STUDENT
ANNABELLA PETERSON
ABOUT
Welcome to My Site! I am a sophomore at Kansas State University majoring in sports and news media. I'm passionate about understanding the world through the lens of journalism and using my skills to tell the stories of others. I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to keep learning and growing as a journalist. My site is a platform to share my experiences and connect with others in the media and journalism industry. Come explore and join the conversation!
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PODCAST: Chit Chattin
Public Service Announcement
SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS
25% of K-State students reported contact sexual violence on the 2020 CLIMATE survey. Trina Knight, relationship violence prevention specialist says, quote - it’s challenging. We need more staff, we need more funding, I am one prevention specialist for a population of roughly 20,000 students - end quote. The CARE office, K-State safe zone, and K-State first, offer advocacy services and provide emotional support for survivors. Andrew Moeller, K-State police officer says, quote- we are here to help, we like to be productive and proactive. We are really here to facilitate making this the best and safest environment - end quote.
BURGLARIZED CARS ALONG COLLEGE AVENUE
Lack of sleep during finals week
Multiple unlocked cars have been burglarized in the Gramercy and Prime Place apartment complexes. Rose Earle, resident of the Gramercy says the burglars stole her entire wallet and car registration. Aaron Wintermote is the public information officer for the Riley County Police Department and says there were many reports of break ins the following days. No suspects have been reported. Wintermote says these complexes are easy targets so locking your doors would prevent easy access for the burglars.
Sleep deprivation during finals week takes a toll on students' mood. Elizabeth Hamilton is a sophomore strategic communications major and says she is only getting an average of three hours of sleep per night during finals week. Diana Gant is a psychology professor and leader in the study of sleep. She says going without enough sleep is as much of a public and personal safety hazard as going to work drunk. Lack of sleep is dangerous. It's important to create a nighttime routine that allows you to unwind and relax before bed.
ONLINE NEWS STORIES
Sexual assault on campus
Only one in five college women report to the police after being sexually assaulted or harassed. At Kansas State University, protocol for sexual harassment is: a complaint filed, which will then be determined regarding it’s validity, the complaint is sent to administrative review, a formal written complaint, and then an investigation.
K-State recently held a panel on Tuesday, April 25, to discuss the CLIMATE survey from 2020. Jessica Henault, the program coordinator for the Culture of Respect and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, helped in the process of the survey and the panel.
The panel included Kristin M. Anders, an assistant professor in the Human Development and Family Science Department, and Trina Knight, the Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention Specialist at K-State. They discussed the survey results and the efforts being made to address sexual violence on campus.
According to the survey, 330 K-State students reported experiencing contact sexual violence, while 752 reported experiencing sexual harassment by a fellow K-State student, and 475 reported harassment by a K-State employee. Anders said, “Our rates of sexual harassment were a bit higher than what was found nationally.” This was based on a 2019 study by Cantor and Colleagues.
Andrew Moeller, captain of support services for the K-State police department said, “All of our officers are required to have trauma-informed interviewing training, which we conduct multiple times a year.” Police officers are mandatory reporters, they have to make the CARE office, office of student life, and the office of institutional equity aware of assaults, in order to make sure the survivor has access to resources both on and off campus.
K-State employees are dedicated to helping survivors and advocate for safety on campus. The CARE office offers advocacy services, such as providing emotional support and has classes about consent. The K-State police can help guide survivors in the right direction and also have bystander intervention information.
“We are here to help, we like to be productive and proactive.” Moeller said. “But we are really here to try and facilitate making this the best and safest environment. We like to think that we help facilitate education and make the world a better place.”
While the university is making headway to a better direction, the staff also believes there is room for improvement.
Knight is a singular prevention specialist for the student population and said being understaffed is taking a toll on her. “It’s challenging,” Knight said. “We need more staff, we need more funding, I am one prevention specialist for a population of roughly 20,000 students. If you look at other campuses, like KU for example, they have 6 or 7 prevention specialists. There’s just not enough of me to provide enough programming to adequately service students.”
“I’m tired. I’m starting to feel the effects of burnout.” Knight said.
