FHSU University Relations

Baron Green and four other graduating seniors were asked to speak to the same set of questions about their college careers. The transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for form and concision.

Baron Green, Oberlin, a 2014 graduate of Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, is graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting (public).

Who was Baron Green when he first came to Fort Hays State? What was he like?

I would say, throughout my five years here, I have not changed a whole heck of a lot, although what I know about myself has changed quite a bit. I was a pretty shy individual when I came here. Rather shy, quiet, although I’ve always been kind of a hard charger. I apply myself pretty hard, pretty fast. And I got involved really quickly in a lot of things, which has kind of stuck with me.

But, just being shy, I’ve always been very committed to my academics, very committed to my extracurriculars, things of that nature. And I try to have a long term vision for myself always, so I know at least who I’m working to become or what I’m working toward in life. Although, when I came here, I was a little unsure of what I wanted to be or do. I started as a criminal justice major and then two, two and a half years in, I kind of made the switch to accounting. So, kind of an indication that I maybe didn’t have my sights right on the mark to begin with but of course, you live and you learn and you adjust the scope as necessary.

Who is Baron now? What changed?

I came to Fort Hays and really wanted to experience new things. When I first came here, early on, was involved in a whole slew of things, a lot of unrelated things, everything from choir to defensive tactics, martial arts, academic organizations, honor societies, everything.
I realized fairly early on that I just don’t have the time – there’s only 24 hours in a day – and I didn’t always have time for all these things. I had to take a step back and figure out what are the things that I value. What are the things that are bringing value to me? What am I bringing in terms of value to the people around me? And so I reduced my involvement but tried to commit a little bit more wholehearted to those few things that I stuck with.

I really came to appreciate the little things in life and have an appreciation that I’m only one guy, I’m only human, and I only have one life here. So I’ve learned to place a lot of importance lately on the human interactions. Being at Fort Hays, I’m incredibly blessed to be surrounded by people that are better than me.

Who and what helped him become the person he is now?

I would say it’s kind of a “who changed me and through what.” My freshman and sophomore years, I was probably simultaneously involved in five to six organizations at a time. I got a lot out of those, of course, I enjoyed my time with those. And then I joined Alpha Kappa Psi professional business fraternity here on campus, and that’s kind of how I grew close to Dr. Cole Engel and Dr. Anthony Gabel. Those two have been very, very influential in my progression through college.

But, Alpha Kappa Psi has also kind of been where I’ve found a lot of my really close friendships and things like that. I attribute a great deal of who I am now to Cole and Tony and the other individuals in Alpha Kappa Psi. They challenge themselves and they challenge me.

What else would you like to say?

Being a shy person, I kind of did my own thing – did my studies, went to my organizations, made my part, and that was my cycle. And now I’ve come to realize there’s a whole host of people in my life that have helped me get to where I am. To help the next person in line has really become a very important thing to me.

I want to be the best version of me that I can, and so I continually try to make myself better. But at the same time I feel like a very important part of life is to bring people along with you. If I’m getting better, if I’m pushing towards better things, I like to know that I’m helping someone else do the same.

Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Windy, with a south wind 13 to 18 mph increasing to 23 to 28 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.

Severe storms will be possible along a dry line late this afternoon. Large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible. #kswx pic.twitter.com/NebXewSnjM

— NWS Dodge City (@NWSDodgeCity) May 17, 2019

Tonight A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. Windy, with a south wind 24 to 29 mph becoming west southwest 14 to 19 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph.

SaturdayIsolated showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 78. West northwest wind 7 to 13 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday NightScattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. East northeast wind 10 to 14 mph becoming north northwest in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

SundayScattered showers before 8am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 69. North northwest wind 10 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

SHERMAN COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 7p.m. Thursday in Sherman County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Chevy Cobalt driven by Brittany Kaup, 32, Hays, was eastbound on Interstate 70 one mile west of Goodland.

The vehicle veered off the road to the north. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle traveled  into the south ditch and rolled.

Kaup and a passenger KellyGlass, 22, Chickasha, OK., were transported to the hospital in Goodland. Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

Ruth Zohner is as proud as they come while talking about her alma mater. But it doesn’t get much better than this week for Zohner, a 1969 graduate of Fort Hays State University.

Her oldest granddaughter, Abbie Maxwell, is a member of the 2019 graduating class at FHSU. And Zohner is among a large group of family members coming to Hays to celebrate.

While Zohner has plenty of stories to tell of the impact that FHSU has had on her family, one that stands out is the fact that Abbie is a nominee for the Torch Award.

Coincidentally, Abbie’s mom, Anne Maxwell, was a 1993 nominee for the Torch, given annually to an outstanding senior nominated by faculty.

