We are resilient. WE ARE TIGERS.

A time capsule of FHSU Tiger resilience and optimism in 2020

Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover from difficulties and problems quickly. It’s the ability to bend instead of break when challenges arise and to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy and stress.

For the better part of this year, the pandemic’s negative-consequences weighed heavily on the hearts of students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and supporters. No one is immune to the pain, anxiety, stress and fear wreaked by the novel coronavirus. Over the past year, though, FHSU Tigers have confronted misfortune and obstacles unlike any known before and risen to meet those challenges head on.

Stories of altruism, fellowship and growth among families, friends and our community have been evident throughout the pandemic. The disruption of life as we knew it has shown us just how much we can achieve together and inspired new ways of living, learning, doing business and redefined community as we stay connected while apart.

In the next few pages, you will find stories from our Tiger community of how individuals, families and teams focused on finding the strength and resilience to work around and overcome. We’re all in this pandemic together, and sharing the stories of our struggles, vulnerabilities, hopes and aspirations can only help to bring us more closely together, as we demonstrate the resilience that is a enduring hallmark of the FHSU Tiger legacy.

Thriving Online

Early last spring, Deborah Ludwig was looking forward to phased retirement and the end of a distinguished career in library and technology leadership. Then came the COVID-19 global pandemic and the urgent need to transition campus services and classes to online formats.

The dean of Fort Hays State University’s Forsyth Library knew she couldn’t step away at such a crucial time, so she changed her retirement plans. She agreed to continue to lead the library’s efforts to execute on the university’s commitment to convert and not cancel programs and services in the face of the pandemic.

As challenging as this sounds, the essential groundwork for the library’s rapid transition to virtual services actually began in 2014 with the arrival of Ludwig at Fort Hays State. Over the past six years, she led an extensive transformation of library services, which made it possible to quickly convert to a new reality of socially distanced online services that we now know all too well.

When the pandemic struck, there was no need to scramble to a hasty online conversion. The Forsyth team was ready with a full suite of library services available anytime, anywhere to serve on-campus, online and international populations.

The abrupt need to close the building and halt in-person services presented an opportunity for Forsyth Library to showcase the comprehensive suite of online services that staff had been developing under the library’s strategic plan and delivering through an integrated web presence.

Online journals, e-books, newspapers and media have dramatically expanded in number and use. An estimated 60 percent of the library’s research resources are now online and the use of e-Books alone grew by over 40 percent between spring 2019 and 2020.

Live chat, email, phone, text and ZOOM replaced the traditional reference desk to reach beyond library walls to provide one-on-one research assistance at any distance, any day of the week, including evenings and weekends.

Even as the pandemic set in and the campus closed, librarians experienced a 20 percent jump in the number of research questions compared to the previous spring. Online instruction in information literacy remains crucial to student success. As faculty moved many courses online, librarians continued to provide information literacy instruction in real-time or through recorded lectures, tutorials and guides.

Many unique assets from the university archives and special collections are digitized and also available online. Familiar collections include the Reveille yearbooks, the University Leader and historical photographs and documents.

New collections include alumni “Tiger Tales” video interviews and a new project capturing COVID-19 stories from the FHSU and the Ellis County community for future generations of researchers. To participate go to fhsu.edu/archives or email forsythsc@fhsu.edu., to submit text, photographs, journal and diary entries and other digital evidence that demonstrates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As fall 2020 brought some students and faculty back to campus under a hybrid teaching model, Forsyth Library reopened its doors in a limited capacity to ensure the health and safety of staff and patrons remained the number one priority.

Requests for physical materials are accessible via online request for “library takeout” and limited individual study space is available. The south end of the library was repurposed to serve as much-needed classroom space.

Even though online library services met the most urgent needs of the community during the pandemic, Forsyth Library remained a prime destination and inspiring hub of knowledge for students and scholars to research, study and access technology.

In a world that is heavily dependent on online resources and information, the physical library has an important role to play and Forsyth Library is well-positioned to support the academic research of university students, faculty, staff and community members now and in the future.

