There’s no place like Manhattan, Kansas. 

We celebrated all the things that make this college town special during K-State’s 2019 Homecoming, Oct. 20-26. This year’s theme was “Manhappiest Place on Earth” and drew in students, alumni and friends for a week of favorite Homecoming traditions, such as the parade and pep rally. The week ended with a Wildcat victory against No. 5 ranked Oklahoma, 48-41.

View some of the highlights from Homecoming 2019 in our photo gallery below, and find even more photos on our Facebook page.

Challenges also bring opportunities ⁠— that’s the K-State attitude. 

Although fall 2019 saw a dip in enrollment numbers at K-State, the university remains on track with its strategic enrollment plan and believes in the long-term investment. 

Total university enrollment is down 502 students, reflecting a national trend in higher education. K-State is addressing this trend as it begins the second year of a strategic enrollment management initiative designed to increase its overall enrollment to boost net tuition revenue. Improving the educational experience and making scholarships more accessible remains a top priority for the university as a land-grant institution.

The university has seen increased enrollment in online programs and at the Polytechnic and Olathe campuses due to previously implemented strategies.

“We’ve completely revamped our scholarship programs and are finding new ways to increase the value of our already excellent degrees,” said Chuck Taber, provost and executive vice president. “Higher education has been proven to be one of the best investments a person can make — with demonstrably proven increased lifetime earnings and quality of life. We are committed to growing in a financially prudent way that allows us to be sustainable even as higher education continues to evolve rapidly.”

K-State is also celebrating student success: retention of freshmen to sophomores is again highest in university history at 85.8%, and the university graduated a near-record 3,219 students in May. The university’s four-year graduation rate is 41.6% and the six-year graduation rate is 64.8% — both records for the university.
 

A team of leaders

K-State has recruited several new experts to lead the university’s strategic enrollment and student retention efforts.

Karen Goos is joining the university as its first chief enrollment officer and will lead implementation of the university’s comprehensive, multiyear strategic enrollment plan.

Goos will serve as vice provost for enrollment management beginning Nov. 18. Her key responsibilities include refining the university’s marketing position; managing, developing and leading K-State’s enrollment management organization; and ensuring the enrollment of a talented, diverse student body.

Jeannie Brown Leonard will serve as K-State’s first vice provost for student success, beginning her duties Jan. 6, 2020.

Brown Leonard’s duties will include overseeing university-wide retention and student success programs to ensure a strong academic foundation for both incoming first-year and continuing students.

Finally, Bin Ning joined K-State as its first associate provost for institutional research, beginning Oct. 14.

Ning leads the newly established Office of Institutional Research at K-State, providing stewardship and management of the university’s data, and oversees the creation of data analysis, analytical studies and institutional reports. He also will manage communication, education and training to enhance data-informed decision-making throughout the university.
 

What you can do

We need your help to recruit the next generation of students to K-State!

You can direct students interested in applying to K-State Admissions, with information targeted to students’ individual needs, whether they’re a new freshman, a transfer student or an international student.

Curious about K-State’s new fall 2020 scholarship program? You can read more about it in the October 2019 issue of At K-State.

You can also share information about the K-State Alumni Association’s For Sophomores Only program, which gives high school sophomores a taste of college life at K-State.

Learn more about this year’s enrollment numbers. 

He is the only press secretary to be appointed by two U.S. presidents. He spent a decade in the White House, and was known as the “great communicator.” He is a best-selling author, and has served as a television writer/consultant and president of a public relations firm. 

Marlin Fitzwater’s remarkable journey from Kansas to Washington, D.C., began on a small farm near Abilene, Kansas, where he grew up. He earned a degree in journalism from Kansas State University in 1965 and then started his newspaper career.

Eventually, this journey led to the White House, where he served as press secretary for two presidents, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Reagan famously referred to Fitzwater as “his great communicator.”

In recognition of Fitzwater’s distinguished career, the K-State Alumni Association presented him with the 2019 Alumni Excellence Award on Oct. 17.

“We created the Alumni Excellence Award to showcase and celebrate our K-State alumni for their contributions to society,” said Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the Alumni Association. “Marlin Fitzwater’s commitment and service to our country as press secretary for two U.S. presidents is truly a testament to what K-Staters can accomplish.”

We are proud to honor Fitzwater’s contributions to history and society as a K-State graduate. Here are five key facts about Fitzwater’s life and career:

1. White House communicator

While in the White House, Fitzwater delivered more than 850 press briefings in six years, earning a reputation among the media for his honesty and humor. In the 1990s, Fitzwater regularly appeared on national television, including Meet the Press, Face the Nation and Larry King Live, among others.