It’s going to be a memorable weekend, said Abbie, who actually has several special ceremonies to attend. There was a reception Wednesday for outstanding senior nominees for the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. Thursday evening is a banquet honoring the Torch and other Commencement award nominees.

Abbie will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing Friday morning. That afternoon, she will participate in the traditional pinning ceremony, a rite of passage for nursing graduates.

Abbie, who grew up in Andale, transferred to FHSU her sophomore year when she decided to go into nursing. Her mother, and grandmother, couldn’t have been happier.

Anne’s other three siblings also attended Fort Hays State, with two of them receiving degrees. Not only did Anne’s parents graduate from Fort Hays State, but so, did her husband’s parents, the late Leonard and Karen Maxwell. In fact, both sets of Abbie’s grandparents met at FHSU.

“My existence is owed to Fort Hays State,” Abbie said.

Nonetheless, she wanted to try something different right out of high school and attended another college for one semester.

“But once I decided on nursing, I knew I wanted to transfer to Fort Hays State,” she said. “Hays and Fort Hays State have a good, small-town feel. Being from a small town, I really enjoyed that.”

“Plus,” Abbie added, “I had heard really good things about the Fort Hays State nursing program, and about the school in general.”

Anne was thrilled to help her daughter learn more about FHSU.

“I just really think it helped her find her own way,” Anne said, “a place to make her own story that was familiar to her and special to her family.”

Once she was certain of her path, Abbie excelled at Fort Hays State. She was on the Dean’s Honor Roll every semester and will graduate summa cum laude – with greatest honors, with a 3.9-plus grade-point average. This spring, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Abbie will begin work in July as a critical care nurse at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
She said all that was made possible by the well-rounded education she received while attending FHSU.

“Fort Hays State helped me grow as an individual through the community-type support,” she said. “The nursing program is tough and almost impossible to do on your own. You grow so close to your peers and to your professors.”

Her mom agreed that FHSU is a larger family for her immediate family.

“It’s a great commonality, a bond that we share,” Anne said. “Fort Hays State feels like home. I loved it when I was growing up, hearing my parents talk about how Fort Hays State helped shape them, and I loved it when I was a student there.”

And now?

“I still love it,” she said. “It’s great to see those relationships grow and to have that shared bond with my parents, with my child. It’s wonderful to see how Fort Hays State has continued to impact my life to this day.”

Abbie’s relatives, including Grandpa and Grandma Zohner from Penokee, will take part in a celebration Friday evening at an Airbnb in Hays. No doubt a story or two will be told from the family’s association with FHSU that spans parts of six decades.

“It’s interesting how we all had our own experiences at Fort Hays State,” Anne said, “but we are all tethered to the university. It’s a family bond that stays with you forever.”

Josie Hemphill from the Denver area, one of Anne’s nieces – and another Zohner grandchild – is completing her sophomore year at Fort Hays State, keeping the lineage intact for the Zohner family.

Abbie also is the oldest of four siblings, so there’s a possibility of more FHSU graduations in coming years.

The Zohners said they drive through campus every time they visit Hays, and sometimes get out and walk around. Ditto for Anne.

“The university has changed a lot over the years, but I still love what has all remained the same,” Anne said. “You put your feet on that campus and the quad and look up at the pillars on Picken Hall, and you know you’re home.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Hays Arts Council has opened registration for its summer art programs.

The HAC has many repeat classes however, Creativity Camps are new this year offering four half-days of activities, including painting, drawing, crafts and sculpture.

A mid-morning or afternoon snack will be offered depending on the session. Camps are offered from 1 to 5 p.m. June 3-6 and July 22-25 for children 8-12. Additional courses will be offered from 9 to 11:45 p.m. July 22-25 for children 6-8.

Cost is $48 per child per session.

Camps will be at the Hays Arts Center Annex, 1010 Main St., Hays.

“Kids who love art will love spending four days in a row making nothing but art for four hours,” said Brenda Meder, HAC executive director.

Meder said the HAC tried to time the camps so they would work well with parents’ schedules.

“The main thing I like about it, quite frankly, is that parents that have to work and cannot be jumping in and out of their day — they just don’t have that liberty — I am hoping that is who this will serve best. You can drop your child off on the way back from your lunch break, and you don’t have to pick them up again until 5.”

“Pop Art” POW! is also new this year. Children will explore the style of Andy Warhol and comic books with bright colors and humor. The children will be drawing and painting and exploring design.

For children who want a shorter experience, the HAC will offer four One-Day Wonders for children 6-12. These include Summer Fun on Monday June 24, Flower Power on Tuesday, June 25, Beads and Bangles on Wednesday, June 26 and Red, White and Blue on Wednesday July 3. Costs range form $12 to $14. Times and dates vary. Check the HAC website for more details.

