K-State College of Agriculture -- An Inside View

Many Miles Traveled-An Update From Morgan Parker

Hello Friends!

Many of you know that I was elected to serve as a National FFA Officer in
October, 2007.  I figured that this would be an excellent opportunity to
give a quick update on my travels and my year.

First and foremost, I must say that I have been incredibly blessed in the
last three months.  The way I figure it, no 21 year old should get to
experience these awesome things.  To everyone who helped me get here, THANK
YOU!

I finished up classes at K-State right before Thanksgiving.  My professors
and the College of Ag staff were awesome in helping me finish early!  After
Thanksgiving I and my 5 teammates traveled to Indianapolis, IN for training.
We spent nearly a month in Indy training on basic National FFA Organization
information, technology training, speeches, workshops, personal growth, etc.
We also traveled to California for a week to experience the diversity of
Agriculture.  We saw everything from cauliflower and artichokes to 114,000
cattle feeding operation, orange groves, strawberries, and a meat packing
facility.  I stood on the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time.  Its super
red!

We had a week of break time over Christmas, and returned back to Indy prior
to New Years Eve.  I and my teammates celebrated in downtown Indy with a
night of ice skating, great Italian food, and a movie.  We spent a few more
days polishing speeches, workshops, etc. Then we traveled to Delaware for
Experience Week.  During the week we each presented workshops, speeches,
greetings, and met with key officials.  We visited 13 schools across the
entire state, ate lunch with Delaware Governor Minner at the Governor's
Mansion and got to tour a couple of the universities in Delaware.

Following Delaware, we returned to Indy for a few more days of training.
This time for Business & Partner Tour visits.  We also did some really cool
team development during this time.  Tyler, Becky, Kari, and I then made a
quick trip to Vail, CO for 2 days of skiing.  What a great time it was!  We
also stopped by the National Western Stock Show in Denver.  Following our
trip to Denver, the entire team traveled to Minneapolis, MN for the kick off
of our partnership visits.  We started off the week with Mr. Jerry Rose,
Corporate VP, Cargill.  We had an awesome day and half with the Cargill
folks.   Brady and I then traveled to Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland
to meet with some of our key FFA partners and sponsors.

The team is now back in Indianapolis again for a little over a week.  This
week we met with the Sponsors Board. Monday kicks off the National FFA Board
of Directors meeting, followed by National FFA Inservice.  Phew-that is a
mouthful.  And for the big trip.on February 4th we leave for Japan to
experience international agriculture, education, and culture!

That's about it for now.  If you are interested in more detailed
information, please check out my blog.  Click on the link below to access
blog, and some pictures too.  If you haven't registered for MyFFA, its fast,
simple, and free.  (after signing in, the link to our blogs is on the left
hand column about a third from the bottom of the column.)

http://www.ffa.org/index.cfm?method=c_security.ShowLoginPage

Also, if you have a few seconds and want to see my team in action, check out
some of the FFA Today (tv-show) spots.  Click on the link below:

http://baxtercomm.com/ffa/

Score Board:

Miles Traveled: over 16,532

Number of States Since Election: 10

I would love to hear from you and how you are doing!  Shoot me an email, or
facebook works too!

I pray all is well for you all!

Sincerely,

Morgan C. Parker

Central Region Vice President
National FFA Organization

National Western Stock Show

Since my freshman year of high school, I have always had the opportunity to attend the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO. This year I had the chance to go again as part of the National Junior Angus Association Board of Directors. We arrived in Denver on Monday, January 14th and were immediately put to work.  Tuesday and Wednesday were spent working in the ring for the junior show and the female show.  There were a lot of really great females that went through the ring.  At night, we spent our time attending different Angus sales. We even went to a sale at Coors Field. It was really neat to see Angus heifers in the same place that professional baseball players play.  Thursday was my big day as Foundation Director, since that was the day we sold the Angus Foundation Heifer Package. Before the sale, I had to give a motivational speech about donating to the Angus Foundation in front of a couple of hundred of people.  Even tough I have given speeches to much larger crowds before, I was still extremely nervous.  However, I think I did a fairly descent job since I was offered two internships within 15 minutes after giving my speech.  Friday and Saturday kept us busy with the bull show and pen show.  Besides attending shows and sales, I was able to catch up with a lot of my close Angus friends and fellow board members. I am always amazed at how much closer our group gets each time we spend time together! Overall, the week was a great event, but I was extremely exhausted when I returned back to Manhattan on Sunday.

