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Year: 2019

LISTEN as Tigers search for first win of 2019 at Washburn

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Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Ryan Prickett photo

Fort Hays State (0-2, 0-2 MIAA) at
Washburn (1-1, 1-1 MIAA)
Saturday, Sept. 21 – 1 pm
Topeka, Kan. – Yager Stadium
LISTEN LIVE

Fort Hays State Football looks for its first win of the 2019 season on Saturday when it takes on Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas at Yager Stadium. The Tigers enter the game at 0-2, while the Ichabods are 1-1. FHSU has not won in Topeka since 1987, looking to snap a string of nine-straight losses at Yager Stadium.

 

Fort Hays State is 0-2 to start a season for the first time since 2013, when it started 0-4. The Tigers won the last two meetings with Washburn, winning 37-20 in 2017 and 30-24 in 2018. Both of those contests were in Hays. FHSU has been very close to snapping its skid at Yager Stadium in its last two attempts. In 2016, the last meeting between the teams in Topeka, FHSU was just a touchdown short of a victory in a 30-24 loss. In 2014, FHSU forced overtime with a touchdown in the final minute of the game, but after FHSU settled for a field goal to start overtime, Washburn won the game 27-24 with a touchdown.

The home team in this series claimed the last six meetings. FHSU won all three meetings with Washburn in Hays since 2015, while Washburn has won all three meetings in Topeka since 2013. A Washburn win during the 2012 season in Hays was the last time the road team won. Washburn ranked No. 15 in the nation in that meeting.

Fort Hays State ranks seventh in NCAA Division II for passing yards per game so far this year, averaging 333 per game. Quarterback Chance Fuller threw for exactly 333 yards in each of the first two games this year. It marks the first consecutive 300-yard passing games for FHSU since the 2015 season when former Tiger Jacob Mezera threw for 446, 354, and 309 in three consecutive games. Harley Hazlett has been the top target for Mezera so far with 11 catches for 160 yards. Manny Ramsey and Layne Bieberle also have over 100 receiving yards this season.

The Tigers are still looking to establish a running game this season after struggling to just 75.5 yards per game on the ground so far. Charles Tigner leads the team in rushing so far with 109 yards, though he’s been valuable in the passing game as well with 71 yards on 11 catches.

Defensively, Tanner Hoekman leads the Tigers in tackles with 15, followed by Drew Harvey and Hayden Kreutzer each with 14. Sheldon Schmidt and Jonathan Williams share the only sack by the Tigers so far this season.

— FHSU Sports Information —

Listen to the Holthus Hotline with ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus

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a href=”https://www.coldwellbanker.com/offices/1001-main-street-hays-ks-67601″>

Listen as the ‘Voice of the Chiefs’ Mitch Holthus recaps last week’s win over AFC West rival Oakland and previews Sunday’s big showdown with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Holthus Hotline airs Saturday mornings on your home for Chiefs football, KFIX (96.9-FM), at 8 a.m. during the Chiefs season.

KDA to host multistate African swine fever exercise

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KDA

MANHATTAN — The Kansas Department of Agriculture will be one of 15 states participating in a functional exercise the week of Sept. 23-26 focused on the states’ plans for African swine fever (ASF) response and mitigation. The functional exercise, led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will test participants’ abilities to respond to a simulated animal disease event.

KDA conducts an annual statewide exercise to practice the state’s response plan to a foreign animal disease event, typically with a simulation of foot-and-mouth disease. This month’s multistate exercise is focused instead on ASF, which has been confirmed in China and several other countries in eastern Asia, but has not occurred in the United States. Members of the KDA Division of Animal Health have been actively working with federal partners, state agencies of neighboring states, and representatives from the pork industry to enhance the state’s response plan with specific focus on ASF.

This four-day functional exercise, which will be based out of KDA headquarters in Manhattan, will enable KDA and its partners in other state agencies, federal and local government, industry, university and 14 other states to practice this response plan.

The functional exercise will attempt to simulate a real-world response as much as possible, including actual veterinarian testing and laboratory results, along with planning and resource coordination, disease mitigation, public educational information, and permitted movement to allow continuity of business for non-infected operations.

African swine fever is a highly contagious virus that affects pigs, causing high fever, loss of appetite and vomiting, and usually resulting in death. Other livestock species are not susceptible to ASF. There are no human health risks from ASF; it does not affect humans and is not a public health threat. An ASF outbreak in the United States would, however, have the potential to cause enormous economic losses not only to pork producers but to the entire production chain as well as to consumers.

For more information about the multistate ASF exercise, contact KDA at 785-564-6700. Media wishing to monitor the exercise should contact KDA director of communications Heather Lansdowne at [email protected] or 785-564-6706 for more information.

Food the way it should be: Hays business creates fresh meal options in new location

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New business in Hays offers fresh, ready-to-eat food crates, directly from chef to consumer

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Owner Tim Pfannenstiel calls what he serves “vintage western Kansas cuisine,” offering a taste of the past in a very out-of-the-box concept at his new location, Chef’s Crate, 501 Vine.

“The business is based on a concept to provide meals ready to eat for families and individuals that are preservative-free, made locally and put together with the mentality of healthy, local, natural,” Pfannenstiel said.

He calls the food “retro” but he does not mean old recipes — rather he offers meals that are hard to find in a world of food that is over-processed, over-cooked and shipped globally.

Retro, he said, is simply “the way people used to eat.”

“This is incorporating a style and a way of eating, and a lifestyle more than a fad term that describes a time period and a mood,” he said. “What your grandma made in 1972 is what is here. This type of food has a purpose.”

Creating simple, but delicious food starts with using the best products available, Pfannenstiel said.

“I buy the best base ingredients I can get, and by doing that, no matter what I put out it is of the highest quality because what I am buying at the beginning is of the highest quality,” he said.

From those ingredients, he creates meals from scratch, mixing together elements of restaurants, food manufacturing and grocery stores.

“Everything is made here,” Pfannenstiel said.

He grinds meat, makes dressings and does something truly rare using a signature Kansas product —  bakes fresh bread with Kansas grown and milled wheat.

“I’m one of the only places in western Kansas that makes fresh bread every day from wheat that is grown and milled in Kansas,” Pfannenstiel said.

He uses flour from the Stafford County Flour Mills, one of the few independent, locally owned mills left in the U.S., nationally known for their Hudson Cream Flour brand — from a mill that has been in operation since 1914 and powered almost exclusively with renewable wind energy.

“That’s why I have to use their flour or it doesn’t work,” Pfannenstiel said.

“I make meals that are coordinated for nutrition and for people who are too busy to cook,” he said, calling the food “heat and eat.”

Customers purchase a “crate” from the location that includes enough food for two people for over a week at a price of $100.

He has also been creating samplers of four items for $20, giving people an opportunity to try out the service before committing to a full package.

“It’s a learning thing for people,” Pfannenstiel said. “They can see what is available, and what it is about before committing to a one-week deal.”

“People want to eat better and my goal is, when they come back for the second week, they say they feel better,” he said, noting the nitrates and salts that used in most foods consumed in the U.S. are absent from what he offers.

His desire to deliver fresh meals free of those preservatives means, unlike most meal crate services, he does not ship or deliver his products. Food in those crates come from a variety of sources and change hands several times and go across the country two or three times, creating opportunities for the food to become compromised, he said.

“By someone coming to me and purchasing food, we are cutting out about eight to 10 people in the middle that usually either compromise the quality of the food or compromise the price,” Pfannenstiel said. “That’s why I don’t ship, I don’t deliver. I like when people come here and they know exactly what they are getting.”

Even with the focus on using classic food preparation methods, he does not shy away from technology to make the business work — orders at Chef’s Crate come over the location’s Facebook page and can be found here.

Using Facebook for orders dates back to before the location’s opening when Pfannenstiel created meal crates from his farm near Yocemento.

He ran the farm for nearly a decade, creating meals from food grown on the property, before moving into Hays and starting this new outlet.

