VOL. 121, ISSUE 134
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© 2016 collegian media group
T H U R S D AY, A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 1 6
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR KANSAS STATE UNIVERSIT Y
INSIDE
Students file lawsuits against K-State
this issue
Two women allege the university refused to investigate their rapes at fraternity parties
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PAGE 3: Student, veteran becomes Democratic delegate
DANIELLE COOK & JASON TIDD the collegian
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wo K-State students filed Title IX lawsuits Wednesday against K-State on allegations that the university denied responsibility to investigate accusations of rapes that occurred at two fraternity houses. The lawsuits accuse K-State of deliberate indifference to plaintiffs’ reports of rape, deceptive acts and practices in violation of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, and negligence. One lawsuit said Sara Weckhorst, junior in social work, was raped at a fraternity party on April 26, 2014. The other lawsuit said Tessa Farmer, junior in social work, was raped at a fraternity party on March 6, 2015. While neither fraternity was named in the lawsuits, The New York Times reported Wednesday that the two fraternities were Phi Delta Theta and allegedly Sigma Nu. Sigma Nu was suspended and lost recognition from the university on May 19, 2014, according to the “Fraternity and Sorority Life” page of K-State’s website. The news comes after CNN published the article “The untold financial cost of rape” on Nov. 20, 2015, in which K-State was accused of not adequately responding to allegations of rape. K-State is also under investigation by the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for “possible violations of the federal law on the handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints,” accord-
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PAGE 6: Football transfer impresses Snyder, teammates
Regents appoint search committee for K-State president SHELTON BURCH the collegian
The Kansas Board of Regents named, motioned and approved 20 candidates to serve as the search committee for the next K-State president at its monthly meeting Wednesday. The meeting took place in the K-State Alumni Center and corresponded with the regents’ first visit to K-State since 2014, according to information provided by Breeze Richardson, director of communications for the regents. Dennis Mullin, regents member, read the “Charge To the Search Committee,” which included nine bullet points and formally instructed the committee to, among other things, “review all candidates without regard to gender, race, religion, creed or national origin.” Mullin then presented the candidates for the committee, who he said all agreed to serve. Mullin then made a three-part motion to approve the charge, appoint former regent Jarold Boettcher as vice chair of the committee and to approve all the candidates for the committee. The motion was seconded by Zoe Newton, vice chair of the regents, and was approved with no discussion. Mullin said the search will be closed instead of open. “The board settled on a closed search for one reason, and that’s the fact that we wanted to make sure that we find the best candidate for this position,” Mullin said. see page
4, “REGENTS”
File Photo by Cassandra Nguyen | THE COLLEGIAN
One of the two lawsuits states that a rape occurred at Pillsbury Crossing on April 26, 2014. ing to CNN. Attempts to reach out to former members of K-State’s chapter of Sigma Nu were unsuccessful. Upon contacting K-State’s chapter of Phi Delta Theta, Kansas Gamma, the fraternity responded with a written statement. “After being made aware of the alleged sexual assault involving chapter membership, we worked with alumni leadership to take in-
ternal disciplinary action in March 2015. The chapter and alumni leadership have cooperated with investigations both by the Kansas State Interfraternity Council and our General Headquarters. These investigations have determined this incident to be isolated and an individual act. Phi Delta Theta is a values-based organization and any sexual assault is appalling and incongruent with who we are as a chapter and what we represent
here at K-State. Both lawsuits allege, “K-State refused to investigate the rapes committed by its students.” Jennifer Tidball, writer and editor for K-State Division of Communications and Marketing, sent The Collegian the university’s official statement on the lawsuits via email after a request for comment. see page
5, “RAPE”
Myers formally introduced as interim K-State president SHELTON BURCH the collegian
