What It Means To Be A Wildcat



KSU QB Collin Klein on the cover of SI

It turned out to be a disappointing post season for the Kansas State University wildcats.  The men's basketball team, ranked in the top ten going into the NCAA tournament, lost in the first round of March Madness.  Likewise, back in January, the K-State football team, at one time ranked number one in the nation, ended up losing to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl.  For many people in this country, that's all they see of good 'ol K-State, and that's what's so frustrating to me.  When the national spotlight is on, K-State sports teams don't shine as brightly as other teams who have winning down to an art.  What the people only watching those big games miss out on, however, is the true spirit of what it means to be a Wildcat.   Winning or losing...it's a thrilling ride.  GO STATE!

Rarely are K-State teams slated to be amongst the top in the early season.  The football team was picked to finish near the bottom of the Big 12 pack this past season.  KSU athletes normally aren't a bunch of all-stars or top recruits.  They're quiet, teachable, hard-working kids who have a lot of heart.  They don't give up, even when the know-it-all sports predictors write them off.  They may not look like winners going in...but they are winners by the time they're through.  Kansas State University earned Big 12 Championship trophies in both football and men's basketball this year. 


KSU Senior Jordan Henriquez with the Big 12 Trophy

This year is Kansas State University's 150th birthday...a good time to honor a great institution.  I bleed purple.  Oh, not just at football or basketball games...but all the time.  When it comes to K-State, I'm not just a fan...I'm part of a family.  That could be taken literally, since I'm a fourth generation K-Stater and my dad, mom, and two brothers all went to K-State, as did my husband.  However, the K-State Wildcat "family" goes way beyond that too.  It's an instant connection between any two people who have walked the hallowed corridors of Anderson Hall or sat in the stands at Bill Snyder Family stadium, decked out in purple from head to toe.  Even where we live now, I smile when I see cars with "PowerCat" license plates, and feel as if I'm among friends.  Nate and I can be walking through Target wearing our purple and a complete stranger will come up and ask if we know the score of the game.  You might think that for a small town gal (high school graduating class of thirty-three) that stepping onto a campus of 20,000 plus students might be a little intimidating.  Not so for me.  Even in my biggest lecture classes I found friends and approachable professors.  The chances of running into someone I knew while walking across campus were high.  Even if I didn't see anyone familiar, there was still usually someone who'd smile and wave in that good ol' friendly K-S-U way. 


Konza Prairie, just outside Manhattan, KS

Kansas State University is part of an awesome community too.  Manhattan, Kansas, or "The Little Apple", is a picturesque city nestled down along the Kansas River in the middle of the Flint Hills.  With unique shopping, dining, and entertainment venues, as well as active, college-student friendly churches and businesses, it's an easy place to feel at home.  Large parks, miles of running and biking trails, the unique Konza Prairie Nature Trail and Tuttle Creek Reservoir make it a giant outdoor playground.  You can shop 'til you drop, sip some amazing coffee, and take in a game.  Or you can head to the lake or the Konza for some quiet relaxation. 

There's a shared spirit at Kansas State and the Manhattan community the makes it memorable.  Like any large, public university and growing community it has its share of challenges, but it adapts and pushes forward.  As legendary football coach Bill Snyder tells his players, their "goal is to get better every day."  Award-winning academic programs draw students from all over the country and world.  Big 12 NCAA sports teams at their best attract and produce outstanding athletes.  A friendly, welcoming community makes it a place you'll never want to leave.  Oh, I know college isn't all about the sports, or the environment or the experience. But why not have your cake and eat it too?  At Kansas State University...you can.

Anderson Hall, KSU Campus

 I know a spot that I love full well,
‘Tis not in forest nor yet in dell;
Ever it holds me with magic spell,
I think of thee, Alma Mater.
K-S-U, we’ll carry thy banner high.
K-S-U, long, long may thy colors fly.
Loyal to thee, thy children will swell the cry.
Hail, hail, hail, Alma Mater.

 

Kansas State University Alma Mater ~ Written in 1903 by Humphrey W. Jones (Class of 1888)

 http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/kansas-state-university-1928/photos?int=228f6c

http://www.kansas.com/2013/03/12/2712649/k-state-celebrates-their-big-12.html

http://insidesportsillustrated.com/2012/11/13/kansas-state-quarterback-collin-klein-on-the-cover-of-this-weeks-sports-illustrated/

http://www.kansassampler.org/8wonders/geographyresults.php?id=248