“It just works out better,” Pfannenstiel said.

Opening the new location also allows him to work full time as a chef, but unlike his previous positions, this operation is entirely his. During his career, he opened 15 food operations, including a period of serving as the executive chef at Fort Hays State University before opening Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co.

While working with food remains the same in the new venture, without a full restaurant, and the complexity that comes with it, Pfannenstiel gets to connect directly with his customers.

The lack of a restaurant operation also means he can operate from a much smaller space, and the new location is a perfect fit, he said. Using fresh food helps as well — the operation only uses one small freezer, no microwaves and has only one staff member.

“In this situation, you don’t need a ton of help,” Pfannenstiel said, but when needed he has support from former employees, friends and acquaintances.

The building itself, while not a large space, and definitely a bit off the beaten path, fits his mission of becoming a destination business.

“It’s perfect, it’s everything you need,” Pfannenstiel said.

Prior to opening, the building was totally gutted and everything is brand new. Space outside also offers an area to expand and try new directions for the business in the future.

“There are a lot of things I can do here,” he said, and already has ideas of adding a greenhouse or hosting cooking classes in the location. “There’s a lot of possibilities.”

In whatever he is doing, he said he wants to give his customers what they want, not what he thinks they should have.

“Whatever works I do, I don’t do what is cool, or neat or fun. If it works, let’s do it,” Pfannenstiel said. “As a chef, you cannot dictate or tell what somebody should or should like to eat or drink. That’s offensive.”

Instead, he said a chef for research and learn to make what the customer wants to buy.

“Once you do that, things become much simpler,” Pfannenstiel said.

And based on reviews, Chef’s Crate has received so far he must be getting it right.



Chef’s Crate is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crate reservations can be made on the business’ Facebook page and can be found by clicking here.

Pfannenstiel also has a professional Facebook page that can be found here.

In Kansas, Shifting The Power Balance Between Renters And Landlords

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By NOMIN UJIYEDIIN

Mold. No heat in the winter. Leaking roofs.

The most common complaints Teresa Baker hears about rental housing in Kansas revolve around poor living conditions that violate state law.

As part of her job for the nonprofit Housing and Credit Counseling Inc., Baker serves as an advice guru for low-income residents in about 20 Kansas counties.

Tenants come to her if they’ve received eviction notices, forfeited security deposits or can’t get landlords to make repairs. Sometimes, she counsels landlords, too.

“Of course, it’s the landlord’s business to understand what the law says and his obligations,” Baker said. “The tenants are coming at this blindly.”

Kansas law sets some rules for inevitable disputes between renters and property owners. Yet some tenants and advocates contend landlords too often end up on top because they have more money and familiarity with the rules. The imbalance is leading some tenants to take action.

Housing experts also say Kansas lacks protections that other states offer to renters.

For example, state law prohibits cities and counties from establishing rent control and other rental regulations. Another tactic allowed by other states but banned in Kansas: withholding rent to force a landlord to make repairs. State law allows a landlord to evict tenants for being three days late on the rent.

“That’s one of the Number One things that we deal with, with tenants,” Baker said. “They call us when it’s too late, but they withheld rent and they’re going to court tomorrow.”

Ed Jaskinia, a Kansas City-area landlord and lobbyist for the Associated Landlords of Kansas, says the laws fairly balance the interests of both sides — renters who need to be guarded from predatory landlords, and landlords who want to maintain their properties and make money.

Ed Jaskinia, lobbyist for the Associated Landlords of Kansas.
CREDIT NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
“We’ve got the best laws in the country because it protects everybody equally,” said Ed Jaskinia, a Kansas City-area landlord and lobbyist for the Associated Landlords of Kansas. “It tells us what the rules and regulations are, what we can and can’t do.”

He says tenants should take up their proposed reforms to the cities they live in.

In the meantime, he says tenants already have protections. For example, if a landlord won’t make repairs, tenants can call their city’s code enforcement division to make an inspection. And state law prohibits landlords from retaliating against tenants who do so.

But it’s hard to prove retaliation in court, Baker said. And she said many rural towns don’t have the budget to enforce housing codes.

“Even if they have some type of code on the books,” Baker said, “they don’t enforce it because they can’t.”

Legal Options

Another option for tenants is suing a landlord in small claims court for not completing repairs, exorbitant utility bills or not returning a security deposit.

State law requires landlords to return deposits within 30 days with an itemized list of charges taken out. Otherwise, tenants can sue for one-and-a-half times the amount of the original deposit.

“It’s very common for landlords to keep your security deposit for expenses that I don’t think would be legal,” said Casey Johnson, an attorney for Kansas Legal Services who counsels low-income people on housing. “Those are some good protections for tenants.”

But small claims lawsuits often turn out in favor of the landlord.

“It’s very difficult to get evidence and time to present into a court case,” Johnson said. “Kansas, I would say, is fairly landlord-friendly.”

Tenant Activism

Some residents of Lawrence, Manhattan and Kansas City — where renting is more common than in the rest of the state — are trying to change that. They say there’s a shortage of quality and affordable housing.

Data from the Census Bureau shows that the overall rental vacancy rate in Kansas in 2017 was 7.5%. In Kansas City, it was 8.5%, in Manhattan, it was 10.6% and in Lawrence, it was 6.7%. In the U.S. overall, 6.1% of rental units were vacant in 2017.

Generally, cities in Kansas have a higher proportion of residents who are rent-burdened — defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as spending 30% or more of their income on rent. More than 53% of Lawrence and Manhattan residents are rent-burdened, compared to 44% of all Kansans and 50.6% of Americans overall.

A group called Renters Together, in Manhattan, formed earlier this year, holds weekly meetings with the goal of increasing the number of rental units that the city inspects.

“We’ve noticed that landlords have been retaliating against tenants that do call code services here,” said Jonathan Cole, lead organizer for the group. “We’ve also noticed that people just don’t know that they can call.”

A similarly named group in Lawrence, Renters Together LFK, recently hosted a meeting to tell tenants how to get their security deposits back. The group has knocked on doors and spoken to hundreds of local tenants, said organizer Yoshi Stout.

“At the end of the day,” Stout said, “the tenants need to have some sort of agency for themselves.”

The group encouraged Lawrence resident Kayla Marks to sue her landlord, Manhattan-based company McCullough Development, Inc., in Douglas County small claims court.

In August 2018, Marks and her boyfriend moved into an apartment in Lawrence that she says was a mess. The place was dirty. A window was broken. There was a hole in a bedroom door and the linoleum floor needed to be replaced.

She tidied up and let her landlord know about the repairs. A few months later, the floor and the window were fixed, but by then, she had to move out. She and her boyfriend had broken up, and she couldn’t afford the apartment by herself. Her depression got so bad that she was hospitalized. She got a note from her doctor saying she could no longer live by herself.

Former Lawrence resident Kayla Marks sued her landlord in Douglas County small claims court.
CREDIT NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
In February 2019, Marks applied for a legally required accommodation for her disability, asking to move out of her apartment. Her landlord granted it, but said she owed another month’s rent and sent her a bill for cleanup after she moved out. The company charged her an additional $258, which she disputed.

McCullough Development, Inc., declined multiple requests for comment.

“I’m a clean freak, so this place was spotless,” Marks said. “So I just didn’t think that that was right.”

She sued, asking for money back on her rent and deposit. She didn’t get any money back, but a judge ruled that she didn’t owe her landlord money either.

Marks said she wouldn’t have known how or why to sue without the help of Renters Together.

“I didn’t even know what the actual verdict was until I had to ask somebody,” she said. “But knowing that the verdict was that I don’t owe anything, I’m very pleased.”

Nomin Ujiyediin reports on criminal justice and social welfare for the Kansas News Service. Follow her on Twitter @NominUJ or email nomin (at) kcur (dot) org.

Fort Hays State University announces 534 summer graduates

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FHSU University Relations

A total of 534 students completed associate, bachelor’s or graduate degrees at Fort Hays State University in the summer 2019 term.

