Full Issue, March 21, 2019

THURSDAY, MAR. 21, 2019

the

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF ESU

VOLUME 118 - NUMBER 17

Bulletin

THE STUDENTS’ VOICE SINCE 1901

See Women Composers pg. 3

Pompeo says Trump admin is ‘welcoming of immigrants,’ supportive of press freedom

Mike Pompeo,United States Secretary of State, speaks as the keynote at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit Monday in Overland Park, Kansas. Pompeo met with five student journalists and answered questions about immigration and press freedom. | Photo Courtesy of the State Department

Sarah Spoon Editor-in-Chief

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration is ‘incredibly welcoming of immigrants’ and is focused on helping people around the world study at the ‘greatest universities in the world,’ during an interview Monday with five student journalists.

The conference call with student editors was held by Pompeo at the Global Entrepreneurship

Summit event Monday in Overland Park, Kansas, to talk about his and the state department’s support of entrepreneurship.

The GES is a conference that brings together entrepreneurs, investors and leaders in public and private sectors, according to ges2019.org. Pompeo was in Kansas to be the keynote speaker at the GES summit, in which he talked about his partnership with the GES in the Netherlands.

Each of the student editors

had the chance to ask 1-2 questions, which ranged in topics from the private sector’s involvement in higher education to the Trump administration’s relationship with immigration and the press.

The Bulletin’s first question was: “Mr. Secretary, you have said that you want more people from the midwest, and specifically Kansas, to represent the United States overseas. My question for you is does this include undocumented immigrants,

who might speak multiple languages and therefore be useful assets? And what would you say to those students who would like to participate in these programs but cannot for fear that both they and their families will be deported?”

Pompeo responded to this question by saying that the Trump administration is ‘incredibly welcoming to immigrants that come legally.

“This administration is incredibly welcoming of im-

migrants from all across the world,” Pompeo said. “We want to make sure they come here in a way that is legal, that is lawful, and that has been one of President Trump’s primary focuses...

President Trump is determined to make sure that we have a robust immigration system where we can bring the most creative minds from all across the world who want to come to America, to participate in The American Dream and to work. We are determined to make sure that happens.”

The reporter from Southeast Missouri State asked Pompeo about the decline in international students at his school and how the Trump administration affected whether the ‘best and brightest minds’ felt welcome in the United States.

“We’ve got to make sure our institutions are still attractive,” Pompeo said. “It’s primarily a state function, but there’s a federal role there as well, and the second thing is we’ve got to make sure that we have a process where students who want to come here can study...I see young people from all across the world that clamoring to come study in the United States of America.”

Pompeo said that the opportunity to study in the United States now is more attractive than it has been in the past 20 years, or even last year.

The Bulletin’s second question was: “Mr. Secretary, I do think this is an important question, and I was just wondering if you could explain to us why see POMPEO page 2

Faculty Senate passes three bills

Margaret Mellott Managing Editor

Faculty Senate passed three bills at Tuesday’s meeting which changed the language for different policies.

The Modification of Evaluation Plan for Evaluation of Administrators, Modification to the Distance Education Policy and Modification of Faculty Performance and Recognition all passed during the meeting.

Only one person opposed any of the three bills, which was the bill modifying the distance

education policy.

One of the issues Rob Catlett, the Faculty Senate past president, director of the center economic education and associate professor of mathematics and economics, said he hopes that the Modification to the Distance Education Policy bill fixes the consistency for students.

“The other issue is consistency for students,” Catlett said.

“If everyone’s using the same platform or system, then students can access it, know how to access it and use it. (They)

don’t have to change from class to class.”

Steve Lovett, the Faculty Senate president and assistant professor of business administration, invited Cory Falldine, associate vice president for Information Technology and chief information officer of IT, to speak about a series of IT related bills that were up for first reading.

Five bills were also up for first reading.

Sheryl Lidzy, senator and associate professor of communication and theater, spoke about

the bills being introduced.

Falldine then added on, and spoke about the changes that are being made to information security, starting with a work group made up of different faculty.

“When we went to Faculty Senate executive (committee) early on in the semester,” Falldine said. “We were given a handful of names of faculty members and some faculty senators. We actually have four faculty members as a part of our information security policy review work group.”

Shelly Gehrke, assistant provost, also spoke towards the end of the meeting about encouraging faculty to do more student outreach to encourage enrollment at Emporia State for thw next school year.

“Outreach is crucial,” Gehrke said. “We’re very, very competitive for a very smaller amount of students nationwide, even in the state of Kansas, and we need to have all hands on deck to help us (with recruitment).”

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2 in Skyline.

Staggered enrollment finishes smoothly Bailey Miller Audience First Editor

Emporia State implemented a staggered enrollment process this semester.

“To the best of my knowledge, it has been a success,” said Shelly Gehrke, assistant provost for enrollment management and academic success. “We’re still waiting for some of the data that we wanted to look at but I have not received any complaints or negative feedback from anybody.”

Enrollment opened at 12:01 a.m. on Monday March 4 for seniors, at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday for sophomores and juniors and at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday for freshman.

“I feel really good about the idea of having enrollment opening at midnight or 1 a.m. versus 8 a.m. so students can have a head start on that for sure, and I think the technology worked on that,” Geh-

rke said. “The one little glitch was on the good side. We were going to turn it on at midnight…for just seniors and graduate students, but it turned on for everyone.”

Along with staggered enrollment, advisors in the SAC started seeing students early to help with the advisors being booked weeks in advance as well as alleviating some of the panic surrounding enrollment, according to Gehrke.

Not every advisor works through the SAC and those who don’t may have different ways they enroll students. Staggered enrollment may have affected them differently than the SAC office.

“It was not practical for someone like me,” said Darla Mallein, professor of social sciences. “I’m the only advisor for the social science education majors so we found out so late, maybe two weeks before enrollment, so it was suggested that I could perhaps do

Corky’s Fuzzy Friends

pre-enrollment.”

Pre-enrollment is when advisor help get students enrolled without needing an office visit after enrollment starts, but not every advisor allows it.

“I don’t do pre-enrollment apAdult pointments,” Mallein said. “How am I going to get 70 in before and 70 in after when I still teach classes at the time enrollment happened?

Male I was out on the road doing student teacher visits. There was no advantage to my majors, that’s for Beagle Mix sure.”

Buster Enrollment also affects stuBuster is a high energy, dents applying for their first semester. very friendly and talkative $75 “It was pretty easy…There was dog looking for a loving family. no real difference,” said Elizabeth Hund, sophomore elementary education major. “I think they Those interested in adopting Buster should fill out an application to adopt at the Emporia (high school students) should have Kansas Animal Shelter, 1216 Hatcher St. Buster, like all animals at the shelter, was found to wait because they have all four as a stray. Infographic by Kalliope Craft | The Bulletin years. Seniors need the classes because they have less time.”

Age

Gender Breed Fee

NEWS

2

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

ASG to host accessibility resources panel Huayi Zhang Staff Writer

Accessibilty Panel Presentation

A panel discussing accessibility and support resources will be held April 11 by the Diversity and Inclusion committee of AssociAt 6 p.m. April 11 in Blue Key, MU 216 ated Student Government. The Featuring: event is at 6 p.m. in the Blue Key Kari Adams, ESU student Room in the Memorial Union.

