09-05-18

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T H E I N D E P E N D E N T V O I C E F O R K A N S A S S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

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vol. 124, issue 7

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wednesday, september 5, 2 0 1 8

Governor declares state of emergency due to ‘historic’ flooding

KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN RACHEL HOGAN THE COLLEGIAN

Gov. Jeff Colyer declared a state of disaster emergency in Riley County following Monday’s floods, opening the door to state and federal aid. The declaration also covers Jewell, Kingman, Marshall and Pratt Counties.

As previously reported by The Collegian, the weekend’s storms dumped between 8 and 9.31 inches in the Riley County area. In some areas, floodwater engulfed cars and nearly reached to the rooftops of businesses.

According to a news release from the City of Manhattan Manager’s Office, local inspectors are working to assess flood damage, but an estimate of damages will not be available until all properties are inspected. The Federal Emergency Management Agency may assist with government agency costs.

The American Red Cross is still managing two shelters for displaced residents: one at Pottorf Hall at 1710 Avery Ave., which allows pets, and one at St. Thomas More Church at 2900 Kimball Ave., not allowing pets. The combined capacity of the shelters is 200. It is estimated that 300 people are displaced, though some have and will continue to seek shelter elsewhere.

Donations will not be accepted at this time.

The National Weather Service predicts heavy rain, thunderstorms and showers through Saturday. Residents can sign up for emergency notifications on the Riley County website.

03

Alex Shaw | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Manhattan Fire Department, Riley County Police Department and Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s department work together to help recover Manhattan residents trapped by flood waters on Sept. 3, 2018.

At Kansas State, the Office of Student Life set up a program for students affected by the flood. Heather Reed, assistant vice president of student life and senior associate dean of student life, estimated via email that the office has handled around 45 cases of students displaced due to flooding. Reed also said 30 of those cases occurred in the first 24 hours of the flooding either in person or through email.

K-State forensics coach develops student speakers for 40 years

Flooding appeared to be minimal on campus, although Moore Hall’s basement was flooded Monday morning. A steam pipe ruptured inside Ahearn Field House, and much of the building was filled with steam.

Drops of hot water splashed down onto soaked hallways in the building, and a worker in the building said the ruptured pipe was likely caused by the torrential rain.

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The storm also brought power outages. According to Westar Energy’s outage map, almost 2,000 in the Manhattan area are affected.

“Rainfall in the area is possibly historic, but it is still early,” Brandon Drake, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Topeka, said.

“More rain is expected, and there will be an official measurement when the day is done.”

Students express frustration, opinions about Saturday’s game

KSBN EVENTS Compiled by Macy Davis What: KSU Student Welcome When: Thursday from 5-7 p.m.

Where: Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, 14th Street and Anderson Avenue.

The Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art is welcoming students back to campus with a chance to immerse themselves in “The Hate U Give.” Students can view and discuss the Common Work of Art, “Burial” by Karsten Creightney. Wear your best kicks for the coolest shoes contest at 6 p.m.

What: Public Debate: Body-Mounted Police Cameras When: Sept. 12 from 7-9 p.m.

Where: Leadership Studies Town Hall The K-State Debate Team is hosting a debate about body-mounted police cameras.

Following the debate, there will be an audience discussion period.

What: Wildcat Dialogues When: Sept. 17 from 7-9:30 p.m.

Where: K-State Student Union Ballroom An event geared towards first-year students. Students will have insightful conversations and learn about building conversations to create a more inclusive K-State Family.

To read more, visit kstatecollegian.com

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

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EDITORIAL BOARD Rafael Garcia Editor-in-chief

Dené Dryden Managing editor Rachel Hogan Deputy managing editor Kyle Hampel Community co-editor Olivia Rogers Community co-editor

Kaylie McLaughlin News editor

Molly Hackett Assistant sports editor

Leah Zimmerli Assistant news editor

Monica Diaz Social media editor

Katelin Woods Culture editor Macy Davis Assistant culture editor Jarrett Whitson Sports Editor

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Karaline Schreiner Assistant Olivia Bergmeier Photography editor Logan Wassall Multimedia editor Gabby Farris Design chief

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CORRECTIONS If you see something that should be corrected or clarified, call editor-in-chief Rafael Garcia at 785-370-6356 or email news@kstatecollegian.com.