Graduates are listed with their degrees and majors and, in parentheses, areas of concentration. The university conferred 137 graduate degrees (master’s, Education Specialist and Doctor of Nursing Practice) and 397 undergraduate degrees (associate’s and bachelor’s). Graduates who requested privacy are included in the count but omitted from this listing.

FHSU does not release degree lists until transcripts have been verified as having met all requirements for graduation.

Kansas graduates are arranged alphabetically by home county, city and ZIP. Graduates from other states are listed alphabetically by state, city and ZIP. International students are listed by country and city.

Barton
Albert (67511): Colin James Regan, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Claflin (67525): Patricia Cauthon, a Bachelor of General Studies (child development).
Ellinwood (67526): Heather Dawn Panning, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Great Bend (67530): Brandon Michael Ball, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (technology education).
Blake Allen Hinson, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Hoisington (67544): Robert Joseph Brungardt, a Master of Science in education administration.

Bourbon
Fort Scott (66701): Kayla Michel Guilfoyle, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.

Butler
Andover (67002): Shauna Kracke, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Carson Christiane Lopez, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Augusta (67010): Carmen I. Carson, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).
Katie G. Crowdis, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
El Dorado (67042): Tia Paige Keplinger, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Rose Hill (67133): Andra Kirsten McKenna, a Master of Science in education administration.
Kaleigh Anne Melander, a Master of Science in instructional technology.

Cherokee
Columbus (66725): Brandy Arlene Muller-Pierce, a Master of Science in education administration.

Clark
Ashland (67831): Eric Lalicker, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
Minneola (67865): Alexis R. Bruner, a Bachelor of Science in tourism and hospitality management.
Ruth A. Knox, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Clay
Clay Center (67432): Tori Irene Ihnen, a Bachelor of Arts in English (writing).
Stefanie Marie Lane, a Master of Science in education administration.

Cloud
Concordia (66901): Megan Nicole James, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).

Cowley
Winfield (67156): Kevin Lann-Teubner, a Master of Professional Studies (information assurance management).

Crawford
Pittsburg (66762): Brenna Nicole Robertson, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Shawn W. Seematter, a Master of Science in education administration.

Douglas
Lawrence (66046): Meaghan Lindsay Orlando, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Kirsten Eve Tidd, a Bachelor of Arts in English (literature).
Lawrence (66047): Corbin David Robinson, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art (graphic design).

Edwards
Great Bend (67563): Miranda L. Brown, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Ellis
Ellis (67637): Brandon L. Groff, a Bachelor of Science in geosciences (geology).
Jared Dean Pfeifer, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (sport management).
Garrett Thomas Sander, a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
Haley Jo Wolf, a Master of Science in Education (transition to teaching).
Hays (67601): Bader Mahd Abukhodair, a Master of Science in Education.
Max E. Befort, a Bachelor of Music (theory and composition).
Sydney Lauren Beougher, a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance (financial planning).
Jordan James Brown, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art (studio art).
Madeleine Rose Brungardt, a Bachelor of Science in biology.
Yiming Chen, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Daniel Thomas Cory, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Yangyang Cui, a Master of Professional Studies (Web and mobile applications).
Taissa T.V. Dasilva-Carvalho, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Joslynn L. Davis, an Associate of General Studies (criminal justice).
Casey Lee Dinkel, a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing.
Blake Joseph Dreher, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Frederick Moise Ebalebitondo, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Jared Gunnar Engelbert, a Master of Science in biology.
Jensen Michael Farrington, a Bachelor of Science in tourism and hospitality management.
Anthony K. Fox, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Jayme Leigh Goetz, a Master of Science in Education (mathematics).
Ana Rachel Goodlett, a Bachelor of Arts in history.
Shayla A. Haselhorst, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Zewei He, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Caleb J. Hecker, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Makinlie Jade Hennes, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art (graphic design).
Gabrelle Violet Hoard, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Cash Reagan Hobson, a Bachelor of Science in geosciences (geology).
Hayden Thomas Hutchison, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Trystan Dawn Knapp, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Tayler J. Kriss, a Master of Science in biology.
Anna Stella Nalumansi, a Master of Liberal Studies (global management).
Lauren Elise Pallister, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Kimberly A. Reel, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Robert J. Sanderson, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Kelsey L. Todd-Anton, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Brady Werth, a Bachelor of Science in geosciences (geology).
Victoria (67671): Ryan Andrew Bleske, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction technology).
Logan Joseph Braun, a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance (banking).
Justin Michael Hertel, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies.

Ellsworth
Wilson (67490): Kaci C. Nichols, a Master of Science in counseling (school).

Finney
Garden City (67846): Steven Allen Hoyt, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Sasha Yvette Morales, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Jessica Ortiz, a Bachelor of Science in tourism and hospitality management.
Jacob Wade Waller, a Master of Science in education administration.
Holcomb (67851): Emily C. Watkins, a Master of Science in psychology (school).

Ford
Dodge City (67801): Nicholas Stjohn Banks, a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing.
Dalton Daniel Burkhard, a Master of Science in education administration.
Jonathan N. Hansen, a Master of Science in education administration.
Abraham White, a Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).

Geary
Junction City (66441): Brianna Brooke Green, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).
Angela Dianne Kruse, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).
Otis Cortez Nunn, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Cortney Ann Youngers, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).

Graham
Hill City (67642): Judy Marie Sansom, a Master of Arts in English.

Grant
Ulysses (67880): Laura Jewel Sarracino, a Bachelor of Science in business education (training and development).
Lundon Mikal Wiginton, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (industrial technology).

Gray
Ingalls (67853): Isaac Matthew Baxa, a Bachelor of Science in geosciences (geology).

Harper
Attica (67009): Marissa Grace Rucker, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

Harvey
Hesston (67062): Amelia Fabrizius, a Master of Science in education administration.

Haskell
Satanta (67870): Nathaniel James Lee, a Bachelor of Arts in music.

Jackson
Hoyt (66440): Delaney Silva, a Bachelor of Science in tourism and hospitality management.

Jefferson
Meriden (66512): Darian Elaine Housworth, a Bachelor of Arts in English (writing).

Johnson
Gardner (66030): Ben Hernandez Jr., a Bachelor of Science in information networking and telecommunications (Web and mobile application development).
Robert Kameron Ridley, a Master of Science in education administration.
Lenexa (66227): Lydia Lee Vasquez, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Olathe (66061): Steven Alan Bolin, a Master of Science in psychology (school).
Tanner W. Rainbolt, a Master of Science in education administration.
Olathe (66062): Brittany Leigh Blankenship, a Bachelor of Science in sociology.
Overland Park (66204): Lydia Pine, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).
Roeland Park (66205): Hillary Nicole Allison, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Shawnee (66226): Cody Allen Bonnel, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Spring Hill (66083): Sarah Alexis Ackerman, a Master of Science in instructional technology.

Kearny
Deerfield (67838): Dena L. Walck, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).

Kingman
Kingman (67068): Maggie Sue Adelhardt, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management) and a Bachelor of Science in geosciences (geography).
Tanner Hageman, a Master of Science in education administration.

Lane
Dighton (67839): Cale A. Farber, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (human resource).

Leavenworth
Basehor (66007): Katelynn Hoyt, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).
Madalyn Elizabeth Laurita, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (human resource).
Tonganoxie (66086): Cody Lewis McCoy, a Master of Science in education administration.
Jessica Renae Painter, a Master of Science in Education (transition to teaching).
Jenna Marie Tate, a Bachelor of Arts in sociology.

Lincoln
Garden City (67486): Kayla Rene Henningsen, a Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).
Lincoln (67455): Dawn M. Harlow, an Associate of General Studies (general business).

Lyon
Emporia (66801): Autumn Lynn McCullough, a Master of Science in Nursing (nursing education).

