When the Kansas State University Marching Band strikes up the first few notes of Wildcat Victory — the K-State fight song — during a football game, it doesn’t take long for the thousands of fans packed into Bill Snyder Family Stadium to jump to their feet and start singing along.  

 

Wildcat Victory has long been a favorite tradition at K-State athletic events, with K-Staters of all ages proudly singing the well-known lyrics that start with “Fight, you K-State Wildcats! For Alma Mater Fight-Fight-Fight!” This fall, the university will be commemorating the 90th anniversary of the fight song. The K-State Alumni Association also has put together a special video featuring members of the K-State community singing Wildcat Victory.

 

 

The fight song was the brainchild of music senior Harry Erickson ’27. The director of Men’s Glee Club, William Lindquist, asked Erickson to write a fight song since the university didn’t have one and fight songs for schools were becoming more common.

 

Erickson, who went on to have a career in music education, said the song came to life during a long drive through the Flint Hills.

 

“I had to sing it to myself three or four times so I wouldn’t forget it,” he told the K-Stater magazine in 1982. “When I got home, I just wrote it out, and I gave it to Professor Lindquist the next morning.”

 

The song debuted during the Men’s Glee Club Missouri Valley Conference contest, February 1927. By that fall, the Kansas State Collegian reported that students were asked to memorize Wildcat Victory for Homecoming weekend activities, and it has been a K-State tradition ever since.

 

K-State’s director of bands Frank Tracz, who is entering his 25th year at K-State, said he plans to have the band play a special arrangement of the song during the fall football season.

 

“I think it’s one of the top five fight songs in the country,” he said. “It’s very spirited. Everybody knows it. Everybody sings along. It has a great melody line that is very singable — and that’s important. The fight song is something unique here and special, because it was written by a student here, which is very unusual. I don’t know of another university that has done that.” 

 

Read more about the history of the K-State fight song and a full profile of Harry Erickson in the fall issue of K-Stater magazine. Not a member of the K-State Alumni Association? Join now to receive benefits such as the quarterly magazine, annual wall calendar, K-State Campus Store discount and more.

 

— With reporting by Lindsay Porter ’04, ’07, K-State Alumni Association

Kansas State University has again been recognized as one of the nation’s top undergraduate college experiences.

 

The Princeton Review ranked K-State at No. 1 for great town-gown relations in the 2018 edition of The Best 382 Colleges. The university was ranked in 15 categories — nine of which are in the top 10. These rankings and many like them reinforce a view that K-State offers a superior undergraduate experience, according to Pat Bosco ’71, ’73, vice president for student life and dean of students.

 

“K-State students continue to enjoy several top 10 rankings in value and quality, which is why many believe K-State offers the best undergraduate experience in America today,” Bosco said.

 

The Princeton Review, an education services company, surveyed more than 137,000 college students to rank schools in 62 categories. The book identifies the top 20 schools in each category. In addition to its No. 1 town-gown ranking, K-State is No. 2 for best athletic facilities, No. 3 for best quality of life, No. 3 for students pack the stadiums, No. 6 for happiest students, No. 6 for students who love their colleges, No. 6 for best health services, No. 7 for best-run colleges, No. 8 for everyone plays intramural sports, No. 16 for best career services and No. 19 for best college dorms.

 

In the last 10 years, the university also has had high rankings in many national and regional publications, including most recently Business Insider, SmartAsset, College Choice, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ economic prosperity designation, Wall Street Journal and Travel + Leisure, as well as many other discipline-specific rankings.

 

For the second year in a row, Money magazine has determined K-State delivers the best tuition value in the Sunflower State. The magazine’s list is determined by enrollment data and student outcomes. Money ranks the best schools in each state because of survey data that shows 53 percent of freshmen at four-year colleges go to school within 100 miles of their home, and more than 80 percent attend a college within 500 miles.

 

K-State students enjoy a 94 percent job placement/continuing education rate upon graduation, and have access to more than 475 student organizations, undergraduate research programs and education abroad offerings, all providing academic, leadership and volunteer opportunities that can translate into career success. In addition, the university awards more than $230 million in financial assistance annually, including more than $36 million in scholarships.

 

“These national rankings reflect decades of quality and value provided by K-State’s talented and caring faculty, academic advisers and student life staff,” Bosco said. “Supported by a family-like atmosphere, K-State’s numerous leadership and volunteer opportunities help students round out their academic career. In addition, the many undergraduate research programs available give students a competitive advantage in the job market, which is one reason we have a 94 percent job placement rate.”

