What is polarization, and what can Kansans do about it? More than you might think.

“Polarization” is the tendency for people to identify strongly with their own ideological groups, rejecting anything they associate with their perceived enemies. This makes compromise (and thus governing) difficult, and contributes to paranoia, conspiracy theories, and fake news.

This isn’t “partisanship,” which is the (sometimes overlapping, but still distinct) practice of embracing a specific political party as a way of advancing your political views. Rather, the problem here is “affective polarization,” which is when people tightly associate their racial, religious, regional, gender, social , and other identities alongside their ideological beliefs.

Of course, human beings have always engaged in this kind of political sorting, mostly unintentionally. Everyone knows that Kansas is pretty conservative, but that Lawrence is less conservative than Salina, and so forth. This simply reflects the different people who live in particular places, the ways they express themselves, and how those expressions are absorbed, rejected, and/or passed along to others. It’s an inevitable, historical, almost natural process.

What is new is how, thanks to technological and corporate trends which globalize and centralize public discourse, people associate those organic groupings with very specific ideological packages. Everyone thus gets labeled in an ever-intensifying cultural war: if you’re White and live in Kansas, you must be a church-going Fox News watcher, and therefore believe this idea and oppose that group; but if you’re Black and live in New York City, therefore you’re a secular New York Times-reader and believe this other idea and oppose that other group; etc.

This doesn’t describe everyone, of course. Still, it has become common enough that almost everyone is noticing. Nearly a third of all Americans believe that affective polarization, and the sometimes hateful tribalism it creates, is a bigger problem than any other threat we face.

Most of the social research on polarization shows that the culprits usually blamed for this phenomenon—ideological extremism, increasing diversity, etc.—are actually secondary. The real problem is simply patterns of separation: that is, of working and playing and worshipping in ways where you do not interact with people you disagree with, or simply living in places where you’re not even aware of the variety and debate all around you. Which means the solution to affective polarization is to be found in the specific places we live, work, worship, and play.

Some scholars call this “micro-level pluralism.” We’re not talking about large-scale diversity or educational programs; we’re talking about local institutions which regularly perform ideological outreach (even if they don’t call it that), in a context of locally-earned civic trust.

It may surprise some readers who see Kansas as homogenous place, but actually we score well in this regard. One of the most valuable examples of micro-level pluralism is distinct educational institutions--public and private, religious and secular--woven into the fabric of distinct communities. 

Kansas has a larger number and a greater variety of such institutions per capita than almost any other state. Which means Kansas communities, however much vicious fights between different Republican and Democratic factions seem to dominate the environment, is actually filled with hundreds of small educational and religious groups, motivated by diverse causes, interacting with one another in unnoticed, polarization-reducing ways.

With the nation deeply divided, Kansas obviously can’t—and doesn’t—escape affective polarization entirely. But so long as Kansas recognizes the value of, and works to preserve, these and many other kinds of small and distinct local institutions, our civic divides will likely remain less deep, and more negotiable, than you might believe.

Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586443443315.jpeg" alt="Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>What is polarization, and what can Kansans do about it? More than you might think.“Polarization” is the tendency for people to identify strongly with their own ideological groups, rejecting anything they associate with their perceived enemies. This makes compromise (and thus governing) difficult, and contributes to paranoia, conspiracy theories, and fake news.This isn’t “partisanship,” which is the (sometimes overlapping, but still distinct) practice of embracing a specific political party as a way of advancing your political views. Rather, the problem here is “affective polarization,” which is when people tightly associate their racial, religious, regional, gender, social , and other identities alongside their ideological beliefs.Of course, human beings have always engaged in this kind of political sorting, mostly unintentionally. Everyone knows that Kansas is pretty conservative, but that Lawrence is less conservative than Salina, and so forth. This simply reflects the different people who live in particular places, the ways they express themselves, and how those expressions are absorbed, rejected, and/or passed along to others. It’s an inevitable, historical, almost natural process.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>What is new is how, thanks to technological and corporate trends which globalize and centralize public discourse, people associate those organic groupings with very specific ideological packages. Everyone thus gets labeled in an ever-intensifying cultural war: if you’re White and live in Kansas, you must be a church-going Fox News watcher, and therefore believe this idea and oppose that group; but if you’re Black and live in New York City, therefore you’re a secular New York Times-reader and believe this other idea and oppose that other group; etc.This doesn’t describe everyone, of course. Still, it has become common enough that almost everyone is noticing. Nearly a third of all Americans believe that affective polarization, and the sometimes hateful tribalism it creates, is a bigger problem than any other threat we face.Most of the social research on polarization shows that the culprits usually blamed for this phenomenon—ideological extremism, increasing diversity, etc.—are actually secondary. The real problem is simply patterns of separation: that is, of working and playing and worshipping in ways where you do not interact with people you disagree with, or simply living in places where you’re not even aware of the variety and debate all around you. Which means the solution to affective polarization is to be found in the specific places we live, work, worship, and play.Some scholars call this “micro-level pluralism.” We’re not talking about large-scale diversity or educational programs; we’re talking about local institutions which regularly perform ideological outreach (even if they don’t call it that), in a context of locally-earned civic trust.It may surprise some readers who see Kansas as homogenous place, but actually we score well in this regard. One of the most valuable examples of micro-level pluralism is distinct educational institutions--public and private, religious and secular--woven into the fabric of distinct communities. Kansas has a larger number and a greater variety of such institutions per capita than almost any other state. Which means Kansas communities, however much vicious fights between different Republican and Democratic factions seem to dominate the environment, is actually filled with hundreds of small educational and religious groups, motivated by diverse causes, interacting with one another in unnoticed, polarization-reducing ways.With the nation deeply divided, Kansas obviously can’t—and doesn’t—escape affective polarization entirely. But so long as Kansas recognizes the value of, and works to preserve, these and many other kinds of small and distinct local institutions, our civic divides will likely remain less deep, and more negotiable, than you might believe.Dr. Russell Arben Fox teaches politics at Friends University in Wichita.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Defining, defeating, polarization in Kansas

I recently had a conversation with a retired farmer, and he commented that his fields seem to have more runoff and water erosion then he’s ever seen in the past 40 years he farmed the ground. He went on to say that this climate change thing everyone is talking about might be the cause of getting these heavier rainfall events that the soil just can’t absorb. 

Not wanting to offend my friend I half-heartly agreed with him even though I knew there was more to the story. What wasn’t mentioned during the conversation was that his current tenant, like he did for the last forty years, is using a very intense tillage system with long periods of fallow. My suspicion is this likely is the main contributing factor to the runoff and erosion issue.

Soil water infiltration is influenced by several things. Different soil types can make a big difference. Water will move more quickly through a sandy soil, where there are large pore spaces, than in a clay soil where pore spaces can be very small, especially in degraded soil that has no structure or aggregation. On the other hand, clay soil tends to shrink and crack when they dry, which allows a direct conduit for water to enter the soils. 

But how the soil is managed also plays a big role in how much water infiltrates into the soil.

Keeping the soil covered, either with crop residue from the previous crop, or with a crop canopy helps with infiltration by reducing the direct impact of the raindrop. 

If the raindrop hits the soil directly it tends to dislodge and break down soil particles which leads to the soil surface crusting and seals it off, which doesn’t allow any additional water to soak in. If there is something to intercept the rain drop, like residue or canopy, this will slow the rain drop down and reduce the force of the impact to the soil surface. This allows more water to enter the soil before it begins to runoff. Keeping the soil covered also helps with evaporation losses, which in our part of the world is a huge water loss.

Having stable soil aggregates also plays a key role in water infiltration. A soil aggregate is basically a bunch of individual soil particles of sand, silt and clay being held together by what I call biological glues. These glues are produced and secreted by soil microbes that live in the soil. These microbes rely on a living plant for their livelihood, so when a field is fallowed for a long period of time microbial life in the soil is significantly decreased. 

Excessive tillage can also be detrimental to beneficial soil microbes. If it doesn’t just kill them outright it will certainly destroy the habitat that they live in.

Soils with good aggregate stability, provide bunches of pore space for water to enter and be held in the soil. Kind of like the difference one jar filled with gravel and another one filled with&nbsp;clay. The jar that has the gravel will hold a lot more water because the larger and more abundant pore spaces.

So how do we increase infiltration rates? The short answer is to reduce tillage and shorten fallow periods the extent that the climate will allow.

 I understand this is a hard sell in western Kansas on dryland cropping systems, and even more so when we are in the middle of a prolonged drought. But if the weather and weed pressure allows an opportunity to shorten up the fallow period by slipping a cash or cover crop in the rotation, or if a tillage pass or two could be eliminated, it would certainly increase the opportunity to capture more water in the soil.

For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at dale.younker@ks.usda.gov or any local NRCS office.