~Rebecca

Eventful Holidays!!

Hello! It is the time of year again to dig back into the books and start studying again!! Last semester went out with quite a statement as my apartment became the hangout for some friends that did not have power for over a week!!

After a delayed start back to Ohio for the holidays due to the weather, I finally made it back and spent some quality time with family and friends.  The holidays were quite eventful with my two-year old nephew running around and scattering his toys all over the house!! And one of my sisters got engaged on Christmas night!! While I was home I helped my parents out with their calf raising operation; I always enjoy helping out with the young calves because I think they are the cutest animals ever!! After spending many days in the cold and snow, I headed back to Kansas to spend time with my boyfriend and his family!

While I was in Southeast, KS I had many new experiences. Growing up on a dairy farm, the most experience I have had with pigs is at the county fair. Let me tell you, they have not been good memories!! My first new experience was sorting hogs to send to the sale barn. The job was not too hard, but we did have to sort them twice! My second new experience was going to a sale barn in Kansas, I was impressed! Then on the way home we drove into Oklahoma so I could add it to my list of states visited! Finally, I found a new favorite place to eat, Braums!! Their ice cream is almost as good as Call Hall Ice Cream.

After all these endeavors I headed back to Manhattan to get geared up for classes!! Well I hope you have enjoyed reading and are staying warm!!

GO CATS!!

Kristen Schulte

An introduction and an update!

Greetings! I suppose an introduction is due. My name is Julia- but I go by Jewels. I am a senior majoring in Animal Science & Industry with a pre-vet option. I'm from Overland Park, KS- in the south Kansas City region.

Vet school application due October 1st, 2007: countless hours on the computer + $50
"Patiently" awaiting a response for an interview: much nail biting
Vet School Interview: stayed in Manhattan after finals and endured more snow and ice than Antartica holds
Receiving a letter in the mail stating:

"Dear Julia: Congratulations! The Admissions Committee has conditionally recommended your admission to the College of Veterinary Medicine." on December 29th, 2007

....PRICELESS!

The process of applying, interviewing, and waiting was definitely not easy and quite stressful. But at this point, everything I've done seems so worth it! Talk about a great belated gift from Mr. Klaus, eh?

Until next time,
Jewels

Christmas Break!

Wow...It's been so long since I posted, lets see if I remember how to do this!  Having said that, I am sorry it's been so long, break went much faster than I had anticipated!!  Though it went by quickly, it was still somewhat fun filled and eventful.  I got quite a few hours in working, which is always good once the financial aid is gone.  That was the most uneventful part.  I promise, it gets better! 

I went home for a week, which ended up being a great break from work and the hustle and bustle of the "big city" of Manhattan.  At home we always laugh because we call Manhattan the "big city," but it's only because Washington is soo small and sadly enough...Manhattan has the closest mall to my hometown over an hour away!!  Anyways, while I was home it was really great to get to see several of my classmates from high school and also just to make my way around town and visit with all of the people I hadn't seen for a while.  I got a lot of people updated on what was going on with me here at K-State!  While it got kind of old giving the same speech over and over again, all in all, it was a great feeling knowing that so many people cared about where I was and what I was doing. 

In between working and home I got to visit several friends in their hometowns and various college towns in Kansas.  This all starts with a road trip to Oklahoma City to see a George Strait concert with my roommate.  We traveled down to Norman after the AMAZING George Strait concert (see picture) and stayed with my Aunt and Uncle.  Saturday morning we got up and headed to Pratt, KS to see a couple of high school friends going to the community college there.  We got to Wichita and realized that we were about 3 hours ahead of the people who we were going to see!!  We both met some girls in the residence halls the year before that we became good friends with, one who still attends K-State and one who transferred closer to home.  We decided to stop and see them to pass some time.  We visited with them for awhile and then headed on to Pratt.  All in all it was a great time spending time both the friends we had and the friends we hadn't planned on seeing over break!!  I know there are others who took long road trips and exciting vacations, but just to see all my old friends again was the best way I could have thought to spend Christmas break!!

