By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher I give a lot of my time to help young leaders grow and develop through programs like 4-H and FFA. Though my biggest motivation is paying it forward because of all the people who helped me, I also directly benefit from working with these students who are experts on pop culture, new fashion, slang terminology and the latest social media trends. Now that I am solidly a mid-career professional, I sometimes forget how easy it is to lose touch with the changing world. My students are always ready to explain what “Hot Girl Summer” means, why people love the Kardashians and so many other things that might have completely passed over my head otherwise. Earlier this summer, my intern introduced me to one of the hot new social media sites Be Real. This platform prompts users at a random time daily to take and share a quick snapshot of life. Users have 2 minutes to take a snap that includes both front and back facing views. This quick, random time frame doesn’t allow people much time to make themselves or their life look better than reality. It is meant to showcase the mundane, messy and unfiltered reality of your life. After posting your shot you can see what your friends are up to and interact with comments and emoji’s like other social media platforms. If a user fails to snap a picture they miss out on seeing their friends’ posts for the day. At first I thought the idea was super strange, but with time it grew on me. Social media is often criticized for fake and overly glamorous view of many people’s lives, which can lead many users to negative impacts on the mental health of users. Be Real makes it harder to fake a picture-perfect life, showing more realistic and normal views of how we live. It struck me that Be Real is the perfect platform for farmers. There are so many people who have no idea what a farmer does on any given day. Even when someone tours a farm or follows their social media they get a very narrow view that is often the shiny filtered version. If farmers were using Be Real, I am confident that you would occasionally catch a beautiful sunset while checking an irrigator, or a new born baby calf nursing for the first time and some of the other exciting moments in farming. However, more of the snaps would be of the mundane things famers do every day like crawling over or under something to fix a machine, chasing animals that got out of the fence, doing office work, driving back and forth for hours in the same field, running to town to get parts, fueling equipment, fixing fences, checking rain gages or dry fields, looking for bugs, equipment maintenance, putting out a grass fire and a hundred other tasks that happen every day. Plus the farmer would definitely be covered in sweat, oil, dirt or manure in 95 percent of the pictures. If you paid close attention, you would also be able to feel the roller coaster of emotions that exist during a season. The hope of planting, fear caused by weeks of&nbsp; high temperatures and drought, the pain of lost animals and crops, the relief of rain and the pride of completing harvest. Unfortunately, I don’t think many farmers will catch on to this social media trend because they probably wouldn’t hear the notification or be in a place where they had time to get their phone out and take a picture. You will have to take my word for it: farming is as real as it gets.

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575406519723.jpeg" alt="Jackie Mundt" />
 <figcaption>Jackie Mundt</figcaption>
 </figure>By JACKIE MUNDT Pratt County farmer and rancher I give a lot of my time to help young leaders grow and develop through programs like 4-H and FFA. Though my biggest motivation is paying it forward because of all the people who helped me, I also directly benefit from working with these students who are experts on pop culture, new fashion, slang terminology and the latest social media trends. Now that I am solidly a mid-career professional, I sometimes forget how easy it is to lose touch with the changing world. My students are always ready to explain what “Hot Girl Summer” means, why people love the Kardashians and so many other things that might have completely passed over my head otherwise. Earlier this summer, my intern introduced me to one of the hot new social media sites Be Real. This platform prompts users at a random time daily to take and share a quick snapshot of life. Users have 2 minutes to take a snap that includes both front and back facing views. This quick, random time frame doesn’t allow people much time to make themselves or their life look better than reality. It is meant to showcase the mundane, messy and unfiltered reality of your life. After posting your shot you can see what your friends are up to and interact with comments and emoji’s like other social media platforms. If a user fails to snap a picture they miss out on seeing their friends’ posts for the day. At first I thought the idea was super strange, but with time it grew on me. Social media is often criticized for fake and overly glamorous view of many people’s lives, which can lead many users to negative impacts on the mental health of users. Be Real makes it harder to fake a picture-perfect life, showing more realistic and normal views of how we live. It struck me that Be Real is the perfect platform for farmers. There are so many people who have no idea what a farmer does on any given day. Even when someone tours a farm or follows their social media they get a very narrow view that is often the shiny filtered version. If farmers were using Be Real, I am confident that you would occasionally catch a beautiful sunset while checking an irrigator, or a new born baby calf nursing for the first time and some of the other exciting moments in farming. However, more of the snaps would be of the mundane things famers do every day like crawling over or under something to fix a machine, chasing animals that got out of the fence, doing office work, driving back and forth for hours in the same field, running to town to get parts, fueling equipment, fixing fences, checking rain gages or dry fields, looking for bugs, equipment maintenance, putting out a grass fire and a hundred other tasks that happen every day. Plus the farmer would definitely be covered in sweat, oil, dirt or manure in 95 percent of the pictures. If you paid close attention, you would also be able to feel the roller coaster of emotions that exist during a season. The hope of planting, fear caused by weeks of&nbsp; high temperatures and drought, the pain of lost animals and crops, the relief of rain and the pride of completing harvest. Unfortunately, I don’t think many farmers will catch on to this social media trend because they probably wouldn’t hear the notification or be in a place where they had time to get their phone out and take a picture. You will have to take my word for it: farming is as real as it gets."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Be real with farmers