Dale Younker is a&nbsp;soil health specialist at the&nbsp;Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1628525048992.jpeg" alt="Dale Younker&nbsp; (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Dale Younker&nbsp; (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>I recently had a conversation with a retired farmer, and he commented that his fields seem to have more runoff and water erosion then he’s ever seen in the past 40 years he farmed the ground. He went on to say that this climate change thing everyone is talking about might be the cause of getting these heavier rainfall events that the soil just can’t absorb. Not wanting to offend my friend I half-heartly agreed with him even though I knew there was more to the story. What wasn’t mentioned during the conversation was that his current tenant, like he did for the last forty years, is using a very intense tillage system with long periods of fallow. My suspicion is this likely is the main contributing factor to the runoff and erosion issue.Soil water infiltration is influenced by several things. Different soil types can make a big difference. Water will move more quickly through a sandy soil, where there are large pore spaces, than in a clay soil where pore spaces can be very small, especially in degraded soil that has no structure or aggregation. On the other hand, clay soil tends to shrink and crack when they dry, which allows a direct conduit for water to enter the soils. But how the soil is managed also plays a big role in how much water infiltrates into the soil.Keeping the soil covered, either with crop residue from the previous crop, or with a crop canopy helps with infiltration by reducing the direct impact of the raindrop. If the raindrop hits the soil directly it tends to dislodge and break down soil particles which leads to the soil surface crusting and seals it off, which doesn’t allow any additional water to soak in. If there is something to intercept the rain drop, like residue or canopy, this will slow the rain drop down and reduce the force of the impact to the soil surface. This allows more water to enter the soil before it begins to runoff. Keeping the soil covered also helps with evaporation losses, which in our part of the world is a huge water loss.Having stable soil aggregates also plays a key role in water infiltration. A soil aggregate is basically a bunch of individual soil particles of sand, silt and clay being held together by what I call biological glues. These glues are produced and secreted by soil microbes that live in the soil. These microbes rely on a living plant for their livelihood, so when a field is fallowed for a long period of time microbial life in the soil is significantly decreased. Excessive tillage can also be detrimental to beneficial soil microbes. If it doesn’t just kill them outright it will certainly destroy the habitat that they live in.Soils with good aggregate stability, provide bunches of pore space for water to enter and be held in the soil. Kind of like the difference one jar filled with gravel and another one filled with&nbsp;clay. The jar that has the gravel will hold a lot more water because the larger and more abundant pore spaces.So how do we increase infiltration rates? The short answer is to reduce tillage and shorten fallow periods the extent that the climate will allow. I understand this is a hard sell in western Kansas on dryland cropping systems, and even more so when we are in the middle of a prolonged drought. But if the weather and weed pressure allows an opportunity to shorten up the fallow period by slipping a cash or cover crop in the rotation, or if a tillage pass or two could be eliminated, it would certainly increase the opportunity to capture more water in the soil.For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at dale.younker@ks.usda.gov or any local NRCS office.Dale Younker is a&nbsp;soil health specialist at the&nbsp;Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.

YOUNKER: Increasing water infiltration rates on our soils

One of my favorite youth development authors is Dr. Tim Elmore. I have several of his Habitudes book series, follow him on social media, and regularly listen to his podcast titled “Leading the Next Generation.”

Earlier this week, he utilized a quote from Arianna Huffington that I really appreciate as a youth development professional. Huffington stated, “We need to accept that we don’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”

None of us like to fail and yet, it is a part of growth and development. 

Does an athlete succeed immediately? While they may have a great deal of natural talent and ability, they still need practice to hone their skills. Missing the mark is motivation to get closer and closer each time which is actually a small dose of failure.

Do great speakers capture everyone’s attention every time and from the first moment? Again, they may have a presence and sense of humor that cause others to stop and listen but if they can’t effectively get a point across, they will lose their audience. Good speakers practice and learn techniques to help them be better with each engagement and will evaluate the less than stellar moments which are small failures.

No human is going to cruise through life without some failures; some moments where – if they are self-aware – they would like to disappear. It happens to all of us! We say something in a moment of frustration or anger that we’d like to take back. We are just sure of a fact only to find out that we were mis-informed.

The learning takes place when we can evaluate a lesson, make amends, and move forward without dwelling on the error. 

One of my favorite things to ask 4-H youth about when I am judging their project is what was the hardest part of their exhibit or what did they struggle with the most. It is usually where the most learning happened!

So, while none of us want to experience failure for ourselves or our kids, if we can keep the perspective that it is a part of growth and a necessary part of success, we’ll be a little stronger for the experience.

Keep learning! Keep showing grace and kindness!

Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District.

For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District Barton Office at 620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668177519229.png" alt="Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>One of my favorite youth development authors is Dr. Tim Elmore. I have several of his Habitudes book series, follow him on social media, and regularly listen to his podcast titled “Leading the Next Generation.”Earlier this week, he utilized a quote from Arianna Huffington that I really appreciate as a youth development professional. Huffington stated, “We need to accept that we don’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.”None of us like to fail and yet, it is a part of growth and development. Does an athlete succeed immediately? While they may have a great deal of natural talent and ability, they still need practice to hone their skills. Missing the mark is motivation to get closer and closer each time which is actually a small dose of failure.Do great speakers capture everyone’s attention every time and from the first moment? Again, they may have a presence and sense of humor that cause others to stop and listen but if they can’t effectively get a point across, they will lose their audience. Good speakers practice and learn techniques to help them be better with each engagement and will evaluate the less than stellar moments which are small failures.No human is going to cruise through life without some failures; some moments where – if they are self-aware – they would like to disappear. It happens to all of us! We say something in a moment of frustration or anger that we’d like to take back. We are just sure of a fact only to find out that we were mis-informed.The learning takes place when we can evaluate a lesson, make amends, and move forward without dwelling on the error. One of my favorite things to ask 4-H youth about when I am judging their project is what was the hardest part of their exhibit or what did they struggle with the most. It is usually where the most learning happened!So, while none of us want to experience failure for ourselves or our kids, if we can keep the perspective that it is a part of growth and a necessary part of success, we’ll be a little stronger for the experience.Keep learning! Keep showing grace and kindness!Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District Barton Office at 620-793-1910.

BERAN: Failure 

In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt served as President of the United States, Oklahoma added the 46th star to the U.S. flag, William Durant founded what became General Motors Corporation, Henry Ford’s $850 Model-T rolled off the Detroit, Michigan assembly line on September 27, and Ellis, Kansas, residents celebrated seven graduating seniors.

Those creative seniors each assembled their own year book, gluing photos onto thick paper and writing a motto under each picture. An appreciative bunch, they thanked their high school faculty, Superintendent W.E Ford, Principal M. Ethel Hoar, and Assistant Principal Margaret H. Cave for their earnest endeavors to assist the students in every possible way in their high school courses. At the end of the eleven-page booklet, they included their class yell: “Oh, yes, sure as fate; Senior! Senior! 1908!”

Four years later in 1912, the district published The First Annual Catalogue of the Ellis Public Schools. It included an event calendar for the school year, a list and photos of staff and board members, mission statement, descriptions of the entertainment course and the courses of study, general information, and a roll of previous Ellis graduates.

Teachers in 1912–13 were Superintendent J.E. Chamberlain, High School Principal Emilie Wedell, Assistant Principal Dora Kohr, Grade School Principal D’Gracia J. Davis, Addie Frost, Kathryn Marts, Easter Woody, and E. Maude Harris. Board members were Thomas McMahon, E.C. Waldo, and H.K. McLeod. 

The high school’s mission statement follows:

"The mission of the high school is comprehensive. It champions the idea of universal education. It places higher education within the grasp of every boy or girl, even in the rural districts. The value of high school education, both as a necessary preparation for admission to college or university, and an effective practical training for the successful pursuits of the various vocations of life is almost universally recognized. The high school should not only prepare for the university; but it should supplement the work of the common school, and above all provide the practical training necessary for the great industrial school, the WORLD."

In order to meet its mission statement of preparing students for the world, the board added two additional courses: Normal Training and Domestic Science. They planned to add Manual Training at the earliest possible opportunity. 

In addition to core classes offered, Ellis Public School included an entertainment course in a lyceum format. The catalogue advertised that “Some of the best talent of the age will appear this winter on our Lecture and Entertainment Course.” Most of the programs were musical in nature with some dramatic entertainment as well.

Those seeking to enter high school took an entrance examination they had to pass with a 75% average and no score lower than 60%. Those possessing teacher’s certificates or common school diplomas were admitted without the exam.

The district charged non-resident high school students $9 tuition while non-resident grade school enrollees paid $6. Community members offered board and room to those who didn’t live in town. Local students did not pay tuition.

According to the catalogue, all students were to be treated kindly and considerately, and they were to “Make the work of school their first business.” It was stressed that every effort would be made to make them self-governing and self-directing men and women.

Clearly Ellis intended to develop productive citizens for a changing world.

Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692797017875.jpeg" alt="Ellis High School limestone building (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Ellis High School limestone building (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINIn 1908, Theodore Roosevelt served as President of the United States, Oklahoma added the 46th star to the U.S. flag, William Durant founded what became General Motors Corporation, Henry Ford’s $850 Model-T rolled off the Detroit, Michigan assembly line on September 27, and Ellis, Kansas, residents celebrated seven graduating seniors.Those creative seniors each assembled their own year book, gluing photos onto thick paper and writing a motto under each picture. An appreciative bunch, they thanked their high school faculty, Superintendent W.E Ford, Principal M. Ethel Hoar, and Assistant Principal Margaret H. Cave for their earnest endeavors to assist the students in every possible way in their high school courses. At the end of the eleven-page booklet, they included their class yell: “Oh, yes, sure as fate; Senior! Senior! 1908!”Four years later in 1912, the district published The First Annual Catalogue of the Ellis Public Schools. It included an event calendar for the school year, a list and photos of staff and board members, mission statement, descriptions of the entertainment course and the courses of study, general information, and a roll of previous Ellis graduates.Teachers in 1912–13 were Superintendent J.E. Chamberlain, High School Principal Emilie Wedell, Assistant Principal Dora Kohr, Grade School Principal D’Gracia J. Davis, Addie Frost, Kathryn Marts, Easter Woody, and E. Maude Harris. Board members were Thomas McMahon, E.C. Waldo, and H.K. McLeod. The high school’s mission statement follows:"The mission of the high school is comprehensive. It champions the idea of universal education. It places higher education within the grasp of every boy or girl, even in the rural districts. The value of high school education, both as a necessary preparation for admission to college or university, and an effective practical training for the successful pursuits of the various vocations of life is almost universally recognized. The high school should not only prepare for the university; but it should supplement the work of the common school, and above all provide the practical training necessary for the great industrial school, the WORLD."In order to meet its mission statement of preparing students for the world, the board added two additional courses: Normal Training and Domestic Science. They planned to add Manual Training at the earliest possible opportunity. In addition to core classes offered, Ellis Public School included an entertainment course in a lyceum format. The catalogue advertised that “Some of the best talent of the age will appear this winter on our Lecture and Entertainment Course.” Most of the programs were musical in nature with some dramatic entertainment as well.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158626307.png" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>Those seeking to enter high school took an entrance examination they had to pass with a 75% average and no score lower than 60%. Those possessing teacher’s certificates or common school diplomas were admitted without the exam.The district charged non-resident high school students $9 tuition while non-resident grade school enrollees paid $6. Community members offered board and room to those who didn’t live in town. Local students did not pay tuition.According to the catalogue, all students were to be treated kindly and considerately, and they were to “Make the work of school their first business.” It was stressed that every effort would be made to make them self-governing and self-directing men and women.Clearly Ellis intended to develop productive citizens for a changing world.Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.&nbsp;

MADORIN: History of Ellis schools, Part 8

KOERNER: Family Pizza Day

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing every day activities.

 Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. 

Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging. 

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills.

 Eventually, the disease will prevent one from carrying out the simplest of daily tasks.

 While Alzheimer’s disease cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured, there are things you can do to live an overall brain-healthy lifestyle. 

Adopt these practices early and continue them throughout your life to help reduce your risk of cognitive decline as you age.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 ways to love your brain and reduce the risk of dementia:

1. Break a sweat. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.

2. Hit the books. Take a class online or in your community.

3. Butt out. Quit smoking now, as this increases your risk for many health conditions including cognitive decline.

4. Follow your heart. Risk factors for heart disease also increase your risk for cognitive decline. A heart-healthy lifestyle is also good for your brain.

5. Heads up! Wear a helmet, use your seatbelt, and prevent falls. Protecting your head can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline.

6. Fuel up right with a healthy and balanced diet.

7. Catch some Zzz’s. A lack of sleep contributes to memory loss and thinking ability. Try to get 9 hours per night.

8. Take care of your mental health. Depression could be linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline.

9. Buddy up. Strong social connections throughout life may support better brain health. Enjoy time with friends, volunteer, engage in hobbies, and be part of your community.

10. Stump yourself. Challenge your brain with card games, puzzles, learning a new skill — these have brain-boosting benefits.

Here is a bonus #11. Treat hearing loss early and wear your hearing aids! Research has found a correlation between the severity of someone's hearing loss and their risk of developing dementia. 

Among individuals with hearing loss that was rated as moderate to severe, the incidence of dementia was 61% higher than in those with good hearing. Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins conducted studies around hearing loss. 

“Brain scans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain,” Lin says. “Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.”

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658934620122.png" alt="Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing every day activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects older adults, it is not a part of normal aging. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Eventually, the disease will prevent one from carrying out the simplest of daily tasks. While Alzheimer’s disease cannot be prevented, slowed, or cured, there are things you can do to live an overall brain-healthy lifestyle. Adopt these practices early and continue them throughout your life to help reduce your risk of cognitive decline as you age.<h2>The Alzheimer’s Association offers 10 ways to love your brain and reduce the risk of dementia:</h2>1. Break a sweat. Get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week.2. Hit the books. Take a class online or in your community.3. Butt out. Quit smoking now, as this increases your risk for many health conditions including cognitive decline.4. Follow your heart. Risk factors for heart disease also increase your risk for cognitive decline. A heart-healthy lifestyle is also good for your brain.5. Heads up! Wear a helmet, use your seatbelt, and prevent falls. Protecting your head can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline.6. Fuel up right with a healthy and balanced diet.7. Catch some Zzz’s. A lack of sleep contributes to memory loss and thinking ability. Try to get 9 hours per night.8. Take care of your mental health. Depression could be linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline.9. Buddy up. Strong social connections throughout life may support better brain health. Enjoy time with friends, volunteer, engage in hobbies, and be part of your community.10. Stump yourself. Challenge your brain with card games, puzzles, learning a new skill — these have brain-boosting benefits.Here is a bonus #11. Treat hearing loss early and wear your hearing aids! Research has found a correlation between the severity of someone's hearing loss and their risk of developing dementia. Among individuals with hearing loss that was rated as moderate to severe, the incidence of dementia was 61% higher than in those with good hearing. Dr. Frank Lin of Johns Hopkins conducted studies around hearing loss. “Brain scans show us that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain,” Lin says. “Hearing loss also contributes to social isolation. You may not want to be with people as much, and when you are you may not engage in conversation as much. These factors may contribute to dementia.”Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. You may reach her at: 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

KOERNER: Dementia and brain health

Just as I have no clue how a weather front can affect fish that spend their lives under water, I also fail to grasp how the dreadful heat can affect both my physical and mental state as I sit in an air-conditioned home, but for me it certainly does. As I sat in front of my computer today searching for words to put on the screen, I found this old column from years ago and decided it warrants dusting off for this week.

During a hot, dry spell a few years back, a friend told me she’d been hearing the call of a “rain crow” and asked me if I knew what kind of bird it was. She also said she had been seeing “sundogs” in the evening and that they were both supposedly predictors of rain. Now I remember someone’s grandpa talking about a rain crow when I was a kid, or storm crow as he called it, and I knew absolutely zero about sundogs, but given their supposed rain prediction powers, I delved deeper.

I found numerous references to a “rain crow” and all seemed to agree that it was in fact a Yellow- Billed Cuckoo (which does not appear in any Kansas bird books I own.) Few, however wanted to stick their neck out concerning its rain prediction ability; one website tossed around the figure of 3 days from first hearing one until rain. Sundogs on the other hand, were quite a popular subject, and are ice crystals high in the atmosphere that, when sunlight shines through them can give the illusion of a second or third sun on each side of the actual sun. I’ve seen sun dogs a couple times over the years in the winter. But once again, however, sundogs ties to predicting rain were sparse.

My search turned up so many proverbs and “old wives’ tales” concerning rain that I decided to enlist the help of Ross Jansen, Meteorologist at KWCH TV channel 12 and play an Exploring Kansas Outdoors version of Myth Busters. I read several rain prediction fables to Ross over the phone and got his take on each. Concerning sundogs, Ross said there is some correct science in tying sundogs to rain, in that the same ice crystals that cause them have the ability to form clouds containing rain. But as far as them predicting rain, Ross was hesitant to agree to that. Next, I asked him about a ring around the moon predicting rain, and again he said that a ring around the moon indeed meant there was moisture at some level, but said it was so high up that the chance of it finding its way to us in the form of rain was nil. “Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning” is another widely quoted proverb about rain. Since weather patterns typically move across the country from west to east, the gist of the explanation is that a red morning sky means we are seeing sunlight through a weather system yet to come, while a red evening sky means we are seeing a weather system moving away from us. Ross said he has indeed noticed that morning thunderstorms often bring with them a red morning sky, and that there was again some correct science accompanying the tale. But also like the previous two fables, he felt it was a stretch to say that they actually predicted rain. We agreed to call these three myths SEMI-BUSTED.

Another proverb I found read “When grass is dry at night, look for rain before the light; when grass is dry at morning light, look for rain before the night.” This one uses the presence or absence of dew at certain times to predict rain. Ross says that the presence or absence of dew depends solely on night time temperatures and dew point temperatures and saw no link between them and a prediction for rain. We declared this one BUSTED. The next was an Indian proverb that says “If the moon is red, of rain she

speaks.” Ross said a red moon is red only because of smoke or dust; again BUSTED. Next, I asked him about something I’ve always thought to be a rain predictor, that being the fact that birds fly lower and congregate on power lines just before a storm because the lower air pressure preceding a storm makes it tough for them to attain lift and fly. He debunked that also by telling me that when air pressure is low, the air as a whole actually rises; BUSTED again.

