K-State College of Agriculture -- An Inside View

K-S-U Wildcats!!

K-State football games are the heart and soul of the fall semester. I love the atmosphere that the fans create. Game day begins at least five hours before kickoff- the parking lots open and tailgating begins. Last weekend I was with a couple Ag Ambassadors and we spotted Willie the Wildcat (the infamous K-State mascot) in the parking lot. We ran over to him and got our picture taken with him. This was the highlight of our day...besides the fact that K-State won against Missouri State.
After I got over being star-struck by Willie I went over to the Ag Ambassador tailgate. The College of Ag Deans cooked a smorgasbord of food for us. We had pork roast, ribs, and barbequed beef. This was definitely the best tailgating food I have ever had. We played our own game of football and a few other games before we headed into Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
K-State football has many traditions and you don’t have to wait very long to experience one of them. Before every game soldiers from Fort Riley carry out the flag and the fans recite the Pledge of Allegiance. After this the players come out onto the field and Willie does the K-S-U cheer from on top of a building. Kickoff has the tradition of jingling your keys before the ball is kicked. When K-State scores, Willie does pushups for each point we have on the board and then he does the K-S-U cheer. The band plays the Wabash Cannonball and the fans move back and forth with the beat.
All of these traditions and routines make the excitement around K-State football contagious. You truly feel like you an integral part of something big, and it’s one of the reasons I’m really glad I went to a large university. My football memories will help me connect with new colleagues and neighbors for years to come! I absolutely love going to games and supporting the cats. There is just something about a game day that gets me excited and ready to cheer on the team.

Go Cats!!

-Melissa

Manhattan

I have two places that I really enjoy visiting in Manhattan.  The first place is a few miles outside of town.  It is what I would call a "lookout point" of Tuttle Creek.  It is really enjoyable to look out over the water and take in the beautiful view.  Sometimes I drive out to this spot just to take a break and relax from the busy schedule that college provides.  It refreshes me to simply enjoy nature.

The other place I really enjoy visiting in Manhattan is the KSU Recreation Complex.  I try and go to the Rec at least three times a week.  It has so many options that you can never get bored.  You can run on the treadmills or indoor track, enjoy sand volleyball, or hit the basketball, racquetball, and tennis courts.  You also can lift weights, sign up for aerobic and yoga classes, or try the stretching and toning room.  The best news of all... the Rec is part of your student fees, so it's practically free!  I highly recommend visitng both of these locations!

K-State Proud,

Tyler

JP Stambaugh

Hello, fellow and future K-Staters. My name is JP Stambaugh, and I am currently a sophomore in food science with a business option. I am from Louisburg, KS which is a town of approximately 2,500 about an hour south of Kansas City and five minutes from Missouri. In Louisburg, my family (which includes my parents and three younger siblings) owns quite a few types of unusual animals; ranging from rabbits and goats to chickens and llamas. My hobbies outside of school include sports and woodworking.

    I had about 100 students in my graduating class at Louisburg High School where I played basketball, ran cross-country and, was also very involved in 4-H and FFA. To be honest I pretty much thought I would always come to K-State; however, when I started considering colleges, I was looking for something to do with genetics because I enjoyed high school biology. Initially, I looked at majoring in chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, but it just seemed big and impersonal. In FFA, I had always competed well in the food science contests so I decided to look at the food science program in the College of Agriculture. The faculty and the current students I met made everything so easy and family-like that I was immediately sold on the major and have enjoyed everything about the college so far. Another thing that drew me to K-State was FarmHouse Fraternity, which has been a great part of my college experience. I’ve chosen to blog about my college experiences because I feel that current students made it easier for me to have a positive experience at K-State, and I want to be able to share that. Between the education, activities, Greek life, and the K-State athletics I don’t see how any one could go wrong by coming to K-State.

Advising

The advising program in the College of Ag here at K-State has been a major help to me.  They use faculty advisors, meaning that the professors who are teaching classes and doing research are the ones advising students on their academics.  The fact that they are teaching and researching at the same time gives them connections within the industry.  This could be a great asset when it comes time to graduate and find a job.  The advisors in the

College of Ag are not full-time advisors who have 200 students to advise, the average advisee load is less than 20 advisees per advisor.  This allows them to have a more personal relationship with you and really understand what is going on in your life. 

Personally, my advisor has been a great asset to me.  He helps me to decide which classes I need to take and when would be best to take them.  He is aware of the difficulty level of those classes and gives his recommendations as to which to take at the same time and which ones to take in different semesters.

College of Agriculture advisors not only give helpful suggestions, but they make you a priority.  I have very few breaks in the day between school, work, and other responsibilities.  My advisor also has a busy schedule teaching courses, research, etc.  Nonetheless, he has always worked around my schedule to find a time to meet with me when I have questions or concerns. Also, whenever I meet him walking down the hall, he always recognizes me and makes a point to ask me how classes, life, and everything are going. 

