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Become a Part of the STATEMENTS Team

STATEMENTS Magazine is looking for a new group of K-State students to join our winning team in creating a publication covering Kansas State University and Manhattan’s collegiate lifestyles.

PAID opportunities available for writers, photographers, illustrators and designers. This is your chance to represent the real student life in the form of a magazine.

Send a resume, cover letter and a couple examples of your work to statementsmag@sunflowerpub.com

Fall 2009

The Fall Issue of Statements is out on campus now. You can pick up your own copy at Hale Library, The Union and Varney’s in Aggieville.

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Spring 2009

The Spring Issue of Statements Magazine is now on campus. You can pick up a copy in Hale Library, The Union, Rathbone Hall, Umberger Hall and Bluemont.

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Looking for a job?

Statements Magazine is currently looking for students interested in gaining advertising sales experience while attending KSU. We offer an hourly wage plus commission for part-time sales; set your own hours. This is a great opportunity to gain experience, earn money and add to your resume. If interested, send resume and cover letter to bhull@ljworld.com

Story Ideas for Fall Issue

It’s that time again to start thinking about stories for the fall issue of Statements Magazine! We are looking for any and all ideas that you might have.

Is there a unique class that is like no other you’ve ever taken before? Send it our way.

Or maybe you’ve noticed a trend on campus that you think needs to be written about. Let us know.

In a cool on-campus club? Tell us about it.

No idea is a bad one so shoot us a quick e-mail (chalk@chalkonline.com) with your ideas.

The spring issue will be out soon so keep a look out!

Fall 2008

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Photo Contest

Thanks for all who participated and voted in our photo contest. Congratulations to our winners. Their winning photos will be printed in the Spring 09 issue of STATEMENTS.

In Transit

How do you traverse campus, and is it the best way?

Written by Jacob Fisher
Photographed by Anne Dinsdale

The journey begins the same way every day. We drag ourselves out of bed and suffer beneath the steaming jets of water in a vain effort to shake off the morning cold. Then after a more-often-than-not unhealthy breakfast we’re out the door onto our various modes of transportation in an effort to gain a little piece of paper that says, “Get a job.”

What is the best transportation for getting to class? There are plenty of options, but is there a mode of transportation that is cheaper, easier or faster? Ultimately, it depends on how far you live from campus. To learn a bit more about our campus commute, we’ve taken a closer look at how students are getting to class at Kansas State University.

Earth factor: *Not an Earth fan **Earth friendly ***Loves Earth
Dollar factor: *Thrifty **On a budget ***Breaking the bank
Speed Factor: *No hurry **Average ***Speedy

Bicycling

As a mode of transportation, bicycling has many benefits. Kristin Russell, St. John senior, prefers one of the two-wheel warriors that rocket students to class every day.

“I’m a glutton for speed, so I typically enjoy a bike ride best when I’m going downhill,” Russell says. “But I also enjoy riding a bike for the convenience.” Typically, riding a bike will get you to class in half of the time it would take to walk. And if you’re biking instead of driving you’re also getting exercise.

“There aren’t many bikers, so riding a bike makes you fairly distinguishable to drivers and pedestrians,” Russell says of the area surrounding campus. “Plus there are many bike racks on campus and most major buildings have … places to lock bikes.”

Yet there are always a few drawbacks to cycling, such as trying to ride a bike in the ice or snow or navigating through campus during the busiest part of the day, dodging cars and pedestrians alike.

Remember to also register your bike with the local municipality and invest in a good lock.

FACTORS: Earth: *** Dollar: *-** Speed: **

Walking

Walking may be the most common mode of transportation for any college student living within a 20-minute radius of campus and it’s an easy form of exercise.

“If you don’t have a chance to work out, walking is the next best things,” says Mervin Lare, Phillipsburg senior. Having lived within a few blocks of campus the five years he’s attended K-State, Lare has walked to class every day. From his current residence it takes him about 10 minutes to walk to Durland Hall, where most of his classes meet.
Mother Nature can often trump Lare’s walk with the sporadic and somewhat extreme climate of central Kansas. Walking is not without its safety issues either. It’s a good idea for women to avoid walking through campus alone after dark . At times, even Lare has worried about the chance of an “unsavory encounter.”

Nevertheless, during daylight, many can’t argue with Lare when he says, “Walking is cheaper than buying gas.”

FACTORS: Earth: *** Dollar: * Speed: *

Automobiles

Jimbo Ivy, Randolph senior, lives about three and half miles from campus and while he’s pleasantly walked it once or twice, it’s not something he prefers to do on a daily basis. So he turns to his car for transportation to class.