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

Forensics head coach celebrates 40th anniversary at university PETER LOGANBILL THE COLLEGIAN

In 1978, 18-year-old Craig Brown came onto Kansas State’s campus planning to study history and go to law school. Like many college students, it didn’t take long for him to realize he was in the wrong field.

“I didn’t even know K-State had a forensics team until I went to a meeting about something completely different; it just so happened the speech coach was there,” Brown, communication studies professor and Speech Unlimited head coach, said. “It ended up changing my life. My intention was to come to school, go to law school, become an attorney and all that. Fell in love with the speech

team. Speech seemed as good a major as any to go to law school.”

By the time he finished his undergraduate degree, Brown decided not to go to law school after all, he said. He’s been working in forensics ever since.

After working at another school for a while, Brown returned to K-State when the speech team’s head coach position opened in 1988. A few years later, former President Jon Wefald decided to start providing additional funding to the team.

With the newfound budget, Brown began leading the team on a streak of placing in the top 20 at nationals for more than 20 years.

When Darren Epping, forensics team assistant coach, was a freshman at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, he knew the

name Craig Brown.

“Craig was kind of known as a legend,” Epping said. “So, he’s really intimidating. I guess my first significant memory of Craig is fear, not that Craig is a scary guy by any means, he’s really a giant teddy bear when it comes to communication. In the world of forensics, Craig in many ways is the ‘Bill Snyder’ of forensics.”

Since 1992, there has only been three times the team has not placed as one of the top 20 teams.

During one year in particular, Epping said he remembers Brown teaching the team how to lose.

“We were going in thinking we had a really good chance of placing in the top 20 and having a successful year,” Epping said. “Craig really helped us go from a really sad place to a place of growth.”

Hayley Spellman, senior in political science and communication studies, said Brown is laid back, but also very professional.

“He definitely knows what he’s talking about,” Spellman said. “He wants to make sure you know what he’s talking about.

He’s also one of those teachers though, if you don’t show the effort, and you’re not willing to even show up to class, he won’t be afraid to move forward and push you out of the bubble of class. ” Brown has taught forensics for so long, he said, because the field still excites him in the way it did when he was student.

“The classes I was taking, light bulbs were going off all the time about, ‘this explains the way the world works, this is making sense,’” Brown said. “If you can

Alex Masson | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Craig Brown, head forensics coach, will be celebrating his 40th year coaching forensics this year, which will be celebrated with a banquet for him on October 20th.

Mr. Brown has also taught multiple communication studies classes over the years.

get a chance to get a job, make a career, a living in something that makes sense to you, that excites you, that’s explaining the world, you do it. I don’t know why somebody would want to be an engineer except that when I talk to the engineering students I know whose eyes light up, they see the

world that way and that’s what makes sense to them.”

To celebrate Brown’s career, a banquet is being held on Saturday, Oct. 20 in the K-State Student Union Main Ballroom.

Trump administration backs Asian-Americans suing Harvard TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE In a major boost for a group of Asian-Americans suing Harvard University over its affirmative action admissions policy, the Trump administration on Thursday signaled its support of a federal lawsuit against the university and contended that it illegally discriminates against Asian applicants in favor of whites.

The move by the Justice Department is the latest sign in what many civil rights groups contend is the administration's mounting attack on long-standing practices in which Harvard and other universities have used race as a factor in choosing who attends elite public and private schools.

The suit, filed by Students for Fair Admissions on behalf of Asian-Americans who have been rejected from Harvard, is seen as a bellwether case that could reach the Supreme Court and potentially reshape affirmative action at America's universities and colleges.

Students for Fair Admissions unsuccessfully fought the University of Texas in an

affirmation action case two years ago that was ultimately decided in the Supreme Court.

