Kansas State University

Greetings K-State Parents and Families!  My name is Thomas Lane and I serve as the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Kansas State University. Thank you for opting in to receive the Parents and Family Newsletter.

Every other month, this newsletter will provide guidance and include stories of recent K-State happenings.  Beyond keeping you informed, the Parents and Family Program will be hosting an exciting lineup of events throughout the year.  Be sure to save the date for the 92^nd Annual Family Day celebration held on Saturday, September 12, 2020.  We invite families to experience K-State, eat great food, and make memories with your student. Families can hang out at the pre-game Tailgate Party (registration opens early summer) or celebrate your student at the breakfast Pinning Ceremony. This ceremony honors students who are the first in their family to attend K-State and honors students who are following a long family legacy of Wildcats. Continue reading “Parents and Family Welcome Letter from Dr. Lane” →

The K-State Parents and Family Program recently caught up with K-State alumnus Chandler Johnson. He graduated from K-State in 2012 with a B.S. in both Communication Studies and Journalism and Mass Communication. He is now an Online Visual Design Specialist at Unbound, a nonprofit based out of Kansas City, Missouri, helping families find resources to become self-sufficient.

Since his time at K-State, Johnson has continued to find personal ways to preserve and share powerful narratives.  This month he has been celebrating Black History Month in style. Johnson created Pick Progress, an independent web-based mixed media art project focused on “sharing stories of Black individuals and highlighting elements of Black culture.”  The project centers on 31 hair picks that he designed, each featuring a different phrase of empowerment inspired by Black community and culture.  Johnson also interviewed and photographed a broad range of individuals whose voices are “traditionally underrepresented in the greater American narrative.” Each person is photographed holding or wearing the pick, and their stories, thoughts, and experiences related to the featured phrases are included on the website Continue reading “Black History Month Alumnus Spotlight: Chandler Johnson ‘11” →

The annual K-State Family of the Year award recognizes a family that has shown great dedication to the Kansas State community and the Wildcat Family. The K-State Family of the Year is chosen on the basis of their current and past affiliation with the university, and demonstration of their “K-State Pride” and support for the K-State Family. In 2019, the Jane Dodge Works Family was recognized as the K-State Family of the Year. The Jane Dodge Works family has been dedicated to K-State for over 152 years, beginning with Jane’s grandmother, who attended Kansas State Agricultural College in 1867. For six generations, each member has made it a point to share their “K-State Way” with all they encounter. Continue reading “2020 K-State Family of the Year Applications Open” →

Lafene Health Center is thrilled to partner with the K-State Parents and Family Program to provide information about Lafene that you might not know.  If you haven’t been to Lafene Health Center recently, then you haven’t been to Lafene Health Center!

We are excited about the services that Lafene offers and we want YOU to know about them too! Lafene provides students with high quality health care, focusing on keeping your student healthy and promoting a healthy campus community.  Students have access to coordinated and comprehensive services targeted at building and maintaining overall well-being.

These services are available through Lafene Health Center, including our Health Promotion Department, and Counseling Services.  We believe good health is essential for academic success.  We provide preventive care including immunizations, physicals, well women and well man exams, STI screenings and pre-travel visits. Continue reading “Lafene-Every Man a Wildcat- Every Wildcat a WellCAT” →

The fall semester was the busiest yet at Cats’ Cupboard. On average, one visitor used the food pantry every 12 minutes the space was open. The record for most visits in one day was set on Dec. 2 with 66 student visits.

In an end-of-semester survey, Cats’ Cupboard visitors were asked to share what the food pantry meant in their lives. Nearly 55% of respondents said they’d considered leaving K-State due to financial challenges, and 95% said utilizing Cats’ Cupboard decreased their level of financial stress.

Continue reading “Inside K-State’s Cats’ Cupboard” →