The Strength to Overcome

Sitting at a wooden table in Breathe Coffee House in Hays, one can feel the peace and calm. It isn’t just the comforting aroma of coffee and savory crepes on the griddle or the cheerful sound of friends chatting over a quiet hiss of steaming crème, though. It’s a feeling of gratitude present in the warmth and compassion with which Patrick McGinnis greets every person who walks through the door.

McGinnis, a two-time Fort Hays State University graduate, is the owner of the popular coffee house. McGinnis, who has bachelor’s degrees in sociology and social work and is currently pursuing a master’s of social work, is passionate about the importance of human connection.

This year, he faced the unimaginable stress of keeping his business open during a pandemic and temporarily switching to pick-up-and-delivery operations. Patrick lost his father due to injuries from a vehicle accident this year and moved his mother to his home as well. McGinnis and his family also welcomed the birth of their second grandchild giving them hope in what has been a challenging year.

His dream is to someday open a collaborative counseling center in or near the coffee shop, where people can feel welcome to join in a conversation and, if needed, connect with a professional counselor.

“The hardest part was that delivery and drive-through is so antitheoretical to my entire business,” McGinnis said. “I had to shift to a business model that I didn’t want and sales fell by 75 percent.”

When FHSU was forced to shift to remote operations in March, McGinnis’ longtime staff – mostly current oncampus students – moved home, and he had to switch to the pick-up-anddelivery business service quickly. The stabilizing factor that sustained the business through the pandemic was McGinnis’ nonprofit, Dialogue Ministries, Inc., and the outpouring of support from the local community.

For a donation, civic groups, students and community members can leave their cup – handmade by local artists – at Breathe and receive coupons for coffee. Though donations declined during the early days of the pandemic, they remained stable enough to see the business through the toughest times. Business picked back up after a community mask mandate this fall allowed the coffee house to reopen its doors provided they adhered to specific safety protocols.

“The community support was amazing,” McGinnis said. “You don’t make a lot of money on each cup of coffee, but then the community banded together to buy gift cards and place large orders for an entire neighborhood and that helped us get through.”

Before the pandemic forced the temporary closure of businesses in Kansas, McGinnis collaborated with the FHSU Kelly Center and High Plains Mental Health to continue building a volunteer-based program called “Can We Just Talk?”. The program has evolved each year as McGinnis works closely with FHSU’s Leadership 310 teams to identify what’s working and how they can continue to reach more people and encourage people from all walks of life to share their thoughts and feelings.

“The in-person experience is critical to what we do here,” McGinnis said. “I never intended to sell coffee forever. I chose coffee because it’s comfortable. It builds rapport between people so that no matter their gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or emotional state, they can feel comfortable, and we can start a dialogue.”

The pandemic driven stress and negative outcomes have touched everyone and intensified the importance of building resilience through dialogue. It’s this intense focus on building resilience and sharing the very human condition of life’s ups and downs that keeps McGinnis focused on making a difference and helping others.

“Life is not meant to be easy and it hasn’t been on any generation. We’ve all dealt with things that aren’t fixable,” McGinnis said. “Counseling is about building that resilience to overcome those hard things. We can’t fix the problem, but we can help find the strength to work around and overcome.”

More Than a Degree

Deja Brewer came to Fort Hays State University four years ago chasing a dream of becoming the first in her family to earn that coveted college degree. She took home so much more.

A 2020 spring graduate, Brewer credits her experiences surviving a family tragedy and celebrating triumphs at FHSU for helping her overcome challenges during college – and now, in these uncertain times.

Her plan after graduation was to attend culinary school – cooking has been a long-time passion of Brewer’s – but in a cautionary move because of COVID-19, she put that dream on hold.

So she improvised, something she learned a lot about at Fort Hays State. Brewer found a job as a school photographer which she plans to keep until she has a chance to pursue her passion for the culinary arts.

Culinary school was not on Brewer’s radar when she first came to FHSU. She started out as a social work major and then switched to elementary education because people told her she would be a good teacher.