Stephanie Adams, director of student “What this panel will focus on is self-advocacy for those experiaccessibilty and support services ence barriers when society fails Rob Gibson, director of learning technologies to consider their disability,” said Cheryl Childers, Muffy Walter and Kelly McClendon, Kimberly Nguyen, ASG Diveruniversal design presenters from Washburn University sity and Inclusion chair and art therapy and clinical counseling graduate student. “This panel will also address ways in which we can all be more conscious on Source: Kimberly Nguyen, Diversity and Inclusion chair and art therapy and clinical counseling graduate stuenabling access to everyone in dent Margaret Mellott | The Bulletin everything we do- at work, at to increase accessibility; Stepha- fessor of sociology and anthro“I’m excited that it’s finally school, etc.” nie Adams, ESU director of Ac- pology, and Kelly McClendon, happening after several months The panel will be six people.

“All of these individuals will cessibility and Support Services a lecturer on international pro- of planning,” Nguyen said. “I reoffer their knowledge to educate and Rob Gibson director of IT grams, who will present on equal ally hope that there is a good turnout because the presenters people on valuable perspectives and Learning Technologies will access through universal design.

The panel will be finished have so much insight and inforand resources,” Nguyen said. represent Emporia State at the with a focus group held by Abi- mation to offer…ESU has taken “They will also be able to answer panel.

Washburn University will be gaile Weiser, ASG senator and se- steps towards being more incluany questions people may have.”

Kari Adams, an Emporia represented by Muffy Walter, nior sociology major, which will sive of those with diverse abilities State student who will offer a assistant professor of English, focus on places ESU can improve and exceptionalities and there are still areas we can improve on.” personal perspective on the need Cheryl Childers, associate pro- on with accessibility.

pompeo

continued from page 1 you’re reaching out specifically to student newspapers on college campuses, and as Mr. Kuros (the Office of Press Relations for the State Department) put it to me today, this is a historic move for the Secretary of State as this is not normal for the Secretary of State to reach out to college campuses, but I wanted to know why you were doing this when you’ve provided cover for a president who has made light of violence against the press, has mocked disabled reporters and has even offered to pay the legal fees of supporters who assault members of the media?”

“President Trump and I both understand the importance of

press freedom and the importance for students like you to have the opportunity to say things,” Pompeo said. “What we value is when you say things that are truthful and that you don’t engage in political rhetoric as a journalist that is not reflective of reality. What’s important is that...reporters report things that are truthful and accurate and that they work hard to make sure they get those facts right or determined to do that.”

Pompeo also emphasized the importance of a relationship between collegiate press and the national government.

“You suggested that it is unusual for Secretaries of State to engage with reporters at academic institutions across America,” Pompeo said. “I think that’s unfortunate. I think that’s sad. I wish my

predecessors had taken some of their time to do it...It’s an imperative that we get this right, that you all have every chance to hear from America’s senior leaders, to take your measure of them, to ask us difficult questions (and) we have responsibility to answer for our actions and to speak the truth to you as best we know and the best we can deliver, and I hope I’ve done that with y’all today.”

Pompeo was the keynote speaker for the GES Summit today.

“I came to Kansas for an Entrepreneurial Summit,” Pompeo said.

“It’s a global effort. The opportunities to come serve America, as a diplomat, working at the Department of State are enormous. Anyone who is attending any one of the fine institutions that you all are writing for ought to think about

it.”

Pompeo said the opportunities to be a diplomat for the United States were open to anyone, despite their major.

“We hire them all,” Pompeo said. “The chance to travel the world to learn and to represent America as an American diplomat is a wonderful opportunity that I hope students all across Kansas will take a look at the state department’s website and see if that opportunity might not just be for them.”

The press conference was attended by reporters from Emporia State University, Kansas State University, Southeast Missouri State University and Wichita State University.

A full transcript of the press conference is available online.

Bardo’s funeral procession to wind through Wichita State WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State University is planning a special goodbye for President John Bardo, who died earlier this month.

The university said in a news release Friday that the funeral pro-

cession for Bardo will wind through the campus before his burial on Monday.

Bardo, who was Wichita State president since 2012, died Tuesday after battling a chronic lung condi-

tion since November.

The university says the procession will make five brief stops on campus, including Neff Hall, where Bardo met his wife in 1974. The procession will include Bardo’s wife,

other members of his family and a police escort.

Monday’s funeral service is private. A date for a public celebration of life event is expected to be announced later this spring.

Many Kansas universities see drop in international students TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Many Kansas universities are seeing a drop in the number of enrolled international students, which education leaders said hurts campuses’ cultural diversity and school finances.

The number of international students enrolled in Kansas Board of Regents colleges has declined by more than 11 percent since 2015, or roughly 1,560 students, the Topeka CapitalJournal reported.

Many of the affected schools already face limited state funding and declining enrollments, which is compounded by the lost revenue from international students who pay outof-state tuition, often live on

campus and contribute to local economies.

International students account for a roughly $260 million economic impact in Kansas, supporting about 2,500 jobs, according to data from the nonprofit NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

“These are 600 fewer students paying out-of-state tuition coming to our university,” said Charles Taber, provost of Kansas State University. “That’s millions of dollars of revenue loss.”

Chuck Olcese, director of international support services at the University of Kansas, acknowledged that money often leads conversations about a de-

crease in the number of international students. But Olcese said “the more guiding factor is the ability to make an international environment for students from Kansas or wherever they’re coming from across the U.S.” About 70 percent of University of Kansas students may not have met someone from another country nor had any serious interaction with another culture, Olcese said.

Many school leaders have attributed the decline in the number of international students coming to Kansas to the perception that the country is increasingly unwelcoming to immigrants, pointing to is-

sues such as President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

“The travel bans that came out right after the Trump presidency took effect and children being separated from parents at the borders, these all make international news in big ways, and just kind of underscores an unwelcome feeling,” Olcese said.

He said it’s difficult to imagine any profession that isn’t being affected by these issues.

“If you’ve done your whole education in a very isolated environment without interacting with someone who thinks different culturally than you, you’re really at a disadvantage,” Olcese said.

Police Reports Logs from ESU Police and Safety March 13 Officer removed debris from 14th and Highland.

March 14 Officer contacted operator of KS 413DVU in Kellogg Circle and advised to not stop in roadway to check their cellular telephone.

Officer checked welfare of occupants of C009982 on the I-35 southbound ramp off Merchant. No problem was found.

Officers checked on a suspicious subject who placed a Blue Light Emergency call from Science Hall. No contact was made.

March 15 Student reported theft of their cell phone from Memorial Union. Theft occurred between 1700 and 1900 hours. Officer took report.

Officer stopped KS 60-day B004632 at 1300 block Merchant to check welfare for driving with hazards on.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a car stop at 100 block East 12th St. Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a non-injury accident on 1200 Prairie St. Driver was arrested for suspicion of DUI. Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. at 1300 block East St. with a disturbance call.

