need to make sure people are not abusing that privilege.”

“I understand what they are trying to accomplish but it is kind of a hassle.”

freshman, open option

sophomore, family studies

sophomore, biochemistry

junior, accounting

SPORTS

tuesday, march 8, 2016

Wildcats need NIT win for March Madness

AVERY OSEN the collegian

The K-State men’s basketball team should be a shoo-in for the National Invitation Tournament if they can beat Oklahoma State on Wednesday in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Now obviously, the players, staff and fans would have loved for this team to win some games and at least have a reason to watch Selection Sunday, but I think the NIT will be a good fit for the Wildcats. This is a very young squad, so more games are good for a team like K-State. In my opinion, they will host at least one game in the NIT. It will be beneficial to play in the Octagon of Doom one more time this year. If the Wildcats have a magical run through the Big 12 Tournament and make the Big Dance,

Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Head coach Bruce Weber yells for a Wildcat to guard an unguarded TCU player as the Wildcats wrap up their 79-54 beatdown of the TCU Horned Frogs Wednesday in Bramlage Coliseum. there is a good chance they will be bounced after the first round of the tournament. In the NIT, K-State has a legitimate shot at making a long run,

maybe even ending up playing in the Final Four at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This is going to be a great experience and will also ensure

some more practice for head coach Bruce Weber and his team. Any young team can always use more practice. K-State’s team this year

reminds me a lot of 2011 Wichita State. They were a very young team in the Missouri Valley Conference that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament. They were a No. 4 seed in the NIT, but made the most of their opportunity and won five straight games, which sparked some good years after that. The Shockers made a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament just two years later losing to Louisville 72-68. Wichita State has made the NCAA Tournament every season since the NIT and I think they are a great example of what could be in the near future for K-State. They are young, talented and will be very experienced in the coming years. I’m not saying they will be in the Final Four soon, or that they will make the tournament every year for the next five years, but I will say just playing in some postseason tournament will be very beneficial for the Wildcats. It will be fun to see how this young team fairs the rest of this season and what is in store for them in the future. Avery Osen is a senior in mass communications. Please send comments to sports@ kstatecollegian.com.

What to watch: Championship game week

CHRIS ROBINSON the collegian

BIG TEN TITLE GAME

The Big Ten is always one of the top conferences when it comes to basketball. It will be interesting to see who wins the conference tournament this year. You have some quality teams with Maryland, Michigan State, Iowa and

regular season champ Indiana in the mix. If Michigan State wins the tournament I can see them being one of the four No. 1 seeds in the country. Iowa will be using this tournament to improve tournament seeding after faltering late. The tipoff for the Big Ten title game will be 3 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

BIG 12 TITLE GAME

Many people consider the Big 12 the best overall conference of this season. This tournament can give people another reason to believe that it is. Kansas is easily the best team in the conference after winning 12-straight regular season shared or solo conference championships. Oklahoma has the most to

show going into this week. They need to prove the way they played down the stretch isn’t a sign for their tournament play. The Big 12 Championship will tipoff at 5 p.m Saturday on ESPN.

nament I believe they would have a No. 1 seed locked up. ACC Tournament Championship is set to tipoff at 8 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

ACC TITLE GAME

If you are an NBA fan I truly do think you will enjoy this game. The Thunder have always seemed to be a thorn in the Spurs’ side having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on their team. The Spurs are the second-best team in the NBA right now and future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan is looking for that sixth NBA championship ring. If the playoffs started right now then this is a possible conference semi-final match-

Duke and North Carolina come into the tournament in the same mindset as Kansas. If you win, good. If you don’t, that’s what the NCAA Tournament is for. Duke this year, however, could make a statement by winning the conference tournament. They lost at home recently to North Carolina and wouldn’t mind meeting them in the tournament to exact revenge for that loss. If Virginia won the tour-

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER AT SAN ANTONIO SPURS

File Photo by Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN

Senior forward DJ Johnson reaches up to block Kansas guard Wayne Selden Jr.’s layup in the second half of the Wildcats’ 72-63 shortcoming to the No. 2 Jayhawks Feb. 20, in Bramlage Coliseum. up. This game could give fans an idea of which will assert dominance over the other team later this summer. Tipoff will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

Chris Robinson is a junior in mass communications. Please send comments to sports@kstatecollegian.com.