I could literally spend the next month cussing and discussing all the old-time weather fables and proverbs I found while writing this piece. To those of you who put stock in any of the rain predictors I cast doubt upon, I’m sorry to have rained on your parade (yes, most certainly pun intended) even though I’m certain some of these hold true some of the time. Ross even told me that his mom swears by an old tale that says it will rain 100 days after a fog; she even keeps track of it on her calendar. Maybe that will win me back some points and make you feel better again about your favorite weather tales knowing that the weather guy’s mom even believes them!

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Just as I have no clue how a weather front can affect fish that spend their lives under water, I also fail to grasp how the dreadful heat can affect both my physical and mental state as I sit in an air-conditioned home, but for me it certainly does. As I sat in front of my computer today searching for words to put on the screen, I found this old column from years ago and decided it warrants dusting off for this week.During a hot, dry spell a few years back, a friend told me she’d been hearing the call of a “rain crow” and asked me if I knew what kind of bird it was. She also said she had been seeing “sundogs” in the evening and that they were both supposedly predictors of rain. Now I remember someone’s grandpa talking about a rain crow when I was a kid, or storm crow as he called it, and I knew absolutely zero about sundogs, but given their supposed rain prediction powers, I delved deeper.I found numerous references to a “rain crow” and all seemed to agree that it was in fact a Yellow- Billed Cuckoo (which does not appear in any Kansas bird books I own.) Few, however wanted to stick their neck out concerning its rain prediction ability; one website tossed around the figure of 3 days from first hearing one until rain. Sundogs on the other hand, were quite a popular subject, and are ice crystals high in the atmosphere that, when sunlight shines through them can give the illusion of a second or third sun on each side of the actual sun. I’ve seen sun dogs a couple times over the years in the winter. But once again, however, sundogs ties to predicting rain were sparse.My search turned up so many proverbs and “old wives’ tales” concerning rain that I decided to enlist the help of Ross Jansen, Meteorologist at KWCH TV channel 12 and play an Exploring Kansas Outdoors version of Myth Busters. I read several rain prediction fables to Ross over the phone and got his take on each. Concerning sundogs, Ross said there is some correct science in tying sundogs to rain, in that the same ice crystals that cause them have the ability to form clouds containing rain. But as far as them predicting rain, Ross was hesitant to agree to that. Next, I asked him about a ring around the moon predicting rain, and again he said that a ring around the moon indeed meant there was moisture at some level, but said it was so high up that the chance of it finding its way to us in the form of rain was nil. “Red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning” is another widely quoted proverb about rain. Since weather patterns typically move across the country from west to east, the gist of the explanation is that a red morning sky means we are seeing sunlight through a weather system yet to come, while a red evening sky means we are seeing a weather system moving away from us. Ross said he has indeed noticed that morning thunderstorms often bring with them a red morning sky, and that there was again some correct science accompanying the tale. But also like the previous two fables, he felt it was a stretch to say that they actually predicted rain. We agreed to call these three myths SEMI-BUSTED.Another proverb I found read “When grass is dry at night, look for rain before the light; when grass is dry at morning light, look for rain before the night.” This one uses the presence or absence of dew at certain times to predict rain. Ross says that the presence or absence of dew depends solely on night time temperatures and dew point temperatures and saw no link between them and a prediction for rain. We declared this one BUSTED. The next was an Indian proverb that says “If the moon is red, of rain shespeaks.” Ross said a red moon is red only because of smoke or dust; again BUSTED. Next, I asked him about something I’ve always thought to be a rain predictor, that being the fact that birds fly lower and congregate on power lines just before a storm because the lower air pressure preceding a storm makes it tough for them to attain lift and fly. He debunked that also by telling me that when air pressure is low, the air as a whole actually rises; BUSTED again.I could literally spend the next month cussing and discussing all the old-time weather fables and proverbs I found while writing this piece. To those of you who put stock in any of the rain predictors I cast doubt upon, I’m sorry to have rained on your parade (yes, most certainly pun intended) even though I’m certain some of these hold true some of the time. Ross even told me that his mom swears by an old tale that says it will rain 100 days after a fog; she even keeps track of it on her calendar. Maybe that will win me back some points and make you feel better again about your favorite weather tales knowing that the weather guy’s mom even believes them!Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com

Exploring Outdoor Kansas: Of Rain Crows and Sundogs

Kansas today is an increasingly urban state.&nbsp; More precisely, it is mostly&nbsp;suburban.&nbsp; More than half the state’s population lives in just five counties– Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wyandotte, and Douglas.&nbsp; In many of these communities, most people choose to live not in the city’s core, but rather in the suburban areas around it.&nbsp; The state’s most populated county, Johnson, is entirely suburban except for disappearing, rural southern and western edges.

In Kansas and all over the United States, suburban communities were established and grew based on restrictive zoning that strongly favored single-family houses on medium-sized or large lots, along with the Interstate highway system.&nbsp; The move to the suburbs often excluded lower income people and those of color, who had great difficulties getting home loans from bankers or cooperation from realtors.&nbsp; Many were simply told they were not welcome.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Later, when middle class people of color did seek to relocate, they were often steered to certain suburban locations and away from others by realtors, which is called “blockbusting.”&nbsp; This is what happened to the south Kansas City, MO&nbsp;<a href="https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/15154?show=full" target="_blank">community of Hickman Mills</a>, where I grew up, along with nearby Grandview.&nbsp; Life was pretty good in our increasingly diverse community, until white families started moving out in droves.

Today, the suburban model is being re-thought.&nbsp; Lawrence city officials are creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://lawrencekstimes.com/2022/08/29/what-is-lawrence-land-development-code/" target="_blank">new land development code</a>&nbsp;emphasizing mixed-use neighborhoods, walking, cycling, and public transportation, and more multifamily housing. In Wichita, the Sedgwick County commission&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article272573670.html" target="_blank">recently rezoned</a>&nbsp;a suburban area for duplexes amidst controversy.&nbsp; Topeka officials shot down a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/topeka-city-council-rejects-rezoning-proposal/" target="_blank">rezone a parcel of land</a>&nbsp;for a drug treatment facility.&nbsp; Opponents argued that a citywide development plan was needed first.

The rezoning fight turned particularly hostile in Prairie Village, a small suburb in northeast Johnson County.&nbsp; It was originally developed in the 1940s by developer J.C. Nichols, who created Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.&nbsp; Prairie Village is comfortable, with plenty of trees and parks.&nbsp; It is accessible and walkable, has great schools, and is an easy drive to the downtowns of both Kansas Cities.&nbsp; Today, most homes there cost $300,000-$500,000.

Unfortunately, Nichols also included the notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-17/racial-covenants-a-relic-of-the-past-are-still-on-the-books-across-the-country" target="_blank">restrictive deed covenants</a>, which held that “none of said land may be conveyed to, used, owned, or occupied by negroes as owners or tenants.”&nbsp; These cannot be enforced today due to court rulings, federal, and state laws, but they remain in the property deeds.&nbsp;

With property costs rising, Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson and allies propose reforming one of the most protected aspects of suburban life– property zoning.&nbsp; They seek more multifamily housing such as apartments and condominiums, plus allowing property owners to construct “granny flats”– small auxiliary housing that owners rent out for extra income.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Prairie Villagers are also concerned about “teardowns”-- well-to-do people buying older, smaller houses just for the lots, tearing them down, and building a larger house. These push up property assessments for the whole community, crowding out neighbors with modest incomes who can no longer afford the property taxes.

The inevitable backlash came with Prairie Village United.&nbsp; They want all rezoning decided parcel by parcel, rather than a citywide growth plan.&nbsp; They also want to limit the mayor’s powers.&nbsp; A PV United supporter recently won a city council seat.&nbsp; Tensions run high at&nbsp;<a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2023/08/21/prairie-village-housing-zoning-dispute-210243/" target="_blank">public meetings</a>.

