How the now-iconic K-S-U photo got its start
The K-S-U photo is very much a part of K-State culture. It’s a vacation staple. A
fun way to celebrate the fellowship of our university and all you need is three Wildcats
and a fun spot to take it.
But how did it get its start?
Well look no further than K-Stater magazine, the official publication for K-State Alumni Association members.
The K-S-U photo made its first appearance in the spring 2008 issue. Tim Lindemuth
’77, who served as the K-Stater’s editor from 1993-2012, launched the trend with the help of David Mayes ’96, the
magazine’s photographer. The duo went to Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the 2007
season asking tailgaters to pose like Willie the Wildcat did after touchdowns.
“I started by going to tailgates at football games, taught them how to stand like
Willie,” Lindemuth said. “We ran a few over the next three issues asking readers to
submit photos. From then on, it took off.”
K-Staters Brennan Knott ’05, Jeff Casad ’04 and Brent Felten ’04 spelled out K-S-U
on the east side of the stadium for the inaugural post.
From there, Lindemuth said the feature began to take off with K-Staters sending in
photos from a range of places including exotic, far away locations to familiar spots
like Aggieville, Anderson Hall and other campus scenes.
K-S-U photos have been used in other spaces like the video boards at K-State athletic
competitions and across social media. But for more than 15 years they have consistently
been printed in the K-Stater.
Please send in your K-S-U photos to K-Stater magazine and the K-State Alumni Association; email kstater@k-state.com. Photos must be high-resolution – at least 300 dpi. Please include where the photo
was taken and the names of those in the photo (from left) and each person’s class
years if applicable. Photos depicting minors must include a note of parental consent
to be published. Submission does not ensure publication.