On Sept. 2, the K-State Alumni Association unveiled a stunning 14 feet x 7 feet stained glass mural paying tribute to four iconic buildings on campus — buildings that represent K-State’s history and tradition, academic excellence, student life and campus beauty. The stained glass masterpiece, revealed during a donor reception, is the newest K-State artifact on display at the Alumni Center and is located on the first floor of the facility, adjacent to the Tointon Great Room.

 

The mural, entitled A Spot I Love Full Well, was made possible through the generosity of Gib ’80 and Brenda ’77 Compton of Park City, Kansas.

   

“A stained glass mural representing K-State has been a vision of ours for many years,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “The Alumni Center was designed to serve as a welcoming home base for alumni and friends returning to campus. The many artifacts and memorabilia displayed throughout the facility are reminders of K-State’s traditions and this new mural now serves as a centerpiece for our heritage. We are fortunate to have loyal and passionate alumni like Gib and Brenda Compton who made this artistic tribute possible and a talented team of individuals with the skills to make our vision a reality.”  

 

The artwork for the mural was designed by Marcus Gilbert ’16, who entered a campus-wide design competition sponsored by the Alumni Association. The competition, open to K-State faculty, staff and students, had one guideline: create a drawing of classic K-State icons showcasing the university’s tradition and history. Gilbert, a printmaker from Manhattan, Kansas, submitted the winning entry which included images of Anderson Hall, Hale Library, the Alumni Center and the Berney Family Welcome Center/World War I Memorial Stadium, as well as various elements representing the state of Kansas.

 

A team of ten individuals from Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass in Wichita, Kansas, created the mural from Gilbert’s design utilizing nearly 5,000 hand-cut pieces of colored glass. Compton Construction Services, also located in Wichita, made the wood framework for the mural and was responsible for the installation at the Alumni Center. It took approximately one year to complete the intricate work involved in making the mural.   

 

“We are passionate about K-State and very pleased in the way Marcus’s design captures the beauty of campus and the pride alumni have for K-State,” said Gib and Brenda. “Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass did a masterful job in translating the design and handcrafting it into the stained glass mural. We are honored to be able to pay tribute to K-State in this way and to share this work of art with all who visit the K-State Alumni Center.”      

 

“This project truly is a dream come true for the Alumni Association,” added Renz. “It was a team effort to make it possible and I thank everyone who had a role it, from Gib and Brenda, to Marcus, the team at Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass, Compton Construction Services and the staff at the Alumni Association who helped in coordinating the project. It’s an achievement that we can all be proud of and will be enjoyed by generations to come.”         

 

Individuals credited for making the mural from Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass and Compton Construction Services include:

 

Rayer’s Bearden Stained Glass

Randall Rayer, CEO

Ashley Rayer Bryan, artist and development

Heather Gigax ’06, production and art manager

Project artists: Kellie Bartnick, Dani Medrano, Sterling Sowers, Michael Henesey, Gerry Tull, Jake Thomas and Susan Olson

 

Compton Construction Services

Steve Rotramel

  

The public is invited to see A Spot I Love Full Well during the Alumni Center’s regular office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Kansas State University family is reaching out to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, as communities recover and rebuild from the natural disaster that has caused massive flooding.

 

“Although we don’t know how you might be impacted personally, we know of a number of alumni who have had to evacuate the flood waters; we also know that as a community your lives have changed dramatically as a result of the magnitude of this storm,” Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, wrote in a letter to K-Staters in the region. “Please know that we are keeping you in our thoughts, prayers and hearts during this difficult time. As your K-State family, we offer our sincere support and encouragement as you move forward.”

 

According to Pat Bosco ’71, ’73, vice president for student life and dean of students, K-State has several hundred students and more than 2,500 alumni who currently live in or are from FEMA-designated disaster areas, and many more may still be affected.

 

The Houston Alumni Club is asking alumni to make posts on their Facebook page to let their fellow Wildcats know they are safe or how they may need help. As part of their protocol, the K-State Office of Student Life sent an email to students who list their permanent or emergency address as being in the affected area (identified by zip codes that FEMA declared a disaster). This letter lets those students know the Office of Student Life is there for them to offer support and guidance, assist in solving problems, and offer resources for academic, emotional and financial concerns.