Moeller said more staff is an improvement that could be made. “I’ve been here for 20 years. I spent 10 of those years as the primary investigator. We take a lot less reports now. I would like to think that programs, such as the bystander intervention and mandatory classes Greek life has to take, are bringing awareness and education to students.”
Anders said furthering outreach to students will provide more responses to the survey, resulting in useful data. “We need to expand beyond email communication to reach students.” Anders said. “This was discussed multiple times during the panel.”
“Getting better is great, but we should never stop trying to do better.” Moeller said.
Miss K-State raises thousands for the Global Service Initiative
The stage set, lights bright, and excitement palpable as Delta Upsilon fraternity hosted the Miss K-State pageant philanthropy event April 11. The contestants' eyes set on making a difference in the community rather than a crown.
The competition comprised four events: wildcat, career, talent and on-stage interview rounds. Contestants competed for the coveted Miss K-State title and Sophie Schnieder, a member of the Chi Omega Sorority won. Schnieder won a $500 scholarship and $200 towards the charity of her choice.
Global Service Initiative
The philanthropy event aimed to raise funds for the Global Service Initiative. The program is designed to provide members with opportunities to engage in service projects globally. Kade Kauffman, vice president of philanthropy said, “We’re really excited about Miss K-State this year. We're raising money for a really important cause, so it's great to see so many people come out and support us.”
This was the 10th annual pageant that students and members of the community gathered to support the Global Service Initiative. Russel Harp, leadership director said, “The Global Service Initiative aims to develop underprivileged communities worldwide. Getting to see them gain cross-cultural experiences and develop leadership skills is incredible.”
Men in Delta Upsilon chapters nationwide built schools in Jamaica March 2023. It cost $100 for undergraduates to attend and $500 for alumni, this included food, lodging, and transportation. According to their mission statement, the chapters raise, a collective $100,000 for GSI each year. The program intends for personal growth and development through service.
The Event
Sophie Schnieder was thrilled to be crowned Miss K-State. “I feel incredibly honored to have won,” she said. “The competition was such an amazing experience. I’m so grateful to DU for putting on this event and all of the hard work they do for their philanthropy.”
After the event Kauffman said, “We are pleased with the success of this year's pageant. It is always inspiring to see the talent and beauty of these women and we are proud to contribute to our philanthropic causes through this event.” The overall amount raised hasn't been finalized yet. Between ticket sales, online streaming, and contestant fan favorites, Kauffman expects a great turnout.
"We're really proud of what we've achieved with Miss K State," Kauffman said. "It's a fun event that brings people together, but it's also a way for us to make a real difference in the world. We're already planning for next year, and we hope to make it even bigger and better."
Additional Stories
NEW CRACKDOWN LEADS TO STRICTER FRAT PARTIES
Without jungle juice or open containers, students will decide if the strobe lights and loud music are enough for a good time at the frats. Because of upcoming reaffiliation with the university, the interfraternal council has taken it upon itself to ensure fraternities are being responsible when hosting parties. Greek life is self-governing at K-State, the Interfraternal Council advises all fraternities on campus. Bradyn Tacha, director of risk management said, “The main purpose is to minimize potential risks that a chapter exposes itself to when hosting a social event, especially those with alcohol present.” New policies include the prohibition of hard alcohol or alcoholic beverages above 13.5%, having an adequate amount of sober monitors per party, having a bartender who is 21 or older, and registering an event with alcohol at least two days in advance. The Social Responsibility Committee is a team of 20 fraternity men who perform social event checks throughout the year. Tacha said, “I have made it very clear to the committee that they are not the police. They are simply at the event to observe compliance and report back to me.” The SRC completes these checks in pairs consisting of members from different chapters to ensure credibility. If rules are not followed there is a two strike system, followed by a $100 fine that doubles with each offense. Jack Verone, social chair for Pi Kappa Alpha said while the rules are much stricter it isn’t that much of an adjustment. “The rules being implemented now will make the transition much easier in the future,” Verone said. “I understand where the IFC is coming from. When we re-affiliate with K-State we don't need a bunch of new rules and houses getting kicked off campus.” Nick Engle, president of Phi Delta Theta said, “They are trying to have a system and rules put in place to show the university in hopes that they don't try to take over in the fall.” As of now there is no limit on the amount of social gatherings a fraternity can host, but there are more steps required prior to hosting. The crackdown is in hopes of continuing Greek Life at K-State. Increased recruitment, added financial support, and additional programming resources are some benefits of reaffiliating. Tacha said, “Similar to the change in how the Responsibility Policy is being enforced, reaffiliation will come with some growing pains for our community as a whole while we adjust to how the university operates, but good change is a little painful sometimes.” ###