I suppose I've rambled on long enough now about my break.  I REALLY hope that everyone enjoyed their break as much as I did!!  I'll let you know how this semester is looking once we get a little further into it!!

In the words of Dr. Bob Burton...stay tuned!

~Morgan

A New (Crazy) Semester!

Well, I have been absent for a while, and I apologize.  Studying for finals took up most of my time the last few weeks of the fall semester, and I was also trying to keep warm.  In case you didn't hear, Manhattan was hit hard by the ice storm, and many students lost power.  My roommate and I were out of power for the entire finals week.  I told my parents I studied by candle light, but in reality I went to the library.  I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This semester is going to be very busy for me.  I am taking several hard classes including Statistics II, Calculus I, and Physics I.  All require weekly homework and I'm assuming it will take some time and thinking to get that done.  Along with those courses I am taking Fundamentals of Food Processing and a course I like to call Italy!  I will be traveling on a 10 day study abroad trip to Italy over Spring Break and I cannot wait!

Taking 17 hours might seem somewhat overwelming but that is just the beginning for me.  As I wrote earlier, I am helping plan the All-University Open House.  I also am going to be starting my honors project for the College of Agriculture this semester.  Dr. Kelly Getty will be supervising me, and I will be working with a distance education graduate student on this project.  We will be working with beef jerky and testing how effective a company's packaging procedures are in killing Listeria Monocytogenes.  It should be very interesting, and really pertains to my interest in food safety.

Needless to say, this semester is going to be very busy!  But I hope that you can also see that the opportunities to get involved and expand your horizons are endless at K-State.  I will keep you posted on how the research is coming, and post some pictures of Italy in the coming months!

K-State Proud,

Tyler 

LOUISVILLE!!

Green chips…black cows…green jackets…these are a few of my favorite things about the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, KY.  On November 12 -14, I traveled to  Louisville to attend the NAILE as part of my responsibilities on the National Junior Angus Board of Directors.  I arrived in  Louisville a few days later than the rest of the junior board, since I was in Nebraska at the International Collegiate Meats Judging Contest.  So by the time I arrived on Monday, I was excited to see the rest of my team members.  The NAILE is always an extremely busy, but fun livestock show.  Between working in the ring, helping at the Angus Foundation booth, and mingling at all the different banquets it seems like you never stop moving.  Below is a picture of Dana, one of the girls on the junior board with me, and myself before the Monday night banquet.

This year was a lot of fun for me since I was able to see a lot of people from Kansas State.  There are quite a few other students that are on junior boards at K-State, so it is always great to run into them.  While I was in  Louisville, I also learned that Crystal Young a current K-State student will begin working at the American Angus Association after graduation in December. She will be working with Creative Media which is a new communications department that the American Angus Association has just opened. Congratulations Crystal!!  Besides livestock shows, judging contests also take place in Louisville.  The Kansas State Livestock Judging Team placed second overall and had the high individual.  Great Work!!  It is hard to believe that this show is jam-packed with so many K-Staters and so much fun.  Green chips…black cows…green jackets…only 11 more months until next year!

Mark it on your Calendars!!