Today’s suburbs were built with highway commuting, blockbusting, and exclusive zoning.&nbsp; With housing costs skyrocketing and Kansas becoming mostly suburban, a re-think in order.&nbsp; Controversies in Wichita, Topeka, and Prairie Village show that it will not be easy.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576785940426.png" alt="Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University." />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas today is an increasingly urban state.&nbsp; More precisely, it is mostly&nbsp;suburban.&nbsp; More than half the state’s population lives in just five counties– Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wyandotte, and Douglas.&nbsp; In many of these communities, most people choose to live not in the city’s core, but rather in the suburban areas around it.&nbsp; The state’s most populated county, Johnson, is entirely suburban except for disappearing, rural southern and western edges.In Kansas and all over the United States, suburban communities were established and grew based on restrictive zoning that strongly favored single-family houses on medium-sized or large lots, along with the Interstate highway system.&nbsp; The move to the suburbs often excluded lower income people and those of color, who had great difficulties getting home loans from bankers or cooperation from realtors.&nbsp; Many were simply told they were not welcome.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later, when middle class people of color did seek to relocate, they were often steered to certain suburban locations and away from others by realtors, which is called “blockbusting.”&nbsp; This is what happened to the south Kansas City, MO&nbsp;<a href="https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/15154?show=full" target="_blank">community of Hickman Mills</a>, where I grew up, along with nearby Grandview.&nbsp; Life was pretty good in our increasingly diverse community, until white families started moving out in droves.Today, the suburban model is being re-thought.&nbsp; Lawrence city officials are creating a&nbsp;<a href="https://lawrencekstimes.com/2022/08/29/what-is-lawrence-land-development-code/" target="_blank">new land development code</a>&nbsp;emphasizing mixed-use neighborhoods, walking, cycling, and public transportation, and more multifamily housing. In Wichita, the Sedgwick County commission&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article272573670.html" target="_blank">recently rezoned</a>&nbsp;a suburban area for duplexes amidst controversy.&nbsp; Topeka officials shot down a plan to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/topeka-city-council-rejects-rezoning-proposal/" target="_blank">rezone a parcel of land</a>&nbsp;for a drug treatment facility.&nbsp; Opponents argued that a citywide development plan was needed first.The rezoning fight turned particularly hostile in Prairie Village, a small suburb in northeast Johnson County.&nbsp; It was originally developed in the 1940s by developer J.C. Nichols, who created Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.&nbsp; Prairie Village is comfortable, with plenty of trees and parks.&nbsp; It is accessible and walkable, has great schools, and is an easy drive to the downtowns of both Kansas Cities.&nbsp; Today, most homes there cost $300,000-$500,000.Unfortunately, Nichols also included the notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-11-17/racial-covenants-a-relic-of-the-past-are-still-on-the-books-across-the-country" target="_blank">restrictive deed covenants</a>, which held that “none of said land may be conveyed to, used, owned, or occupied by negroes as owners or tenants.”&nbsp; These cannot be enforced today due to court rulings, federal, and state laws, but they remain in the property deeds.&nbsp;With property costs rising, Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson and allies propose reforming one of the most protected aspects of suburban life– property zoning.&nbsp; They seek more multifamily housing such as apartments and condominiums, plus allowing property owners to construct “granny flats”– small auxiliary housing that owners rent out for extra income.&nbsp;&nbsp;Prairie Villagers are also concerned about “teardowns”-- well-to-do people buying older, smaller houses just for the lots, tearing them down, and building a larger house. These push up property assessments for the whole community, crowding out neighbors with modest incomes who can no longer afford the property taxes.The inevitable backlash came with Prairie Village United.&nbsp; They want all rezoning decided parcel by parcel, rather than a citywide growth plan.&nbsp; They also want to limit the mayor’s powers.&nbsp; A PV United supporter recently won a city council seat.&nbsp; Tensions run high at&nbsp;<a href="https://shawneemissionpost.com/2023/08/21/prairie-village-housing-zoning-dispute-210243/" target="_blank">public meetings</a>.Today’s suburbs were built with highway commuting, blockbusting, and exclusive zoning.&nbsp; With housing costs skyrocketing and Kansas becoming mostly suburban, a re-think in order.&nbsp; Controversies in Wichita, Topeka, and Prairie Village show that it will not be easy.&nbsp;

INSIGHT KANSAS: How municipal primaries are changing

From the high plains of north-central Kansas, Fort Hays State University oﬀers exceptional, proven academic quality at an unmatched price. We know the journey to success begins with accessibility—so we give students an education that empowers their future without the burden of high tuition. That’s a promise no one else can match, and that, we believe, makes FHSU the best value in higher education anywhere.

We unlock the untapped potential of students by oﬀering a robust education at a price that will not be a financial burden. Go ahead and compare tuition. We’re proud to say that attending FHSU costs about 50% less than the national average for nearly every student. This academic year, the national average for tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student is $10,423; for the public universities in Kansas, $8,543; and for FHSU, $5,634.

But let’s go a little deeper. The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREEOPP.org) set out to provide a meaningful way to evaluate universities. Preston Cooper, a research fellow at the non-profit organization, determined the College Scorecard data from the U.S. Department of Education, which provides earnings results for those students receiving federal financial aid from over 30,000 bachelor’s degree programs at U.S. colleges and universities, would be a great place to start.

Cooper then supplemented the Scorecard results with information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to ultimately derive what he labels “Lifetime Return on Investment” or more frequently referred to as ROI in financial circles.

ROI is defined as the present value of lifetime earnings with a college degree, minus the present discounted value of counterfactual earnings (the amount that the same student would have earned over the course of her life had she not gone to college), minus the cost of tuition, required fees, books, and equipment.

This process allows for comparison across universities and programs within the same university. It also helps students answer the question: Will this credential lead to a better-paying job than my alternative?

So, how does FHSU stack up regarding its programs and overall? That’s where our “value” story really starts to shine.

Across the 27 bachelor programs evaluated in the research, every Fort Hays State University program provided a positive return on investment!

To provide some context on that result, roughly 30 percent of bachelor programs across the 30,000 programs studied return a negative ROI, so having no programs with a negative ROI, regardless of the program of study, is quite impressive.

From a state of Kansas perspective, FHSU is the only public state university with all programs indicating a positive ROI, with Washburn University being the only other public state university

to match that feat. Across all 27 programs in the study, FHSU observes an average weighted ROI of just north of $400,000!

Not only are these results life-changing, but the state of Kansas, which is ultimately the home to a large majority of these graduates, also reaps an outsized benefit.

As the study utilized graduates from 2015 through 2017, an additional level of insight provided involves the impact on the value-added earnings of graduates in the communities where they live and work

Looking across the 27 programs evaluated at FHSU, the cumulative lifetime ROI programs provided an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion from the students who graduated during the study period.

As some programs may graduate fewer students than others while still providing higher levels of ROI, the researcher also looked at what he called the “Most Valuable Players (MVP)” to provide additional context to the programs that show an outsized community economic impact on ROI.

For FHSU, our MVPs included Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($263 million); Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ($177 million); and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($99 million).

Our Liberal Arts degree was called out by name in FREEOPP.org’s ‘Ranking the 50 State Public University Systems on Prices &amp; Outcomes’ report as “unexpectedly valuable degrees abound in the Sunflower State: Fort Hays State University offers a liberal arts degree worth $234,000.”

We are proud to say all our programs evaluated in the study provide students with a positive lifetime ROI. Our three highest ROI programs are Management Information Systems, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, and Business.

FHSU offers a world-class higher education experience at an unbeatable price, with a lifetime positive return on investment for our graduates and numerous intangible benefits to the Kansas communities where our outstanding alumni live and serve. No matter how you slice the data in this independent study, the value of Fort Hays State University shines through, highlighting one more reason why we are proud to say we are the best value in education anywhere.

Tisa Mason is president of Fort Hays State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Tisa Mason, FHSU president. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Tisa Mason, FHSU president. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>From the high plains of north-central Kansas, Fort Hays State University oﬀers exceptional, proven academic quality at an unmatched price. We know the journey to success begins with accessibility—so we give students an education that empowers their future without the burden of high tuition. That’s a promise no one else can match, and that, we believe, makes FHSU the best value in higher education anywhere.We unlock the untapped potential of students by oﬀering a robust education at a price that will not be a financial burden. Go ahead and compare tuition. We’re proud to say that attending FHSU costs about 50% less than the national average for nearly every student. This academic year, the national average for tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student is $10,423; for the public universities in Kansas, $8,543; and for FHSU, $5,634.But let’s go a little deeper. The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREEOPP.org) set out to provide a meaningful way to evaluate universities. Preston Cooper, a research fellow at the non-profit organization, determined the College Scorecard data from the U.S. Department of Education, which provides earnings results for those students receiving federal financial aid from over 30,000 bachelor’s degree programs at U.S. colleges and universities, would be a great place to start.Cooper then supplemented the Scorecard results with information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY) to ultimately derive what he labels “Lifetime Return on Investment” or more frequently referred to as ROI in financial circles.ROI is defined as the present value of lifetime earnings with a college degree, minus the present discounted value of counterfactual earnings (the amount that the same student would have earned over the course of her life had she not gone to college), minus the cost of tuition, required fees, books, and equipment.This process allows for comparison across universities and programs within the same university. It also helps students answer the question: Will this credential lead to a better-paying job than my alternative?So, how does FHSU stack up regarding its programs and overall? That’s where our “value” story really starts to shine.Across the 27 bachelor programs evaluated in the research, every Fort Hays State University program provided a positive return on investment!To provide some context on that result, roughly 30 percent of bachelor programs across the 30,000 programs studied return a negative ROI, so having no programs with a negative ROI, regardless of the program of study, is quite impressive.From a state of Kansas perspective, FHSU is the only public state university with all programs indicating a positive ROI, with Washburn University being the only other public state universityto match that feat. Across all 27 programs in the study, FHSU observes an average weighted ROI of just north of $400,000!Not only are these results life-changing, but the state of Kansas, which is ultimately the home to a large majority of these graduates, also reaps an outsized benefit.As the study utilized graduates from 2015 through 2017, an additional level of insight provided involves the impact on the value-added earnings of graduates in the communities where they live and workLooking across the 27 programs evaluated at FHSU, the cumulative lifetime ROI programs provided an economic impact of more than $1.1 billion from the students who graduated during the study period.As some programs may graduate fewer students than others while still providing higher levels of ROI, the researcher also looked at what he called the “Most Valuable Players (MVP)” to provide additional context to the programs that show an outsized community economic impact on ROI.For FHSU, our MVPs included Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($263 million); Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ($177 million); and Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods ($99 million).Our Liberal Arts degree was called out by name in FREEOPP.org’s ‘Ranking the 50 State Public University Systems on Prices &amp; Outcomes’ report as “unexpectedly valuable degrees abound in the Sunflower State: Fort Hays State University offers a liberal arts degree worth $234,000.”We are proud to say all our programs evaluated in the study provide students with a positive lifetime ROI. Our three highest ROI programs are Management Information Systems, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing, and Business.FHSU offers a world-class higher education experience at an unbeatable price, with a lifetime positive return on investment for our graduates and numerous intangible benefits to the Kansas communities where our outstanding alumni live and serve. No matter how you slice the data in this independent study, the value of Fort Hays State University shines through, highlighting one more reason why we are proud to say we are the best value in education anywhere.Tisa Mason is president of Fort Hays State University.