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers was formally introduced as the interim president of K-State at a press conference Wednesday morning. It was the first time Myers addressed the public since last week when the Kansas Board of Regents appointed him to the position. Myers’ first official day as interim president will be April 26, but he will not seek to become the permanent president of K-State, he said. “If I were in a different stage of life, maybe,” Myers said. “The Board of Regents has made it very clear to me and we’ve had this conversation. I’m interim, and hope I can do the best I can (to help setup for the next president).” Meyers said he does not anticipate making any major changes as interim president because he does not see that as his role. Mostly, he will be in place to prepare things so the next university president can get right to work when he or she takes office. “There’s not going to be much change,” Myers said. “As the interim, this is not about big muscle movements when you’re the interim of anything. It’s about continuing with what’s already going on and then just trying to work through those really tough problems so that when the new presi-
THIS DAY IN HISTORY According to tradition, on April 21, 753 B.C., Romulus and his twin brother, Remus, found Rome on the site where they were suckled by a she-wolf as orphaned infants. Actually, the Romulus and Remus myth originated sometime in the fourth century B.C., and the exact date of Rome’s founding was set by the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro in the first century B.C. history.com
Parker Robb | THE COLLEGIAN
Retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers is intoduced as the interim K-State president on Wednesday morning. Outgoing President Kirk Schulz accepted a position as the president of Washington State University a few weeks earlier. dent, when he or she shows up, they can take off from there. So I don’t think you’re going to see a lot of change.” The press conference took place in Forum Hall in the K-State Student Union. Members of the public also attended the event, which started with opening re-
marks from Myers and Shane Bangerter, chairman of the Board of Regents, and ended with a Q&A period in which the media were allowed to ask Myers questions. In his remarks, Myers said K-State president Kirk Schulz had done a lot for the university, but he said work that needs to be done re-
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mains. While Myers will only be in the position temporarily, there are challenges he will work to address. The first is the budget, which he said many people are asking questions about. see page
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Disabled veteran, student becomes democratic delegate KENIA MILLS the collegian
G
eorge Hanna, veteran and junior in social sciences, is a democratic delegate heading to the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer. In 1989, Hanna was an electronics technician third class in the U.S. Navy. Almost a year after joining, Hanna said he injured his knee sliding down a ladder in the submarine he manned. Hanna said a couple of knee surgeries later, he decided to leave the military because he could no longer serve in a submarine. During the ‘90s, Hanna said he became engaged in the world of politics in Topeka. He was last politically involved when he chaired a subcommittee for the USD 501 school board before becoming the captain of the Bernie Sanders caucus in Manhattan. “The purpose for (my involvement in USD 501) was because I opposed the deplorable actions of the Westboro Baptist Church, and felt it was my moral responsibility to help ensure the WBC could not purchase a neighborhood school building to preach their hate,” Hanna said. Hanna was also instrumental in starting the City of Topeka chapter of the Kansas Association of Public Employees Union and was the president for the first ratification of its contract, securing the first raise in years for most of the city employees, he said. “Now I find myself in a similar position,” Hanna said. “It is my moral responsibility to help ensure my country does not elect a president that also preaches hate in a party supporting inequality.” His time in politics eventually came to an end, and for the next 15 years, Hanna said he worked in mid-management in the automotive industry in the Manhattan area.
Mauricio Caldera | THE COLLEGIAN
George Hanna, veteran and junior in social sciences, will be a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Then in 2011, Hanna said his life changed after a motorcycle accident. A driver who was texting and driving ran a red light at the intersection of Juliette and Bluemont avenues and struck Hanna’s motorcycle. “I was rushed to the trauma center in Wichita with a head injury and 21 fractures,” Hanna said. “I was hospitalized for multiple surgeries for over four weeks. I was in a wheelchair for nearly a year. As you can imagine, my jobs were gone, and what I’ve done my entire life, I could no longer do. My private insurance covered most of the hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills, but not all.” Hanna said the injuries he sustained in the accident prevent him from working in a physically demanding setting. He said he de-