 

The Department of Communication Studies and Lambda Pi Eta are accepting donations of diapers, bottled water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries and cleaning supplies. K-State’s food pantry also is temporarily diverting some items to send to the cause. If you would like to donate, you may drop items off between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays in 234 Nichols Hall. K-Staters will sort, pack and ship these items to the San Antonio Food Bank where volunteers on the ground will deliver donations straight to Houston shelters and places where aid is needed. 

 

The K-State athletic department also worked in conjunction with the United Way in Baytown, Texas, to collect disaster relief items the weekend of the first football game of the season. Items donated included cleaning supplies, children’s clothing, school supplies and kids’ backpacks. Wildcats also are encouraged to provide support to the Red Cross working on site in the region to help those in need. Many K-Staters across the nation have already given back in a variety of ways.

 

In addition, K-State Research and Extension is helping Wildcats prepare for future disasters. To coincide with National Preparedness Month in September, K-State Research and Extension is promoting Prepare Kansas 2017, an online challenge to all Kansans and others available through the extension Facebook page. The program will provide tips to guide you through how to be prepared for all kinds of emergencies.

 

• Week 1: You don’t know where to get back to if you don’t know where you started, right? This week’s challenge takes you step by step through preparing a household inventory.

• Week 2: Things change. Circumstances change. Know the right questions to ask as you review homeowner’s or renter’s insurance, plus auto insurance coverage.

• Week 3: If you had a few precious minutes to leave your home or office, what would you take? Learn the basics about what to include in a grab-and-go kit to help get you back on firm financial footing more quickly.

• Week 4: Communication is key. This week’s challenge is to develop and practice a family communication plan.

 

You can find emergency preparedness information on a many topics throughout the year on the Prepare Kansas blog.

The K-State Alumni Association invites the community to a special showcase Oct. 12 celebrating the 15th anniversary of the opening of the Alumni Center. This family-friendly event will take place from 3-7 p.m. and will highlight Alumni Association programs and services.

 

The interactive showcase will feature booths from Alumni Association departments and some of the Alumni Center’s outside caterers and vendors. Guests can pick up a ticket at every booth they visit and use these tickets to enter prize drawings.

 

The grand prize will be a first floor rental package (some restrictions may apply). Other prizes include K-State gear and gift items.

 

Attendees also will be able to snap photos with Willie the Wildcat, enjoy free food samples, participate in kids activities, view K-State artifacts in the Memorabilia Room, and take family portraits out by the Wildcat Statue. Music will be provided by Complete Music DJ service. Free parking for this event will be available on the west side of the building.

 

The K-State Alumni Center opened next to K-State’s World War I Memorial Stadium in 2002, after a successful fundraising campaign. The center provides a home for the Alumni Association and also offers rental space for weddings, meetings, graduation parties, anniversaries, reunions and more.

 

October will be a busy month for the Alumni Association; make sure to mark your calendar for these other upcoming events:

 

Kansas State University alumni and friends from the Colorado area celebrated their purple pride at the annual Wabash CannonBall Colorado on Aug. 11 at the Grand Hyatt Denver.  

 

Nearly 200 guests attended the fourth annual gala, which raises scholarship funds for area high school students to attend K-State. The evening also included dinner, prize giveaways and dancing to the sounds of the band Raising Cain. 

 

Wabash CannonBall Colorado has raised nearly $300,000 for scholarships since the inaugural event in 2014.

 

“Wabash CannonBall Colorado was a special evening celebrating purple pride and supporting scholarships that will help the next generation of Wildcats carry on the K-State legacy,” said Michelle Elkins ’87, associate director of awards and special events for the K-State Alumni Association. “Thank you to everyone who attended this year, and we hope to see everyone at a future event!”

 

Thank you to all of the sponsors who helped make this event possible. View a gallery of images from the gala below. 

 

Kansas State University football season is finally here! Make sure you’re ready for gamedays this fall with the help of the K-State Alumni Association:

 

1. Check out our Ultimate Football Guide

The Alumni Association’s annual Ultimate Football Guide provides the details you need to help you get ready for football season. Find information on pregames, watch parties and more. You can also print off recipes to spice up your tailgate and learn about K-State traditions.

 

2. Catch the shuttle

You can catch a ride to Bill Snyder Family Stadium on one of these gameday shuttles.

 

Aggieville Gameday Shuttles

Single rider tickets are $1 per game (to and from). Single rider tickets may be purchased two hours prior to kickoff at pick-up locations. Season ride passes are $7. Season passes can be purchased ahead of time online, and picked up at the Aggieville Business Association office (located at 1125 Moro St.) Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

Shuttles run two hours prior to every home game until the game starts. Then, shuttles start running again at five minutes left in the third quarter until everyone has returned.