Officer stopped a white van with no 28 at 100 block 7th St. Registration violation.

March 16 Officer spoke with three female subjects at Police and Safety. Insurance information was exchanged.

Officer responded to a trouble alarm zone 0 in the Earl Center. Panel was reset, unknown error.

Officer checked welfare of a pedestrian under the influence at 9th and Lakeview. Advised to use sidewalk and crosswalk.

Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with car stop at 15th and Merchant. Officers test driver for driving while impaired.

Negative results.

Officer assisted Lyon County Sheriff Dept. with car in a ditch at 175 P2 Road.

Officer stopped KS 547GMB at 1829 Merchant for driving left of center. A male was taken into custody for DUI and transported to Lyon Co. jail.

March 17 Officer contacted and advised subjects skateboarding in the 10 block of W 15th of campus policy.

March 18 Evergreen Const. crew requested to speak with an officer at ESU PD HQ. Ambulance responded to Beach Music Hall. Subject was transported by ambulance to Newman Regional Health.

March 19 Officer assisted Emporia Police Dept. with a call at 902 E 12th.

Ambulance responded to the Memorial Union kitchen for male subject having a seizure.

Subject refused transportation.

What is “ACACIA”?

Can you eat it? Spend it?

Drive it? Smoke it?

OR MAYBE JOIN IT?

Call Rick Buck at (620) 412-7953 Learn the answer and why you should care.

If you get voice mail, please leave a message.

ENTERTAINMENT

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

3

ESU student needs $1,740 to attend NYC institute Daisy Gonzalez Staff Writer

Hewleek McKoy is one of 60 students from across the nation that was selected by the Open Jar Institute in New York City for their summer intensive program. McKoy is a senior theatre major at Emporia State.

“When I found out, I was speechless,” McKoy said. “I did not know how to react to this, so I called my mom and we just

cheered as loud as we could. I applied at the end of January.”

For five days, McKoy will be working with Broadway professionals to hone his skills as an actor, dancer and singer.

“Hewleek is a talented and deserving guy who worked very hard for this recognition,” said Jim Bartruff, chair of the theater department. “He will make the most of this opportunity, and many people have contributed

to help make the trip affordable.

I know he is still raising funds, and I hope that many will step up with more support through his GoFundPage page.”

McKoy is currently hosting a GoFundMe to pay for the trip and needs $3,000 to spend the week in New York City, which will cover his tuition for the institute and his housing.

Currently, he has raised $1,260, which is less than half of his

S ’ Y K COR A M E N CI

friend dumped her over direct message on Instagram, and then Jamey finds out the truth.

Of course, Sierra had a reason to hurt her friend “Sierra Burgess is a Loser:” because Veronica kissed Jamey. HowA loser in my book ever, that reason is ridiculous because Jamey thinks he has been talking to VeIn the movie, a mean girl gives “her” number to a cute ronica the whole time. Veronica guy. Therefore, the guy, Jamey, has to keep up the act.

Sierra, who is a musithinks Sierra is the mean girl, Veronica. Sierra figures this out cian, writes a song about how but continues to talk to him she’s a sunflower and not a and form a relationship with rose like Jamey once called her when he thought she was him.

She’s catfishing this boy, and Veronica.

To “make it up to Veronica,” Veronica is helping her do it.

Eventually, as all romantic com- Sierra sends her this song about edies go, he finds out and he her as a sunflower, which somewants nothing to do with them. how convinces Veronica to care Sierra and Veronica then about her again.

I’m not sure how writing a fight because Sierra exposed that Veronica’s college boy- song that’s about how hard and

Bailey Miller Even with Netflix hitting their originals, movie after movie, documentary after documentary and tv show after show, out of the park, there are bound to be a few missteps.

Netflix hit (or I should say, swung and missed) with “Sierra Burgess is a Loser,” directed by Ian Samuels and the screenplay written by Lindsey Beer.

The movie follows Sierra, an overweight awkward teenager, as she tries to find out who she is and learn to be okay with herself and her body.

Ruling allows lawsuit over rapes at Kansas fraternity houses WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court is refusing to toss out a lawsuit filed by two female students alleging Kansas State University refused to investigate their rapes and other sex assaults at off-campus fraternity houses.

The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the women had sufficiently alleged that Kansas State’s deliberate indifference made them vulnerable to sexual harassment by allowing the students who they say attacked

them to continue attending the university. The university purportedly did not investigate the rape allegations.

The two women contend in their civil rights lawsuit that this caused them to withdraw from participating in educational opportunities at the university.

While the appellate panel affirmed a lower court’s refusal to dismiss the students’ claims, its narrow ruling does not address the merits of the case.

goal.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Hewleek, as he will be seen by industry folks who could conceivably become valuable contacts as he pursues his career. I am thrilled for him,” said Dennis Turney Jr., assistant professor of theater. “He is a great person and a very talented artist.”

Anyone can donate to McKoy’s fund on gofundme.

com/6tj58ug on a donation titled “Support Hewy Going to NYC.” “This is very exciting to have such a strong platform to push off my acting career,” McKoy said. “As of now, I do plan on going, and I am still fundraising.”

McKoy is the third ESU Theatre student since 2012 to earn the honor, according to Emporia State Marketing and Media Relations.

sad your life is because you’re “not a rose” can make someone forget that you embarrassed them on social media, but with the “magic of the movies,” it does.

Since Veronica doesn’t hate her anymore, which still makes no sense, Veronica sends the song on to Jamey who forgives Sierra and shows up to take her to the dance.

ful, skinny, popular cheerleader Veronica, which is fine but Sierra is overweight, not popular, and not the typical vision of beauty, even though she is still beautiful.

As the Taylor Swift song goes, Sierra’s in the band, on the bleachers. She’s not a cheerleader, and certainly not the cheer captain.

While it is possible to fall for someone’s personality, Jamey obviously had a type and that type was not Sierra, and after “Sierra Burgess is a Loser ” received 2 out of everything she did, he shouldn’t 5 clappers. have forgiven her. This movie It sounds really cute right? makes it look like catfishing is Yeah, not so much. okay and that you should forLet’s not forget that Sierra give them because in the long lied, catfished and even once run, didn’t you fall in love with kissed him when he closed his their personality? eyes to kiss Veronica. All SiI’m not buying it. erra had to do to get everyThis movie is full of dangerone to forgive her is sing a sad ous ideas and actions, so if you song and throw a pity party for watch this movie, take it with herself. a grain of salt and remember: My other issue is that Jamey don’t catfish people and don’t was trying to date the beauti- forgive a catfish.

Three Kansas students credited with rescuing boy in Florida KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three University of Kansas fraternity brothers on a spring break trip to Florida are credited with rescuing a young boy from a riptide.

The Kansas City Star reports that Sigma Phi Epsilon broth-

ers Jared Cox, of Overland Park; Connor Churchill, of Olathe; and Cole Firmature, of Omaha, Nebraska, went to a beach on March 11 in Destin, Florida. They were at a beach bar when they heard a woman cry out for a lifeguard and point to the water.

There was no lifeguard patrolling the beach at the time and the three men sprinted to the water.