cided to return to K-State and is currently majoring in social sciences with a minor in fine arts. That is when inflated educational costs on top of his medical expenses became an issue, Hanna said. “When I started going to school here at Kansas State, the interest rate on an unsubsidized student loan was 4 percent,” Hanna said. “Today, it is over 8 percent, and to me, that is ludicrous. You can get a mortgage at 3 percent but to better yourself through education it’s going to cost you 8 percent.” Finding a solution for inflated health care and educational costs is the reason Hanna said he supports Sanders. Hanna said he agrees with Sanders’ vision for a single-payer national health care program and
free tuition at public colleges and universities. Results from the Kansas Democratic Caucus in March showed that Sanders won 23 delegates while Hillary Clinton took 10 delegates, according to the Kansas Democratic Party’s website. Hanna is one of three delegates elected locally who are pledged to Sanders to represent the 1st Congressional District at the convention from June 25-28. Erin Bishop, credit programs coordinator for UFM Community Learning Center at K-State’s Global Campus, said she met Hanna while training to volunteer at the caucus for Sanders in March. At the time, Hanna was captain of the 22nd District caucus in Manhattan. “I think his passion for Bernie is wonderful,” Bishop said. “I think
he represented us well as a captain at our caucus for Senate District 22 for Bernie. A veteran and a nontraditional student is a great mix to represent our community.” According to Nathaniel Birkhead, assistant professor of political science, the party’s nominating conventions are where the primary campaign ends and the general election begins, with each party formally making their nominations. “The first thing to know is that, from 1972-2012, for both the Republican and Democratic parties, the role of the delegates in the party’s nominating conventions is really symbolic,” Birkhead said. “In each of these contests, the winner had long been established, and the delegates simply went through the motions. The 2016 Democratic primary should fit that mold. It’s exceedingly likely that Clinton will secure the nomination based on pledged delegates alone, and as such, be assured of the nomination well before the primary. In this case, Mr. Hanna’s role in the process is important for symbolic, rather than practical, reasons.” Birkhead said there is a decent chance of a contested convention in the 2016 Republican primary, in which case, delegates’ decisions can be decisive for determining the eventual nominee. Hanna is currently raising funds for his trip to the convention this summer on a GoFundMe page. Due to the presence of the president and Secret Service at the convention, Hanna said staying at a hotel outside of the convention site would be a major inconvenience due to tight security constraints and his disability; however, staying at the convention-site hotel is expensive, and Hanna said he expects the trip to cost around $6,000. “I’m trying to fundraise $6,000 dollars, which is ludicrous but $6,000 to be able to do my job that I was elected to do,” Hanna said. “I would be more than happy to provide copies of receipts as I am more than happy to be accountable for my actions.”
Sisters of Sound brings music back to Manhattan MIRANDA SNYDER the collegian
Tucked in the ally between Jimmy John’s and O’Malley’s Alley at 1214 Moro St., Sisters of Sound, owned by two K-State alumni, offers Manhattan a way to connect with music. Sarah Cunnick and her sister Leah are co-owners of Sisters of Sound and opened the store in 2004. Sarah said Leah spends most of her time being the main caretaker of their elderly parents, but both help out and contribute to the store. “Back in the early ‘90s, I got a job at the record store down here called Street Side Records,” Sarah said. “I worked there until they closed up shop in 2001, and I didn’t know if I was going to be able to really do anything else. When they were leaving town they were like, ‘You should open up your own record store.’ I had all my own product ‘cause I had been collecting records and CD’s for an entire decade.” Sarah said she approached her sister about opening the store back in 2004 after they both agreed the town needed a record store. This November
Miranda Snyder | THE COLLEGIAN
James Schmidt, junior in public relations, looks through vinyl records at Sisters of Sound for International Record Store Day on Saturday. marks the 12-year anniversary of the store opening. Last Saturday was Record Store Day, which celebrated independent record stores. Sar-
ah and Leah hosted an all-day event that included deals on unique and rare vinyl records as well as live performances, Sarah said.
“We had coffee and donuts at 9 and we opened up the door at 10,” Sarah said. “We had some live, local and regional musicians come down and play.