McPherson
Inman (67546): Whitney Werth, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Marquette (67464): Autum Marie Lustfield, a Bachelor of Science in sociology.
McPherson (67460): Collin Michael Baldwin, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Meghan Kathleen Mai, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).

Meade
Fowler (67844): Boyd Matthew Peterson, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Meade (67864): Emily Boyd, a Master of Science in counseling (school).

Miami
Osawatomie (66064): Drew Daniel Needham, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).

Mitchell
Simpson (67478): Kalli Jo Kruse, a Master of Science in education administration.

Montgomery
Coffeyville (67337): Melanie Jean Savage, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Independence (67301): Amy Elizabeth Barnhart, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).

Nemaha
Seneca (66538): Kayce Lynn Feldkamp, a Master of Business Administration.

Neosho
Chanute (66720): Lindsey Donovan, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.

Ness
Utica (67584): Madeline Nicole Withington, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (human resource).

Osage
Carbondale (66414): Dayna Janel Luksa, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (human resource).

Ottawa
Minneapolis (67467): Kylie Jai McKinney, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).

Pawnee
Larned (67550): Austin E. Landgraf, a Bachelor of General Studies (biological).

Phillips
Agra (67621): Grant M. Rahjes, a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
Long Island (67647): Dakota Hilburn, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

Pottawatomie
Wamego (66547): Denise Suzanne White, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).

Pratt
Pratt (67124): Brett Michael Forshee, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).

Reno
Buhler (67522): Andrew W. Epp, a Bachelor of General Studies (networking).
Hutchinson (67501): Courtney B. Eales, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Hutchinson (67502): Katie Elaine Ellegood, a Bachelor of Science in biology (education) and a Bachelor of Science in secondary education.
Megan D. Yoder, a Master of Science in health and human performance.

Republic
Scandia (66966): Jaid Lynne Runft, a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Rice
Lyons (67554): Jamie Lee Ash, a Bachelor of General Studies (biological).
Kyler Michael Cox, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Sterling (67579): Kylie Ann Dean, a Master of Science in health and human performance.

Riley
Manhattan (66502): Kelsey L. McCarthy, a Bachelor of General Studies (health promotion).
Manhattan (66503): Jared Graber, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.

Rooks
Damar (67632): Kolt Brian Newell, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (sport and exercise therapy).

Rush
Otis (67565): Spencer M. Romeiser, a Master of Professional Studies (information assurance management).

Russell
Luray (67649): Sawyer Bair Ptacek, a Master of Science in counseling (school).

Saline
Assaria (67416): Brock Long, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Brookville (67425): Miranda Lynn Merrill, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Gypsum (67448): Kinsy Wayne McVay, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Salina (67401): Candy Lynnette Fitzpatrick, a Master of Science in counseling (school).
Morgan Alexandra Long, a Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).
Jessica Steele, a Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).
Shane Ryan Wesley, an Associate of General Studies (biological).

Scott
Scott City (67871): Kelly Allison Wycoff, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (sport and exercise therapy).

Sedgwick
Andale (67001): Katie Marie Sheahon, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Derby (67037): Dawnell Linn Cohen-Hendricks, a Bachelor of General Studies (psychological).
Larry J. Similton, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
Amy Elizabeth Steadman, a Master of Science in education administration.
Goddard (67052): Maria Isabel Casenove, a Bachelor of Arts in art.
Renae Louise Huff, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
Maize (67101): Carlos Alonso Castaneda, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Studies (construction management).
Brian D. Williams, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Park City (67219): Wenuje Sampath Dissanayake, a Bachelor of Science in health studies.
Valley Center (67147): Chelsea F. Jackson, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Wichita (67204): Cortney Alise Crandon, a Master of Science in education administration.
Wichita (67205): Brandon Lynn Nelson, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Wichita (67206): Haley Nicole Burpo, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Ricky Trena Jacques, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Wichita (67207): Joktan Tanui, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Wichita (67208): Monica Claire Talbott, a Master of Liberal Studies (gerontology).
Wichita (67212): Kayla Bethany Demel, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Nicole Hanschu, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Kaitlin Marie Powell, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).
Kara Lynn Shideler, a Master of Science in Nursing (nursing education).
Mikayla M. Zaring, an Associate of General Studies (general business).
Wichita (67217): Rebecca Suzanne Barton, a Master of Science in education administration.
Wichita (67220): Elizabeth A. Tinch, a Master of Professional Studies (organizational leadership).
Wichita (67226): Matthew Reed, a Master of Science in health and human performance.

Seward
Kismet (67859): Tyler Bruce, a Master of Science in education administration.
Liberal (67901): Jasmine Hernandez-Garcia, a Bachelor of Science in athletic training.
Lisa Marie Owens, a Master of Arts in history.

Shawnee
Topeka (66604): Michael Aaron Peoples, a Bachelor of Science in computer science (networking).
Topeka (66609): Casey Jane Cunningham, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Topeka (66614): Sarah Ann Harris, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Joseph Micah Phelps, a Bachelor of Science in information networking and telecommunications (health informatics).
Andrew James Weese, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).

Smith
Smith Center (66967): Mark Alan Nebel, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).

Stafford
St. John (67576): Meagan Feril, a Master of Science in Education (mathematics).
Erin Koelsch, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.

Stanton
Johnson City (67855): Darbi Kae Cook, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (fitness programming).
Dyani Rhea Palmer, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

Stevens
Hugoton (67951): Petronella Christina Pretorius, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).

Sumner
Belle Plaine (67013): Keith D. George, a Master of Science in education administration.

Thomas
Colby (67701): Robert John Alexander, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

Wallace
Weskan (67762): Alexis Rose Bergquist, a Bachelor of Science in general science (biology).

Wichita
Leoti (67861): Abby Cahn, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (entrepreneurship).

Wilson
Neodesha (66757): Justin Michael Pierce, a Master of Science in counseling (school).

Wyandotte
Bonner Springs (66012): Kyle Aaron Zink, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Kansas City (66103): Xochitl Galves-Gallegos, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).
Brian Scott Hastert, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Kansas City (66104): Cristal Marisol Ugarte, a Master of Business Administration (finance).

GRADUATES SERVING in the ARMED FORCES
John Sim, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Laura Tiglao, a Master of Science in Education (higher education student affairs).

GRADUATES FROM OTHER STATES and TERRITORIES
ALASKA
North Pole (99705): Meg Romersberger, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).

ARIZONA
Laveen (85339): Vitaly Valentine, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Phoenix (85035): Mary Nyuyfone, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

CALIFORNIA
Fountain Valley (92708): Rosa Bui, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
Hanford (93230): Thurman Roy McDowell, a Bachelor of General Studies (organizational leadership).
Laguna Niguel (92677): Dominic Phillip Briones, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Long Beach (90805): Raquel Marie Suarez, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Palos Verdes Estates (90274): Brian S. Hults, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Rancho Mirage (92270): Chad Andrew Rous, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (health promotion).
San Diego (92127): Derek Armstrong, a Bachelor of Arts in political science.
San Jose (95136): Elizabeth Sandra Villavicencio, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
Vallejo (94590): Timothy Michael Jacobs, a Bachelor of General Studies (human services).
Wildomar (92595): Tyler G. Moore, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.

COLORADO
Arvada (80007): Casey C. Arzola, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
Centennial (80015): John Ryan Grasser, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (sport management).
Colorado Springs (80909): Stuart Jacob Rhodes, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Colorado Springs (80925): Brenda L.A. Conner, a Bachelor of General Studies (business).
Evergreen (80439): Sarah Christine Kay, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Flagler (80815): Marcus Roy Cross, a Bachelor of Arts in communication.
Greeley (80634): Deidra Adriane Smith, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Parker (80134): Hayley Ferguson, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Pueblo (81006): Lisa Renee Medved, a Master of Science in education administration.
Sterling (80751): Kaitlyn Feather, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance (sport and exercise therapy).
Strasburg (80136): Charles Gudka, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Timnath (80547): Sarah Simpson, a Master of Science in psychology (school).
Westminster (80021): Kristin Elizabeth O’Day, a Master of Science in special education (high incidence).