“Honesty and straightforward answers are the most important things in the mind of the press corps,” he told the K-Stater magazine in an upcoming issue. “For that reason, you need to know what you’re talking about and know what the president’s feelings are, give direct answers and speak for the president in an authoritative way that they can use in their stories.”

2. Bestselling author

Fitzwater’s first book, Call the Briefing, is a best-selling memoir of 10 years in the White House, and is often referred to as the “textbook” of White House press relations. His first novel, Esther’s Pillow, is based on a true story of a small town in Kansas. Additional works include Death in the Polka Dot Shoes, a mystery novel about watermen on the Chesapeake Bay, and Sunflowers, his first book of short stories.

He also published a book of short stories and his White House diaries in 2018, titled Tales from Holland Creek, and revised the book for general release in 2019 as Calm Before the Storm.

3. An accomplished career 

Aside from his service as press secretary, Fitzwater has been a businessman, journalist, civil servant and presidential adviser. He started his career as editor of a weekly newspaper, the Lindsborg News Record, and also worked for the Abilene Reflector-Chronicle, Manhattan Mercury and Topeka Capital Journal.

Additionally, Fitzwater was a consultant/writer for the television show The West Wing for two seasons, and was president of Fitzwater & Tutwiler Inc., a public relations firm in Washington, D.C.

4. Passing on his legacy

In 2002, Fitzwater founded the Marlin Fitzwater Center for Communication at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. The center graduates more than 100 communications majors each year. He spends considerable time at the university, advising the center, lecturing, attending special programs and developing programs such as the Presidency and the Press Summer Camp.

Fitzwater’s White House papers are housed at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, Texas, and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. His personal papers were donated to the Morse Department of Special Collections housed in K-State’s Libraries.

5. Honorary doctorate 

Fitzwater was awarded an honorary doctorate by K-State in 2015. He served as the fall 2015 Graduate School commencement speaker, and encouraged students to face their challenges with courage.

“Don’t be afraid to use your degree,” he told students. “Let your knowledge give you the courage to lead. The future is brighter in America than it may seem. We still have the heart and soul for great adventures.”

He also thanked K-State administrators for his honorary doctorate and for starting him on the path to success.

“I was extremely proud of my first degree, and I’m just as proud of this one,” Fitzwater said of his honorary doctorate. “It validates my life’s work.”

***
 
The Alumni Excellence Award is an annual award recognizing an alumna or alumnus of K-State whose career, service and achievements exemplify the spirit, values and excellence of the university. The award is made possible by the generosity of the Curt and Sherry Frasier family of Beloit, Kansas. Both are 1973 graduates of K-State. Learn more.

— Special thanks to K-Stater editor Tim Schrag ’12 for his contributions to this article. 

As you’re making your shopping list for the holidays, don’t forget to add a little purple pride! 

The K-State Alumni Association has a variety of unique gift items for all the Wildcat fans on your list this year. Find stocking stuffers, customizable gift designs and more! 

Be sure to check out all of our other great Shop Purple items, including Cyndi West Art Prints and K-State Class Rings. 

History. Tradition. Legacy. 

For nearly 40 years, K-State’s Black alumni have come together to reflect on and celebrate their college roots and memorable experiences at the K-State Alumni Association’s biennial Black Alumni Reunion. 

The 2019 reunion Oct. 17-20 drew inspiration from the African diaspora and uplifted K-State’s 120th anniversary of the first Black graduate, 118th anniversary of the first Black female graduate and multiple 50th anniversaries, such as the K-State Black Student Union.

This year’s reunion was hosted at Prairiewood Retreat and Preserve, a unique Manhattan property nestled in 250 acres of native tallgrass prairie. Activities included educational alumni workshops; a football watch party; a paint and sip dance party; and more. 

Thank you to all the alumni who returned to campus to celebrate this event, and thank you to all of our generous sponsors: 

• KSU Foundation
• K-State Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
• K-State Black Student Union
• Eta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. 
• K-State College of Arts and Sciences
• K-State College of Business Administration
• K-State College of Education
• K-State Graduate School
• K-State Career Center
• Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies
• FHLBank Topeka
• The Fridge

 

V.I.P. Dinner and Silent Auction

BSU 50th Anniversary Reunion Gala

There are many famous K-State names honored in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. 

There’s legendary K-State football coach Bill Snyder, famous for “the greatest turnaround in the history of college football”; basketball star Shalee Lehning ’09, who went on to play for the WNBA team the Atlanta Dream; football player Michael Bishop ’11, who led Wildcats to a record of 22-3 during his two seasons in Manhattan; and so many more.

Now, Bob Chipman ’74, ’76 and Lauren Goehring Cost ’04 will be joining that esteemed list.