Heart of a Tiger: The unmatched value of an FHSU education

A new century prompted continued development for nation, state, region, and schools. Keeping up with the times, Ellis citizens adapted and steadily promoted education in their community.

The 1901 school year introduced new staff. C.A. Strong served as principal, while Misses McCracken, McGee, Walker, and Harris filled teaching positions. A 15-mill levy funded a 9-month school year. Their first challenge was an expensive state-mandated change of text books. Back-ordered books lead to a multi-week school postponement. 

While several districts started school anyway, Ellis complied with the ordinance. Board notes indicate the expense was great.

To promote graduation, the class of 1901 was asked to organize the Ellis Alumni Association, which still exists. According to Maxine Bradbury, the Association held their first observance in 1902, initiating three precedents the group followed for many years: the senior class presented a program for alumni members, the organization presented a five-dollar award to the valedictorian, and they held a baseball game between the alumni and seniors the afternoon of their observances.

At some point in 1903, community members settled their differences and passed a bond election to add on to the existing stone building. The school board advertised for bidders to furnish labor and material to build a four-room addition. Because of delays, the addition was not completed until the fall 1904 term. The board also upgraded the original building by installing a heating plant. The type of fuel used was not mentioned.

By 1904, staff included Superintendent B.E. Ford, Miss Dale, Professor Griggs, Miss Samuels, Miss Jackson, Miss McClure, and Miss Harry. A new course of high school study was introduced.

•First Year Second Year Third Year Fourth Year

•Algebra Algebra/Arithmetic Algebra Geometry

•German German (Caesar) English English Literature

•English American History/Civics German (Virgil) English History

•Physical Geography Botany Greek History/Roman History Zoology

In 1905, rumors ran rampant prior to the annual school board meeting because the newspaper editor had commented on reports “circulated that there would be only an eight-month term and that the high school would be done away with.” As a result, supporters of both the 9-month term and high school attended to ensure the board made no such changes. 

Members voted a 17-mill levy for school purposes and an additional 2-mills to pay for the addition and the heating plant. Later, the board voted to renovate the original schoolhouse.

By 1905, academics constituted only part of the curriculum. Baseball games between classes became a popular part of the program. By 1907, the tax levy had risen to 25-mills, and debate had become an active part of course work. 

Because Ellis was a railroad town, teams traveled by train to surrounding towns on the UPRR line to debate topics such as “Be it resolved that immigration to the United States from Asia, Eastern, and Southern Europe should be further restricted by a tax of $100 per emigrant and an educational test.”

Those first five years of the new century reflect multitudinous changes in Ellis schools. The community and region faced similar challenges. Immigration had brought new cultures and ideas to the table. Technology changed every day, complicating and easing residents’ lives. Despite the trials they faced, Ellis and surrounding towns assured their children educations that prepared them for their futures.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692796908460.png" alt="Ellis High School limestone building (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Ellis High School limestone building (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINA new century prompted continued development for nation, state, region, and schools. Keeping up with the times, Ellis citizens adapted and steadily promoted education in their community.The 1901 school year introduced new staff. C.A. Strong served as principal, while Misses McCracken, McGee, Walker, and Harris filled teaching positions. A 15-mill levy funded a 9-month school year. Their first challenge was an expensive state-mandated change of text books. Back-ordered books lead to a multi-week school postponement. While several districts started school anyway, Ellis complied with the ordinance. Board notes indicate the expense was great.To promote graduation, the class of 1901 was asked to organize the Ellis Alumni Association, which still exists. According to Maxine Bradbury, the Association held their first observance in 1902, initiating three precedents the group followed for many years: the senior class presented a program for alumni members, the organization presented a five-dollar award to the valedictorian, and they held a baseball game between the alumni and seniors the afternoon of their observances.At some point in 1903, community members settled their differences and passed a bond election to add on to the existing stone building. The school board advertised for bidders to furnish labor and material to build a four-room addition. Because of delays, the addition was not completed until the fall 1904 term. The board also upgraded the original building by installing a heating plant. The type of fuel used was not mentioned.By 1904, staff included Superintendent B.E. Ford, Miss Dale, Professor Griggs, Miss Samuels, Miss Jackson, Miss McClure, and Miss Harry. A new course of high school study was introduced.•First Year Second Year Third Year Fourth Year•Algebra Algebra/Arithmetic Algebra Geometry•German German (Caesar) English English Literature•English American History/Civics German (Virgil) English History•Physical Geography Botany Greek History/Roman History Zoology<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158626307.png" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>In 1905, rumors ran rampant prior to the annual school board meeting because the newspaper editor had commented on reports “circulated that there would be only an eight-month term and that the high school would be done away with.” As a result, supporters of both the 9-month term and high school attended to ensure the board made no such changes. Members voted a 17-mill levy for school purposes and an additional 2-mills to pay for the addition and the heating plant. Later, the board voted to renovate the original schoolhouse.By 1905, academics constituted only part of the curriculum. Baseball games between classes became a popular part of the program. By 1907, the tax levy had risen to 25-mills, and debate had become an active part of course work. Because Ellis was a railroad town, teams traveled by train to surrounding towns on the UPRR line to debate topics such as “Be it resolved that immigration to the United States from Asia, Eastern, and Southern Europe should be further restricted by a tax of $100 per emigrant and an educational test.”Those first five years of the new century reflect multitudinous changes in Ellis schools. The community and region faced similar challenges. Immigration had brought new cultures and ideas to the table. Technology changed every day, complicating and easing residents’ lives. Despite the trials they faced, Ellis and surrounding towns assured their children educations that prepared them for their futures.Karen Madorin is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan.&nbsp;

MADORIN: History of Ellis schools, Part 7

I had the opportunity last week to attend the Kansas Ag Summit presented by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. I appreciate this event each year as it provides networking opportunities as well as new perspectives about ag in Kansas.

The focus this year was on water issues and workforce. Both are hot topics, currently, and as long-term discussions for producers, industry professionals, and educators at many levels.

There are many aspects to workforce issues and I’d like to touch on one that each one of us can impact. Think about the young people in your world. Am I setting a positive example of how to shake hands, introduce myself, and look someone in the eye while meeting them? Am I setting examples of work ethic and responsibility? Am I setting examples and having positive discussions about work attire or uniforms for different roles?

Looking “professional” depends entirely on your role! An attorney or accountant has a different professional look than a dental hygienist or store clerk, just as a teacher and a mechanic have different professional attire. All are representing their employer and that is an important detail to remember.

The language we use can also impact someone’s perception of us and our capability. Using complicated words when not necessary can give the impression of arrogance; alternately, using obscenities can leave an impression of unprofessional behavior. Please note – I am not a language prude but am very conscientious of whom else may be around and the setting I am in!

Understanding that showing up on time and ready to work is respectful of others you work with, work for, and customers. 

I started waiting tables when I was 13 and there are always tasks that I didn’t love then and don’t love today but it is important that they be completed for the best of everyone else. I was so impressed by several of our 4-H members who worked in the concession stand during the fair this year as their response to a task – whether washing dishes or wiping tables – was a smile and action!

We all want the young people in our world to be happy, successful adults who contribute in a positive manner to society. That begins by the example from each one of us and sharing our expectations.

Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District , Barton Office at 620-793-1910.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668177490614.jpeg" alt="Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>I had the opportunity last week to attend the Kansas Ag Summit presented by the Kansas Department of Agriculture. I appreciate this event each year as it provides networking opportunities as well as new perspectives about ag in Kansas.The focus this year was on water issues and workforce. Both are hot topics, currently, and as long-term discussions for producers, industry professionals, and educators at many levels.There are many aspects to workforce issues and I’d like to touch on one that each one of us can impact. Think about the young people in your world. Am I setting a positive example of how to shake hands, introduce myself, and look someone in the eye while meeting them? Am I setting examples of work ethic and responsibility? Am I setting examples and having positive discussions about work attire or uniforms for different roles?Looking “professional” depends entirely on your role! An attorney or accountant has a different professional look than a dental hygienist or store clerk, just as a teacher and a mechanic have different professional attire. All are representing their employer and that is an important detail to remember.The language we use can also impact someone’s perception of us and our capability. Using complicated words when not necessary can give the impression of arrogance; alternately, using obscenities can leave an impression of unprofessional behavior. Please note – I am not a language prude but am very conscientious of whom else may be around and the setting I am in!Understanding that showing up on time and ready to work is respectful of others you work with, work for, and customers. I started waiting tables when I was 13 and there are always tasks that I didn’t love then and don’t love today but it is important that they be completed for the best of everyone else. I was so impressed by several of our 4-H members who worked in the concession stand during the fair this year as their response to a task – whether washing dishes or wiping tables – was a smile and action!We all want the young people in our world to be happy, successful adults who contribute in a positive manner to society. That begins by the example from each one of us and sharing our expectations.Keep learning! Keep showing grace and kindness!Michelle Beran is the 4-H Youth Development Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other 4-H Youth Development resources, email Michelle at mberan@ksu.edu or call Cottonwood Extension District , Barton Office at 620-793-1910.

BERAN: Lifetime learning

What does science say about happiness? Do we have any research on what creates happiness? Yes, actually there are hundreds of studies on happiness. A recent webinar, sponsored by Wyandotte County K-State Research and Extension explored this interesting topic. The webinar was presented by Michelle Lane, certified nurse leader and health coach.

Happiness can be defined as a combination of how satisfied you are with your life plus how good you feel on a day-to-day basis. We all want happiness! Are there certain things that we can do to help us achieve happiness? 

We know that happiness is not about having things, money, or sex. Science tells us that 10% of your happiness is determined by your circumstances, 50% is biologically determined, and 40% of your happiness is controlled by your thoughts, actions and behaviors. What is the lens which you view your world?

The mind and body are related. Happy people are less like to have cardiovascular disease, better immunity, heal faster, have a healthier diet and live longer. 

Johns Hopkins has done over 40 years’ worth of research on this subject. Diseases progress quicker in people with a negative outlook. Happiness can add 7½ years to your life, which ironically is the same as when people quick smoking! Mental health is extremely important.

A bulk of happiness comes from the four major chemicals which are made in our gut. When we are fetuses inside our mother’s womb, the brain and brainstem actually pinch off from the cells that make up your stomach. The old saying about a gut instinct or your second brain are so true! Good gut health is important as we literally are what we eat! 

Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins are the magical quartet of hormones that affect how we feel. 

Dopamine motivates us to act. When we accomplish something, dopamine is released into our blood stream. Oxytocin is the love hormone and is triggered through social bonding, eye contact, and attentiveness. Giving hugs is a great way to release oxytocin. Serotonin flows when you feel important or significant. Gratitude is a great way to recognize someone or praise them, which increases serotonin. What would happen if we put down our phones and paid more attention to our mate, parents, or children? UV rays also help create serotonin so getting a little bit of sun each day (20 min.) can help mood. Finally, endorphins are released in response to pain and stress. They help relieve anxiety and depression. Strenuous exercise gives us lots of endorphins. Spicy foods and cold showers also release endorphins.

What else can we do throughout our day to increase happiness?&nbsp;

Nurturing relationships are important. Feeling connected with at least three other people helps alleviate stress. Physical markers such as blood pressure or cholesterol have less to do with how long we live then the social interactions we have as we age. Isolation and loneliness decrease life span. 

Doing something you enjoy every day that allows you to find your flow and lose yourself to the experience creates happiness. Be intentional about new experiences, help others, be kind and be grateful. Doing these things will create happiness that is long lasting.

If you are interested in watching the webinar and learning more it can be found on YouTube here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJRJodygf_I"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJRJodygf_I</a>

Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/11/1668522152076.jpeg" alt="Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>What does science say about happiness? Do we have any research on what creates happiness? Yes, actually there are hundreds of studies on happiness. A recent webinar, sponsored by Wyandotte County K-State Research and Extension explored this interesting topic. The webinar was presented by Michelle Lane, certified nurse leader and health coach.Happiness can be defined as a combination of how satisfied you are with your life plus how good you feel on a day-to-day basis. We all want happiness! Are there certain things that we can do to help us achieve happiness? We know that happiness is not about having things, money, or sex. Science tells us that 10% of your happiness is determined by your circumstances, 50% is biologically determined, and 40% of your happiness is controlled by your thoughts, actions and behaviors. What is the lens which you view your world?The mind and body are related. Happy people are less like to have cardiovascular disease, better immunity, heal faster, have a healthier diet and live longer. Johns Hopkins has done over 40 years’ worth of research on this subject. Diseases progress quicker in people with a negative outlook. Happiness can add 7½ years to your life, which ironically is the same as when people quick smoking! Mental health is extremely important.A bulk of happiness comes from the four major chemicals which are made in our gut. When we are fetuses inside our mother’s womb, the brain and brainstem actually pinch off from the cells that make up your stomach. The old saying about a gut instinct or your second brain are so true! Good gut health is important as we literally are what we eat! Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins are the magical quartet of hormones that affect how we feel. Dopamine motivates us to act. When we accomplish something, dopamine is released into our blood stream. Oxytocin is the love hormone and is triggered through social bonding, eye contact, and attentiveness. Giving hugs is a great way to release oxytocin. Serotonin flows when you feel important or significant. Gratitude is a great way to recognize someone or praise them, which increases serotonin. What would happen if we put down our phones and paid more attention to our mate, parents, or children? UV rays also help create serotonin so getting a little bit of sun each day (20 min.) can help mood. Finally, endorphins are released in response to pain and stress. They help relieve anxiety and depression. Strenuous exercise gives us lots of endorphins. Spicy foods and cold showers also release endorphins.What else can we do throughout our day to increase happiness?&nbsp;Nurturing relationships are important. Feeling connected with at least three other people helps alleviate stress. Physical markers such as blood pressure or cholesterol have less to do with how long we live then the social interactions we have as we age. Isolation and loneliness decrease life span. Doing something you enjoy every day that allows you to find your flow and lose yourself to the experience creates happiness. Be intentional about new experiences, help others, be kind and be grateful. Doing these things will create happiness that is long lasting.If you are interested in watching the webinar and learning more it can be found on YouTube here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJRJodygf_I"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJRJodygf_I</a>Monique Koerner is the Family and Community Wellness Agent with K-State Research and Extension, Cottonwood District. You may reach her at 785-628-9430 or moniquek@ksu.edu.

KOERNER: Happiness. What does science say?

Bull frog season in Kansas stirs up lots of fond memories. 

It seems bull frogs and frog hunting were a part of my summer for many years as a kid.&nbsp; When I was in grade school, there was a big drainage ditch across the road from the neighbor kids’ house. The three of them had a BB gun and there was never a shortage of frogs in the ditch. 

When we weren’t shooting at frogs in the ditch, we were behind the barn shooting their big boar hog in the butt (and elsewhere.) Anyway, each time we finally managed to kill a frog, we’d cut the thing open with our pocket knives and retrieve the BBs. (How’s that for recycling?)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

After we moved away from there, lots of my friends were city kids so my outdoor adventures consisted of me shooting blackbirds out of trees along the creek with Mom’s old fold-up .410 shotgun, catching crawdads under the bridge using forked sticks as spears and learning how to trap muskrats.&nbsp;

We moved one more time before I graduated from high school, and there all my buddies were country kids once again that trapped and hunted rabbits, deer and bull frogs. There was a farm a few miles away with two ponds, one on each side of the road, and they both teemed with bull frogs. 

Back then the hot humid summer nights didn’t bother me at all, and that was the best frog hunting weather. By then we were all in high school and one of us always had some beater of a car, so we’d don worn-out jeans and old sneakers (which was our usual attire anyway) fill the trunk with flashlights, feed sacks and frog spears and head for the ponds after dark. I can only figure the farmer only let our motley crew on his property hoping we’d all drown in the pond and never bother him again. 

Anyway, we would split up to cover both ponds at once, slowly wading around the edge knee-deep in the water until a frog was spotted ahead. Putting the flashlight beam in its eyes dazzled the frog until we could spear it and add it to the feed sack hanging around our waist.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I remember vividly returning home after one particular frog hunt at those ponds. The night was hot and steamy and the four of us went to work butchering frogs in our driveway under the security light by the barn, using an empty hay wagon for a table. Sacks were emptied and squirming bull frogs went everywhere. I also vividly remember mom hollering out her upstairs bedroom window for us to be quiet; I don’t know what her problem was, it was only 2 in the morning!&nbsp;&nbsp;

Frog meat is white and sweet, and half the fun of frog hunting is watching the legs twitch and quiver as they fry in the oil. 