Advisors do more than just advise students on the academics at K-State.  For example, I have been looking to study abroad this coming summer.  My advisor asked where I wanted to go and I rattled off a list of places that I thought would interest me.  He then proceeded to tell me all about the great times and issues that his son had when he went on a study abroad trip to one of the locations I was considering.  This really gave me an idea of what to expect and reassured me that he would be able to help me in the planning of my trip.  Many of the trips are even led by the same professors that advise some of the students in the College of Ag!

I hope you will come join us in the College of Agriculture and get to see first-hand how great our faculty are (and students, of course!)

-Morgan

Rebecca's Summer Internship

Driving in the car…listening to the radio…visiting with producers. All of these short phrases help sum up my internship for this past summer.  This summer, I interned with the Kansas Animal Health Department and KansasStateUniversity.  For my internship, I traveled across Kansas promoting Premise Registration for the National Animal Identification System.  It seemed like I traveled through every town in Northeast Kansas– I would daily make trips to visit with veterinarians about the program. I also went to 16 Kansas county fairs!  At the fairs, I visited with producers about the benefits and disadvantages of registering their premises.  I truly enjoy talking to producers and hearing about their different operations, which made this a perfect internship for me.  Plus, I was able to watch a lot of cattle shows, which reminded me of my summers back home in North Dakota. 

When I graduate from college I hope to get a job that allows me to work with beef cattle producers.  This internship was perfect preparation!  I am not the only person in the College of Ag at K-State that has found internships that suit their goals in life, though.  The faculty at K-State is always willing to help find internships based on their interests. The different departments send out numerous emails throughout the school year, notifying students of internships for the summer.  With such great support from the faculty, it is nearly impossible to not find an internship that is a great fit for you!

Class Sizes

Many people just starting K-State think all of their classes will be huge because there are so many students enrolled at K-State.  There are some bigger classes, mainly general education classes that everyone has to take such as sociology, psychology, expository writing, macroeconomics, etc.  While you might not get as much one-on-one attention in these bigger classes, the professors are usually more than willing to meet with you outside of class to clarify anything you might not understand.  The glory of those classes, though, is that a good majority of the time, you are going to have multiple choice tests and quizzes.  Not many professors are willing to take on the task of grading 150 essay tests!

While you will have to take some of those courses with larger class sizes, 70 percent of the classes here at K-State have fewer than 30 students.  In fact, the average class size is 23 students.  This is especially true when you start taking the courses that are more specific to your major.  I am currently taking macroeconomics, a university general education course, and that is a fairly large course.  However, my other 4 classes, which are more specific to my major, are much smaller ranging from 25 to 50 students.  And many classes have caps on how large then can get.  For example, freshman English classes are capped at 22 students, speech classes are limited to 23, foreign language classes have no more than 24, and introductory chemistry labs and design studios are capped at 18 students. 

So, don’t get discouraged in your first few semesters when you have larger classes; they will get smaller as you go along and the classes get more specialized. 

-Morgan

Marinda Johnson

Hello all!
I’m Marinda Johnson, and I am junior at Kansas State University. I grew up on my family’s farm outside of Mound City, a small town an hour south of the Kansas City Metro area. As a child, I was active in the local 4-H club and then became involved with my FFA chapter. It was then that I truly discovered my love for agriculture! I am currently majoring in Agricultural Education, contemplating a dual major in Agricultural Communications and Journalism. I love educating others of all ages about agriculture and the opportunities it has to offer. I have also been called a “FFA junkie” a few times, as I am passionate about the organization that helped shape my life.

This semester is my most unique one yet, but I love it! By unique I mean the diversity of my classes — a welding lab, a floral design class, and an online history class all in the same semester! I’m also active in many organizations on-campus, including Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority, Collegiate Farm Bureau, Ag Ed Club, and Ag Ambassadors, and I work off-campus as a communications intern for Kansas Farm Bureau.

I am excited to begin teaching after graduation in a few years, but still have a deep love for writing. Hence, my indecisiveness about my dual major, and one of the many reasons I am writing in this blog. I also love helping others, so it’s my intention to help spread the word about K-State’s College of Agriculture through my blogging!

Summer in the Czech Republic

Growing up my summers were always filled with helping out on the family dairy farm, going to county fairs, and sitting around a campfire hanging out with friends. This summer had a very different rhythm to it. I spent most of my summer 11 hours away (by plane) immersed in a different culture surrounded by new friends.