They spotted a young boy drifting on a boogie board 40 yards out into the ocean. The three men swam out and brought the child to shore by pushing him on the board.

How do students feel about staggered enrollment?

“I didn’t have a problem with it because I am a sophomore and could enroll pretty much right away. Although my friends didn’t like it because the classes they needed for their majors filled up quickly.”

Kara McCormick

“I thought it was a good idea. It seemed like it just made it harder for the advisors to get everyone in and with the classes they wanted.”

Margaretha Penner senior English education ma jor

sophomore speech and theater education

“Personally, I really like the idea because it helps the flow. Although the classes I really need to graduate, I’m being kicked out of because seniors who are enrolling late are taking the spots.

Rebecca Howard junior glass blowing ma jor

“I thought that it worked pretty well. It kind of depends though if you have the pin or not. If I hadn’t gotten my pin from my advisor I wouldn’t have liked it because I wouldn’t have been able to enroll right as soon as it opened which was very beneficial to figure out what my classes were.”

Taryn Lee

freshman secondary education ma jor

Are you interested in making a difference on campus? Working for The Bulletin is for you!

Positions open: Editor-in-Chief Business manager Advertising manager Apply online at: https://www.emporia.edu/studentjobs/?displayOrder=contactDepartment

OPINION

4

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

Staff Editorial

Diversity, Not $15,000 Ice Cream

Students do not live by ice cream alone.

Recently, the Memorial Union announced that they were spending $15,000 on an ice cream machine that would be placed in the Hornet’s Nest.

According to our calculations, a gallon of ice cream at the grocery store that costs $6. With this same amount of money, the Memorial Union could have bought 40,000 servings of ice cream.

With the estimated life of the ice cream machine being 8-10 years, that’s 4,000 servings of ice cream per year. Even with that, that doesn’t factor in the cost of the sugar, milk, ice

or the salary of the person who operates the machine.

Do we really need to eat this much ice cream?

The “Freshman Fifteen” is a struggle as it is and the ice cream doesn’t help.

Or what about the lactose intolerant or vegan students who can’t benefit from the machine?

Or the many students who don’t have access to The Hornet’s Nest?

Beyond that, aren’t there other ways the Memorial Union could have spent this money to honor ESU and our campus?

What about funding a trib-

Opinion Editor

An Australian white nationalist shot and killed 50 innocents and injured 50 more at two mosques last Friday, March 15 in Christchurch, New Zealand. He livestreamed 17 minutes of the event on Facebook.

On Saturday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern promised a reform to the country’s gun law within the next 10 days. She is looking at putting a ban on semi-automatic weapons but assures the ownership of semi-automatics is sure to change.

It only took 10 days to change these laws.

Ten days.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 307 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2018 alone. The mass shooting that occurred last Friday was the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand in the last 30 years.

New Zealand citizens will see a change within a matter of 10 days, while the latest attempt at reform for the

U.S. was the 2019 bipartisan background check bill that passed through the House of Representatives. It is unlikely the bill will be passed by the Senate.

The U.S. has a devastating past of mass shootings, yet the government can’t seem to come to a compromise on how to lower the number.

There are pros and cons to every solution, but something needs to be done.

This does not mean I am for taking away all gun rights.

In 2017, there were 1.2 million registered firearms in New Zealand, according to a Swiss nonprofit Small Arms Survey.

But, that same year, New Zealand police reported 35 murders in total, most of which did not involve a gun.

In 2017, the U.S. had 17,200 murders, according to the FBI. I understand the U.S. has a much larger population that New Zealand, but the point is that they are clearly doing something right when it comes to gun usage and commercial sale.

Perhaps following in the footsteps of other countries that have put new gun laws and reforms into practice would be a good place to start.

Many countries have many different tactics. Maybe the U.S. should put away it’s “holier-than-thou” attitude and take the advice, the help, given to us that we so desperately need.

Submit your Letter to the Editor today

Letters to the editor should be no more than 450 words and can address issues, concerns, ideas or events important to you. Letters may be edited for content and length.

Email letters to esubulletineditor@gmail.com. Please include your name and student email so we can verify authoriship.

1 Kellogg Circle, Emporia, KS 66801 Campus Box 4068 Emporia State University 3rd floor Memorial Union, Room 312 Phone: 620-341-5201 Fax: 620-341-5865 esubulletineditor@gmail.com

www.esubulletin.com

celebrated.

Furthermore, this would be in line with Goal 5 of the university to promote diversity and inclusion.

Or beyond that, what about fixing the Associated Student Government printer so that students can print their conference posters when they represent our university elsewhere?

How about a salary increase for the student janitors who work so hard to keep our union clean? Or for the Sodexo employees?

What about investing and exploring healthier options for the union?

Or a contribution to the student food pantry? Corky’s Cupboard is always in need of donations.

How the Memorial Union spends its money reflects its values.

Our values are more than sugar and fat.

We aren’t Pizza Ranch.

We’re Emporia State University, and we wear that with pride.

It’s time to show what our university has to offer and to celebrate our achievements and the achievements of those who have walked these halls.

Not shove our faces full of sugar.

Penmanship should not determine teacher candidacy

It only takes TEN days

Emma Boyd

ute to Emporia State’s first black graduates? Gaitha Page and John R. Smith were the first black students to graduate from ESU in 1899.

How amazing is that?

Instead of spending $15,000 of Memorial Union money on an ice cream machine that money could have been donated to a memorial for these inspiring students.

Could you imagine a mural with Gaitha Page in his Kansas State Normal baseball uniform, warmly smiling at students as they pass by in the union?

These two men were true pioneers and their role on our campus is something to be

Kalliope Craft Design Editor

As a future educator, I know that my students will need to know why they are learning the content I present in order to be motivated to complete tasks they are assigned. As an Elementary Education major at Emporia State, I do not understand why we are required to pass handwriting proficiency exams in order to be admitted into the

Teacher’s College.

I value ESU’s Teachers College for its rigor. It produces guaranteed teachers.

But making sure teachers have good handwriting by requiring us to pass exams in both manuscript and cursive fonts is pushing that rigor a bit too far.

We have so much theory, practice, and content to fit into our brains that will prepare us to teach any student age 5-11, and spending brain power and time on something like practicing letters should be way lower on our priority list.

Explicitly teaching handwriting isn’t even part of the national Common Core standards, and if states do adopt their own handwriting curriculum, not every state requires cursive handwriting.

In Kansas, we have a hand-

English teachers teach history better

Margaret Mellott Managing Editor

As someone studying social sciences education, history is clearly something I value and find important. However, in my experience, especially in high school, I felt that my English teachers taught me more history than my actual history teachers.

After many conversations with different people, I know I’m not alone in feeling this.

So, what’s up with this?

While I don’t blame my history teachers for this, I do blame the required curriculum.

So much has to be covered in history classes that it’s all so surface level. It’s unfair to the deeper learning that students are missing out on.

I essentially learned dates and names in history.

In my English classes, we read non-fiction history pieces like “Farewell to Manzanar,” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston, about Japa-

nese internment camps after WWII. We read “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, about the Holocaust and Auschwitz concentration campus.