 

Learn more about pick-up and drop-off locations, as well as information on parking.

 

K-State Student Union Gameday Shuttles

Co-sponsored by the K-State Campus Store, the Union shuttle begins transportation two hours prior to kickoff from the south circle drive on 17th Street, between the K-State Parking Garage and the Union. Return trips resume with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Rides will continue until approximately one hour after the end of the game. There is no charge for this shuttle.

 

For more information, contact Union marketing at 785-532-6597 or email unionpr@k-state.edu.

 

3. Watch for traffic and road construction

Chart your route to Bill Snyder Family Stadium with these maps and directions from K-State Athletics. Note: The recent K-18/K-113 interchange construction project may impact travel on gameday; find the latest updates here. Also learn about a new drop-off lane available on gamedays. 

 

4. Bring a clear bag

To provide a safer environment for the public and to expedite guest entry, K-State Athletics implemented a new bag policy in 2016 that limits the size and type of bags that may be brought into athletics venues.

 

The following bags are allowed:

 

• Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”

• One-gallon clear plastic freezer bag (Ziploc bag or similar)

• Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap

• An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection

 

Learn more.

 

5. Be aware of new stadium entry procedures

Watch this quick video for tips on how to be prepared to enter the football stadium’s new security check entrances.

 

Whether it was sampling the many delicious flavors of ice cream at Call Hall, or encountering some creepy, crawly creatures at the Insect Zoo, campers at Kansas State University’s 2017 Grandparents University enjoyed a variety of experiences during their time on campus.

 

Grandparents University is an annual summer event co-sponsored by the College of Education and the K-State Alumni Association for grandparents and their grandchildren — or any adult who would like to bring a niece, nephew, neighbor or other special child in their life. Campers have an opportunity to explore campus and learn about the many different programs at K-State through hands-on activities.

 

The 2017 event was July 30-Aug. 1. Campers had a chance to stay in a residence hall and eat in the Kramer Food Center — just like a college student. They also enjoyed bowling, swimming and learning about academic programs such as Geology and Engineering. Grandparents University concluded with a brunch at the K-State Alumni Center.

 

For the campers, Grandparents University is an opportunity to celebrate K-State and spend meaningful time together.

 

“I liked having all the fun activities and spending time with my grandma,” said Meila Gronemeyer, age 9, Plymouth, Nebraska. “I liked the pool party and the engineering activities. We built bridges with candy dots and toothpicks and made wooden and paper airplanes.”

 

Grandparent Val Kershner ’74, Manhattan, Kansas, also said she enjoyed the engineering and business activities.

 

“The educational parts were really cool,” she said. “K-State has changed so much from when we were here.”

 

Grandparents University is open to children ages 8-12 and their guardian. Watch for information about next year’s event.

 

— With reporting by Tim Schrag ’12, K-State Alumni Association

 

On Aug. 21, K-Staters across the United States experienced a historic event — a total solar eclipse.

 

According to NASA, this total eclipse crossed the entire country, coast-to-coast, for the first time since 1918, taking a little over an hour and a half to cross the U.S.

 

While most everyone in North America could see at least a partial solar eclipse, those in a 70-mile strip known as the “path of totality” witnessed the moon fully covering the sun, revealing the sun’s spectacular, shimmering corona.

 

The K-State Alumni Association hosted a watch party in St. Joseph, Missouri, in the path of totality. Hundreds of alumni and friends of all ages stopped by the Alumni Association tent to celebrate the eclipse. Activities included a photo booth and yard games.

 

Despite cloudy skies that interfered with eclipse viewing, an estimated 2,000 people gathered on Bosco Student Plaza on K-State’s Manhattan campus for a watch party hosted by the Union Program Council.  As the moon covered the sun, skies darkened and temperatures dropped.

 

Members of the Alumni Association can learn more about the eclipse in the fall issue of K-Stater magazine. Not a member? Join now to receive the magazine; for details visit www.k-state.com/membership.

 

Kansas State University Global Campus wants to help business executives create high-performing organizations.

 

That’s the aim of Executive Education by Kansas State University, a new series of professional programs designed exclusively for senior leaders of organizations, launching in fall 2017.