After a while, she realized she wasn’t following her heart and turned to her advisor, Dr. Beth Walizer, for advice. Walizer helped Brewer search for other options and together they decided a general studies program was her best route.

It was a good fit for Brewer, who said that within the flexible general studies curriculum, she was able to explore a variety of subjects, naming photography, computer software and interior design as some of her favorites.

“That’s a great example of how helpful FHSU faculty are,” Brewer said. “They want to do what’s best for the students.”

That was just one instance where Brewer experienced the caring spirit of FHSU. Another example was life changing for Brewer. Her younger sister, Laia, died in 2018 after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Brewer left campus immediately when she got the call about her sister’s failing condition and contacted her professors by email. She was deeply touched by their responses.

“That was a really tough time for me, and my professors and people at my on-campus job in the Department of Geosciences were so understanding. They told me not to worry about my classes, to focus on my family,” Brewer said. “People at Fort Hays State really do care for you as a person. When I came back to campus, I had the confidence that I could finish strong.”

Armed with a newfound determination, Brewer offered to take over the position of president of the Black Student Union, an organization that was then without a strong presence on campus.

Under Brewer’s leadership, the BSU tripled its membership and was chosen by the Center for Student Involvement and the Office of Student Affairs as the most improved student organization on campus for 2019-20.

Brewer said she decided to get out of her comfort zone to recruit more BSU members and have them actively participate in more campus activities. In the process, she gained more confidence herself as she began networking with other student organizations.

“I knew the importance of collaborating with fellow organizations; that we could accomplish a lot more together than on our own,” she said. “I went out and tried to make a lot of connections because I wanted our organization to create a stronger presence on campus.”

She helped organize events that ranged from tailgating at a Tiger football game and bowling nights and potlucks, to social mixers and even a spring semiformal dance. In between, the BSU participated in community service projects, several involving children.

Now as she ponders her next move, Brewer said she will always remember how much the people of FHSU helped shape her future.

“Fort Hays State helped me learn how to make my own decisions,” Brewer said. “Even if I failed at something, I developed the confidence to try again. I’ll take that with me the rest of my life.”

Leading the Way

It’s been said that an organization tends to take on the personality of its leader. Never was that more evident than this year at Wilson Elementary School in Hays.

With Principal Anita Scheve leading the way, staff at Wilson adapted to the challenge of COVID-19 and used the summer to create innovative solutions aimed at keeping learning on track while mitigating the threat of the virus.

Scheve, in her 25th year in education, knows life as an elementary school principal will never be the same. But, she stressed, the reasons for coming to school every morning won’t change.

“We all know we’re still here for the same reasons,” she said. “We love kids and we want to guide them in their learning. How we do that has changed, but why we do it hasn’t. If we focus on that, working through the details becomes a little easier.”

When the threat of a pandemic became reality in March, Scheve and the Wilson staff quickly began creating ways to continue educating students through the end of the semester.

“I used the analogy ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ ” she said. “One bite at a time. We went at it one piece at a time.”

Small steps turned into larger accomplishments for Scheve as she helped lead her staff and others in Hays USD 489 through challenges they had never before encountered. USD 489 established the ability to apply innovative technologies to teaching and learning- technologies that began 10 years ago.

“At least the technology part of the equation was done for us,” Scheve said. “We could send laptops home with the students and they already knew the programs on them, so it made the parents’ job a lot easier.”

Scheve worked with peers in the district and across Kansas, forming a network to learn and share what was working for others.

Kansas was the first state to call off school for the rest of the school year in the spring. Then the state came up with a continuous learning plan that each district could modify accordingly for their schools.

Scheve was pleased with how her staff made a significant shift from faceto-face instruction to online while still keeping the students engaged.

“That speaks to the work ethic of the teachers,” she said. “They were so resilient in still working with kids and changing the way they provided instruction.”

That was easier to accomplish because of Scheve’s leadership.