In a filing Thursday in a Massachusetts federal court, Justice Department lawyers said Harvard illegally tries to "racially balance" its students, including using subjective personality ratings that give Asian-Americans with otherwise stellar applications lower scores. Though the filing does not mean the department is joining the lawsuit, it does give greater weight to the case.

Harvard, which has asked the court to dismiss the case, has denied discriminating against Asian-Americans.

Students for Fair Admissions in June released an analysis of Harvard admissions data criticizing its use of considering traits such as "likability" and "kindness" in compiling personality scores. Harvard said the study was flawed and did not fully account for its complicated admissions process.

"Harvard does not discriminate against applicants from any group, and will continue to vigorously defend the

legal right of every college and university to consider race as one factor among many in college admissions, which the Supreme Court has consistently upheld for more than 40 years," the university said in a statement.

In a statement outlining Thursday's court filing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the department was stepping in to "protect the civil rights of the American people."

"No American should be denied admission to school because of their race," Sessions said. "As a recipient of taxpayer dollars, Harvard has a responsibility to conduct its admissions policy without ra-

cial discrimination by using meaningful admissions criteria that meet lawful requirements. ... The admissions policies at our colleges and universities are important and must be conducted lawfully."

The issue has sharply divided Asian-Americans, particularly between Chinese-Americans and other Asian groups. Support for race-based preferences has plummeted among Chinese-Americans, from 78 percent in 2012 to 41 percent in 2016, according to surveys

by AAPI Data, a program based at the University of California, Riverside that collects demographic data and

conducts policy research on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. Support for affirmative action remained unchanged at 73 percent among other Asian-American groups

during that same period, the surveys found.

see page 5, “TRUMP”

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

Students react to K-State football performance MOLLY HACKETT THE COLLEGIAN

Kansas State students seem uneasy after the eye-opening Week 1 performance against South Dakota since Mississippi State, 18th-ranked team in the country, is coming to Manhattan on Saturday.

To many, the game against South Dakota should have been an easy win for the Wildcats.

However, some fans seem to think that they overlooked the small Division I school.

“I found it kind of upsetting that they were beating us 24-12 at the half,” Anna Christianson, sophomore in mass communications, said. “I was actually afraid that they were going to lose, which was bad because going into the game I thought that they were going to crush them.”

That opinion was echoed by other students as well. Spencer Mclntire, senior in applied music, said, “I think we need to be cleaner as a team because we usually are, and I think we need to approach things as nothing is for sure and like it’s not guaranteed.”

That notion of needing to

play cleaner comes after K-State received 13 penalties for a loss of 129 yards against South Dakota.

Another area of concern comes from having two quarterbacks getting significant playing time.

Mclntire said he thinks “it will be interesting because they serve different functions, and it will be good long-term.”

Others believe that K-State needs to decide on one front-running quarterback. Ethan Chege, freshman in open option, said he doesn’t think it is going to help the Wildcats get a winning record and help with the chemistry on the team.

As the season progresses, a front-runner might emerge, but head coach Bill Snyder said he wants to remain fair and give it more time.

“As you could tell from the ball game, both of them did some good things and both of them made mistakes,” Snyder said. “Both of them are going to make a significant difference in the outcome of the season.”

In the coming weeks, it will be a matter of time for all of the kinks to get worked out. For now, K-State will host Mississippi State in a nationally televised ESPN game at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Former Wildcats make 2018 NFL rosters JARRETT WHITSON The National Football League preseason has officially ended. On Saturday, teams had to cut their roster down to 53 players. It was a moment of great joy for those whose hard work paid off and are now NFL players, but also great disappointment for those who did not make the cut.

For 11 former Kansas State football players, Saturday was a reward for weeks of hard work.

TERENCE NEWMAN

Just before the start of his 16th NFL season, Newman decided to retire on Saturday.

Newman, who turns 40 years old today, will now join the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff as an assistant defensive backs coach.

Throughout Newman’s lengthy career that included stops with the Dallas Cowboys and the Cincinnati Bengals along with Minnesota, he made two Pro Bowls, amassed 748 tackles, grabbed 42 interceptions, scored four defensive touchdowns and had one punt return for a touchdown.