 

The programs will use experts, case studies, peer-group discussions, self-reflection and coaching to provide an optimal learning experience. Designed as both a personal and strategic retreat for executives, the programs will provide the chance to escape the constraints of participants’ daily routines and discover a fresh, big-picture perspective. Each Executive Education program will explore, learn and utilize proven leadership competencies.

 

The first program, The Executive Coach, launches Sept. 28 and is targeted to high-level executives desiring to take themselves and their organizations to the next level through proven and innovative leadership methods.

 

Executive Education by Kansas State University represents a unique collaboration between K-State Global Campus and Aspen Business Group. These programs are designed for high-level executives, middle managers and emerging business leaders. Each program consists of 12, one-day sessions, meeting quarterly over a three-year period in Manhattan, Kansas. 

 

“This is a rare opportunity to plan for the future, target critical goals and strategize the optimal execution of our objectives to achieve genuine growth,” said Russell Disberger ’88, owner of Aspen Business Group and facilitator of the program. “It’s a chance to gain new insights from executives in other industries and from other parts of the country. Participants will come away with prioritized, concrete action steps, new tools and capabilities, and a plan for the next 90 days.”

 

Participants are selected by the Executive Education staff to ensure a good fit with the program and a diverse group of executives from a variety of disciplines and industries.

 

Each workshop features a subject-matter expert from private industry or K-State faculty. The program features round-table discussions with opportunities to network within the group, and to work with a dedicated coach who will provide one-on-one accountability sessions between workshops. This allows the skills learned to be integrated directly into the participants’ business operations.

 

“The program is designed to use lectures, business simulations and small-group discussions to foster collaboration with peers from various functions, industries and backgrounds,” Disberger said. “As a result, participants will develop relationships that continue long after the program ends.”

 

Executive Education by Kansas State University is a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors to create an educational experience that stands out among other one-day workshops and programs that often fail to achieve long-term impact.

                                         

“We developed the program to be a unique experience,” said Jeff Wolfe, director of conferences and noncredit programs at K-State Global Campus. “Our goal is to build a network of professionals who consistently deliver results over the long haul. That’s what this program will do.”

 

More information and the online program application are available at exec.k-state.edu. The application deadline for the first session is Sept. 14.

Two signature gifts of $5,000 each will provide the resources for the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) at Kansas State University to launch the honors program in the fall of 2018.

 

Bill ’74 and Debbie ’75 Leckron-Miller and Charlene ’83 and Rod Lake have made the seed contributions to this signature program and hope their gifts will motivate others to support this JMC initiative.

 

“This program exemplifies the emphasis the A.Q. Miller School puts on its students,” said Jean Folkerts ’67, ’73, interim director of the journalism school. “Our philosophy is to blend theory and practice. Combining the academic elements of this honors program and the expertise students will gain from the program’s visiting professionals will give our students the critical thinking and professional skills needed to live and work in the 21st century workplace.”  

 

The honors program will recruit excellent students to the school, provide them with honors classes, and bring professionals to campus to mentor and equip each honors cohort. K-State’s JMC honors program also will allow students to travel as a group to cities in which clusters of Miller School alumni live and work so that students can interact with alumni and recognize the wide variety of career opportunities for school graduates.

 

Read more

 

Supporting K-State’s quarter-scale tractor team

Carl and Melinda Helwig, owners of Helwig Farms, Columbus, Kansas, have made a gift to support the Helwig Farms Quarter-Scale Tractor Team — previously known as Powercat Tractors — at Kansas State University and the department of biological and agricultural engineering in the College of Engineering.

  

The Helwigs competed together in many tractor-pulling competitions — and placed nationally in the early 1980s — while raising wheat, corn, soybeans and grain sorghum on their southeast Kansas farm. Accustomed to working weeks of all-day and late-night harvests, pulling together for the thrill of competing was part of their success in tractor-pulling competitions. The Helwigs, with home-built tractors and locally-built engines, placed nationally in a sport which demonstrates the power of engineering and inspired innovation, much like K-State’s quarter-scale tractor team.

 

Last year when the Helwigs were searching for ways to invest their harvest proceeds, creating a gift of grain and charitable remainder trust with K-State proved the most efficient means. They were able to focus the gift of grain to support the university’s quarter-scale tractor team. The team encompasses squads of juniors and seniors, the A team; and freshmen and sophomores, the X team. Both squads placed in the 20th Annual American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition in Peoria, Illinois, this past spring under K-State’s new Helwig Farms Quarter-Scale Tractor Team banner.

 

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