The first question for any K-State motorist would be whether to pay for a parking pass or try to find off-street parking.

“I personally don’t own a parking pass because I don’t feel it’s worth the price. I had one previously and generally I had to arrive an hour to an hour and a half early just to get a spot,” says Ivy.

Driving has its pros and cons, but overall it seems to require a sacrifice of money for time and ease. With the rising cost of fuel students have begun to notice the strain on their wallets. Driving also adds mileage plus wear and tear to vehicles and can mean a gamble with overeager towing companies.

FACTORS: Earth: * Dollar: *** Speed: ***

Alternatives

What about the other alternatives? Motorcycles and scooters offer a simple mode of transportation but are expensive if you already own a car or truck, and can be dangerous to operate.

Some students on campus want to see more public modes of transportation brought to Manhattan.

In the spring of 2008, the Students for Environmental Action (SEA) proposed a plan for a shuttle system instead of the new parking garage, but it was rejected.

“We actually created a proposal and had a good amount of students sign it, but when we brought it to administration they said that the garage was going to be built and it was an administration decision,” says Megan Bindel, SEA president. “We believe that if a shuttle system was put in place first, a garage would not have been needed.”

Everyone has their own situation and preferences to consider when deciding how to get to campus every day. Whether your main concern is economy, speed, ease or safety, keep in mind that there are 20-some-thousand other students in town who have to make the same decisions as you.

FACTORS: Earth: ** Dollar: ** Speed: **

By the numbers

Here are some interesting facts about the new parking garage on Anderson Avenue and 17th Street, compiled from the 2008-2009 Traffic and Parking Regulations by Kansas State University. The garage has a predicted budget of $17.85 million, so we investigated how that money could alternatively be used on and around campus. Also we found a few facts-like fees and tickets-you’ll endure when you misuse the garage. Granted, all are subject to change.

Forget the banter, here’s what you really need to know.

Once the parking garage is completed:
• 500 spaces will be reserved for students ($150 annual parking pass).
• 400 will be reserved for faculty ($150-$190 annual parking pass).
• 134 will be reserved for 24-hour spaces (cost is displayed on meter).
• 350 will be reserved for an hourly fee (cost is displayed on meter).

To pay for the $17,850,000 (the predicted cost) garage, 119,000 annual student parking passes will need to be bought. With only 500 student spaces, it would take 238 years to pay off the garage in just student passes. But couple that with faculty passes (also at $150), and we are only looking at about 132 years.

If we want to shy from the concrete spending, the cost of the garage could also be used to:
• Pay roughly 23.4 years of men’s basketball coach Frank Martin’s annual salary and compensation ($760,000).
• Pay roughly 23.8 years of football coach Ron Prince’s annual salary and compensation ($750,000).

$17.85 million could also pay for:
• 2,934 annual 20-meal plans.
• 17,850 Academic Achievements Fairchild Awards.
• 14,280 Kansas Foundation Scholarships.
• 5,100 study abroad trips at an average cost of $3,500.
The fine print includes parking violations. Here’s a rundown so you know what it’s going to cost you.

$10 expired meter
$20 damaged or improperly displayed parking permit
$50 not a valid permit
$20 in the wrong permitted area
$25 no parking area
$25 parked in wrong area
$25 wrong side of the street
$25 overtime parking
$25 client parking
$20 any other parking deemed inappropriate
(To name a few.)

Finding Purpose

One student’s interest leads him to work on the campaign trail

Written by Alecia Stuchlik

As a Shawnee senior in anthropology, political science and economics, Bryan Cox didn’t seem to have enough on his plate during the Kansas Democratic caucus in February 2008. So he decided to jump aboard the Democratic presidential campaign of Barack Obama.

Cox’s interest in Obama was sparked after hearing him speak at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while Obama was a U.S. senator for Illinois. His speech was more than just words to Cox.

“He called to a feeling of higher purpose in me. I don’t like the division of our country. I don’t think we’re as different as is sometimes portrayed. And his words were so on the mark, so accurate, I was floored,” says Cox.

After becoming an Obama campaign donor and supporter, Cox attended a Students for Barack Obama gathering at Kansas State University. Little did he know his attendance would lead to a trip to Iowa over winter break to work on the campaign. Back in Manhattan, Cox became the point man for K-State and was soon knee-deep in working to organize the local caucus. Voter outreaches, volunteer organization and canvassing were just a few of his responsibilities.

“On caucus night, of course, I had to manage things from our end and make sure no Obama supporters got disenfranchised.” At the caucus, Cox also gave a speech to the crowds of individuals, encouraging people to vote for Obama.