“The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck which, while fiction, gave insight into our culture and our ideals of the American Dream and how we, as a nation, suffered during The Great Depression.

I know I learned more from those books than I did my history classes.

In my American History course, we had one slide over the Japanese internment camps.

That was the only time they were addressed in any history classes over my high school career.

In reading “Farewell to Manzanar,” we learned what life was like in the internment camps.

It was so much more impactful and educational than that one slide.

I genuinely feel like I learned more just by reading those books than having dates and names shoved down my throat that I eventually forgot after my test.

So how can we change this?

I want to be a history teacher in a high school one day, and I want to be able to change the way we approach history and the way it is taught.

Changing the focus and em-

THE BULLETIN Offices are located on the third floor of the Memorial Union on the campus of Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas One free copy per ESU student.

Additional copies are $2.00 per issue or $35 for a yearly subscription.

writing curriculum, but the font we teach isn’t standardized, so there’s a chance that the font we learn for the test won’t even be the one we have to teach.

I’m not saying that teachers shouldn’t have good handwriting. Our penmanship is the example our students will see most often throughout their learning process.

But our handwriting should not be a consideration for our admittance into the education program.

What I am saying is that it seems like we are forgetting that it is 2019, not 1919. Handwriting is important, but it’s at the bottom of the “important things” list.

It’s time for the Teachers College to reevaluate exactly what we are asking of our future teachers.

Max McCoy Adviser Professor of Journalism

EDITORIAL STAFF Sarah Spoon Editor-in-Chief Margaret Mellott Managing Editor Noel Aranda Web Editor

Bailey Miller Audience First Editor Cameron Burrnett Sports Editor

phasis is one way to start. As important as dates and names are, you don’t really learn anything from knowing them.

You learn from knowing the experiences tied to those dates and names and understanding why they’re important.

I remember understanding and feeling the experiences that the people felt.

I know history classes love to use textbooks, but maybe we also start requiring more indepth, non-textbook readings.

We need more firsthand accounts and primary resources in our history classes at a younger age.

Or maybe, the solution is English teachers and history teachers planning together to create the greatest impact on students. If we’d done our WWII unit in history at the same time we read “Farewell to Manzanar,” it would’ve created the biggest impact on students. It would’ve allowed better discussion and a deeper understanding of the atrocities that were committed.

George Santayna said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

People are already forgetting about the Holocaust, the Japanese Internment Camps and Segregation. I’m fearful for what we’ll repeat if we don’t change the way we teach students about history.

Emma Boyd Opinion Editor Abigail Ponce Photo Editor Kalliope Craft Design Editor

BUSINESS STAFF Hannah Callen Advertising Manager Cullen Roche Business Manager Lucas Lord Distribution Manager

STATE NEWS

5 Kansas residents 'hop' border for lower sales tax

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

Grant Heiman KU News Service

Small town communities along Kansas' borders lose business when residents cross state lines to save money on groceries.

In a Feb. 18 hearing on House Bill 2261, which would lower the food sales tax by 1 percent, residents of these border communities testified about the struggle to compete against businesses with lower or no food sales tax.

Some residents of Moran, Kansas, make the three-and-ahalf-hour round trip to Kansas City, Missouri, to shop for food products. The selection in Kansas City, Missouri, is wider and the food sales tax is 1.225 percent, as opposed to Kansas’ current 6.5 percent tax.

“Sometimes, it is worth it to

make the trip when they save a significant amount of money,” Rachel Henderson, general manager of the Marmaton Market in Moran, said. “The overall impact of this habit is huge.”

A 2016 report by the Kansas Public Finance Center at Wichita State University shows that Kansas' sales tax on food harms economic activity, especially in border counties.

“Our community misses out on any tax revenue, and it hurts business when we have to compete with a lower sales tax,” Henderson said.

According to the report by Wichita State each percent increase in the tax, (assuming surrounding counties have a lower food sales tax), results in $101 drop in food sales per capita.

“This is a tax burden that Kansans shouldn't have to bear,” Henderson said. “If you

aren't wealthy enough to make regular trips to the city for groceries, you are forced to have a reduced budget for food.”

Of the 105 counties in the state of Kansas, 35 share a border with at least one other state, according to the Wichita State report.

The city of Oberlin, in northwest Kansas, faces the same challenges with losing business to bordering states.

“My grocery store is the only one in the entire county, not only do I enjoy this, but I understand my business also provides a critical service,” Kirk Brown, owner of Reyes Grocery in Oberlin, said in a testimony to the committee.

Halley Roberson, Oberlin’s City Planner, also reflected the same notion.

“This independent grocery store has to try and compete

Proposed senate bill allow temporary shared parenting Olivia Schmidt KU News Service

TOPEKA -- The Senate Judiciary Meeting room recently was filled with powerful personal testimonies as a new amendment regarding temporary joint custody was proposed with Senate Bill 157.

The bill was originally introduced on Feb. 13 and could potentially create a presumption in favor of shared parenting time for temporary orders. Sen. Richard Hilderbrand (R-Galena) proposed the bill with at least 16 other senators in favor of it.

This bill means that in a court that deems a temporary parenting plan, both parents can be presumably authorized for equal care and legal custody of the child. This includes the designation of a temporary residence, parental rights and responsibilities regarding the child’s health, education and welfare, and a set schedule for time spent with each parent.

A handful of citizens, including parent Ryan O’Neal, spoke in favor of the bill at the March 7 hearing.

“I’ve literally had to fight for every single second to be with my

son from having false allegations against me where the court is designed to take that into count,” O’Neal said. “I understand everybody wants to keep kids safe, but that’s the real problem right now.

The courts aren’t keeping kids safe; they are hurting them by keeping them away from one of their parents.”

According to the fiscal note, the presumption can be rebutted with the prevalence of evidence that is in the best interest of the child.

There was opposition to the bill in the meeting as well. One opponent was District Court Judge Kevin M. P. O’Grady, who works on cases for divorce, marriage, protect and release, and stalking that involves children. Though he agreed with the fact that fathers need to be involved in children’s lives, he doesn’t believe passing a bill like this would come without issues.

“This bill talks about temporary orders. I predict that a bill of this height is going to increase conflict, increase expense and create more hearings,” O’Grady said.

Dr. Merlin G. Wheeler also spoke against the bill, stating that

some parents may have ulterior motives for shared parenting.

“It is my observation that the vast majority of the claims made for shared custody come from the parent who is most likely the one required to pay child support and is often based upon the misguided assumption that divided parenting means that they won’t have to pay support,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler emphasized the fact that most parents in these custody battles are not prepared to take on the implications of shared custody.

“Until we have cooperative parents who are willing to make the sacrifices in order to make this system work, it’s not going to be something we are going to solve by making the presumption,” Wheeler said.

The fiscal note states that the bill “has the potential to increase the time spent by district court judicial personnel in reviewing parenting plans. However, it is not possible to estimate the amount of time that would be spent on those plans.”

If the bill is passed, it will go into effect on July 1 2019.

Olivia Schmidt is a University of Kansas senior majoring in journalism.

with national chain stores with higher prices for delivery because of lower volume and in addition a 6.5 percent tax his competitors do not have,” Roberson said.