THECURRENT tuesday, march 8, 2016

Hospitalized woman receives local support KENIA MILLS the collegian

manda Shepard, 34, Manhattan, Kansas resident and single mother of three, was involved in a car accident on Tuttle Creek Boulevard on Feb. 7, 2016. Early Edition restaurant and Copeland Insurance Agency Inc., local businesses Shepard works for, have opened a medical fund for public donations in order to help Shepard with medical expenses, Vonda Copeland, vice president of Copeland Insurance Agency, said. "She's a single mom, she has three children, and it appears that she won't work for quite a while so our goal is to help offset the cost of her bills," David Uphoff, owner of Early Edition, said. "Anybody that can contribute (to the fund), that would be awesome." Shaina Stephenson, Shepard's co-worker and friend at Early Edition, said she hopes that people will step forward for a woman with a reputation for helping those in need. "The first thing she ever asks is how are you doing," Stephenson said. "She was always that type of person that no matter how down she was, she'd always tough through it and always took care of everybody else." According to Copeland, Shep-

Allison Evans | THE COLLEGIAN

Amanda Shepard is on her way to recovery after sustaining severe injuries in a car accident on Tuttle Creek Boulevard on Feb. 7. ard was traveling east towards Manhattan when the driver of a pick up truck traveling the opposite direction crossed the centerline and collided into Shepard's Grand Prix. Shepard was air lifted to University of Kansas Hospital in Kan-

sas City, Kansas. Copeland said Shepard was placed in an induced coma for a week and underwent several surgeries to repair the broken bones she sustained during the accident. Shepard is now at Via Christi

AKBAR | Seeking female equality in male-dominated countries continued from page

Akbar has received awards for her activism, including being named One of the 150 Fearless Women Who Shake the World, by Newsweek and The Daily Beast in 2012. One of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World, by Forbes in 2012 and Woman of Distinction, by the American Association of University Women in 2013. Akbar also received the Women of Distinction award from the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders in 2012 and College Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine in 2013. Akbar said she grew up in Afghanistan and was forced to leave when she was 6 years old because of the brutality of the Taliban. She said she has a vague memory of fleeing Afghanistan and being stopped by the Taliban at the border. “I remember being terrified,” Akbar said. Akbar said she and her family moved back to Afghanistan once the Taliban had left in 2001. Akbar said she started advocating for equality when she was in middle school. She and her friends distributed handwritten newspapers to her middle school that advocated women’s rights, she said. “I never thought of that as activism,” Akbar said. I just loved writing and I loved talking about childrens’ rights, and women’s rights and child education.” Akbar said she recognized that her parents instilled values of education and equality in her at a young

age, which played a large role in her success as a leader and an activist. Akbar attended high school and college in the U.S., earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Dickinson College and a master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. Akbar’s education in the U.S. helped her understand “how systematic and global women’s oppression is,” she said. She also said gender inequality is a “global issue and that’s why we need global movements to deal with them, that’s why we need global partnerships to deal with them.” Akbar said she recalled a video she watched in her social movements class that moved her to tears. The video captured protestors who were getting tear gassed for protesting the World Trade Organization in the 1970s. “Every time I read or I watch something about social action or individuals putting their lives in danger to empower and to make life better for other people, I get passionate about it and so I decided to do that and be an activist,” Akbar said. Her end goal in her work is to create a day when it’s no longer necessary to fight for social justice, equality of rights and education, Akbar said. “I don’t think we need to justify or we need to explain why our rights, our human rights, our basic rights, that men have endured for so long, are important,” she said. “We have the right to have the exact same privileges, opportunities and rights and protec-

relive the moment with The Collegian & Royal Purple reprints photos.collegianmedia.com

tions.” Akbar said in communities where women are empowered, the sustainability, health, well-being and economic growth is better off. “When women are empowered, communities are empowered too,” Akbar said. According to Barbara Gatewood, former AAUW president for the Manhattan branch, she attended the national AAUW conference in June 2012 where Akbar contributed to the panel discussion of women’s rights activists. “I was so impressed with what she had to say,” Gatewood said. Gatewood said she proposed the idea of bringing Akbar to K-State to the AAUW branch in Manhattan. AAUW partnered with Leadership Studies, Women’s Studies, Women of K-State, K-State First and International Student and Scholar Services to arrange Akbar’s visit. Mary Stamey, programs vice president for the AAUW local branch, said she is impressed with Akbar’s young age and “the fact that she’s an internationally-acclaimed activist.” Gatewood said she hopes students are “inspired to take greater leadership roles and that if they’re not satisfied with something, to speak out against various issues that they feel passionate about.” Akbar said she is excited to meet and engage with the Manhattan community. “I hope that this speech will highlight how our liberation, and our freedom, and empowerment is connected to one another,” Akbar said.