One night, a girlfriend of one of the guys was there as we fried up a mess of legs. The experience was all new to her, so while she was out of the room, we propped up a big pair of the legs on the edge of the skillet as if they had climbed out. As I recall that was the last time she ever hung out with us.&nbsp;

About fifteen years ago, when my dad was still alive and was nearly 80, I took him frog hunting. We went just out of town to some of the McPherson Valley Wetland ponds. It was a slow night for harvesting frogs, but we got enough to have a “small mess” to fry. The legs still twitched and quivered as they fried, and they still tasted just as sweet as I remembered them. Thankfully, some things never change!

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.&nbsp;

Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve Gilliland (Courtesy photo)" />
 <figcaption>Steve Gilliland (Courtesy photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>Bull frog season in Kansas stirs up lots of fond memories. It seems bull frogs and frog hunting were a part of my summer for many years as a kid.&nbsp; When I was in grade school, there was a big drainage ditch across the road from the neighbor kids’ house. The three of them had a BB gun and there was never a shortage of frogs in the ditch. When we weren’t shooting at frogs in the ditch, we were behind the barn shooting their big boar hog in the butt (and elsewhere.) Anyway, each time we finally managed to kill a frog, we’d cut the thing open with our pocket knives and retrieve the BBs. (How’s that for recycling?)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After we moved away from there, lots of my friends were city kids so my outdoor adventures consisted of me shooting blackbirds out of trees along the creek with Mom’s old fold-up .410 shotgun, catching crawdads under the bridge using forked sticks as spears and learning how to trap muskrats.&nbsp;We moved one more time before I graduated from high school, and there all my buddies were country kids once again that trapped and hunted rabbits, deer and bull frogs. There was a farm a few miles away with two ponds, one on each side of the road, and they both teemed with bull frogs. Back then the hot humid summer nights didn’t bother me at all, and that was the best frog hunting weather. By then we were all in high school and one of us always had some beater of a car, so we’d don worn-out jeans and old sneakers (which was our usual attire anyway) fill the trunk with flashlights, feed sacks and frog spears and head for the ponds after dark. I can only figure the farmer only let our motley crew on his property hoping we’d all drown in the pond and never bother him again. Anyway, we would split up to cover both ponds at once, slowly wading around the edge knee-deep in the water until a frog was spotted ahead. Putting the flashlight beam in its eyes dazzled the frog until we could spear it and add it to the feed sack hanging around our waist.&nbsp;&nbsp;I remember vividly returning home after one particular frog hunt at those ponds. The night was hot and steamy and the four of us went to work butchering frogs in our driveway under the security light by the barn, using an empty hay wagon for a table. Sacks were emptied and squirming bull frogs went everywhere. I also vividly remember mom hollering out her upstairs bedroom window for us to be quiet; I don’t know what her problem was, it was only 2 in the morning!&nbsp;&nbsp;Frog meat is white and sweet, and half the fun of frog hunting is watching the legs twitch and quiver as they fry in the oil. One night, a girlfriend of one of the guys was there as we fried up a mess of legs. The experience was all new to her, so while she was out of the room, we propped up a big pair of the legs on the edge of the skillet as if they had climbed out. As I recall that was the last time she ever hung out with us.&nbsp;About fifteen years ago, when my dad was still alive and was nearly 80, I took him frog hunting. We went just out of town to some of the McPherson Valley Wetland ponds. It was a slow night for harvesting frogs, but we got enough to have a “small mess” to fry. The legs still twitched and quivered as they fried, and they still tasted just as sweet as I remembered them. Thankfully, some things never change!Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.&nbsp;Steve can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.&nbsp;

Exploring Outdoor Kansas: Bull frogs and me  

In a report published earlier this month by the Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the state’s maternal outcomes have worsened in recent years. Both pregnancy-related deaths and illnesses increased between 2016 and 2020.&nbsp;

According to the report, about two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths were among women of color.&nbsp;

Just over a year ago, Kansas passed an expansion to postpartum coverage under KanCare, allowing mothers to be covered by the state’s Medicaid program for up to a year after giving birth. While it is too early to see the impact of this expansion on maternal outcomes in Kansas, a study of Texas’ expansion suggests there will be many benefits — women take advantage of mental health and substance abuse programs in addition to postpartum care under the state’s one year extension.&nbsp;

However, the reality is that expanding postpartum coverage will have significantly less impact on Kansas mothers who live in maternity deserts.&nbsp;

A maternity desert is defined as a county with no hospital obstetrics care and no obstetricians or gynecologists (OBGYNs).&nbsp;

According to a 2022 March of Dimes report, 48% of Kansas’ counties are maternity deserts and 24% of counties have low access to maternity care.&nbsp;

Concerningly, Kansas’ maternity deserts are expected to grow.&nbsp;

In an investigation by Wichita’s KWCH Factfinder 12 team earlier this year, over half of the state’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing. These hospitals provide critical care and services for people in their communities, including maternity care.&nbsp;

Of 104 rural hospitals, 60 are at risk of closing, including 29 facing immediate risk.&nbsp;

Rural hospitals are more vulnerable to financial pressures due to low occupancy rates, high levels of uncompensated care, competition from other hospitals, and weak local economies.&nbsp;

But without these hospitals, there are very limited options for care in the state’s rural areas. Most patients would be forced to travel long distances to more populated counties, which is less than ideal in most circumstances and incredibly dangerous in emergency situations.&nbsp;

According to the KMMRC report, two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths are among women on Medicaid or without insurance.&nbsp;

Full Medicaid expansion would go a long way in keeping hospitals open and expanding maternity care across rural Kansas.&nbsp;

The good news is Medicaid expansion is popular in Kansas.&nbsp;

According to the 2022 Kansas Speaks public opinion survey distributed by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, nearly 76% of Kansans support KanCare — Kansas’ Medicaid program — expansion. Support has increased about 11 points since 2015.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692868290471.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood" />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood</figcaption>
 </figure>In a report published earlier this month by the Kansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee, the state’s maternal outcomes have worsened in recent years. Both pregnancy-related deaths and illnesses increased between 2016 and 2020.&nbsp;According to the report, about two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths were among women of color.&nbsp;Just over a year ago, Kansas passed an expansion to postpartum coverage under KanCare, allowing mothers to be covered by the state’s Medicaid program for up to a year after giving birth. While it is too early to see the impact of this expansion on maternal outcomes in Kansas, a study of Texas’ expansion suggests there will be many benefits — women take advantage of mental health and substance abuse programs in addition to postpartum care under the state’s one year extension.&nbsp;However, the reality is that expanding postpartum coverage will have significantly less impact on Kansas mothers who live in maternity deserts.&nbsp;A maternity desert is defined as a county with no hospital obstetrics care and no obstetricians or gynecologists (OBGYNs).&nbsp;According to a 2022 March of Dimes report, 48% of Kansas’ counties are maternity deserts and 24% of counties have low access to maternity care.&nbsp;Concerningly, Kansas’ maternity deserts are expected to grow.&nbsp;In an investigation by Wichita’s KWCH Factfinder 12 team earlier this year, over half of the state’s rural hospitals are at risk of closing. These hospitals provide critical care and services for people in their communities, including maternity care.&nbsp;Of 104 rural hospitals, 60 are at risk of closing, including 29 facing immediate risk.&nbsp;Rural hospitals are more vulnerable to financial pressures due to low occupancy rates, high levels of uncompensated care, competition from other hospitals, and weak local economies.&nbsp;But without these hospitals, there are very limited options for care in the state’s rural areas. Most patients would be forced to travel long distances to more populated counties, which is less than ideal in most circumstances and incredibly dangerous in emergency situations.&nbsp;According to the KMMRC report, two-thirds of pregnancy-related deaths are among women on Medicaid or without insurance.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582312931775.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Full Medicaid expansion would go a long way in keeping hospitals open and expanding maternity care across rural Kansas.&nbsp;The good news is Medicaid expansion is popular in Kansas.&nbsp;According to the 2022 Kansas Speaks public opinion survey distributed by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, nearly 76% of Kansans support KanCare — Kansas’ Medicaid program — expansion. Support has increased about 11 points since 2015.&nbsp;The bad news is there’s long been a lack of political will to pass full KanCare expansion in the state legislature, despite public support and federal funds to subsidize the expansion.&nbsp;But legislators can be swayed by loud and participatory groups of citizens. In fact, it was grassroots advocacy that led to the expansion of postpartum coverage during the 2022 legislative session.&nbsp;If citizens decide to advocate for Medicaid expansion it would go a long way towards keeping rural hospitals open to provide care to their communities, including care to expecting and postpartum mothers.&nbsp;Alexandra Middlewood, Ph.D., is the interim department chair and Model United Nations Advisor in the Dept. of Political Science at Wichita State University.&nbsp;

Opinion