How will the residents of Kansas’ “Big First” get along with Lawrence?&nbsp;&nbsp;This is only one of many questions posted by Kansas’ new Congressional district map.

The Big First is Kansas’ rural, western and central district that stretches to Colorado. In this year’s map, Lawrence is “scooped” out of the Second and placed into the Big First by an eastward appendage that resembles an arm or a hook.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Plaintiffs&nbsp;&nbsp;challenged the map and District Court judge Bill Klapper ruled for the plaintiffs, but the Kansas Supreme Court reversed and their decision—and the map—are final.&nbsp;

The Big First is one of America’s “reddest” (most Republican) districts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, 60 percent of Douglas County’s voters preferred President Biden over Donald Trump, and a crushing 81.5 percent voted “No” on this summer’s proposed, anti-abortion constitutional referendum.&nbsp;&nbsp;For its new neighbors, Lawrence is really going to keep things interesting.&nbsp;

Will incumbent Tracey Mann schedule town hall meetings in Lawrence?&nbsp;&nbsp;Expect many in this open and inclusive community to take Mann to task for his rhetoric about immigrants and immigration, which many will find offensive.&nbsp;&nbsp;If there are no meetings scheduled locally, Lawrence residents can travel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, will Mann fight for federal funding for KU?&nbsp;&nbsp;Right now, that job seems to fall to Rep. Sharice Davids in the House, but none of the main campus lies in her district, plus she faces a tough challenger and a new district this fall.

Electorally, Lawrence’s Democratic supermajority cannot overcome the Republican advantage in the Big First.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet the community’s population of politically active people have other options.&nbsp;&nbsp;They may start fundraising, recruiting, and base-building in the rest of the district.&nbsp;&nbsp;As my colleague Alex Middlewood pointed out a few weeks ago in her column, Kansas has several statehouse and other races that go unopposed, and many of those are Republican districts in Western Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;That region has not always been so one-sided.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the early 2000s, popular incumbents like state senator Janis Lee, state representatives Josh Svaty and Eber Phelps, and State Treasurer Dennis McKinney insured that Democrat were represented west of Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;The formidable fundraising and organizing power of Lawrence combined with KU’s vast alumni network might be just the tickets to start recruiting, funding, and training new candidates for state and local office, for example from the growing immigrant communities of that region, which currently have little to no representation and notoriously lower voter turnout.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another college town, Manhattan has been in the district since 2012—adding Lawrence will change the Big First’s character still further.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Changes are coming to the other districts, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of Wyandotte county is moved from the Kansas-City area Third District, into the Second with Topeka, but not Lawrence, creating a strangely-shaped district which will be substantially more urban than the one to which Rep. Jake LaTurner is accustomed to representing.&nbsp;&nbsp;Several counties in the Flint Hills region were then moved from the Big First into the Second.&nbsp;&nbsp;All in all, hundreds of thousands more voters were moved from district to district than would have been necessary simply to comply with the 2020 U.S. Census, with only Wichita’s Fourth District remaining largely unchanged.

Finally, the Third District now combines three rural counties, all of Johnson County, and the southernmost portion of Kansas City, changing its character and setting up a showdown between incumbent Sharice Davids and her challenger, Republican Amanda Adkins.

Redistricting has consequences that go far beyond the partisan balance between Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the next few election cycles, Kansans will learn just how far these can go.

Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/12/1639601062071.jpeg" alt="Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University." />
 <figcaption>Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.</figcaption>
 </figure>How will the residents of Kansas’ “Big First” get along with Lawrence?&nbsp;&nbsp;This is only one of many questions posted by Kansas’ new Congressional district map.The Big First is Kansas’ rural, western and central district that stretches to Colorado. In this year’s map, Lawrence is “scooped” out of the Second and placed into the Big First by an eastward appendage that resembles an arm or a hook.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Plaintiffs&nbsp;&nbsp;challenged the map and District Court judge Bill Klapper ruled for the plaintiffs, but the Kansas Supreme Court reversed and their decision—and the map—are final.&nbsp;The Big First is one of America’s “reddest” (most Republican) districts.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, 60 percent of Douglas County’s voters preferred President Biden over Donald Trump, and a crushing 81.5 percent voted “No” on this summer’s proposed, anti-abortion constitutional referendum.&nbsp;&nbsp;For its new neighbors, Lawrence is really going to keep things interesting.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Will incumbent Tracey Mann schedule town hall meetings in Lawrence?&nbsp;&nbsp;Expect many in this open and inclusive community to take Mann to task for his rhetoric about immigrants and immigration, which many will find offensive.&nbsp;&nbsp;If there are no meetings scheduled locally, Lawrence residents can travel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also, will Mann fight for federal funding for KU?&nbsp;&nbsp;Right now, that job seems to fall to Rep. Sharice Davids in the House, but none of the main campus lies in her district, plus she faces a tough challenger and a new district this fall.Electorally, Lawrence’s Democratic supermajority cannot overcome the Republican advantage in the Big First.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet the community’s population of politically active people have other options.&nbsp;&nbsp;They may start fundraising, recruiting, and base-building in the rest of the district.&nbsp;&nbsp;As my colleague Alex Middlewood pointed out a few weeks ago in her column, Kansas has several statehouse and other races that go unopposed, and many of those are Republican districts in Western Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;That region has not always been so one-sided.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the early 2000s, popular incumbents like state senator Janis Lee, state representatives Josh Svaty and Eber Phelps, and State Treasurer Dennis McKinney insured that Democrat were represented west of Salina.&nbsp;&nbsp;The formidable fundraising and organizing power of Lawrence combined with KU’s vast alumni network might be just the tickets to start recruiting, funding, and training new candidates for state and local office, for example from the growing immigrant communities of that region, which currently have little to no representation and notoriously lower voter turnout.&nbsp;&nbsp;Another college town, Manhattan has been in the district since 2012—adding Lawrence will change the Big First’s character still further.&nbsp;&nbsp;Changes are coming to the other districts, too.&nbsp;&nbsp;Most of Wyandotte county is moved from the Kansas-City area Third District, into the Second with Topeka, but not Lawrence, creating a strangely-shaped district which will be substantially more urban than the one to which Rep. Jake LaTurner is accustomed to representing.&nbsp;&nbsp;Several counties in the Flint Hills region were then moved from the Big First into the Second.&nbsp;&nbsp;All in all, hundreds of thousands more voters were moved from district to district than would have been necessary simply to comply with the 2020 U.S. Census, with only Wichita’s Fourth District remaining largely unchanged.Finally, the Third District now combines three rural counties, all of Johnson County, and the southernmost portion of Kansas City, changing its character and setting up a showdown between incumbent Sharice Davids and her challenger, Republican Amanda Adkins.Redistricting has consequences that go far beyond the partisan balance between Democrats and Republicans.&nbsp;&nbsp;In the next few election cycles, Kansans will learn just how far these can go.Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Redistricting means big changes for Kansans

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

I found numerous references to a “rain crow” and all seemed&nbsp;to agree that it was in&nbsp;fact a Yellow- Billed Cuckoo. Few, however wanted to stick their neck out concerning its rain prediction ability; one website tossed around the figure of 3 days from&nbsp;first hearing one until rain. Sundogs on the other hand, were quite a popular subject, and are ice crystals high in the atmosphere&nbsp;that, when sunlight shines through&nbsp;them cangive the illusion of a second or third sun on each side of the actual sun.&nbsp;I’ve&nbsp;seen sun dogs a couple times over the years in the winter. But once again, however,&nbsp;sundogs ties to predicting rain&nbsp;were sparse.&nbsp;

My search turned up so many&nbsp;proverbs and&nbsp;“old&nbsp;wives’&nbsp;tales” concerning rain that I decided to&nbsp;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&nbsp;to Ross over the phone and got his take on each.&nbsp;Concerning sundogs, Ross said&nbsp;there is some correct science in tying sundogs to rain, in that the same ice crystals that cause them have the ability to form&nbsp;clouds containing rain. But as far as&nbsp;them predicting rain, Ross was hesitant to agree to that.&nbsp;

Next,&nbsp;I asked him about a ring around the moon predicting rain, and again he&nbsp;said that a ring around the moon indeed meant there was moisture at some level, but&nbsp;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”&nbsp;is another&nbsp;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&nbsp;evening sky means we are seeing a weather system moving away from us. Ross said he&nbsp;has indeed noticed that morning thunderstorms&nbsp;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&nbsp;was a stretch&nbsp;to say that they actually predicted&nbsp;rain. We agreed to call these&nbsp;three myths SEMI-BUSTED.