DARREN SPROLES

Alex Todd | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Sophomore defensive back Walter Neil Jr. celebrates with his teammates after defeating South Dakota in the K-State football game in Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 1, 2018. The Wildcats won with a final score of 27-24.

landing with the San Francisco 49ers, where he still resides heading into his second NFL season.

In 14 games with San Francisco last season, Lee made four combined tackles.

This preseason, he led the team with 17 combined tackles.

THE COLLEGIAN

The 14-year running back remains with the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles after suffering a season-ending injury last year.

Sproles spent time with the San Diego — now Los Angeles — Chargers and the New Orleans Saints before coming to Philadelphia.

The shifty, five-foot-six, 190-pound running back has been defined as an all-purpose player. Sproles has 3,366 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in his career. He has 4,656 yards and 81 touchdowns receiving. He is also a skilled return man, gaining 2,792 yards and seven touchdowns on punt returns and 8,350 yards and two touchdowns on kickoff returns.

DEANTE BURTON

File photo by Regan Tokos | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Then-junior wide receiver Byron Pringle waits for a play at the game against Texas Christian University at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan on Oct. 14, 2017.

JORDY NELSON

After spending his first 10 NFL seasons as a Green Bay Packer, Nelson is now an Oakland Raider.

Over the course of his career, Nelson has caught 550 passes for 7,848 yards and 69 touchdowns.

Nelson was part of the Green Bay team that won Super Bowl XLV in 2011.

In that game, he caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.

EMMANUEL LAMUR

Linebacker Emmanuel Lamur enters his seventh NFL season and joins Nelson as a member of the Raiders.

This will be Lamur’s first season in Oakland, having spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and two with Minnesota.

Lamur has 180 combined tackles and two interceptions in his career.

TYLER LOCKETT

The wide receiver enters his fourth season, all as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. On Aug. 30, Lockett was rewarded with a new, three-year, $37 million ($20 million guaranteed) contract extension.

Lockett, like Sproles, is

also a skilled all-purpose player. He has 1,816 yards and nine touchdowns receiving, 192 yards and a touchdown rushing, 859 yards and one touchdown on punt returns and 2,407 yards and two touchdowns on kick returns.

B.J. FINNEY AND CODY WHITEHAIR

Pittsburgh Steeler B.J. Finney and Chicago Bear Cody Whitehair, both offensive lineman, are entering their third seasons in the NFL. Finney has played in 27 games, of which he has started seven. Whitehair has played in 32 career games, starting all of them.

JORDAN WILLIS

In his 2017 rookie season, Willis played in 16 games at defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals, starting one game.

Willis has racked up 17 tackles and one sack in his young career. During the 2018 preseason, he had 10 combined tackles and 2.5 sacks.

ELIJAH LEE

The linebacker was drafted by Minnesota in the 2017 NFL Draft, winding up on its practice squad before

Burton was a four-year wide receiver at K-State, but has found his place as a defensive back in the NFL. Burton has yet to see any regular season game action, as he heads into his second year on the practice squad for the Atlanta Falcons. He played in all four preseason games this year and obtained one tackle.

D.J. REED

Reed is one of two Wildcat rookies in the NFL this season. He joins Lee in San Francisco, making the roster as a defensive back.

Reed made seven combined tackles during the preseason and returned three kickoffs for 85 yards, including one for 45 yards.

BYRON PRINGLE

Pringle rounds out the 2018 roster of former Wildcats in the NFL. After being signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, Pringle made the Kansas City roster by way of the Injured Reserve list.

During the preseason, Pringle caught six passes for 147 yards. Four of those receptions and 122 of his yards came in the final preseason game against Green Bay. He injured his hamstring in that game as well, which is what put him on IR. Pringle showed a glimpse of his return abilities that he showcased as a Wildcat, returning one kickoff for 47 yards.

The NFL regular season will begin on Thursday with a matchup between Atlanta and Philadelphia. To see the full league schedule and keep track of when former Wildcats will be playing, visit espn.com/ nfl/schedule.

