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K-State Parents and Family Program

A Conversation with Tara Coleman, Chair of the K-State Book Network (KSBN)

Chair of K-State Book Network and Associate Professor of K-State Libraries Tara Coleman

Tara Coleman, web services librarian and associate professor, also serving as the chair of the K-State Book Network, sits down with Mindy Weixelman, director of parent and family relations to discuss the K-State Book Network and its recent selection for the 2018 common reading book, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

PFA: Tara, thank you for taking the time to share with parents and families the purpose of the K-State Book Network and the common reading book, and how it will translate into their student’s college experience. The K-State Parents and Family Association aims to communicate programs and initiatives taking place on campus in a timely, thorough, and direct manner.

Tara: Great! Everyone involved with the K-State Book Network appreciates the opportunity to engage with parents and families.

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Young Alumni Spotlight: Trenton Kennedy ’18

May 2018 Graduate Trenton Kennedy from Frankfort, Kansas.

K-State PFA Intern Sadie Polson recently caught up with Trenton Kennedy, a May 2018 graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Political Science. Through his involvement in organizations such as Student Governing Association, Blue Key Senior Honorary, and Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, Trenton’s K-State experiences have proven essential in navigating the recent transition into his professional career.

Sadie:  Describe your transition from college to career. What are you doing now? What were some of the major adjustments?

Trenton:  I am currently living in Washington, D.C. where I serve as a press assistant to Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). My transition from college to career was short. Many of my friends going into the private sector have spent their time between college and career back-packing Europe or at the lake. Public service doesn’t lend well to excessive spending, so I started after spending a short two weeks in my hometown of Frankfort, Kansas. The transition has been interesting – I am slowly getting used to the hours and having two phones. I’ve spent summers in DC doing internships, so it doesn’t feel unfamiliar. However, I know when college football season rolls around and I’m not watching the Cats from Bill Snyder Family Stadium, things will feel very different.

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K-State Launches New Office of First-Generation Students

Office of First Generation Students Assistant Director Rebeca Paz

As Director of Parent and Family Relations, I have the opportunity and pleasure to collaborate with Rebeca Paz, who is known on campus as a valued resource, advocate and overall champion for first-generation students.  While Rebeca is not new to K-State, she is leading a new endeavor for first-generation students and families.

PFA:  Congratulations for launching the new Office of First-Generation Students!  K-State’s land-grant mission offers students a pathway to success.  How will having an office enhance our abilities to support first-generation students? 

Rebeca:  Yes, I’m very excited about this announcement.  The generous support of the Suder Foundation has made our dream become a reality.  The Office will serve as a model for universities across the country — informed and inspired through a unique partnership with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Center for First Generation Student Success, another key program funded by the Suder Foundation.

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Lafene Health Center: Your Student Health Resource

 

Lafene Health Center Director Jim Parker

K-State PFA Intern Sadie Polson recently sat down with Jim Parker, Director of Lafene Health Center, K-State students’ health and wellness facility. Conveniently located at 1105 Sunset Avenue, across the street from Marlatt Hall and the Kramer Dining Center, Lafene is focused on providing students with a cost-effective, physician-directed healthcare experience.

K-State PFA Intern Sadie Polson recently sat down with Jim Parker, Director of Lafene Health Center, K-State students’ health and wellness facility. Conveniently located at 1105 Sunset Avenue, across the street from Marlatt Hall and the Kramer Dining Center, Lafene is focused on providing students with a cost-effective, physician-directed healthcare experience.

PFA: Thank you for visiting with us today, Jim! Tell us about the range of services your staff provides to K-State students.

Jim: Lafene Health Center (LHC) is a fully accredited outpatient health center that offers a wide range of health and wellness resources.  These resources, both clinical and academic, are available to eligible students.  Clinical offerings include primary care/family practice medicine, sports medicine, dermatology, women’s and men’s health, mental health medication management, ADHD testing, physical therapy, athletic training, allergy and immunization services, foreign travel consultations, laboratory services, and a full-service pharmacy.  This fall, LHC will initiate massage therapy services for eligible students, faculty, and staff.

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Highlights from Black History Month Celebrations

Notable Speakers Visit K-State for Black History Month & MLK Observance Week

K-State was quite fortunate this past month to host lectures from two major social activists:  Martin Luther King III and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

It has been fifty years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Kansas State University, the last university he would be able to visit. Dr. King advocated for nonviolent approaches to social injustice in his presentation to over 7000 people sitting in Ahearn Fieldhouse. To honor the 50th anniversary of his lecture at K-State, Dr. King’s eldest son, Martin Luther King III, spoke to over 600 K-State students, administration, and community members in the K-State Student Union on Thursday, January 25th.