Call of the Wild is back again this year with the aid of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. These are two-day experiences in which children learn about snakes, turtles, frogs or lizards. They will meet live Sternberg animal ambassadors and then create art based on what they have learned about their new animal friends.

“We went with all the things we have done in the past that have just gone over so well,” Meder said. “Really all our classes are pretty nice and broad in their focus, so the kids get a variety of creative elements unless it is very specific like photography or ceramics.

“Some of the one-day things are a little bit more craft oriented, but it gives the kids a chance to be creative and to be painting and to be gluing and to be cutting and just be exploring artistic materials and mediums and seeing what they come up with.”

For older children, the HAC offers more focused classes, including photography, stained glass, theater, wheel-thrown pottery and ceramics.

See a complete list of classes below or view the class list on the HAC website. Class space is limited. The HAC regularly updates the website when classes are full. You can also call the HAC at 785-625-7522 or email Meder at [email protected] for more information.

LAWRENCE — The names of almost 5,000 candidates for degree from the University of Kansas this spring — representing 90 Kansas counties; 45 other states, territories, and Washington, D.C.; and 49 other countries — have been announced by the University Registrar. Degrees are officially conferred in June.

 Many candidates will choose to participate in KU’s annual Commencement ceremony, which will take place Sunday, May 19. That information is available at commencement.ku.edu.

Local students are listed below.

 Ellis

Vincent B Bailey, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Caitlin Nicole Billinger, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Biology

Ashley Lauren Cossaart, Hays, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science & Bachelor of Arts in French, Francophone and Italian Studies

Lucas J Diehl, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering

Kirsten C Ellard, Hays, Bachelor of Social Work

Mariah Brenae Haley, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Biology

Courtney K Keener, Hays, Master of Social Work

Kelly Cathleen Koenigsman, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Education

Mikayla Jo Linn, Hays, Doctor of Pharmacy

Blake McClung, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Business in Accounting

Emily Rose McPherson, Hays, Bachelor of Science in Education

Emily Ann Pfeifer, Hays, Doctor of Medicine

Taylor Mark Pfeifer, Hays, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Brady T Rohr, Hays, Doctor of Pharmacy & Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Studies

Sarah Emmalee Rooney, Hays, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology

Tina Tinkel, Hays, Doctor of Nursing Practice

Owen P Toepfer, Hays, Bachelor of Arts in Classical Languages & Bachelor of Arts in English

Britney Lynn Werth, Hays, Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies

 Norton

Dakota Drew Dreher, Norton, Doctor of Medicine

 Osborne

Justin L Theleman, Natoma, Doctor of Medicine

Seth David Conway, Osborne, Doctor of Physical Therapy

 Phillips

Bailey Elizabeth Imm, Agra, Doctor of Pharmacy

Brant Nathan Cox, Long Island, Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training

 Rooks

Hannah M Berland, Damar, Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology

Kylee Shae, Plainville, Doctor of Pharmacy

Andrew P Bellerive, Stockton, Bachelor of Science in Sport Management

 Russell

Miranda Kay Clark, Russell, Juris Doctor

Kierra Cherie Mitchell, Russell, Bachelor of Science in Journalism

Jessie Danielle Reilly, Russell, Bachelor of Science in Business in Supply Chain Management

Kristen Suzanne Rios, Russell, Bachelor of Science in Nursing

 Smith

Carmen Michelle Engelke, Cedar, Master of Social Work

 Trego

Nicole Marie Martin, Collyer, Doctor of Physical Therapy.

By James Bell
Hays Post

Wednesday, the Kanas Board of Regents released tuition and fee proposals for the 2019-2020 academic year, with Fort Hays State University seeking no tuition increases.

However, students still may see higher costs next year from fee increases.

Cost increases are expected to be absorbed by a 2 percent growth in enrollment, according to the proposal to the regents.

“Fort Hays State University will be the lowest cost four-year institution in the State, and is expected to continue to be the fifth lowest in the nation as reported in U.S. News and World Report,” the proposal said.

“The University believes it has a responsibility to operate as efficiently as possible as is evident by its utility management operations, blended use of full-time and part-time faculty, and continued use of internal construction resources.”

Fort Hays is the only school in the Regents system seeking no tuition increase.

Despite the request to keep tuition the same, on-campus students may still see higher costs next year.

The university asked for fee increases that would raise the cost of attendance by up to 2.8 percent or to $70.80 per semester.

The majority of the proposed fee increase was approved by the University Student Government or by referendum. Additional fee increases are based on a matching a three-year rolling average of the Higher Education Price Index.