Chipman and Cost were inducted as part of the 2019 Kansas Sports Hall of Fame class during a special ceremony Oct. 6.

Chipman played basketball at Mott Junior College before lettering twice at K-State playing for previous Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Jack Hartman. Chipman helped lead the Wildcats to two Elite Eight appearances in 1972 and 1973. He served as assistant coach at Washburn University for three seasons before becoming head coach in 1979. He led the Ichabods for 38 years with a career of 808-352. He is one of only 25 coaches in college basketball history with over 800 wins. Among Chipman’s top accomplishments are his 1986-87 NAIA national championship and his 2000-01 NCAA national finalist finish.

Cost was a first-team All-American volleyball selection at K-State and was named Big 12 Player of the Year in 2003; she is the only player in school history to achieve either milestone. She remains in the top 10 in school history in career kills with 1,212, a career hitting percentage at .354, and career block assists with 380. She led the 2003 K-State team to the Big 12 Conference title and a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Learn more about this year’s Kansas Sports Hall of Fame inductees.

Photo of Lauren Goehring Cost courtesy of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and photographer Darren Decker

It’s time for Wildcat basketball!

Who’s ready for K-State basketball? We know we are!

It’s time to pack Bramlage Coliseum with purple once again as both the women’s and men’s K-State basketball teams start their 2019-20 seasons.

Here are some quick tips to help you get the most out of basketball season this year:
 
🏀 Get your tickets
Tickets are on sale now for the 2019-20 season. Find the schedule for upcoming women’s games and men’s games.

🏀 Watch with other fans
Can’t make it back to campus for gameday? See if there’s a watch party with other K-Staters in your area!

🏀 In the know
Stay up-to-date with all the latest headlines from K-State Athletics, with game reports, feature stories and more. Read news about the men’s team or the women’s team.   

“The K-State family” isn’t just a saying — K-Staters really care about each other, and go out of their way to help other Wildcats in need. 

This month, we’re reflecting on some of our favorite K-State acts of kindness stories; we’re thankful for all the ways K-Staters find to give back to the community!
 

💜 K-Staters play a role in Kansas City’s longest kidney transplant chain

Beth Krissek ’84 originally planned to donate a kidney to her friend, Cammy Houston. However, Krissek ended up donating to a total stranger, and her act of kindness played a role in Kansas City’s longest kidney transplant chain, which ultimately involved a number of K-Staters.

A transplant chain matches a pool of donors with patients in need. Sometimes a person who is willing to donate is not a match for their friend or loved one, but they can give a kidney to another person, whose own intended donor may end up being a match for someone else. The chain keeps going, helping the largest number of people possible.

The groundbreaking Kansas City operation took place over two days in 2018 and involved 10 procedures, transferring kidneys from five donors to five recipients. READ MORE

💜 Anonymous student pays for another student’s books at campus store

A random act of kindness in the K-State Campus Store from an anonymous stranger is inspiring K-Staters, once again proving that Wildcats are one big purple family.

Amy Buckley, junior in animal sciences and industry, was in the K-State Campus Store buying books and supplies for a new semester when she swiped her debit card, and found she was $194 short. She was about to cancel the purchase, realizing she had forgotten to check her debit card balance.

That’s when the student at the cash register next to her offered to pay for her books with a check. He told Amy he had a good job, could afford it and wanted to pay it forward. He also declined to give her his name, not wanting her to repay him. READ MORE 

💜 Young grad lends a hand at recent alumni event

An 89-year-old K-State alum, Ann Berry ’51, wanted to attend the K-State Alumni Association’s recent event near Minneapolis, Minnesota, but she needed a ride to get there.

As it turns out, there was a K-Stater right in her neighborhood who was willing to lend a hand.

Alan Fankhauser ’82, assistant director of alumni programs, was able to connect Berry with recent grad Lindsey Fangman ’17, and the K-Staters discovered they live practically next door to each other. Berry called Fangman to ask for a ride and she very graciously said yes. READ MORE 

💜 Students helping students with purple pride

Even while they’re still students, K-Staters are already paying it forward.

K-State Proud is a student-led, nationally recognized fundraising campaign for K-State. Guided by the leadership of the Student Foundation, the campaign encourages students to show their K-State pride through philanthropy.

Over the past 13 years, they have raised more than $1.36 million for Student Opportunity Awards to help more than 700 students stay at K-State who otherwise would not have been able to continue their education. READ MORE 

💜 K-State sorority sisters bonded by gift of life

While they were students at Kansas State University, Bailey Elliott ’15 and Emily Ewert ’16 had a lot in common. They had similar majors, attended some of the same classes, and joined the same sorority — Alpha Delta Pi — where they shared fun memories such as spontaneous food runs or goofy, late-night study breaks.