“Mrs. Scheve is so even-keeled and took everything in stride last spring,” said Candace Sage, now in her 30th year of teaching at Wilson. “That just made us all feel so much more comfortable. She empowered us to do what we needed to with our students.”

Committed to learning as much as possible about remote learning, Scheve enrolled in a summer class at Fort Hays State, one which focused on instructional technology at the district level. She and district administrators used what they learned from their experience during the spring semester to establish new protocols for the 202021 school year.

“The most important thing to remember is that we can’t lose sight of what our focus is, educating our children in a safe environment,” said Scheve, who has a master’s in educational administration from FHSU. “Our primary goal is to prepare students for the world in which they will be living and working and technology is a huge piece of that. If they are going to become skilled workers, they have to have the right tools.”

Even while uncertainties still surrounded the start of the school year, Sage was confident Wilson Elementary would enjoy another successful year with Scheve as its leader, no matter what may lie ahead.

“Again, we will just follow Mrs. Scheve’s lead,” Sage said. “Just give us the parameters and the guidelines and we’ll make it work.”

Creating Connection

All hours of the day and night, you can see the glow from the Schmidt Family Foundation Center for Art and Design on the campus of Fort Hays State University. Students and staff are bustling about inside, bringing life to the modern, elegant structure while sharing their passion for art and Fort Hays State.

“I never wanted to go anywhere else,” said Sean Engler, a junior graphic design major from Wichita. “My high school art teacher told me that FHSU was the best school for graphic design in Kansas, so I took a tour and that was it. I knew I belonged here.”

While the move to remote learning last spring was difficult for students and faculty alike, they have met the challenge during the fall semester with incredible resilience and innovation. Most of Engler’s classes are hybrid, a blend of face-to-face instruction and online learning that allows for smaller class sizes and a flexible class structure.

“I’ve enjoyed the virtual aspect of my classes and flexibility to learn when and where it’s right for me,” Engler said. “It’s a challenge, but it’s fun, and I enjoy working and problem-solving. There are a lot of benefits to the hybrid approach.”

Some of those benefits include the empathy, support and grace that faculty, students and staff have shown as a community this fall.

“I feel like faculty understand what we are going through as students, because they are going through this as well,” Engler said. “It’s hard for them to adapt to hybrid and online learning, too, and that shared vulnerability has brought our entire Tiger family closer together. Even though we are sometimes online, it’s a very real and human connection.”

Engler hasn’t let the pandemic interfere with his academic or college experience and he’s continually working to ensure his peers are connected and have the opportunity to share in an immersive college experience. He is president of FHSU’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity. He is also a member of the leadership team for the student religious ministry, Christian Challenge, and he works as a student graphic designer for the Office of Student Engagement.

This fall, Engler and the student engagement team have overcome the challenges of COVID-19 to provide outdoor events and socially distanced virtual student life programs, doing all they can to give students as normal a college experience as possible.

They hosted new programs on the Quad and moved smaller events to larger spaces, requiring masks and extra sanitization to ensure the safety of the participants. They also worked to provide virtual game nights and take-home projects that students could then complete together on Zoom.

“It’s been difficult, but a really great challenge,” Engler said of the changes to work, education and student life due to the pandemic. “The university has done a great job providing us with the specific guidance we should follow as student organizations for events to ensure everyone’s safety.”

Engler said he finds the sense of community in multiple places at Fort Hays State.

“I’ve gone through the graphics program with the same core group of people, and we trust each other, and I know I can trust them and ask for help if I need it,” he said. “I have my fraternity community and that brotherhood sticks together through all the ups and downs. I’ve also learned so much through Christian Challenge and really grown as a person.”

Engler will graduate in May, but he has no plans of leaving FHSU just yet. Despite the ups and downs of the pandemic and shifts from on campus, to online, to hybrid class delivery, he’s found his passion.

“I want to learn new things, and I want to go out and become a collegiate level instructor,” Engler said. “My teachers have had such an impact on me that I want to be that teacher and mentor for someone else. I enjoy teaching and helping.”