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That was great, and they were fantastic. A lot of people don’t realize the quality of musicians that we actually have in this town.” Colin Bailey, junior in geography, said he attended the event and bought vinyl records featuring Elvis Presley, Roy Acuff and Joe Cocker. “My favorite part was just thumbing through all the records and looking at the crazy album covers,” Bailey said. “The atmosphere was pretty relaxed. There was a guy playing some country music and everyone was quietly searching through records.” Hunter Gilson, graduate student in English, attended the event for the first time and said just getting to actually hold the records in his hands was the best part. “I’ve always wanted to come out for Record Store Day, but this is also my mom’s birthday weekend so I usually travel back to Kansas City,” Gilson said. “Once I looked at what was being released and all the stuff that’s coming out for David Bowie after his death, it was kind of a no-brainer.” For those who do not know much about vinyl records and the machines that play them,
Sarah said she and other employees at the store are more than equipped to educate and help customers find something to suit their needs. Sarah said the store sells new and used turntables and stereo equipment, CDs and vinyl records. Also, the store sells music from local musicians, patches, stickers and posters. “We actually talk to people,” Sarah said. “We don’t just try to sell them stuff that they don’t need. I have all that information in my head so that when people do have these questions they can actually come to us.” There are other events that Sisters of Sound host, such as in-house performances and something Sarah said she calls a “first-dibs party.” The party is when a big shipment of vinyl records comes in and a special event is held for the release of the new music. The next firstdibs party will include a large blues collection, Sarah said. “It’s a good place to come to learn, even if its not from us,” Sarah said. “Some of our customers know a lot about music. It’s always a good place to come and hangout and learn something new. Even myself, I learn something new every day that I’m down here.”
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4 From the president’s desk
JESSICA VAN RANKEN & TRENTON KENNEDY Dear K-State Family, First and foremost, it is our greatest pleasure to welcome Gen. Richard B. Myers back to our university. As an alum of K-State and a retired Air Force general who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it is our greatest honor to have him serve as interim president. On Wednesday morning, we attended his press conference in Forum Hall and enjoyed hearing the plans he has while serving as interim president. We believe his leadership will help transition our university exceedingly well. Additionally, this past week has been spent finalizing our cabinet. We have chosen a group of individuals who are just as passionate about our themes of mental wellness, political advocacy and diversity as we are, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with their individual strengths and talents this next year. Our cabinet is as follows:
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thursday, april 21, 2016
REGENTS | Schulz addresses progress of K-State 2025 continued from page
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“The reality, as much as we may dislike this, the reality is that in an open search, many qualified candidates, particularly sitting presidents at other institutions, would not allow themselves to be considered for this position,” Mullin said. Members of the committee come from various groups or organizations, including the regents, alumni or foundation members, current faculty or administrative staff at K-State, athletics, students, K-State support staff and community members. One of the three student representatives is student body president Jessica Van Ranken, and K-State Athletics is represented by Athletics Director John Currie. The committee was named just hours after retired Air Force Gen. Richard Myers was introduced as the interim president at a press conference Wednesday morning. K-State president Kirk Schulz provided the regents with updated information about K-State 2025, including a review of the plan now that it is five years old. He said the university, however, needs to maintain its focus through the transition from president to interim president to the next permanent president. Schulz and the other regents, presidents and chancellors sat in the front row of the ballroom directly facing the long table where the regents sat. “We do have some challenges, and our challenges at K-State are very similar to my colleagues’ sitting across the front row: enrollment (and the)
Shelton Burch | THE COLLEGIAN
K-State President Kirk Schulz addresses the Kansas Board of Regents during the meeting in the K-State Alumni Center on Wednesday. state cap on tuition,” Schulz said. “I have asked Sue Peterson (K-State director of governmental relations) to make this her primary thing that she’s working on in the legislature. It’s your responsibility as regents to set tuition and fees for the universities, nobody else’s. It’s certainly not the legislature, and we need to have (it that way) if we’re going to have decreased funds. This is one of the major income streams coming
into the university that’s now, in my opinion, artificially constrained.” Schulz also said other obstacles included a declining state budget and decreased federal support for research. “This doesn’t mean that you stop trying,” Schulz said. “It means that it’s much more competitive, and you’ve gotta have better ideas and better teams and greater faculty.” Still, Schulz said there
were also successes to be acknowledged as well, including the first five years of K-State 2025. Schulz said he knows that sometimes when dealing with topics like state resources, it is easy to focus on the negatives, but there were also many positives. “It’s important the campus community celebrate that because it’s not just writing a bunch of things down,” Schulz said. “It’s our faculty, staff and
students who bought into a broad vision and have put their time, energy and effort into making it happen.” After Schulz finished speaking, Ann Brandau-Murguia, member of the board of regents, said he did a great job as K-State president. “You’re an unbelievable university president,” Brandau-Murguia said. “I think you’ll do great in your new job, obviously.”