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Cats’ Cupboard: A Great Start to a Valued Campus Resource

An Update from Cats’ Cupboard Coordinator, Erin Bishop:

Erin Bishop photo

 

As coordinator of Cats’ Cupboard, I want to provide you with some happy news and exciting updates.  We have been very busy here, serving students, raising awareness, providing students and staff/faculty with resource referrals, and exploring ways to combat stigma.  As we move into the spring, we have some new things on the horizon to share!

Attached you will find a “Visitor Report” for our first semester of operation. From September 25 to December 22, we had 189 first time visitors using the pantry, and a total of 442 visits for those three months.  Our students came from every college on campus, with the largest majority being in-state students.  My quick math shows we have now had close to 230 unique victors with well over 590 visits to the pantry.  The second part of that sheet shows preferred usage times for students.  This is helpful as we move forward in evaluating our current policies and procedures.

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A New Partnership with K-State Polytechnic and American Airlines

American Airlines Flight Education Grant boosts Kansas State Polytechnic aviation education outreach efforts

Thanks to a $25,000 grant from American Airlines, plans are taking off on the Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus to help more secondary students learn what it’s like to be an airplane pilot.

Image result for american airlines logo

The grant, designed to increase enrollment in Kansas State Polytechnic’s professional pilot degree program, will fund construction of a mobile aircraft simulator lab, support short introductory flights for prospective pilot students and sponsor middle and high school student scholarships to the campus’s aviation youth Discover Programs.

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Spring Break, Not Spring Broke

Money Saving Tips for Spring Break by Emily Koochel of Powercat Financial

The semester is flying by and spring break is just around the corner! Spring break is meant to be a fun and relaxing time to get your mind off of school and rejuvenate yourself. However, traveling can become quite expensive and many students end up stressing out about their trip because of the overwhelming costs. Below are helpful tips and tricks to help save some extra cash so you can focus on having a well-deserved stress free week.

Meals can eat away at your budget very quickly, especially when restaurants at many spring break locations can be quite pricey, albeit delicious! Consider packing your own food and drinks when you are traveling. If you’re carpooling with friends, pack a cooler full of sandwiches, drinks, and snacks. This will be cheaper than stopping at restaurants along the way, even the seemingly inexpensive fast food places. It will also shorten the time of your trip by cutting out those timely meal stops and help you get to your destination faster! If you are flying somewhere you can also pack a meal and/or snacks. Food on airplanes and in the airports is very expensive, avoiding these options for meals will significantly decrease your meal costs. Another common way to bring down your food costs is finding a hotel furnished with a refrigerator and microwave, or better yet an in-room kitchen. Buying groceries and making a few meals in your hotel will be much cheaper than going out for every meal, or ordering room service.

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Young Alumni Spotlight: Carolyn Gatewood

PFA was fortunate enough to catch up with Carolyn Gatewood, a 2014 graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English and a minor in Leadership Studies with a nonprofit focus. Through her involvement in organizations such as Student Foundation, K-State Proud, Blue Key, Association of Residence Halls, and Christian Challenge, Carolyn’s K-State experiences have proven essential in navigating the transition into her professional career. The Shawnee, Kansas native is now a 9th grade English/Language Arts teacher at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School in Kansas City, MO.

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A Conversation about the Center for Student Involvement

Heather Reed, assistant vice president, also serving as the senior associate dean and director of student life sits down with PFA Intern Annie Jewell to discuss the recent changes regarding student clubs and organizations at Kansas State University.

Annie: Heather, thank you for taking the time to discuss the new Center for Student Involvement and what this means for the K-State students. The K-State Parents and Family Association aims to communicate changes that occur on campus to parents in a timely, thorough, and direct manner.

Heather: Of course!

Annie: Let’s get to it. K-State encourages all students to get involved in student organizations, which provide many opportunities for leadership, personal growth, community service, professional development and learning from others. Tell us about the newly formed Center for Student Involvement.

Heather: This summer, the Office of Student Activities and Services and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life merged to form the Center for Student Involvement (CSI). The center, in the newly renovated Student Union, assists with registration, provides information to students and offers programming on topics such as leadership development and offers resources to nearly 500 student organizations. We just hired a new executive director, Kelli Farris.

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