CONNECTICUT
Bristol (06010): Anthony Vincent Scotti, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Ridgefield (06877): Tammy Friedman, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Terryville (06786): Erik Bryant Kowalski, a Bachelor of General Studies.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington (20011): Brad Matthew Johanson-Smith, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

FLORIDA
Jacksonville (32257): Sherly Denis, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Joshua Andrew Yunos, a Master of Business Administration (human resource management).

IDAHO
Boise (83706): Martin Phillip Tuttle, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Boise (83709): Kendall Paige Baghott-Salmon, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Nampa (83686): Elisabeth Martin, a Bachelor of General Studies (networking).
Victor (83455): Ann-Marie Luekenga Kunz, a Master of Science in education administration.

ILLINOIS
Belleville (62226): Tradale De’von’ce Hayes, a Bachelor of Science in sociology.
Chicago (60645): Rivka Barron Cohen, a Bachelor of General Studies (child development).
Ellsworth (61737): Molly Barr, an Associate of General Studies (general business).
Kildeer (60047): Nicole Dawn Leiter, a Master of Business Administration (international business).
Leland (60531): Sarah Johnson, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.
Lombard (60148): Aurora Susan Iasillo, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
Plainfield (60544): Marius Vanias, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Steeleville (62288): Lindsey Cowan, a Bachelor of General Studies (communication).

IOWA
Ames (50014): David Luke Greenfield, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Des Moines (50317): Tabitha Kaye Aplin, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Huxley (50124): Christopher Alan Deason, a Master of Science in education administration.
Manson (50563): Riley Marie Bleam, a Master of Science in Education (higher education student affairs).
Moravia (52571): Nicole Renee Holden, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.

LOUISIANA
Baton Rouge (70807): Kaitlin Harris, a Master of Professional Studies (human resource management).
Lafayette (70508): Joddea Sheatelle Fisher, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.

MASSACHUSETTS
Hull (02045): Russell Sears, a Master of Science in instructional technology.

MICHIGAN
Hancock (49930): Sherry Wyeth, a Bachelor of General Studies (psychological).
Rockwood (48173): Christian Randall Peltier, a Master of Arts in history.
Saginaw (48602): Jerico Scott Hayward, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.

MINNESOTA
Blaine (55449): Roberto Miguel Rodriguez, a Master of Arts in history.
Eden Prairie (55346): Angela Mae Weinheimer, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
White Bear Lake (55110): Jessica Rose Conklin, a Master of Science in Education (higher education student affairs).

MISSOURI
Kansas City (64131): Paul M. Stahl, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Kansas City (64137): Katelyn Sarah Reilly, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management (human resource).
Kansas City (64155): Jason Lee Kunce, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice.
Stefanie Marie Will, a Master of Science in Education (reading specialist).
Raymore (64083): Shea Launa Twenter, a Master of Science in education administration.
Reeds (64859): Jacque Lynn McDonald, a Master of Fine Arts in art (ceramics).
St. Louis (63126): Craig S. Chott, a Master of Professional Studies (information assurance management).

NEBRASKA
Bridgeport (69336): Ashley Alan Nielsen, a Master of Science in psychology (clinical).
Elkhorn (68022): Colton Jacob Weinmann, a Bachelor of Science in information networking and telecommunications (computer networking).
Eustis (69028): Michael William Jack, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.
Grand Island (68801): Nicholas James Karn, a Master of Science in education administration.
North Platte (69101): Marleine Emanuel, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Omaha (68105): Monroe Gilbert Evans, a Master of Science in counseling (clinical mental health).
Shickley (68436): Treva Nutter, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Walton (68461): Mikayla Mae Ehlers, a Master of Liberal Studies (literary arts).

NEVADA
Las Vegas (89118): Molly Grace Dudek-Wong, a Bachelor of Arts in sociology.
Las Vegas (89139): Jason Livingston Poyfair, a Master of Science in education administration.
Reno (89521): Steffi Faye Ponce, a Bachelor of Science in computer science (networking).

NEW JERSEY
Hamilton (08619): Jasmine Marie Purnell, a Bachelor of Science in sociology.
Rutherford (07070): Benjamin Charles Ireland, a Master of Science in Education (English for speakers of other languages).
Sussex (07461): Joseph Ciani, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership.
Vineland (08361): Heather Alma Fiori, a Master of Science in education administration.

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque (87122): Richard James McLaughlin, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

NORTH CAROLINA
Pineville (28134): Lakisha Mychelle Mackie, a Bachelor of Science in computer science (networking).
Raleigh (27617): Eneldelis Edith Urena, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Sanford (27332): Adam N. Schaffer, a Master of Liberal Studies (health sciences).
Taylorsville (28681): Joseph John Barone, a Master of Professional Studies (criminal justice).

NORTH DAKOTA
Minot (58703): Kendra Lee Adams, a Master of Science in psychology (school).

OHIO
Batavia (45103): Jared Craig, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Cincinnati (45245): Michelle Lynn Grau, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Greenville (45331): Brooke Amber Dedloff, a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business.
Hamilton (45011): Andrew Fredwest, a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
Mansfield (44907): Jeffery James Meyer, a Master of Science in health and human performance.
Tipp City (45371): Angela Lynn Davis, an Associate of General Studies (general business).

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City (73108): Jessica Marie Wagoner, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
South Coffeyville (74072): Catherine Reeves, a Bachelor of General Studies (education).
Tulsa (74106): Kaci Lou Clour, a Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
Yukon (73099): Seanna K. Randall, a Bachelor of Science in political science.

OREGON
Newberg (97132): David Christopher Madrigal, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Salem (97304): Jennifer A. Graham, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

PENNSYLVANIA
Berlin (15530): Kelsie L. Mazanowski, a Master of Liberal Studies (gerontology).
Churchville (18966): Sean Patrick Dougherty, a Master of Liberal Studies (global studies).
Easton (18042): Julna Joseph, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Pittsburgh (15216): Ozan Hikmet Sozuoz, a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
York (17406): Tabetha Anne Green, a Master of Professional Studies (organizational leadership).

RHODE ISLAND
Providence (02907): Olanike Akinjobi, a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Warwick (02889): Eric Jay Pollock, a Master of Science in education administration.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Blythewood (29016): Andrew N. Washington, a Bachelor of Science in information networking and telecommunications (computer networking).
Columbia (29209): Charles Richard Murphy, a Master of Science in instructional technology.
Kinards (29355): Tyler Dwight Tucker, a Bachelor of Science in Technology Leadership.
Lexington (29072): Mark Edward Dudley, a Master of Science in education administration.
Spartanburg (29301): Kayla Lynn Childers, a Bachelor of Science in health studies.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Aberdeen (57401): Tiffany M. Langer, a Master of Business Administration (digital marketing).
Wolsey (57384): Damien Charles Davis, a Bachelor of Science in biology (rangeland conservation).

TEXAS
Baytown (77522): Sheridan Jenee’ Peterson, a Bachelor of General Studies (mathematics).
Conroe (77301): Oscar Carmona-Ortiz, a Bachelor of Science in health and human performance.
Dallas (75206): Tracy Kimberly Valladares, a Bachelor of Science in information networking and telecommunications (computer networking).
Frisco (75035): Jimmy Lee Acres, a Bachelor of General Studies (leadership).
Houston (77040): Latoiya Foster, a Bachelor of General Studies (general business).
Houston (77066): Abdiwali Farah Abdulle, a Bachelor of Science in medical diagnostic imaging.
Lewisville (75067): Rita Martinez, a Bachelor of General Studies (historical).
Richmond (77407): Chesicka N. Johnson, a Bachelor of Science in medical diagnostic imaging.

VIRGINIA
Arlington (22204): Nanguin Kevin-Hans Coulibaly, a Master of Professional Studies (human resource management).

WASHINGTON
Easton (98029): Anna Kerlee, a Master of Science in instructional technology.