Roberson says a reduction in the food sales tax would help the success of businesses in border towns.

“It is a push-pull situation for sure, but a serious food tax reduction or elimination would at least give border towns like Oberlin some ground to stand on,” Roberson said.

Grant Heiman is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism.

Kansas bill to change the child abuse penalty Grant Heiman KU News Service

TOPEKA -- A recent bill introduced to the Kansas House of Representatives changes the criminal penalties for abusing a child.

House Bill 2394 decreases the level of severity for child abuse while adding the separate crime of aggravated abuse of a child.

“This legislation is extremely important to proportionately respond to extreme and serious abuse of a child,” said Kim Parker, prosecutor coordinator for the Kansas County and District Attorney’s Association.

The current Kansas statutes regarding child abuse group all acts of child abuse together as severity level 5 regardless of the amount of harm done to the child. For example, rape is a severity level 1 felony while a first-time misdemeanor is a severity level 10.

“Many of the acts of abuse perpetrated on children are overlooked by [the current] statute,” Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said in his testimony to the committee. “Furthermore, many acts of abuse against children vary in the nature of their severity, a consideration also not taken into account by our current

statutory language.”

The bill would decrease the level of severity from 5 to 7, or 9, depending on the nature of the abuse. The change in severity would alter sentencing regulations to “proportionately respond to extreme and serious abuse of a child,” according to Parker.

The Office of Judicial Administration notes the bill could increase the number of cases filed in district court, which would result in more time spent by court employees and judges processing and deciding these cases. A financial effect cannot be estimated until the judicial branch has operated under the bill’s provisions.

The KCDAA and the Leavenworth County attorney supported the bill while the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, Kansas Sheriffs Association and Kansas Peace Officers Association testified as neutral.

The neutral groups recognized the positive intentions of the bill but noted that the vagueness within the bill “may unintentionally include law enforcement use of force or restraints.”

Grant Heiman is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism.

Kansas tax incentives to help disabled Kansans Samantha Gilstrap KU News Service

TOPEKA – Kansas is going to use tax incentives to help increase employment opportunities for disabled people. But it hasn’t always been a priority.

Before Dot Nary received her Ph.D. and began working at the University of Kansas as an assistant research professor at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living, she had been discriminated against while entering the workforce because she uses a wheelchair. Nary is currently researching ways to expand independent living for disabled people, and teaches others about disability in order to lessen the stigma.

“I went to a temp force company and I took the typing test and did fine,” Nary said. “I had a bachelor's degree, magna cum laude, but I didn't get one call.

I think they didn't want to send out a person in a wheelchair.”

Although the Kansas Disabilities Act prohibits employers from discriminating against candidates with disabilities, the unemployment rates for these individuals remains higher than that of the average citizen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that compared to an average of 4.2 percent, the unemployment rate for disabled individuals is about 9.2 percent.

These numbers don’t account for disabled individuals who never enter the workforce.

According to the United States Census one in five Americans have a disability according to the broad definition of disability with only half having said that their disability is severe enough to interfere with their day-today life. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that means one in five will have a much harder time finding work. Nary says discrimination is largely due to the stigma of what it is like working with a person of disability.

Kansas’s House Bill 2044 is

just one step toward bringing more disabled individuals into the workforce. Most recently Nary held a forum at KU in the Dole Center to talk about proper language when speaking to or about a disabled individual. She regularly holds similar equity talks that are open to the public to come and learn. She believes by educating and normalizing disabilities, the stigma will dissolve and society will begin to see disability as part of our everyday culture.

Nary, along with the director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, Stephanie West-Porter, wants to let the public know how capable these individuals are and how providing them with an employment opportunity can benefit companies. West-Porter discussed her own struggle with disclosing her mental disabilities WHAT ARE THEY? to coworkers.

According to West-Porter, invisible disabilities can be just

as stigmatized and dangerous to finding a job if known. West-Porter defines invisible disabilities as mostly mental illnesses including anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and others.

Tax incentives from this bill would bring more disabled individuals into the work force and West-Porter believes that she sees it as a way to rid society of the discrimination that she and Nary have experienced.

West-Porter talked about a time that she did disclose her disability, saying “I actually had a coworker, after I told her I had bipolar disorder, said “You're not going to come in with a gun and kill us all one day, are you?’”

This type of misinformation is a reason why finding employment remains tough.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for. Nary says that employers could be scared of this idea because it makes the person

seem more difficult to work with but oftentimes, depending on the disability, accommodations aren’t hard to make. Sometimes, like Nary, only the office desk must be lowered for wheelchair access.

The Research and Training Center on Independent Living hopes to keep the conversation going and plans to hang up posters across KU’s campus indicating what a person should or shouldn’t say to a disabled individual. They hope alongside the new bill, that by lessening the stigma and starting a bigger conversation, people with disabilities will then be given further opportunities.

The House passed Bill 2044 with only one nay and sent it along to the Senate. After hearing the bill in the Committee on Commerce, the Senate passed the bill Feb. 27, with only one nay as well.

Samantha Gilstrap is a University of Kansas senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, majoring in journalism.

HORNET LIFE

6

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

Third annual lucheon held for International women’s day Skyla Fox Staff Writer

Sixteen women attended the international women’s day empowerment lunch on Friday, March 8.

“It was such a great experience for me personally,” said Zoe Mezer, senior rehabilitation counseling major. “I really enjoyed listening to all the stories that were shared about the women on campus and their life or struggles they may have faced. It was so cool to be in a room with such powerful women.”

The event was hosted by Carissa Ford, graduate assistant of diversity student programs.

This is the third year the event has been put on.

“This year’s (luncheon) was facilitated by me, so the discussion was a bit different,” Ford said.

“The attendance was comparable to previous years, from what I remember. However, this year President Garrett attended, which had

not happened in the past.”

During the event several women shared different personal stories, from years ago to some that are happening now.

President Garrett talked about how in the past, and sometimes today, women would not be able to go to their kids’ events without being told they were not taking their job seriously, where men were praised for doing so.

“If a male wanted to take a day off to go watch his kids perform in their school’s play or program it was ‘What a great dad,’ where when a woman does the same thing it is ‘They are not taking their job very seriously,’” Garrett said.

The women in attendance of the luncheon watched a Ted Talk called “Why gender equality is Carissa Ford, facilitator for the table talk workshop and graduate assistant, speaks on her experiences of facing good for everyone- including men” gender inequality during the International Women’s Day luncheon Friday, Mar. 9 in PKP room. In attendance and had several discussions on were President Allison Garrett, faculty, and students who also discussed their experiences. Abigail Ponce | The Bulletin gender equality.

“This event is important so education and students like you cussion about the past, present sharing our stories and personal women in positions within higher and myself can have an open dis- and future of gender equality by experiences,” Ford said.