Another proverb I found read&nbsp;“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&nbsp;presence or&nbsp;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&nbsp;saw&nbsp;no link&nbsp;between them and a prediction for rain. We&nbsp;declared&nbsp;this one BUSTED. The next was an Indian proverb that says “If the moon is red, of rain she speaks.”&nbsp;Ross said&nbsp;a red moon is red only&nbsp;because of smoke or dust; again BUSTED.&nbsp;

Next,&nbsp;I asked him about something&nbsp;I’ve always&nbsp;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&nbsp;telling me that when air pressure is low, the air as a whole actually rises;&nbsp;BUSTED again.

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

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>During a hot, dry spell a few years back, a&nbsp;friend&nbsp;told me she’d&nbsp;been hearing the call of a&nbsp;“rain crow” and asked&nbsp;me&nbsp;if I knew what kind of bird&nbsp;it was. She also said she had been seeing “sundogs” in the evening and that they were&nbsp;both&nbsp;supposedly predictors of rain. Now I remember&nbsp;someone’s grandpa talking about a rain crow&nbsp;when I was a kid, or storm crow as he called it, and I knew absolutely zero about sundogs, but&nbsp;given their supposed rain prediction powers,&nbsp;I&nbsp;delved deeper.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660764702066.jpg" alt="Sundog / Image courtesy of Pixabay" />
 <figcaption>Sundog / Image courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
 </figure>I found numerous references to a “rain crow” and all seemed&nbsp;to agree that it was in&nbsp;fact a Yellow- Billed Cuckoo. Few, however wanted to stick their neck out concerning its rain prediction ability; one website tossed around the figure of 3 days from&nbsp;first hearing one until rain. Sundogs on the other hand, were quite a popular subject, and are ice crystals high in the atmosphere&nbsp;that, when sunlight shines through&nbsp;them cangive the illusion of a second or third sun on each side of the actual sun.&nbsp;I’ve&nbsp;seen sun dogs a couple times over the years in the winter. But once again, however,&nbsp;sundogs ties to predicting rain&nbsp;were sparse.&nbsp;My search turned up so many&nbsp;proverbs and&nbsp;“old&nbsp;wives’&nbsp;tales” concerning rain that I decided to&nbsp;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&nbsp;to Ross over the phone and got his take on each.&nbsp;Concerning sundogs, Ross said&nbsp;there is some correct science in tying sundogs to rain, in that the same ice crystals that cause them have the ability to form&nbsp;clouds containing rain. But as far as&nbsp;them predicting rain, Ross was hesitant to agree to that.&nbsp;Next,&nbsp;I asked him about a ring around the moon predicting rain, and again he&nbsp;said that a ring around the moon indeed meant there was moisture at some level, but&nbsp;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”&nbsp;is another&nbsp;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&nbsp;evening sky means we are seeing a weather system moving away from us. Ross said he&nbsp;has indeed noticed that morning thunderstorms&nbsp;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&nbsp;was a stretch&nbsp;to say that they actually predicted&nbsp;rain. We agreed to call these&nbsp;three myths SEMI-BUSTED.Another proverb I found read&nbsp;“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&nbsp;presence or&nbsp;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&nbsp;saw&nbsp;no link&nbsp;between them and a prediction for rain. We&nbsp;declared&nbsp;this one BUSTED. The next was an Indian proverb that says “If the moon is red, of rain she speaks.”&nbsp;Ross said&nbsp;a red moon is red only&nbsp;because of smoke or dust; again BUSTED.&nbsp;Next,&nbsp;I asked him about something&nbsp;I’ve always&nbsp;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&nbsp;telling me that when air pressure is low, the air as a whole actually rises;&nbsp;BUSTED again.I could literally spend the next month cussing and discussing all the&nbsp;old-time&nbsp;weather fables and proverbs I found while writing this piece. To those of you who&nbsp;put&nbsp;stock in any of the rain predictors I cast doubt upon, I’m sorry to have rained on your parade (yes,&nbsp;pun intended) even though I’m certain some&nbsp;hold true some of the time. Ross even&nbsp;told me&nbsp;that his mom swears by an old tale that says&nbsp;it will rain 100 days after a fog; she even keeps track of it on her calendar. Maybe that&nbsp;will win me back some points and make you feel better again about your favorite weather tales knowing that the weather guy’s&nbsp;mom even believes&nbsp;some of&nbsp;them! Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: Of rain crows and sundogs