SAVANNAH GAS EXPLOSION
Five Savannah Edison Electric employees were injured after a gas explosion along the 2100 block of S. Crosby street Friday. More than 80 resident families were evacuated within a three block radius. The five workers arrived at the hospital by ambulance around 8:15 p.m. four workers have already been sent home with minor injuries. Lyssa Zaks, Chief of staff at Nash Hospital said, “Mark Goodson has been upgraded from critical to stable condition.” Goodson is recovering in the ICU with 2nd degree burns to the forehead and neck as well as a penetrated stomach wall. A full recovery is expected. 17 phone calls were made to 911 prior to the blast complaining about gas fumes on Monday. Stills Gas Company repaired a small leak that night, just two blocks away from the explosion. Mayor Toby Smyth said at the press conference, “there is speculation that electrical wires being installed came into contact with a section of a gas pipe that might have had a small leak but it has not been confirmed.” The cause of the gas leak is still under investigation. Savannah Edison Electric was doing routine wiring work on the lampposts on S. Crosby St. at the time of the explosion. Savannah Edison Electric CEO, Ida Sung said, “obviously we are foremost focused on the health and safety of employees while not losing sight of maintaining the trust of the people of Savannah.” Crews will work overnight to repair the gas pipe, so evacuated residents can return home. No residents were injured in the explosion. The 80 evacuated families are seeking shelter at the Elko State Music College arena. Resident Elaine Robinson is looking at the bright side of things she said, “the shelter has all the provisions we need. We have dance music.” Displaced residents are expected to return home Thursday. Alison Moyet, President of Elko State Music College said, “we consider everyone in Savannah our neighbor, and when neighbors need neighbors, neighbors step up.” ###
STUDENT CONDUCT CODE UPDATE LEADS TO BIG CHANGES
The center for student involvement announced major changes to policies on Thursday. The update aims to provide a safer and more inclusive environment for students on campus. The policies impacted include student organization recognition, conduct, and student amnesty. This means that students who engage in behavior off-campus at an organized event that is deemed harmful to the university, will face disciplinary action. This broadens the university’s opportunity to intervene. The updates will go into effect on Aug. 1. Another key change is the new requirement that all organizations must have a faculty or staff member advisor. Nick Engle, president of Phi Delta Theta said, “The requirement for a faculty advisor doesn't bother me at all, it's going back to the same way it was before COVID-19.” Engle said the Inter Fraternity Council had much more information to give to students. A copy of the actual code of conduct in progress was given to greek life executive members to provide feedback. The previous classifications of independent and dependent student organizations have had a name change to sponsored and affiliated groups. Similar to the current structure, sponsored groups are operated by university departments while affiliated are interest groups. A new authorization process will be required for high risk activities under the student organization events policy, requiring organizations to report misconduct and disruptions to the Center for Student Involvement even if it was a non-member who caused an issue. The organization itself will be responsible for conducting an investigation on the matter and filing a misconduct form online. Addi Blum, vice president of membership for Alpha Kappa Psi said she was pleased to hear about the financial flexibility that sponsored organizations will have. Blum said, “Getting to have off campus bank accounts will make it so much easier to access organization money.” This change will allow for external funds made by the organization to go in a separate bank account. Both sponsored and affiliated organization advisors will go through training and give guidance to the groups. Additional support will be provided for Title IX, and union activities. Sara Heiman, interim executive director for the center for student involvement said, “This is the university's chance to provide key support that may have previously been missing.” ###