WOMEN COMPOSERS CONCERT HONORS WOMEN IN

Rebecca Harmison (left), bass flutist, performs at the Women Composers Concert yesterday in Heath Recital Hall. The concert was held to honor women in music for women’s history month. The Mid-America Woodwind Quintet (above) perform music from Yvonne Desportes yesterday in Heath. Emporia State’s department of music presented the event. Hidenobu Kaga | The Bulletin

Admissions scandal unfolds amid cynicism about moral values David Crary AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — In some ways, the college-admissions bribery scheme newly revealed by federal prosecutors seemed almost inevitable. Ethics experts say Americans these days are barraged with accounts of corruption, greed and amoral behavior to the point that many likely wonder, “Why should I play by the rules?”

Whether it’s gaming the system to secure entry to an elite college, or circumventing laws and ethical norms to evade taxes, swindle customers or pocket illicit gains, unethical behavior has always been among America’s national pastimes. Yet a strong case can be made that this moment is distinctive, with its constant stream of high-profile scandals entangling bankers, drug companies, sports organizations, government officials and others.

“There’s a rawer pursuit of opportunities and benefits than there once was,” said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University.

“It was always there, but now it’s broader, and there are elements

of society that once responded to social and professional restraints that no longer do so.”

The admissions scandal, as outlined this week by federal authorities, is the biggest such scam ever prosecuted by the Justice Department. Fifty people were charged in a scheme in which wealthy parents allegedly paid an estimated $25 million in bribes to college coaches and other insiders to get their children into elite schools.

“I don’t think anyone is shocked that children of the wealthy have an easier time getting into top schools,” said Nick Smith, a philosophy professor at the University of New Hampshire. “The deck is stacked in their favor, even if they can’t quite directly buy their way in.”

“What is new here is that all of those considerable advantages apparently aren’t enough for some and they will go to any length to directly buy their way in,” Smith said. “It’s like the veneer of fairness is cracking all around us, and corruption is increasingly on the surface of our most esteemed institutions.”

Some rule-breakers get caught, of course. Martin Shkreli, who

provoked outrage with a 5,000 percent hike in the price of a vital drug, is serving a seven-year sentence in federal prison for securities fraud. Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, faces prison time for concealing his foreign lobbying work, laundering millions of dollars, and coaching witnesses to lie on his behalf.

However, public cynicism about America’s moral standards is high, as evidenced in the annual Values and Morals poll conducted

by Gallup since 2002. In the latest poll, released last June, a record high 49 percent of respondents rated moral values in the U.S. as poor, and only 14 percent rated them excellent or good.

The perception that unethical behavior is increasingly commonplace could have a snowball effect, says Andrew Cullison, a philosophy professor who heads DePauw University’s Prindle Institute for Ethics.

“People think that if moral standards have eroded, why should they play by the rules,” he said. “If they’ve lost trust in some entity or institution, then that organization has lost the right to their compliance with the rules.”

Cullison said President Trump and his administration may be contributing to those perceptions with their departure from some longstanding ethical norms.

Trump, for example, has refused to release his tax returns, as other recent presidents did, and has neither divested his business holdings or placed them in a blind trust.

“It’s the objective truth that norms of conduct are being violated,” Cullison said. “Where people differ is how outraged they are. If you’re getting what you want (in terms of policy), you’ll be more willing to look the other way.”

Jordan Libowitz, a spokesman for the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, noted that several of Trump’s Cabinet appointees have been the subject of ethics investigations.

“We’re seeing a pattern of not caring about ethics that we’ve not seen before,” Libowitz said. “It sets a dangerous precedent for future administrations, that once ethical norms are pushed aside and nothing is done about it, this might become the new normal.”

Libowitz said Congress could take new steps to tighten ethical standards for the executive

branch, updating and strengthening some of the reforms enacted in the post-Watergate era of the late 1970s.

Congress has its own image problems. A Gallup poll in December asked respondents in the U.S. to rank 20 different occupations in terms of their ethical standards: members of Congress ranked the lowest, below car salespeople and telemarketers. Nurses were at the top.

College administrators, teachers and coaches weren’t part of the Gallup poll. But Robert M. Franklin, a professor of moral leadership at Emory University in Atlanta, said the admissions scandal should be a catalyst for substantive reforms throughout higher education, including auditing of admissions procedures by outside accreditation agencies.

“This is revealed as hardworking, bright students of color, women and immigrants are benefiting from smart affirmative action policies that correct past injustice and exclusion,” Franklin said in an email. “Now, we must all question whether the scions of affluent white parents gamed the system to ensure admission for their average offspring.”

NEWS

7 Topeka mayor gives diversity lecture

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

Bailey Miller Audience First Editor

Michelle De La Isla, the current mayor of Topeka, came to Emporia State to give the Bonner and Bonner lecture. Before the lecture, she sat down with The Bulletin and with KVOE for an interview.

“I don’t think that unless

you have landed in a UFO that you’re an alien and if you came without a permit to land then that makes you illegal,” said De La Isla. “I firmly believe there is no such thing as illegal aliens. I think that is a bit of a derogatory term and that what we have is citizens that are not documented to have permanent residency in the United States.”

The Bulletin asked De La Isla about the controversy surrounding ASG vice president Michaela Todd’s post on social media last semester in which Todd used the phrase “illegal alien.”

Todd faced backlash from students after using the term in a Facebook post which endorsed Kris Kobach for governor, said

that Kobach would “put Kansans first, not illegal aliens.”

“I believe that’s part of the many language issues we have when it pertains to individuals of different descent, different beliefs, different walks of life,” De La Isla said. “I think it’s been normalized to call individuals names that are just a little bit unsavory. The fact that the

Michelle De La Isla, Topeka mayor, speaks at the Bonner and Bonner lecture on Mar. 7 in Albert Taylor Hall. De La Isla said she felt “illegal alien” was a derogatory term. lexi garcia | The Bulletin

student body decided that they were going to take a position on this is something I deeply admire.”

The Bonner and Bonner lecture was held March 7 in Albert Taylor Hall, and the topic was diversity.

“I never got the title of mayor because I had the title of leader,” De La Isla said. “I was just a person. I didn’t get the title of mayor because I am a single mother who is absolutely imperfect with a child with a mental health disability, with two daughters because that is awesome, that is who I am.”

Members of the audience were able to ask De La Isla questions during the lecture about her experiences in life and as a leader.

Mariah Emily, senior psychology major asked, “I was just wondering when you had that moment that you were like ‘I’m leading right now even though I’m leading because I’m mayor…

I’m leading because I’m being a leader right now?’”

“That changes every day, but I think that when I stopped worrying about what other people think and taking constructive criticism…when I started saying I was just going to be me.

It was probably when I turned 38, I had lived through cancer, a stroke, divorce and a rape and I was finally in a spot that I was a leadership position where I said I don’t have to put on a suit and pretend to be anyone else,” De La Isla said.

Honors College donates 6o canned goods to Corky’s Cupboard Emma Sha Staff Writer

The Honors College held a Spring Ball last night which raised about 60 canned food items. The canned food will be donated to Corky’s Cupboard.

“It went very well. We had a very good turn out and it looks like everyone is having a lot of fun.” said Lauren Taphorn, social chair of the Honors College and sophomore elementary education major.

The Spring Ball is a formal dance event where students wear fancy dress clothes.