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Coming up, the Kansas Board of Regents will be on campus this week to meet with Student Governing Association leaders. Van Ranken and Swartz will meet with them as well. It’s hard to believe we only have three full weeks left before the semester is over. Our new legislative branch leaders will be working to educate new senators, help transition new committee chairs and finish up any last-minute legislation. Finally, we encourage you to attend the next Landon Lecture on April 25 at 10:30 a.m. in McCain Auditorium. The speaker is Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo vice chairman and chief science officer. He is responsible for the research of all PepsiCo brands to develop new food and beverage products. He is a wealth of knowledge and is sure to bring a unique story to campus. Feel free to reach out to us at any time. We can only be #StrongerTogether if we hear from students. We want to hear about the issues pertaining to your groups, concerns you have regarding changes happening to campus or any questions you might have. Our twitter is @ KStateSBP_SBVP or you can email us as well. We look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Jessica Van Ranken, student body president Trenton Kennedy, student body vice president
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News briefs ERIN POPPE the collegian
COLLEGE OF APDESIGN RECEIVES $8 MILLION GIFT
The College of Architecture, Planning and Design recently received its largest monetary gift in its history to date — $8 million. The gift, a part of K-State’s $1 billion Innovation and Inspiration Campaign, was given by an anonymous alum of the college. The funds will be invested into the college with an expected distribution of about $400,000 annually, according to the Little Apple Post. The annual distribution will support full-ride scholarships for Kansas students that maintain a 3.5 GPA minimum and are in at least their third year with the college. According to the Little Apple Post, the donors also designated a portion of the funds to support the dean’s excellence fund, which is meant to provide “flexibility to the college’s leader to address emerging opportunities and priorities.” “Our drive toward academic excellence is fueled by alumni and friends,” Tim de Noble, the college’s dean, said to K-State Today. “Our margin of excellence in scholarship, teaching, and facilities will be dramatically advanced by such a transformational gift. We are truly grateful for this investment in the college and the impact it will have now and in the future.”
AWARD RECOGNIZES TWO EMPLOYEES GOING ABOVE, BEYOND WITH STUDENTS
Two K-State employees were
recognized for going the extra mile in their advising, teaching and service to students with the Putting Students First Award. Recipients of the award are nominated by peers, supervisors and students, according to K-State Today. This year’s winners are Robert Pettay, instructor of kinesiology, and Jason Burngardt, assistant director of Recreational Services. “This award is an excellent way to say thank you to our most dedicated faculty and staff members,” Pat Bosco, vice president for student life and dean of students, said to K-State Today. “I can think of no better way to say thank you on behalf of our students.” Pettay has served as instructor, advising coordinator and undergraduate coordinator in the kinesiology department since 1998, according to K-State Today. He is responsible for six to nine hours of courses each semester, in addition to teaching for the K-State First program. In his advising role, Pettay works with about 600–700 undergraduate kinesiology majors and minors. According to K-State Today, Burngardt has held his role as assistant director of Facilities/Aquatics operations since 2011, in which he manages a 135-student staff. He also teaches American Red Cross courses, assists with the recreation complex expansion projects, oversees a student marketing internship program and advises the Recreational Services Ambassadors. “I am grateful to these recipients for their work with students,” Carla Jones, assistant vice president and senior associate dean of student life, said to K-State Today. “I am proud of the work they do.”
MYERS | Interim president addresses budget, tuition continued from page
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“Then, shortly, we’re going to be talking about tuition,” Myers said. “So I think those are a couple things that are going to be number one and two, and then we’ll take the rest as they come.” Myers said he will continue both to encourage K-State to be military friendly but also will not lose sight of the things K-State is best at, specifically relating to agriculture.
“I’m not a farmer, but I have an appreciation for what K-State is all about and that’s one of the things we have to do well,” Myers said. “We already lead. We have to continue to do very well in that whole area.” Bangerter said the regents will be doing all they can to help select the right long-term president for K-State. “I cannot think of a better person to take on this role,” Bangerter said.