For Cox, the entire experience has been incredibly rewarding.

“I met a huge number of people, developed a lot of contacts and had a lot of fun. Knowing and learning about others lives’ has become a passion for me, and the originality of all the people across this nation is amazing,” he says. As for the future, Cox has strong connections with Democrats in the local community as well as statewide.

The Young Democrats and the College Republicans face off

With political activism among students hitting an all-time high, Statements Magazine asked the former presidents of the Young Democrats, Aaron Apel, and the College Republicans, Chris Kovarik, for their thoughts on the 2008 presidential election involving John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

What are the big political issues in the upcoming election?
Young Democrats: Immigration, the Iraq War and the economy.
College Republicans: Immigration, the Iraq War, the economy and health care.

Is your organization unified behind the a candidate?
YD: There is mixed support of candidates, but Obama is popular with the student body.
CR: Many are skeptical of John McCain, but see him as the lesser of two evils.

How is the fact that one major Democratic contender is a woman and the other is an African -American man going to affect this election?
YD: They Don’t believe it will affect the election much. Feel that bBoth candidates have their strong and weak points, and feel there is enough motivation for Americans to change the status quo. Sees an advantage in having diverse candidates in that there are issues being raised that haven’t been raised during a presidential election before.
CR: Doesn’t think it will affect the election, and hopes that the country has moved beyond having gender or race as a prerequisite for leadership.

How does your organization feel about the opposing political party’s candidates?
YD: Don’t talk about them very often and find the Republican’s’ inability to cross party lines and work with Democrats frustrating at times. Notice, and find it humorous, that whenever Republicans are seen together they are always yelling at one another, not necessarily focusing on the debate at hand but rather being more interested in bashing one another.
CR: Generally despise the Democratic candidates.

In what ways is this election going to differ from previous ones?
YD: Believe that voter turnout will be higher.
CR: See the election as any other election. “Due to our political system, if someone messes up really badly, ‘We the People’ can fire them and hire someone new in four years,” says Kovarik.

How do the students in your organizations feel about the war in Iraq?
YD: Most members don’t believe in the war, but some think a complete pullout of troops is ill-advised. “It’s impossible to pull out everyone at this time without a complete collapse in Iraq,” says Apel. “There are logistics to think about.”
CR: Almost all members believe the war is necessary and we will eventually win. “In my opinion, General Petraeus should be the one calling the shots in Iraq,” says Kovarik.

What do you think about the state of the economy right now?
YD: Aren’t really worried about the economy; believe that we are just in a downward trend that’s part of the economic cycle.
CR: Aren’t concerned with the state of the economy because recessions come and go. “What I see is a situation where a bunch of stupid people buying stupid loans and stupid people loaning stupid loans, and now everyone is getting what they deserve,” says Koravik.

What are your thoughts on McCain as a future president?
YD: Like that he has a history of bipartisan work to resolve issues. “We don’t like that he’s gung-ho for the war, but the fact that he’s willing to compromise makes him better than the current president,” says Apel.
CR: At first many were skeptical of him and many still don’t agree with his stance on issues such as stem-cell research and campaign reform policy, but he is seen as a patriot with lots of character and a history of bipartisan efforts.

What are your thoughts on Obama as a future president?
YD: He is very attractive to college students and is seen as an idealist who hasn’t been corrupted by politics. “Obama pulls at the hearts and minds of young people,” says Apel. “He’s seen as someone outside of the system, and someone who hasn’t been changed by it.”
CR: Many believe that Obama is genuine and really wants to help the United States, but believe that his methods aren’t good for America. “I just couldn’t imagine him giving the order to send us to war if it was necessary,” says Kovarik. “He’s too nice.”

What are your thoughts on Clinton as a future president?
YD: See Clinton as experienced, intelligent and politically wise. “She’s good at what people hate about politics, and like it or not that’s how things get done,” says Apel. Clinton is not as popular among the students, however, and many have said that they would vote for McCain rather than Clinton if Obama loses the primary election.
CR: Believe that Clinton is misguided, dishonest and lacking management or leadership experience. “Just because she lived in the White House doesn’t make her ready to be president,” says Kovarik. “I think that she’s mostly fabricated by her handlers and image makers.”

What changes would you like to see the future administration make?
YD: Would like to see a gradual withdrawal of troops and resources from overseas and an increased interest in the “green” movement.
CR: Would like to see better government communications and public relations and an administration that will get people excited again about small government, hard work, competition and patriotism.

- Interviews conducted, condensed and edited by Jacob Fisher.