However, the two friends now share something even more precious, and their K-State connection led to a lifesaving gift. When Bailey developed a serious illness affecting her kidneys and learned she would need a transplant, Emily stepped up and volunteered to donate one of her own kidneys. READ MORE

💜 Visiting fan praises K-State kindness

Kim Giles of Waco, Texas, shared this message with K-State staff after being impressed by the university’s Wildcat hospitality during the recent Baylor football game.

“My husband is a K-State grad (class of ’85), so it was fun to bring him back to his alma mater,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, I broke my foot while we were on vacation in San Francisco, but Baylor’s athletic staff assured me that my crutches and scooter were welcome to join us on the trip. Our buses pulled in to the north end of your gorgeous stadium a couple of hours before game time, so I hiked up the hill to the entrance gate on crutches (knowing that a knee scooter would be of no use on stairs).

“We had no sooner gotten past security when a very nice gentleman stopped us and asked to see our tickets...knowing we were likely seated with other BU fans in the end zone...down a LOT of stairs on row 7. He offered to have our seats switched to the handicap-accessible level section near the scoreboard, and then escorted us to the Guest Accommodations area himself to help us arrange the switch. Seats were quickly changed, and we were treated like royalty when my husband and I arrived!

“We couldn’t believe how awesome the view was from our seats under the bleachers above! Gary and Christina (staff in the area) made sure we had everything we needed throughout, and our fellow seat mates were wonderfully gracious to us. Everywhere we went, K-State fans helped and offered kind words...even congratulating us on BU’s win and wishing us well as we hobbled back down the hill to our bus. Incredible sportsmanship and even MORE incredible kindness for this Texas girl and her Wildcat husband! THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for all of your thoughtfulness while we were there...we’ll never forget it.” 

Progressive change for Kansas State University was always in Dusty Joe Garner-Carpenter’s ’11 blood. 

Before being a student at K-State, he had helped open Delta Lambda Phi, a fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men. As a student he successfully advocated for passage of an ordinance with the Flint Hills Human Rights Project toward non-discrimination, and was participating and hosting the drag shows in Forum Hall. 

But the year that he lost his best friend, he felt K-State needed still more resources for LGBTQ students.

“My second year at K-State, my little brother in my fraternity, one of my best friends and roommate, Jason, decided to take his life,” Dusty said. “It really shook everybody pretty hard and motivated me to say we needed more resources here for LGBTQ students.”

The next summer, Dusty went to Pat Bosco ’71, ’73 and encouraged him to address the need for more support for the LGBTQ Resource Center. Dusty was told it could happen, but he needed the money for it.

After learning how to write an institutional grant, which earned the resource center a few thousand dollars, Dusty wanted to do more still.

“My first idea was to donate the money I earned from one of my numbers during the annual K-State drag show in McCain. My goal was $500 to cover one of the scholarships that I received,” Dusty said. “We met that in the first year.”

The shows have continued and the momentum has not slowed. The year Dusty announced he was going to match every dollar with a goal of funding four scholarships, it was met and doubled. Read more 

International Service Team member makes a difference in Kenya and at home

Traveling abroad is a dream for many students at K-State, but for a small group of people, traveling abroad also means serving a new community to build a better world.

Tori Burkhart ’19, a recent graduate of K-State, decided to spend her summer in Kenya, helping youth engage in new ideas in communication and develop a plan of action for the Children and Youth Empowerment Centre to reach new audiences through K-State’s International Service Teams.

“International Service Teams is a program I have wanted to be involved with since my freshman year, so it was kind of surreal to be chosen,” Tori said. “We had a team reveal day, and I think that was even more exciting — seeing who I was going to get to go on this experience with.”

International Service Teams is an opportunity for K-State students to exercise leadership and service abroad and is organized by the Staley School of Leadership Studies. Teams travel and live in communities around the world during their summer break and engage in local community work.

“There is a simple application process when you explain why you want to go and the purpose behind what going would mean to you. After that, you go through an interview process and through your answers to those questions, the group decides where your best service team fit would be,” Tori said.

The service team that went to Kenya worked with the Children and Youth Empowerment Centre (CYEC), a residential program for former street-dwelling children and youth in Kenya. The CYEC works with them to not only provide shelter but provide students the ability to learn and grow through their educational and vocational training programs.

Tori was in charge of working with the communications aspect of the center. “Since my degree is in advertising, I put together the communications and marketing plan including what a newsletter could look like, revamping the website, and eventually training someone else to sustain the plan themselves,” Tori said. Read more