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RAPE | Student leaders seek more details continued from page
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“Kansas State University does not discuss litigation matters in the media, nor do we publicly discuss individual reports of discrimination, including sexual violence,” the statement said. “The university has a strong policy prohibiting discrimination, including sexual violence, and provides a multitude of resources and assistance to students and employees.” According to the policy, K-State only investigates complaints if they occurred on campus or are related to an on-campus occurrence. Fraternities are not considered to be on campus. “Off campus occurrences that are not related to University-sponsored programs or activities are investigated under this Policy only if those occurrences relate to discrimination, harassment or retaliation alleged on campus,” the policy said. While the university’s policy is to not investigate off-campus allegations of rape, even at a fraternity house, “The Education Department has advised universities that they are required under Title IX to investigate accusations of off-campus rapes of students, specifically citing off-campus fraternity houses,” according to the New York Times. Title IX is a federal statute that protects against sex-based discrimination at
federally-funded education institutions. According to Title IX, “a school must process all complaints of sexual violence, regardless of where the conduct occurred, to determine whether the conduct occurred in the context of an education program or activity or had continuing effects on campus or in an off-campus education program or activity.” According to an April 4, 2011, Department of Education Dear Colleague Letter, “If a school knows or reasonably should know about student-on-student harassment that creates a hostile environment, Title IX requires the school to take immediate action to eliminate the harassment, prevent its recurrence and address its effects.” Lt. Jessica Brooks, coordinator of administrative services for the K-State Police Department, said the department neither investigated nor charged anyone in relation to the alleged rapes because the department did not have primary jurisdiction. “We don’t have primary jurisdiction over fraternities and sororities,” Brooks said. “That would be Riley County Police Department.” Mat Droge, public information officer for RCPD, said he could not provide specific information on the lawsuits because he was unfamiliar with them. Addi-
tionally, depending on the case, he said he may be prohibited from releasing certain information. The Collegian’s attempts to contact Weckhorst and Farmer were unsuccessful. Reaching out to the attorney The Collegian was referred to the lawsuit which was provided to The Collegian by Cari Simon, a lawyer from Washington D.C. “Sara and Tessa are bringing this Title IX suit against K-State because they don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” Simon said in an email. The hashtag #KStateInvestigate was started Wednesday by the group End Rape on Campus in support of Weckhorst and Farmer. Trenton Kennedy, student body vice president and sophomore in entrepreneurship, said he and Jessica Van Ranken, student body president and junior in political science, are trying to find out more information on the situation. “We’re still waiting to find out more, but we can assure students that we are fighting for their best interests and we are dedicated, committed to working toward a solution to this and doing what we can for the future of K-State and the future of K-Staters to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Kennedy said.
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SPORTS
thursday, april 21, 2016
Silmon battles for prized running back position
Wildcat transfer looks to put past behind him as he joins football team SCOTT POPP the collegian
George Walker | THE COLLEGIAN
Then-freshman running back Justin Silmon runs the ball during the football game between K-State and Oklahoma State in Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Oct. 3, 2015. Silmon is one of three players competing for the running back position for the upcoming season.
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ne of the question marks that surround the K-State football team this offseason is who will be taking the ball as the running back this fall. Head coach Bill Snyder said it is a three-way race for the position and it has been very competitive this spring. One of the players vying for the spot is sophomore Justin Silmon, who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The other two running backs competing for the position are senior Charles Jones and sophomore Dalvin Warmack. Last season, Silmon rushed for 355 yards with two touchdowns on 78 attempts. “He is one of the three in contention for the spot,” Snyder said. “He’s such a competitive guy, but I didn’t think he got off the spring practice like I wanted him to. There just seemed to be something that was holding
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him back.” But three weeks later and with a spring game approaching, Silmon appears to be playing much better than earlier in the month. “I think I’ve grown this spring into being a better player with the ball out of my hands,” Silmon said. “Just knowing the game, chipping on the right block when help is needed and understanding the defense more by pass protection just to name a few things.” Silmon said he thinks the competition this offseason can only help everyone’s skills. “This is great for our position, and it’s a good thing in any sport,” Silmon said. “They’ve been pushing me, and I don’t think that competition will stop any time soon.” After playing without spectators in the stands the past three weeks, Silmon said he is ready to show the K-State faithful his and the rest of the team’s talents. “It’s very exciting and is building these past few days,”