Hospital in Manhattan. Shepard said she is currently receiving four hours of occupational and physical therapy a day. "My legs are basically the biggest thing right now," Shepard said. "I broke my hip, my left femur in

two places, my left knee, broke my pelvis and had to have my spleen removed and shattered my ankle. I won't be able to stand until I see my doctor, ten weeks out from my surgeries." Shepard said she does not remember the wreck very well, but she does remember being helped by a stranger, who she plans on finding to thank. "He was from out of town," Shepard said. "I vaguely remember him telling me, 'It's going to be okay. They're coming.' And then I leaned my head on his shoulder. He sat with me for quite awhile. I'm grateful for that." Shepard said still in pain but is looking forward to going home this Sunday. When she returns home, she will not be able to walk for more than a month. She will require the use of a wheelchair, hospital bed and a ramp. "We're still looking at about five weeks to be able to stand up and put weight on my feet," Shepard said. While the community raising money to help with expenses, Shepard's family is taking care of her children and pets. "I'm lucky to have family, friends and bosses that have all come together full circle and have been very supportive. I'm in awe and I can't believe that. I'm very grateful for all of that," Shepard said.

WOMEN | Cops deliver flowers instead of tickets on celebrated holiday continued from page

In 1975 the U.N. began celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8 and it has been observed annually on that day ever since, according to the website. In Mexico, International Women’s Day is a wellknown holiday, Laura Galvan, senior in food science and industry, said. She said in Mexico women get recognized for remarkable achievements, mainly in the working fields. “On March 8, on the streets, it is all pink,” Galvan said. “There is a lot of flowers and posters with a big signs and silhouettes of women. There is a lot of ceremo-

nies and festivals where women get awards, especially ones that work in government or teaching.” Zsofia Gyimes, freshman in business administration and student from Hungary, said when she forgets about International Women’s Day, people around remind her because random men on the streets congratulate her. “You can see men all around having a bucket of flowers that they are bringing to women,” Gyimes said. “There are special events and ceremonies around the country. It is very nice to get presents. I usually get chocolate and flowers from my father.” Simone Fassina, freshman in kinesiology and stu-

dent from Italy, said they have a little bit different way of celebrating. “In Italy, we have a specific gift, which is yellow mimosa flowers that we give to women,” Fassina said. “It is a tradition, and we have flower markets around the streets, so everyone can buy flowers for their mothers, sisters, coworkers or friends.” This year’s annual theme for International Women’s Day is Pledge For Parity and aims to promote global gender equality. According to the International Women’s Day website, all men and women can join the pledge to help women and girls achieve their ambitions by participating in its social media networks.

CUTS | Students should take advantage of SGA voice continued from page

Andy Hurtig, current student body president and senior in accounting, said the budget is a delicate subject due to the number of people involved. While being able to sit at the table during faculty meetings, Hurtig said it is important to take advantage of their spot there. He said it is important to talk to faculty, while also synthesizing with students so they come in pursuit of a higher degree. Jessica Van Ranken,

current SGA speaker pro tempore, president-elect and junior in political science, said during her election students voiced concerns over the budget cut. Although the 3 percent callback from the governor is still recent, she said it still puts pressure on the subject. This new reduction calls for more money to be given back from the central campus budget, research and extension budget, and K-State budget, which has already been allocated for each col-

lege or unit, Hurtig said. Students should be more aware of how the state legislature can affect schools, Hurtig said. Each meeting is more of an ongoing conversation he said, as there is talk over finding a balance between student tuition prices, faculty rate and good education. “It’s a reminder that students need to be educated into what goes into providing a higher education and the role that state policies impact them,” Hurtig said.

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