The report lists Fort Hays as having the lowest cumulative tuition increase for resident undergraduate students over the last decade with an increase of 35.7 percent, with all other Regents schools’ tuition increasing over 50 percent since 2010.

The full report to the regents can be found here.

HFD

The Hays Fire Department will be inspecting and flow testing fire hydrants on Thu., May 16, 2019 in the area of KSU Ag Research Highway 183 Bypass to Bison Road between 240th and 260th Ave., the area from Vine St. to Commerce between 8th St. and Reservation Rd., and the area of Canterbury to Commerce between 8th St. and 13th St. to include the Hays Regional Airport.

This is part of a coordinated effort by the city of Hays to inspect all fire hydrants in the city and flush all water mains annually.

Inspecting fire hydrants ensures that the valves operate properly and that there is no damage or obstructions that will prevent or interfere with the prompt use of fire hydrants in an emergency. Firefighters are also checking the pressure and volume of water mains in each neighborhood for firefighting purposes. The associated flushing of water mains allows chlorine to be distributed throughout the system to eliminate bio-filming in the water mains.

KWO

TOPEKA – The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is currently accepting applications from those who would like to participate as a member of one of the 14 Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) which are established by the Kansas Water Authority (KWA). Interested individuals are encouraged to apply soon as the deadline is only two weeks away.

Ellis County is in the Smoky Hill-Saline Regional Advisory Committee.

These committees play a key role in advising the KWA on implementation of each region’s water supply priorities as part of the Kansas Water Vision and the Kansas water planning process as a whole. They help identify and provide input on other emerging water resource related issues and concerns. The committee selection process will ensure all of the water users and interests within the region are represented.

Kansans can have a definite lasting impact on the future of water resources through RAC membership. Interested persons can apply at www.kwo.ks.gov. The application deadline is May 31, 2019.

As the state’s water office, KWO conducts water planning, policy coordination and water marketing as well as facilitates public input throughout the state. The agency prepares the Kansas Water Plan, a plan for water resources development, management and conservation.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Bicycles have the same rights – and responsibilities –  as motor vehicles on Kansas streets and highways.

“Bicyclists must obey the same traffic safety measures as cars, whose drivers need to yield to bicycles appropriately as necessary,” says Stefan Gildemeister, Hays Master Police Officer. Gildemeister is also program coordinator and bike team leader for the Hays Police Department (HPD) Bicycle Patrol.

May is National Bicycle Safety Month.

HPD encourages bicyclists of all ages to wear a helmet. “It can make such a big difference as we’ve seen in some accidents involving bicyclists,” Gildemeister said. “The majority of head injuries that happen during those types of accidents can be prevented or greatly reduced by wearing a properly fitted helmet.”

The bike you ride should be properly fitted to you and make sure the brakes are working before you ride. “We want to be sure bicyclists can stop and try to avoid those type of accidents.”

It’s a good idea to wear bright or reflective clothing, especially during limited visibility at dawn and dusk.

Night time rides require by state law a white light on the front of the bike as well as a red rear reflector. “We also encourage some type of red steady or flashing light on the back of your bicycle,” Gildemeister added, “making you that more visible to cars.”

Hays has seven designated bike routes and two concrete bike paths throughout town as part of Bike Hays.

There are also bike lanes outlined on many city streets.

“Those are specifically for bicyclists. They’re not meant for pedestrian traffic or runners.”

Nor are the bike lanes meant for drivers.

“There are some areas where the driving lanes have been decreased slightly in order to make room for those bike lanes but there’s still plenty of room for cars to pass by [the bikes] as we normally would for traffic. … Those bike lanes in some areas are set over far enough we still have legal street parking for vehicles. The bike lane would usually be between the street parking and the actual driving lane in the street.

There shouldn’t be any reason for cars to be driving in those bike lanes.

Just as vehicle drivers drive defensively, bicyclists also should ride defensively.

“Stay alert and focused on the road,” stressed Gildemeister. “Try to anticipate what others do, especially those cars around you. The quicker you can notice that potential conflict, the quicker you can try to react to avoid a potential injury or crash.”

Bicyclists must share the road, ride the same direction as vehicle traffic, and obey the same street signs, signals and road markings.

Gildemeister says HPD is seeing more bicyclists wearing headphones while listening to music as well as talking on their phone and steering with one hand.

Although that’s not against the law, HPD discourages it. “We want to make sure their eyes and ears are on the roads and making sure they’re paying attention to the surrounding traffic, limiting potential hazards.”

Bike riding on sidewalks is prohibited in business areas by city ordinance. Intersections are the most common areas where bike accidents occur, according to Gildemeister.

There are currently six bike officers with HPD.

In the next few weeks, Gildemeister says the bike officers will be expanding their normal patrol range and will have brighter emergency lights installed on their bikes.