Silmon said. “We don’t want to get embarrassed and show everyone how much we’ve improved. Everybody is ready for Saturday, that’s for sure.” Snyder said the coaching staff has been watching Silmon and noticed something that he is doing very well. “Everyone has been impressed with how hard he’s run,” Snyder said. “He’s got certain things in his game he needs to improve on, but he’s made this a competitive race because of how hard he competes.” Silmon is putting himself in a good position to be the starting running back this season, and Snyder said overall he is having a good spring. “He’s a good guy and is developing quite well right now,” Snyder said. “(Silmon) is making good headway and is having a nice spring.” K-State fans will get the chance to see Silmon and the rest of the Wildcats in action at 1:10 p.m. Saturday at the annual Purple and White Spring Game in Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
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Open FOrum The Council on Parking Operations annual Open Forum will be Thursday, April 21 from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Big 12 Room at the K-State Student Union. The forum is open to everyone. For those who cannot attend in person, the forum will be streamed live and archived for viewing later. • A proposed campus circulator transit route • A change in the cost of garage preferred stalls from $445 to $600 • A change in the cost of garage reserved stalls from$660 to $900 • Justin Hall and Petticoat Lane would become Faculty/Staff lots and the T section of Waters Hall would become Commuting student (O) • Tunstall Circle would change from Jardine (J) to (Z) any permit valid • JO permits would be eliminated and J permits would be valid in J lots and Z lots. • Several violations would be combined, and some rules have neen added concerning ATV/UTV/Golf Cats.
For complete details, please go to: http://www.k-state.edu/parking/ProposedParkingChangesOpenForum.pdf
K-State head football coach Bill Snyder and his team have made a living off of junior college transfers. From Michael Bishop to Daniel Thomas to more recently Jake Waters, the Wildcats have had no shortage of impactful junior college transfers. The Wildcats may have another one on their hands with the transfer from Butler County Community College, sophomore Byron Pringle. Early reviews on the 6-foot2-inch, 200-pound wide receiver have been very positive, with coaches and teammates raving about his size and athleticism. Even the usually hesitant Snyder has singled out Pringle’s spring performances. “Pringle is learning the system and rather rapidly,” Snyder said at Tuesday’s press conference. “As he does, you see the skill level enhance itself a great deal. He sticks out in my mind. He really does a nice job. He will be a factor in that wide receiver spot that is very competitive right now.” Snyder said not only will Pringle be a factor at wide receiver, but he will also have a chance to return kicks for the Wildcats. While things are going well this spring for Pringle, getting to this point in his football career has been no easy task. After Pringles’ sophomore year of high school, he was arrested in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, according to Joey Knight’s Tampa Bay Times article, “Report on Knights players details crime spree.” He was arrested on charges including robbery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and grand theft, and he sat out his junior season before re-enrolling for his senior season. After his senior season of high school in 2012, Pringle committed to Youngstown State University. He ended up never playing a down for the Penguins and eventually landed at Butler. Pringle performed well at Butler, and after his 2015 season, he was rated as a three-star
recruit, according to Rivals. Still, giving Pringle a chance after his colorful past was no easy feat for Snyder. “That’s one of the reasons that we waited so long — he had some problems,” Snyder said. “He and I went into great length on what those issues were and he was exonerated, which certainly was important, but it wasn’t the most significant thing. The most significant thing was who he was and who he could become. I was convinced.” Snyder said after he sat down with Pringle, he knew he belonged at K-State. “It took a long time to make a decision to have him here,” Snyder said. “People get irritated
“He is someone who will just go get the ball,” K-State redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Delton said. “He is definitely athletic. His speed and his strength are both eye-catching, but his attack mentality is something that really sets him apart.” Senior linebacker Will Davis said he has also been impressed with Pringle. “He continues to do special things, whether it be great catches, jumping over guys or making one-handed catches,” Davis said. “I think the biggest improvement I have seen from him throughout the course of spring practices is just getting a better understanding of the offense. He has caught on really fast.”
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with me about that, but I needed to sit down with him and spend time with him. It was that simple.” With his off-the-field issues behind him, Pringle is showing his new teammates why Snyder took a chance on him.
Snyder said he may have had doubts, but he is glad Pringle is a Wildcat. “Once you sit down and spend an hour with him you realize this guy can do it,” Snyder said. “He is really a genuine, caring, good person.”
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