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

TRUMP continued from page

3

Nicole Ochi, an attorney with Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, said Chinese language social media platforms such as WeChat have stirred opposition against affirmative ac-

tion. She said “flat-out lies” have been posted, such as assertions that half of Asian-Americans will get expelled from universities if affirmation action is brought back in such states as California, which banned public institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, sex or ethnicity with the passage of Proposition 209 in 1996.

Ochi said her organization

supports Harvard’s claim that it is not intentionally discriminating against Asian-Americans and believes that race-based admissions policies are legal. Although her nonprofit does not support racial quotas, it believes race should be one of many factors allowed in an admissions process that takes a broad and holistic view of an applicant’s background.

Dixon, Zuber tapped as Collegian Athletes of the Week AVERY OSEN

THE COLLEGIAN

For the second consecutive week, a volleyball player will take home the award as the female athlete of the week.

Junior setter Sarah Dixon was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week on Monday after a great past weekend in St. Louis. She helped the team go 2-1 with wins over the Billikens and Western Kentucky.

Dixon had a career high in assists, registering 40 in each of the three matches this past weekend, including a career-high 46 assists in the

win over Saint Louis. She led the conference last week in assists per set at 11.55, and is the overall leader in assist per set in the conference at 11.88, which is eighth in the nation.

This was the first time in her career that she has received such an honor and is the first Wildcat setter since Katie Brand in 2015 to get the award.

Dixon and the Wildcats will have their first home match of the season as they take on Missouri State Tuesday night at 6 p.m. inside Ahearn Field House.

The male athlete of the week is senior wide receiver Isaiah Zuber, who was also named the Big 12 Special

Teams Player of the Week.

Zuber led the Wildcats to a 27-24 win over South Dakota on Saturday. He had an 85-yard punt return touchdown to give the Wildcats some momentum in the early part of the fourth quarter, before catching what would be the game winning touchdown with just over seven minutes left in the game.

“I told all my teammates I’m about to make a play and be a spark in this game,” Zuber said after the game. “On that touchdown pass I had no idea where I was, but I was able to get one foot in bounds. Our offense struggled today, but we’ll be better next week.”

“The reality is that racism and segregation continues to limit educational opportunities ... for students of color,” Ochi said. “Asian-Americans need to work with counterparts in the African-American and Latino communities to increase diversity and reduce bias in schools and workplaces.”

Since California’s ban on affirmative action took effect, the proportion of Asian-Americans among admitted freshmen has slightly declined overall at University of California schools. The percentage of Asian-Americans among UC Berkeley’s admitted freshmen grew from 33.6 percent in fall 1996 to 40.5 percent in fall 2017. But it declined at UCLA and UC San Diego to about 35 percent last fall after surpassing 40 percent in 2009.

UCLA has increased its proportion of African-Americans and other underrepresented minorities despite Proposition 209 using aggressive outreach and recruitment.

Under UC’s “holistic” admissions process, applicants are

evaluated on 14 factors including grades, standardized test scores, high school coursework, special talents and academic achievement despite low income and other hardships.

The Justice Department’s move follows several developments on affirmative action under Sessions that have taken it in the opposite direction of his predecessors in the Obama administration. Last month, the department rescinded Obama-era guidelines encouraging the use of race to determine admission to educational institutions and suggested race-neutral policies were better.

The removal of the guidelines, which the department said was part of a wider effort to cut down government regulations, reinstated ones used under President George W. Bush.

Last year, the department also opened a separate investigation into allegations against Harvard’s affirmative action policies that were raised in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Asian-American groups in 2015. That investigation is pending.

“This is a Justice Department

that has fully abandoned its mission and is now waging an all-out assault on efforts to promote diversity,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in a statement Thursday.

Although the case focuses on allegations of discrimination against a minority group, it could establish precedent affecting affirmative action practices across the board. “At the heart of this case is the unjustified presumption that test scores alone entitle a student admission to Harvard, and the unsupported allegation that race drives admission decisions,” Clarke added.

Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, said he welcomed the Justice Department’s support.