WYOMING
Cheyenne (82005): Derrick Roy Harter, an Associate of General Studies (general business).

GRADUATES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES
CAMBODIA
Phnom Penh: Kanika Montha, a Bachelor of Science in computer science.

CHINA
Beijing: Shuying Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Dalian: Shiyue Lin, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Jilinsheng: Qun Nie, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Shanxi: Bo Li, a Master of Liberal Studies (political leadership and public service).
Shenyang: Xing Cao, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Xinmeng Cao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yiwen Cao, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Dingzhi Chi, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Jialin Dai, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Jialin Du, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Rongfu Han, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Haiyang He, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Mengying Hu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Shuyue Huang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Linqiao Jiao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yan Jiao, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Xiaorong Jin, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Shihuan Kong, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Ge Li, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Haoming Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Jinshu Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Meng Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Shengxi Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Wenchao Li, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Yixuan Li, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Tianyu Liang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Xiangyu Lin, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zinan Lin, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Hanbo Liu, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Jizhe Liu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Renxuan Liu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Shengnan Liu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Wenzhang Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Ye Liu, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Zichao Liu, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Peiru Ning, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Yanhe Niu, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Xintong Pan, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Lujia Pang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Haozhe Peng, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Xingjian Ren, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Xinhang Song, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Baoxin Sun, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Boxuan Sun, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Rongqian Sun, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Yuan Sun, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Lin Tang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jianqi Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Qiao Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Shuxinyu Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Yinan Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Yue Xin, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Runze Xu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Bowen Xuan, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Sixuan Yan, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Hanming Yang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Hedong Yang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Huaimin Yang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Kangping Yang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Yimeng Yang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Yipeng Yue, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Naiwen Zhang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Xunming Zhang, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Shijie Zhao, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Yiming Zhao, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Weihong Zheng, a Bachelor of Arts in organizational leadership.
Ruiqi Zhu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business and economics.
Xinzheng: Linlin Bi, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Runfa Cai, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yangtao Chai, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Kening Chen, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Qiangwei Chen, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Sihao Chen, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xubing Chen, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Gong Cheng, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Liudi Cheng, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Tanqiu Cheng, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Lulu Fan, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xuhui Fan, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Wei Fu, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Chen Gao, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yafeng He, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yukun Hou, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yuhua Hu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Chaoying Huang, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Liuyang Ji, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yinping Ji, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yinyu Ji, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Chenxi Jian, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Bowen Jiao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Wenwen Jiao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yixin Jing, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jiayu Lei, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Chaofan Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Haibin Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Hechao Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jiajie Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jiawen Li, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Longfei Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Miaomiao Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Muyuan Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Runxin Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Sanzheng Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Te Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Tingting Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Tong Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xiang Li, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yange Li, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Yapeng Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yongjie Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yuting Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zixuan Li, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jing Liang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yaling Liang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hang Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Junyan Liu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Lei Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xuhao Liu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yanfei Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yubin Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zhenhe Liu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Mengmeng Lou, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Sijin Lu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yunlong Lu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jinming Miao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Huixin Niu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Wenrui Peng, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yi Qiao, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Zixuan Qin, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Ruochen Rong, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xukun Shan, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Quanyou Shang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Xiaoman Shang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yueyue Shao, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Qingyang Shi, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Wenlong Shi, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yao Sun, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Fangfang Tian, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yiming Tong, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Baidong Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Bitao Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Dong Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Han Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Liping Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Meng Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Qiushi Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Shiquan Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Shiyu Wang, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Tong Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Wan Wang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yingsen Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yunlong Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zhengze Wang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Luxin Wei, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yuan Wen, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hao Wu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Shiyan Wu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yibo Wu, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Suning Xi, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yujin Xie, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Nanhao Xing, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Danyang Xue, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Minggang Yan, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hao Yang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hao Yang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jinlong Yang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Qi Yang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yingying Yang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Liming Yao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Gaoxiang Ye, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Ruixue Yi, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Wenge Yuan, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Zhengqian Zhai, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Dan Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Fuhao Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hanxiao Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Heng Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Hui Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Kai Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Lu Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Mengqi Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Xiaoxiang Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Xinyu Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yiman Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yiming Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yingying Zhang, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Yizhuo Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Zezheng Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zhicheng Zhang, a Bachelor of Arts in global business English.
Zijun Zhang, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Ziliang Zhang, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Wenbo Zhao, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Jia Zheng, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Lei Zheng, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zecheng Zheng, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Yonghua Zhong, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Junyi Zhou, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Yanqi Zhou, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Bing Zhu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Chenhui Zhu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Chunyao Zhu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zhiyuan Zhu, a Bachelor of Science in organizational leadership.
Zhengzhou: Jia Gui, a Master of Business Administration (accounting).
Zhumadian: Tian Ren, a Master of Business Administration (finance).

INDIA
Kolkata: Antara Roy, a Master of Professional Studies (human resource management).

SPAIN
Madrid: Laura Jimenez-Lendinez, a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.

BERGMEIER: Next up for the beef industry?

Posted on
Dave Bergmeier / High Plains Journal

By DAVE BERGMEIER
High Plains Journal

The aftermath of the Aug. 6 Tyson Fresh Meats fire that shuttered the Holcomb plant until January 2020 continues to linger in beef country.

Producers took note of the dramatic price drop in futures that seemed to defy cowboy logic at a time of peak summer demand. Those who study the intricacies of the industry recognized within a week the processing side of getting beef into the food chain was resuming some normalcy. Choice beef prices remain vexing and that is what is generating questions. The industry is right to want answers.

As Oklahoma State University Beef Extension Beef Marketing Specialist Derrell Peel noted in a recent High Plains Journal story, the market responded in about a week to get slaughter numbers up. He also asked important questions that should be asked. Is there enough competition so events like the Tyson fire have less influence? Also what needs to happen to fix the marketplace and what changes need to be made to fix the market functions so it is more competitive for producers and consumers?

“These are still legitimate questions,” he said. Producers at all levels would agree.

High Plains Journal columnist Jerry Nine noted in the same story, neither the American consumer nor the rancher benefited from the gyration in prices.

RELATED: Tyson plant fire sends ripples of uncertainty through cattle industry

Few disagree that packing plants need to be profitable and pay their employees so they can provide for their families. They do an exemplary job of getting meat safely into the hands of consumers. They have all been good corporate neighbors in their respective communities.

But the four largest packers — Tyson, Cargill, JBS and National Beef — all have plants in the High Plains region, and collectively they harvest more than 80% of the beef in this country. That has left an open-ended question about whether the level of concentration is too high.

That bleeds into questions about the transparency of the pricing system, which is designed to make sure producers are able to receive an equitable long-term return on their investment while recognizing individual events can and do temporarily disrupt markets.

Collectively, the beef price concerns expressed by those throughout the livestock chain caught the attention of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, who has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Packer and Stockyards Division to launch an investigation into beef pricing margins. The beef marketing system is a complex one, and finding consensus on changes that the entire industry could accept will be a challenge. From the cow-calf producer, to the feeder to the processing plant and ultimately the consumer, all have diverse, conflicting and fickle interests.

The scope of investigating the entire system should entail the retailer’s role, too.

All of this comes at time when some companies are pursuing strategies for plant-based meat, which has raised the eyebrows of bovine, swine and poultry producers who rightfully should be concerned about how it can impact their bottom line.

Perdue deserves credit for calling for a review of what happened, but any study of how to balance the needs of the entire chain, has to be done in a way to serve the overall free market system.

Dave Bergmeier, managing editor of the High Plains Journal, can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].

Republished with permission.

HaysMed cardiologist receives 
AMCC Fellowship designation

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Dr. Byungsoo Ko

Dr. Byungsoo Ko, cardiologist and director of the Cardiovascular Cathertization Laboratory at HaysMed, part of The University of Kansas Health System, was recently elected to a Fellowship in the American College of Cardiology.

Fellowship is one of the most distinguished designations the AMCC offers its members, and is the ultimate recognition of professional achievement.