Get excited everyone, because April 19th, 2008 is going to be a day to remember in Manhattan, KS.  I know this seems like a long time away, but it will definitely be here before we know it!  What is going on in Manhattan this day?  Well for starters, KSU will be holding its 30th annual All-University Open House.  This year I am serving as the Student Life Exhibits Chair, and will be helping coordinate all displays set up in the Student Union.  Open House is a great day to learn about many of the activities and organizations at K-State.  The majority of campus groups will have displays set up, and every College will have it's own programming for you to enjoy.  How about a fashion show from the College of Human Ecology?  Or watching a diet coke geyser set-up by the Food Science Club?  Also, you can enjoy entertainment such as live bands, the Marching Cobras and much, much more.  I highly encourage everyone to come see all the excitement going on.  This year Open House will last from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The reason Open House is being cut short this year is to make sure everyone has time to travel to the other main event in Manhattan that day... the Spring Football Game!  As always, family fun can be found in the parking lots outside of the stadium in "Willie's Fun Zone."  Then at 6 p.m. head on into Bill Snyder Family Stadium and cheer on the Wildcats!  It will be a very exciting and enjoyable day to be in town.  I hope to see everyone there, so mark it down on your calendars now!

K-State Proud,

Tyler

Traveling the “Golden” Countryside “Harvesting” Invaluable Experiences

   
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern with Golden Harvest Seeds, a seed company that sells corn, soybeans and alfalfa for field crops.   Its main focus, however, is not selling seed but educating the consumer about their products and helping them make better decisions to improve their operation.  Golden Harvest is located in Waterloo, Nebraska, which is just outside Omaha.
     I began my summer and my internship experience by moving to Omaha on May 15, 2007.  The first few days on the job included training and orientation.  I learned about the company, what I would be doing all summer, and the products Golden Harvest provides to its customers.  I was also informed about my summer project.
    While I was doing this internship I traveled across the Midwest and met with several farmers.  I helped plant test plots in Illinois, assisted with a few plot days in northeast Nebraska, and traveled to Ohio for two weeks to do dealer recruiting.  I learned an immense amount of information over the course of the summer, and enhanced my communication skills. I was able to network and meet a lot of people and gained knowledge about agronomy and the sales industry.  On the last day of my internship, I gave my summer project presentation to a group of sales and marketing leaders in the company. 
    This internship was awesome! I recommend doing at least one while you are in college.  Interning allows you to determine if you are a good fit in the chosen industry, and future employers also want to see an internship experience on your resume. This internship provided me with insight about corporate agriculture and allowed me to determine if sales is the right path for me.  These things were goals of mine before I left for Omaha, and I’m glad I was able to accomplish them.

~Melissa

Part-Time Jobs

Many college students look to obtain additional knowledge and career skills by working part time while going to school. At K-State and around Manhattan there are many different part time job opportunities. These jobs are categorized into two categories, on and off campus.

Many students are employed by Kansas State University. On campus jobs can vary from a lab assistant, doing research for extension personnel, working at one of the livestock units, being an administrative assistant, working for Housing and Dinning. Andy Stickel, junior in Animal Sciences and Industries, works under graduate students doing research in ruminant nutrition. Last spring he spent many hours working side by side with a graduate student gathering information on protein synthesis and degradation based on muscle biopsies at the beef unit. Other students work for various administrative offices within the College of Agriculture answering phone calls, compiling data, and running various errands. The opportunities are endless when looking for an on campus job.

Students also take advantage of being in a prosperous town and work at various Manhattan businesses. Off campus jobs also vary greatly from working at a restaurant, being a teller at a bank, an office assistant at a lending or law firm, cashier at a retail store, or farm hand on a local farm. Morgan Gauby, junior in Agribusiness, works at the Farm Service Agency office assisting with paperwork to secure government money for various offices across Kansas. Phil White, senior in Agriculture Communications, works at a radio station announcing the late Friday traffic reports. These off campus jobs are just a few examples of opportunities that offer essential job skills for future careers.

One may be wondering how students like these obtained such great learning opportunities outside the classroom. There are several ways students learn about potential job opportunities. The first is K-State offers a job fair at the beginning of the fall semester that brings in many on and off campus employers to campus to recruit students. Also, your academic advisor is a great start to getting ideas of potential jobs or places to look for jobs in your interest area. Finally, the KSU student newspaper, Collegian, and departmental postings are also great places to find a job. Although a job is not a required part of a students curriculum, it is a great way to gain knowledge and skills and earn a little extra cash!

Go Cats,

Kristen