“Students for Fair Admissions is gratified that, after careful analysis of the evidence submitted in this case, the U.S. Department of Justice has concluded Harvard’s admissions policies are in violation of our nation’s civil rights laws,” he said in a statement.

2018-2019

LAUREN SENIOR PORTRAIT DATES SEPTEMBER 3 - 7 SEPTEMBER 10-14 SEPTEMBER 17 - 21 JANUARY 21 - 25 JANUARY 28 - FEBRUARY 1

KEDZIE ROOM 103 Logan Wassall | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Junior wide reciever Isaiah Zuber returns the ball for a touchdown in the K-State football game against South Dakota in Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Sept. 1, 2018.

The Wildcats beat the Coyotes 27-24.

QUESTIONS: Spencer O’Daniel - sodaniel@collegianmedia.com Mary Kate Zach - marykatezach@ksu.edu

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

Q&A: Bosco on being the dean of students, falling in love with K-State KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN THE COLLEGIAN

Pat Bosco, vice president of the office of student life and dean of students, sat down for a question and answer session with the Collegian to discuss freedom of speech, the culture of Kansas State and what makes the university different from other institutions across America.

This is a printed transcription that includes a portion of a previously live interview. To watch the original interview, check out the K-State Collegian Facebook page.

Archive photo by George Walker | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

K-State Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students Pat Bosco answered questions with the help of #AML host Erin Poppe, graduate student in public administration on Aug. 26, 2015.

Kaylie McLaughlin, news and features editor: “Tell me about your time at K-State and how you came to go to school here.”

Bosco: “I was a political junkie at the local community

college in upstate New York.

I got involved in student government activities at the local, state and national level, and one of the individuals that I met during the Voter-18 drive, which was a passion of mine, was Senator Mike Mansfield. ... He was, at the time, the Democratic majority leader of the United States Senate, and he impressed me in 1969.

“When I was looking for a school, I was watching Walter Kronkite at 7 o’clock at night. ... He had as his lead story one night in March the Landon Lecture of Senator Mike Mansfield at Kansas State University — that was the first time I heard about Kansas State.

“I wrote a letter to the admissions office at K-State asking them all kinds of questions, thinking that I was going to get a formal dittoed-off response, but I didn’t. I got a personal letter from an assistant director of admissions answering all my

questions about student life, about student government, about the culture of K-State.

And the rest is history.

“I came out to visit and fell in love with the school. ... My first semester here as a junior, I was elected by the student senate to represent the student senate at a national student government conference in Atlanta, Georgia. In December, I was approached by a group of students asking me to run for student body president, and that following spring, I was fortunate enough to win the presidency by the largest vote total in school history. ... It was beaten five years later by Bernard Franklin, who became a Regent and Chair of the Regents and also a member of our student life staff.”

see page 7, “Q&A”

Convocation '18

Thanks so much to the following departments and individuals for their vision, hard work and dedication to the success of the New Student Convocation at Kansas State University.

Our program speakers: President Richard B. Myers; Provost and Executive Vice President Dr. Charles Taber; Dr. Greg Eiselein; Dr. Steve Smethers; Megan McCall (’08 and ’11); Bryce Huschka (’08); student leaders Eddie Genovese, Selena Hernandez and Clara Wicoff; and Darrell Reese.

Kudos: Kansas State University Faculty Brass Quintet, featuring Drs. Paul Hunt, Jim Johnson, Jacqueline Fassler-Kerstetter, Craig Parker and Steven Maxwell; Terry Ferguson; and choir members Sara Flessner, Jaran Hedstrom, Ryan Hernandez, Morgan Higgins, Oliver Hutchison, Willie Michaels, Paola Ramirez and Lauren Taylor, soloist.

Very special thanks: K-State Air Force and Army ROTC; staging, lighting, video, facilities, open captioning and sound crews; Mortar Board Senior Honor Society; President’s Cabinet; K-State Athletics Operations staff; Department of Housing and Dining resident assistants; Council of Deans; Student Governing Association president and vice president; Aimee Kraus; and Natalie Beharry, U.S. Air Force Maj. Brad Caywood, Kevin Cook, Bill Harlan, Nathaniel Hancock, Debbie Harper, Cindy Jeffrey, Chris Jordan, Gardner Jordan, Nick Lander, Michelle Langvardt, Dr. David MacKay, Jim Muller, Jared Nietfeld, Robert Nelson, Heather Reed and Anne Rubash.