This summer, I studied abroad in the Czech Republic for six weeks starting in mid-June and ending in July. Five U.S. universities participate in the Czech University of Agriculture – Prague exchange? program: Missouri, Ohio State, Kansas State, Penn State, and Texas Tech. In all, about 30 students from the states were in the program with me. While in the Czech Republic, I took classes in English on the Czech University of Agriculture – Prague campus during the week and experienced various study tours to different farms, industries, and environmental attractions to see what we learned in the classroom first hand. To the left is a bull raised for beef; this breed is the typical Czech breed, red and white coloring with horns. The first three weekends we were free to travel on our own, the fourth we went home with a Czech student to experience the Czech family life, and the fifth week we were gone on a study tour traveling the countryside.

In the evenings, we had the chance to experience the Cezech culture and try a wide variety of Czech cuisine. While beer is the prominent drink at any time in the day, fresh fruit and vegetables, hard crusted bread, soup, pork, and potatoes were popular during the lunch and supper hours. We also toured Prague to see all of its famous attractions, including the Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, Jewish Quarter, National Theater, Old Town Square, and its old, articulate buildings which have been kept up over the years to maintain their beauty. To the left is a picture of outside the cathedral inside of the Prague Castle walls. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, and I am so lucky to have spent my summer there.

On the weekends, I traveled to surrounding countries to see major sights and experience different cultures, including Vienna, Austria; Zurich, Switzerland; Cracow, Poland; and Germany on my free time to travel. Austria is by far my favorite country; the sights both in the city and on the country side were amazing! We briefly toured Schonbrunn Palace, which is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. My friend Lindsay from Texas Tech and I toured Vienna for a day and a half and saw some articulate buildings, beautiful parks, and had some great food! While in Germany, I visited my distant family in the town where my ancestors resided, the house where they lived, and the church where they worshiped.

Studying abroad has been one of the most unique experiences of my life. It has broadened my perspective on how our country’s past affects the economy and way we live today. Studying in a different country has enabled me to learn about different aspects of agriculture and how cultures interact with one another. I feel I have also gained more personal dependence and realization of different aspects of life and culture which are important in our lives as Americans. I strongly suggest traveling abroad while in college, it may be the last time you have to opportunity to do so. If you have any questions about the program I studied, please contact me via email, schulte@ksu.edu. For information about studying abroad, contact the Study Abroad Office via phone, 785-532-5990, or email, oip@ksu.edu.

Until next time,

Kristen Schulte

Kristen Schulte

Greetings from the heart of Wildcat Country – Manhattan, Kansas.

My name is Kristen Schulte and I am currently a junior at Kansas State University. I am majoring in Agriculture Economics, Accounting Specialty, with a minor in Animal Sciences and Industry. With this focus my ag econ curriculum includes more accounting classes and my electives are mostly animal science classes. This class combination enables me to gain the knowledge and skills for my desired job, accountant in an agricultural based firm. At K-State I am involved in many different activities where I hold various positions, including REV (Recruitment, Events, and Visits) co-coordinator for the College of Agriculture Ambassadors, president of Dairy Science Club, and committee chair for Alpha Zeta, an agricultural honorary fraternity. While staying busy with classes and in organizations, I also work on-campus grading papers for a professor and off-campus at Orscheln Farm and Home Store.

A little more about myself, . . . my hometown is Pemberville, which is a small town in Northwest Ohio. I grew up on a dairy farm where my family milked 70 head of Holsteins and raised replacement heifers and feeder calves from other dairies. In high school I was active in FFA, 4-H, Track, National Honors Society, and many other activities. When looking at colleges, I wanted to go somewhere where I could gain the best education and take part in many different opportunities. What really drew me to K-State was the friendly atmosphere, drive for student success, and quality of people I encountered while I visited campus. I am truly glad I made K-State the college where I attain my college education because the family atmosphere and career oriented opportunities available have been helpful to prepare myself for a career field after college.

As a reader I hope you get an insight to what student life is like at Kansas State University and also what opportunities are available to prospective students down the road if they pick K-State as their designated university for further education.

Until next time,

Kristen Schutle

Tyler Axman

Hello Everyone!  My name is Tyler Axman and I am currently a sophomore majoring in Food Science and Industry.  I was raised on a farm near a small town called Olmitz, Kansas.  Olmitz only has a population of about 150, so I attended Otis-Bison High School where I graduated with 20 other amazing friends.  On our farm we raised wheat, milo, alfalfa, cane and cattle.  My dad has currently decided to downsize the farm and a majority our land is being planted to CRP.  By doing this, we hope to identify ways to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and establish wildlife habitat on our land.

Although I grew up in a rural community, I don't consider myself to be a typical "farm kid."  I love life in Manhattan and I live off-campus with a business student from the Kansas City metro area.  One of my favorite aspects of attending Kansas State is the variety of distinctive opportunities I have been given, including spending time with people from various backgrounds with different interests.  From joing clubs such as Ag Ambassadors and Silver Key sophomore honorary to playing intramural sports and watching Big 12 athletics, K-State has it all!  Coming here has been a great decision for me and I hope to share with you some of my experiences throughout this blog.