Based on outstanding credentials, achievements and community contributions to cardiovascular medicine, those who are elected to Fellowship signal to peers and patients their commitment to quality cardiovascular care through use of the FACC designation. Fellows of the ACC come from all specialties within cardiology and include adult cardiologists, pediatric cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, surgeons, researchers, academicians, specialists in a cardiovascular-related field and cardiovascular team members with advanced degrees.

The strongest evidence of achievement for those who earn the FACC designation comes from the applicant’s peers through letters of sponsorship attesting to their professional competence and commitment to excellence.

“Achieving FACC designation is an important professional milestone for Dr. Ko.” said Dr. Jeffery Curtis, Director of Cardiology Services at HaysMed. “We congratulate him and we are proud to have him as a colleague here at DeBakey Heart Institute at HaysMed.”

— HaysMed

Ellis Co. Conservation District photo contest closes Oct. 1

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Local photographers are encouraged to participate in the Ellis County Conservation District plat book cover photo contest. Entry forms may be picked up the ECCD office, 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays.

The rules are:

ELIGIBILITY: The Ellis County Conservation District Photo Contest is open to amateur photographers who are residents of Ellis County, KS. (An amateur photographer is one whose majority of income does not come from photography.) Persons of any age may compete in this contest. Ellis County Conservation District board of supervisors and employees and family members and employees working in the Hays Field Office are not eligible to enter.

SUBJECT MATTER: Photos should be taken within Ellis County. Photos can be of community events, friends, family, scenic, historical structures, or conservation practices** within the county. Do not use or show any copyrighted material in the photo.

ENTRIES: Should be sent or delivered to Sandi Scott, District Manager, 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays, KS 67601. Photos may also be digitally transmitted at [email protected]. Photos must be received NO LATER THAN CLOSE OF BUSINESS ON OCTOBER 1, 2019.

AWARDS: 1st place winner will receive a $50 cash prize. The winning picture will be featured on the cover of the 2020 Ellis County Conservation District Plat Book.

PHOTO RULES: Photo must have been taken any time from October 1, 2018 – October 1, 2019. Minor digital enhancements for cropping, red-eye removal, filters and corrective functions are permitted, but images that have been judged to be altered in any significant manner will be disqualified. Contestants are not to place watermarks, dates, signatures or copyright images on photos. Previously published photos are not eligible.

MOUNTING THE PHOTOGRAPH: Please mount on white mount board or paper. Mount the photo on the “whitest” and “smoothest” side of the board. Do not use foam core board or poster board. Remove white border from the enlargement before mounting. All photos must be 8” x 10”. If photos are mounted, leave a top edge of the print 1” below the top of the mount board. The sides of the print must be equal distance from the two sides of the mount. Photograph may use either a horizontal or vertical format. Use only adhesives designed for permanent photography mounting. Do not use rubber cement or other household glues (white glue, etc.).

NAME AND ADDRESS: A completed entry/release form must be submitted with the photo. Include a brief description of the photo, when and where the photo was taken, photographer’s full name and age, parent’s name if under the age of 18, home address, and contact number. Entry forms may be picked up at 2715 Canterbury Drive, Hays.

TERMS: In submitting photos, the photographer gives the Ellis County Conservation District permission to use their photo on the cover of the 2019 Plat Book and in any publications, social media, websites, displays and other places without payment or other consideration. An entry/photo release form is required to be submitted with the entry.

JUDGING STANDARDS: Photos will be judged on technical merit, composition and visual and aesthetic criteria. For technical merit, judges may check to see if the photo is well-framed, properly exposed, sharp and clear. For composition, judges determine if the photo features a recognizable center of interest, action and imagination and creativity. For visual and aesthetic criteria, judges will consider framing and choice of viewpoint, background, design elements and visual impact.

**Examples of conservation practices include Contour Buffer Strips, Contour Farming & Strip cropping, Cover Crop, Critical Area Planting, Crop Residue Management, Crop Rotation, Diversion, Field Borders, Grade Stabilization Structures (dam/embankment), Grass Waterways, Livestock Management, Manure Storage and Runoff Control, Nutrient Management, Pasture Planting, Pest Management, Riparian Buffer, Rotational Grazing, Stream bank & Shoreline Stabilization, Terrace, Tree Planting, Upland Wildlife Habitat, Water & Sediment Control Basin, Wetland Restoration, Wildlife Food Plot, Windbreaks, and Woodlot Management.

WPAA hosts Glenn Miller Orchestra Sept. 29.

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Courtesy glennmillerorchestra.com

COLBY — One of the greatest Big Bands of all time, the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, is coming to Colby on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m. CDT at the Colby Community College Cultural Arts Center.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra has been swinging in his memory ever since 1954. Miller started his orchestra in March 1938. After touring with Benny Goodman, the Dorseys, and other greats, Miller began recording under his own name for Columbia records in 1935. During his professional career, the Glenn Miller Orchestra produced an average of more than ten Top 10 hits every year from 1939 through 1944.

Just a few of his career hits include: “Moonlight Serenade,” “Tuxedo Junction,” Pennsylvania 6-5000,” “In the Mood,” “A String of Pearls,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” and “That Old Black Magic.”

Admission to this Western Plains Arts Association 50th Anniversary Celebration program is with WPAA season ticket or at the door: adults, $20 and students $10.

Benefactors for the Miller Orchestra include: The Dane Hansen Foundation, Logan, Kan., the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation —Dane Hansen Community Grant for Thomas County, and the Seele Foundation. A large number of additional businesses and individuals across the area make these live programs possible.

In October 1942, Glenn Miller reported for induction into the Army, disbanding the orchestra during his years of service. He was immediately assigned to the Army Specialist Corps. He eventually earned the rank of captain, then major, and ultimately organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band.

To assist the war effort, his band performed at military camps across the globe and hosted a weekly radio services. Following a tour in Great Britain, Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris on Dec. 15, 1944, disappearing over the English Channel. He was never to be seen again. The army declared him and the others on that plane officially dead a year later.

“A band ought to have a sound all of its own,” Miller once said. “It ought to have a personality.”

Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa, in 1904. He got his start several years later in North Platte, Neb., when his father brought home a mandolin. Miller promptly traded it for an old battered trombone, which he practiced every chance he got. He mother once quipped, “It got to where Pop and I used to wonder if he’d ever amount to anything.”

In 1923, Miller entered the University of Colorado, although he spent more time traveling to auditions and playing where and whenever he could. After flunking three of his five courses one semester, Miller dropped out to concentrate on his career as a professional musician.

With the 1954 release of the movie “The Glenn Miller Story”, featuring Jimmy Stewart and June Allyson, interest and popular demand led the Miller Estate to authorize the formation of the present Glenn Miller Orchestra. The orchestra was under the direction of drummer Ray McKinley, who had become the unofficial leader of the Army Air Force Band after Miller’s disappearance.

Since January 2012, vocalist Nick Hilscher has led the band. Today, the 18-member ensemble continues to play many of the original Miller arrangements both from the civilian band and the AAFB libraries. Additionally, it also plays some more modern selection arranged and performed. See www.glennmillerorchestra.com for more information.

In 2003, Miller posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

— Submitted

This weekend’s Hays-area garage sales

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Hays-area garage sales

Scroll to the bottom for a map of garage sale locations. Hays Post offers FREE garage sale listings weekly. Having a garage sale next weekend? Click HERE to submit your information.