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wednesday, september 5, 2018

Q&A continued from page

6

McLaughlin: “Why exactly did you decide to stay?”

Bosco: “That’s a good question. Each time that I had the opportunity to go somewhere else — I had lots of opportunities, corporate, foundations as well as college and universities — I was given an opportunity to grow here, and Manhattan is a very special place. Each time, I was fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to have additional responsibilities and personal growth. ...

One thing led to another, and before you know it, they can’t get rid of me.”

McLaughlin: “What exactly is your job? The title ‘dean of students’ is kind of larger than life, so can you describe it a little bit?”

Bosco: “Well, as vice president of student life and dean of students, it is a combination of a variety of services [offered] directly to my students. ... We are all about student success, wheth-

er it’s our K-State childcare center or admissions office or financial aid for the K-State student or recreational services or our tutoring programs or our commitment to student employment and graduation rates — it’s all about student success.

“We’ve got about 800 fulltime employees in the Division of Student Life, and my title really encompasses most things outside the classroom that drive student success at our school.

There really isn’t a position like it in the Big 12 or, frankly, around the country. ... When I retire, they’ll probably do something very different in terms of organizing what we do.”

McLaughlin: “What is your favorite part of K-State?”

Bosco: “Besides purple and the way my students smile when they walk across the campus, it’s the culture here. It was evident the first day I visited campus in June of 1969 and it’s evident today. We’re not perfect, but it feels that way sometimes.

It just seems like the culture here is student-centered, and it drives a lot of the decisions that we make — not only in Ander-

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son Hall, but in Haymaker Hall and Calvin Hall and in our new business building. It seems like from the top to the bottom, we are concerned about students and that’s a part of our culture.

It might be the land-grant mission of our school, but I think it’s very special and very unique and we ought not take it for granted because it can change.”

tions.’ Words are important as we begin to understand one another, and I believe that we need to protect everyone’s voice, no matter how much of the majority that might be or how much of a minority that voice may be to our institution. That’s how we grow and that’s what a university is all about, particularly a public state university.”

McLaughlin: “As is the case on many college campuses across the country, the First Amendment and freedom of speech have been controversial concepts. What role does freedom of speech play at K-State?”

Bosco: “Our Principles of Community are a living document that talks about respect, and we need to continue to understand that we are going to do everything we can to respect all voices... they may be unpopular voices, but that’s part of freedom of speech, and it’s protected by the Constitution.

“I believe words are educational vehicles for us to get to know one another, and I am probably on the side of, ‘Hey, let’s have courageous conversa-

McLaughlin: “How do we reconcile free speech and the K-State values of community when, in some cases, freedom of expression offends groups of students?”

Bosco: “As harsh as this sounds, I think we’ve got to be bigger than just words. ... We have to have an educational environment that gives everyone a chance to express a point of view, and words are part of that.

“I am a purist when it comes to the First Amendment.

I believe very strongly that as a public state university, that even though words are repugnant, you can move away from those words, you can avoid those words if you choose and that’s part of being free and having freedom of will. ... I believe very

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strongly that we’ve got to be open to all kinds of words, no matter how incredibly repugnant they may be.”

McLaughlin: “You’ve talked about your involvement in the Voters-18 movement. On Thursday, in the student senate, governmental relations committee chair Hayley Spellman spoke about how less than 50 percent of K-State’s student body voted in the primary election in August.

How do we change that?”

Bosco: “That statistic makes me sick. That is something that I’ve seen nationwide, and it’s the reason why we have financial aid programs that are not responsive to my students and their families, why the drinking age is 21 and not 18.

There’s a correlation, and it’s very important that our [audience] understand that not voting and not registering to vote has a direct impact on your ability to go to school, economic development issues, social issues that are critically important to today’s college student. I am sickened by the fact that we are looking at 40 to 50 percent of today’s college students, or those in the 18 to 21, 22-year-old cohort, that even bother to register to vote.”