“I love the dances the Honors College puts on because its only two a year, and my favorite thing in the world is dancing,” said Mark Clark, senior marketing major.

The Spring Ball was held in Webb Hall in the Memorial Union.

“We’ve been hosting it annually,” said Brenda Wiggins, administrative specialist of Honors College. “It’s planned by a group of our students.”

The Honors College holds two dances every year. The Spring Ball is open to all students, and provides an opportunity to get more students involved in a formal event, according to Wiggins.

“Our budget is $1000. We will have a DJ that was taken most off from our budget. We had him last year and he did an excellent job,” Lauren Taphorn said. “There will be cookies and brownies from Sodexo, and I bought some really cool decorations.”

The decorations consisted of mason jars, fairy lights, and a photo booth, according to Bobbi Rookstool, sophomore English education major. The Honors College also set up 12 tables.

“Last year, they ordered flow-

Students dance at the Spring Ball yesterday in the ballroom. About 60 canned food items were raised to donate to Corky’s Cupboard. Emma Sha | The Bulletin

ers for decoration, and I didn’t order any flowers this year. This

is about the biggest difference,” Taphorn said. “Flowers are kind

of expensive, and I was trying to find a new way to decorate.”

Dodge City region searching for access to 4-year college DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) — Unlike many other rural cities, Dodge City is experiencing a strong economy that is making it an anchor in Kansas’ southwest region.

The city, which as long marketed its Old West ties, has in recent years completed $86 million in renovations to its schools, a new $12 million waterpark, a $6 million addition to Boot Hill Museum, and attracted several new businesses. Most of the growth comes from the thousands of people who work in the region’s slaughterhouses, Kansas News Service reported .

But city and business officials said the growth is hindered by a lack of a four-year college in the region, which has left many middle-class jobs — such as teaching and health care — unfilled as students of-

ten leave for higher education elsewhere and don’t return to a 28-county region without a state university.

Advocates said the area needs a satellite campus of other state universities, which would build on the region’s community colleges.

“It’s the only way,” said Joann Knight, head of economic development, “to really address our health care issues and the lack of education out here.”

The average Kansas county has one primary care doctor per 1,330 residents, more than twice the average in the Dodge City region. Dentists and mental health providers are rare and patients who need medical specialists have to drive long distances for care.

Wichita State University researchers surveyed hundreds

of health experts and community leaders about health care in Dodge City and southwest Kansas.

Researchers found people die younger in southwest Kansas than the rest of the state and nationwide, and they are hospitalized more often with conditions like diabetes and asthma that can be controlled with regular primary care.

Besides the health implications, Dodge City and region watch many students leaven for four-year colleges and never return.

“Unfortunately, much of the time they don’t,” said Bud Estes, a state senator from Dodge City who has seen three of his four children leave and not return.

Nationally, most freshmen enroll in college within 50 miles of home. Dodge City is 105 miles

from Fort Hays State and Wichita State is 160 miles away.

Barclay College, a Christian school of about 250 students and the region’s only four-year campus, is 60 miles east of Dodge City in Haviland. Neither that nor community colleges in Dodge City, Liberal or Garden City provide access to a broader range of four-year degrees.

Xiomara Garcia enrolled in Dodge City Community College to earn an associate’s degree in nursing on her way to earning bachelor’s and graduate degrees to become a nurse practitioner.

She said she would be happy if a state university campus was nearby.

“This is where I’m from,” she said. “I have my family here, all the resources I need are here.

The only thing missing is the actual education.”

Educators and civic leaders in Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City are pursuing a university center — a partnership among local community colleges and state universities that could start with a focus on health care and expand from there.

The idea is gaining momentum. At least three universities have visited to gauge the prospects. Fort Hays State will soon finish a feasibility study on providing a few bachelor’s programs as early as next fall.

“It needs to be a win-win for the institution, for the local community and obviously for the student,” said Shane Bangerter, of Dodge City, who is a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. “What I would like to see happen is to get some of these programs started and then we can better judge.”

SPORTS

8

The Bulletin | MARCH 21, 2019

Softball player to become U.S. citizen Cameron Burnett Sports Editor

Destiny Ojigoh, sophomore pitcher, recently passed her citi-

zenship test to live in the U.S. legally after being born in Can-

ada. Ojiogoh said that with the help of her teammates, she was

Destiny Ojigoh, sophomore pitcher, throws the softball during practice yesterday at Trusler Sports Complex. Ojigoh, who was born in Canada, recently gained her U.S. citizenship with the help of her teammates who quizzed her on rides to games. Abigail Ponce | The Bulletin

able to successfully pass the test to get in line to become a legal citizen.

“The test is 100 questions,” Ojiogoh said. “My teammates picked out random ones and had me answer them to help me study. They were quizzing me on the bus rides and in between games, and I’m really thankful for them.”

Ojiogoh moved to the U.S. when she was only a couple months old. After moving around the East Coast, she finally ended up in Kansas City, Missouri where she decided to attend Emporia State for college as well as to further pursue her passion for softball.

Ojiogoh said she originally began the process when she turned 18, but with the amount of people trying to become citizens right now, it took a long time.

“It was a long and stressful process,” Ojiogoh said. “I’m just happy I passed the test, that my teammates were able to help me, and that soon I’ll finally be an official citizen.”

Ojiogoh’s citizenship ceremony is May 21st. She will attend with her family and state her loyalty to the U.S., officially becoming a citizen.

Spring Ball begins for the Hornets Defensive players practice drills yesterday for spring ball at Welch Stadium. The Hornets started spring practices this week, and the spring scrimmage game will be 2:30 p.m. April 13 at Welch Stadium. Abigail Ponce | The Bulletin

A Hornet’s Legacy Cameron Burnett Sports Editor

John Wilson

John Wilson, a 6th generation alumnus of Emporia State University and twotime cancer survivor, will be attending his granddaughter’s graduation this May. Having graduated in 1972, Wilson spoke about some of the changes he noticed throughout the years since he has attended the school.

“I think it’s changed a lot from the standpoint of jobs and also of the college growing and becoming more nationally-known,” Wilson said. “They’re doing good in sports, which I believe is the other half of education.”

Wilson said he still enjoys looking back on his college days and going by Cremer Hall, where he spent most of his time.

In addition to his family’s history at the school, Wilson said he is also a two-time survivor of cancer.

“I was diagnosed with leukemia in 2004, and my blood counts and spleen got worse, so I had to get chemotherapy,” Wilson said.

Wilson’s oncologist told him that leukemia was actually what saved his life after doctors found a rapidly growing tumor on his left kidney.

“The tumor was able to be surgically removed,” Wilson said. “And my doctors

said that within a couple of months. It would have traveled to my heart and killed me faster than leukemia would have. I’ll never forget when he (the doctor) told me that. I whine a lot, but I have no regrets.”

Crediting most of his success through college to financial stability, Wilson has Al Bowman, financial aid director in the 1970s, to thank.

“He worked his tail off to get me grants and student aid because he knew I came from a young family,” Wilson said.

“He was awesome.”

Among his 10 grandchildren, his oldest, Hannah Williams, senior nursing major, will graduate this May.