130 N Ash, Russell
Saturday 8-Noon

Lots of neat stuff, some antiques, Women’s Clothes, Men’s Big and Tall, household, garden, BBQ stuff, crafts and craft supplies and Misc. everything priced to sell. 130 North Ash Street Russell 8-Noon Saturday 9-21-19

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2206 Downing Ave., Hays
Friday, September 20th 5:30 until dark & Saturday, sept. 21st 8:00 am until 1:00 pm

Household items

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508 W 15th, Hays
Thursday, September 19th 4p.m. to dark, Friday, September 20th 4p.m. to dark, Saturday September 21st 9a.m. to Noon

Daycare closing! Toys, books, puzzles, baby items, pack n play, exersaucer, booster seats, house hold items, electronic keyboard with stand, sewing machine, too much to list

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2516 Henry Drive, Hays
Friday 9/20 from 8 am to 8 pm and Saturday 9/21 from 8 am to noon

Automatic Baby Bottle Maker, antiques, collectables, porcelain dolls, queen bed frames, small grill I Robot Floor cleaner, toys, games puzzles, clothes, furniture, microwave, mens electric tools, lots of miscellaneous.

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217 W. 35th St, Hays
Saturday, September 21st 8:00am to 12:00pm

Large, Multi-family garage sale
Girl’s clothing Newborn – 12 months, car seats, baby accessories, maternity clothes
shoes
Lots of home decor
wooden rocking chair
media console tables
desk hutch
coffee table
lots of miscellaneous!

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FIRST FIVE: First Amendment freedoms not just ‘office hours’

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Gene Policinski

Our First Amendment freedoms don’t keep office hours.

There’s nothing in the 45 words that start the Bill of Rights that says our freedom of speech only applies when it’s convenient for others, or polite or gains official permission to be heard.

There’s no provision for our right to petition the government for redress of grievances — in plainer terms, to ask our elected and appointed officials to fix something, to correct an error or simply to do a better job — to be shunted aside in favor of convenience.

And nowhere in that First Amendment is a priority given to creating a positive public image or deference provided to some amorphous, bureaucratic search for “order” or efficiency.

In truth, our First Amendment freedoms are inextricably intertwined with a deliberately messy, sometimes inconvenient or tedious, often inefficient, occasionally confrontational and impolitic system of self-governance called democracy.

Yet, time and again, we see public officials in high and low office ignore that truth — some with good intentions, but others with more venal goals: Shutting down vocal opposition, a quiet path to pre-determined action, avoiding contentious discussion, or creating a roundabout way to silence critics.

In state legislatures, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reported in 2017, lawmakers “in nearly 20 states proposed bills in 2017 that would restrict people’s right to protest.” In North Dakota, Kentucky, Tennessee, Rhode Island and Florida, proposals were introduced to protect drivers from liability if they ran their cars over demonstrators standing in streets as long as it was “accidental.” Other states would place new limits on where the public might freely protest — from campuses to locations near oil and gas pipelines or other “critical infrastructure” — which, of course, might well be the very reasons for the protests.

On the local level, it can mean a recent ordinance adopted in Paducah, Ky., that bans the public from speaking during public meetings of the city commission on anything not on that meeting’s agenda. Supporters — including the four of five commissioners who voted for it — cite efficiency as their reason to end the practice of allowing citizens to speak at the end of each session. One was more blunt: The new law aims to silence what he said are groups that attend and make the same speeches each time.

A recent report on the new law by WPSD-TV in Paducah quoted one commissioner as saying if the public doesn’t like the way the commission does its work, they can vote members out at the next election — a clear, if unintended, view that freedoms of speech and petition apply in this case one day every four years. In an earlier WPSD report, City Commissioner Richard Abraham said members of the public would still be able to talk to city council members about concerns that are not on the agenda, just not at public meetings: “You can email your commissioner. You can call city hall for the number. We’ll get back to you.”

Yes, public demonstrations and public comments by ordinary citizens at public meetings can and do disrupt, delay, extend, confuse, confound, irritate and even at times bore those elected or employed to do the public’s business. Frankly, all of that simply goes with the job — and the public salary.

Yes, some restrictions on demonstrations and speaking at public meetings can pass constitutional muster — for example, setting reasonable time limits on individual remarks to allow more people to speak during any given meeting.

But the First Amendment protects our basic right to speak directly to public officials in public about matters of public interest — and, if nowhere else, that should apply most at the government level that is closest to us.

Providing email addresses or promises to “get back” to us just don’t measure up.

Gene Policinski is president and chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Institute. He can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter at @genefac.

KU study: E-cigarette ads influence adolescents who fail to question tactics

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(Photo credit: Pexels.com)

KU NEWS SERVICE

LAWRENCE — The tobacco industry has a history of targeting young people in its advertising to attract new customers. As vaping and electronic cigarettes have grown in popularity, advertisers are up to the same old tricks. New research from the University of Kansas shows that not only do those advertising tactics work, but young people also fail to question information touted in those ads.

Adolescents are the target market for e-cigarette advertisers as drawing in young customers is key to the industry’s business model. While research has examined how young people view e-cigarettes, or how high school youths view advertising, little attention has been paid to how such ads target adolescents. Researchers conducted five focus groups with 39 youths ages 12-17 who don’t use e-cigarettes to find out how they viewed the ads. The findings reflect three key themes:

  • The ads motivate nonsmokers to use e-cigarettes.
  • There was a fascination with the technical and emotional appeal of the products.
  • When searching for information about e-cigarettes, there was very little validation of information.
Yvonnes Chen, KU Associate Professor, School of Journalism

Yvonnes Chen, associate professor of journalism & mass communications; Chris Tilden, research project manager at KU’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research, and Dee Katherine Vernberg of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department conducted the focus groups and published their findings in the journal Psychology & Health. The study was funded by a Centers for Disease Control Community Health Grant.

“When e-cigarettes were just starting, people were curious how and why they existed and how they work. But now that they are increasingly popular, we want to know more about their advertising and marketing,” Chen said. “Research has skimmed over the advertising factors, especially as they relate to adolescents’ intent to use them.”

Participants said advertising for e-cigarettes made them want to try the products. They pointed to multiple flavors, the idea that they were a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes and the way they made vaping look cool as the main reasons. Multiple respondents said the ads mentioned they were healthier than cigarettes, leading them to believe they would not get addicted.

“These e-cig companies steal the entire playbook from the tobacco industry,” Chen said. “You see the ‘cool factor,’ the sex appeal and all the same tactics cigarette companies used in advertising. But before now we haven’t looked at how those approaches are perceived by adolescents.”

Respondents also indicated a fascination with the technical and emotional appeal of the commercials. Several pointed out the appeal of the e-cigarettes themselves, their sleek design, batteries and packaging to look like flash drives or “Lord of the Rings” branding were appealing.

“I saw a magazine ad for high-end e-cigarettes, marketing them as a more classy alternative to cigarettes. They were highlighting features and technologies they had, like how long the battery lasted. So it was making it seem fancy — special vapor technology,” one participant said.

Others recalled special effects used in the ads, such as how Blu, one of the most popular brands, had black-and-white commercials highlighting only the color of the e-cigarette.

The emotional appeal was front and center, with participants reporting they perceived social benefits like increased friendships or health benefits including a safer alternative to traditional tobacco, help in quitting smoking or the absence of secondhand smoke.

The third theme showed that when adolescents search for information on e-cigarettes, there was little verification of the information they found. The majority reported youths their age learn about e-cigarettes through search engines and social media platforms. Participants cited YouTube and Instagram demonstration videos on blowing smoke rings and other vaping tricks. When asked if they searched for specific information, the adolescents reported they searched for information on ingredients, if they contained nicotine, health effects, how to obtain them and price. While some said they found “very scientific” information, others said they mostly found information aimed at justifying use.

While the findings show that adolescents remember specific aspects of the ads, their comments lacked skepticism, suggesting the influence of the ads is even more effective on adolescents than older audiences. The results, when taken with the industry trend of increasingly using digital and mobile media for product promotion, show that e-cigarettes and marketing should be regulated by the FDA, researchers argued. While such regulation does not currently exist, media literacy campaigns designed to help adolescents better understand targeted messages and encourage critical thinking would be beneficial.

“The ads were all about being designed so they would be remembered by the viewers. And the e-cigarette industry is very aware of that and very good at it,” Chen said. “I think this adds to a growing body of research and adds support for researchers urging the FDA to take swift action to regulate e-cigarettes.”

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