McLaughlin: “What do you wish the student body knew about you?”

Bosco: “I have 153 purple ties. I have a closet filled with purple polo shirts and t-shirts. I am very proud of the fact that I am K-State’s dean. I pinch myself every day because I am not the brightest person in the world and I’ve surrounded myself with a wonderful family, all K-Staters by the way, and a

great staff of assistant associate vice presidents and directors that put students first every day, and that makes going to the office a real joy every single day.”

McLaughlin: “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

Bosco: “Well, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that I enjoy what the Collegian does. I appreciate the effort and passion the Collegian puts in every single issue. I think you’re a group of unsung heroes that give our university family the chance — not only in print, but online — to get to know our university community better. I greatly appreciate the long hours you put in and the professionalism that the staff exudes every single day. I think you’re a group of individuals that care a great deal about the truth and I admire you.

“My daughter was a member of the Collegian staff a few years ago, she graduated from our school of journalism and mass communications, College of Arts and Sciences. She’s in the public relations field. So I admire what you do every single day.

“I’d say the same thing about our marching band. I think the band is absolutely incredible, the time and effort they put in.

“I would say the same thing about our res-life staff and our RAs and our residence halls.

The men and women that champion or fraternities and sororities. Our student organizations. Our multi-cultural groups.

I think that we have a whole bunch of positive stories that can be told over and over again of how great this place is because it’s student-centered, and the Collegian is part of that.”

Pretend like youʼre taking notes and do the SUDOKU

08

wednesday, september 5, 2018

Alex Todd | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Wildcat Creek batting cages are strewn with moss from the nearby lake on Monday.

Logan Wassall | COLLEGIAN MEDIA GROUP

Parts of Manhattan were flooded after a severe rainstorm passed through Monday.

Some businesses and homes had several feet of water on the first floors.

New position intends to bridge gap between SGA and student body KAYLIE MCLAUGHLIN THE COLLEGIAN

The newly minted communications director of Student Governing Association Jack Jennings, sophomore in entrepreneurship, is new to the world of parliamentary procedure and student politics.

Jennings said though he has never served in SGA in any capacity, he is not at all apprehensive about the job ahead of him.

“I just decided I wanted to get involved, and this seems like it best fits my skill set,” Jennings said.

Jennings initially applied for the job of public relations director for the executive branch, and when he was turned down in April, he was pointed in the direction of the application for the communications director position.

“It turned out they liked what I had to say,” Jennings said.

Jordan Kiehl, student body president and senior in industrial engineering, said via email the the

necessity of the communications director position has been on the table for awhile now, but the conversations were never acted upon prior to this term.

Additionally, Kiehl said in the past the work that Jennings is going to do fell under the secondary responsibilities of someone else in SGA, which resulted in some miscommunication or “pieces that were forgotten about.”

“It was really important to us that the individual holding the role was ambitious; Jack was exactly that,” Kiehl said. “He came into the interview prepared and ready to discuss the ideas and goals he had for the position. It really allowed us to see he was already thinking ahead and was going to be a go-getter in the role.”

The director position, which is new to the 2018-2019 governing term, is meant to “unify the message” of SGA between the legislative, executive and judicial branches, Jennings said.

“I think one voice is so important because SGA is a big or-

ganization, a lot of students are involved and there is a lot of different takes you can get depending on who you ask,” Jennings said. “Having one person to go to and talk to, it really makes sure that we’re all on the same page.”

Ryan Kelly, speaker of the student senate and junior in communication studies, said he agreed with Kiehl in the fact that Jennings could fill in some of the empty spaces that existed between SGA and the student body.

“He’s very dedicated to making SGA more visible to students on campus,” Kelly said.

As for what is to come, Jennings said he can’t wait to get to work.

“I am happiest when I am busy, so this is another way to do what I like,” Jennings said. “I want to prove to student government that the job of communications director is something that is needed and something that is worthwhile to have, whether it’s me doing it or in the future, someone else taking over.”

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