By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/19/early-signs-and-concerns-of-how-sports-gambling-apps-will-market-to-kansans/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

Thursday’s announcement that sports betting <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/18/kansas-plans-sept-1-soft-launch-of-sports-wagering-for-start-of-football-season/">will begin Sept. 1</a>
 in Kansas edges the state closer to a brave new world for sports fans, 
whether supporting the Jayhawks, Chiefs, Wildcats, Shockers, Royals or 
Sporting KC.

When the Kansas Legislature <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/12/kansas-governor-signs-law-legalizes-sports-betting/">approved sports gaming</a>
 earlier this year, it triggered a complex multibillion dollar marketing
 and technology machine that is already whirring to life, even in 
advance of the start date. And that machine will certainly change our 
state’s relationship with sports.

Some of these changes will be minor 
and cosmetic. However, other changes will alter how we watch games and, 
most radically, who we root for.

Here are my notes about how sports has already changed with gambling on the scene — along with a forecast of coming changes.

The visual landscape of watching 
sports — or even reading about them — will never be the same. Since the 
U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/us/politics/supreme-court-sports-betting-new-jersey.html">nationwide sports gambling in 2018</a>, betting odds have invaded every mainstream sports app.

On my phone, ESPN’s app offers a 
PickCenter, providing the run line, money line and over/under for the 
Royals game Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. You can also get 
“exclusive PickCenter analysis” with a subscription payment. CBS Sports 
and most other apps offer the same wagering details — sometimes on a 
homepage scoreboard that doesn’t require you even to click through to 
read about the game.

Like me, maybe you spent decades 
scanning the daily newspaper and the sports page, with its hundreds of 
lines of agate, displaying scores and betting lines. In most papers, 
betting information was relegated to a box on the outskirts of the page,
 signaling an uneasy yet conjoined relationship between sports 
journalism and gambling.

The paper sought to inform both your 
pure love affair with your favorite team and your begrudging habit of 
making a bet against that same team with a local bookie.

We should expect the same creeping 
presence of sports betting information when watching sports broadcasts 
too. In past NFL seasons, commentators coyly hinted at how a fourth 
quarter field goal might impact a teetering betting line. Those same 
play-by-play personalities, like Al Michaels of NBC, have acknowledged 
their increased liberation to be more direct.

“So what I would do through the years
 is I would come in the back door, sometimes I would come in the side 
door, and now I guess they’re allowing me to come in the front door, 
which is not as much fun as doing it subtly,” Michaels <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-nfl-courts-sports-betting-ab511551c44d6bed4c929bfd02eda32a">told the Associated Press last year</a>.

In addition to this shift to verbal 
posture, the networks broadcasting the games will provide more gambling 
information in pregame shows, “<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-nfl-courts-sports-betting-ab511551c44d6bed4c929bfd02eda32a">but only to help contextualize game analysis or a broader storyline</a>.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Looking to countries where sports 
betting has had decades to infiltrate the culture suggests how visually 
omnipresent sports gambling brand might become, and how much we might 
regret it eventually.

The English Premier League is arguably the top soccer league in the world in a country that has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/betting-gambling-shirt-sponsorship-soccer-football-cricket-rugby-ban-caytoo/">long allowed sports gambling</a>. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/14/gambling-review-delay-lets-premier-league-football-clubs-strike-sponsorship-deals">Forty percent of teams in the league</a>
 have agreements with sports gambling companies to provide an 
advertising image on the front of the team’s uniform. This summer, the 
league looked <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/voluntary-ban-on-betting-shirt-sponsors-to-be-agreed-by-premier-league-clubs-58nqb9mqz">poised to ban</a> such ads on the front of shirts, but energy for the <a target="_blank" href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-accused-tokenism-ban-gambling-shirt-sponsors-1793534">prohibition</a> has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/14/gambling-review-delay-lets-premier-league-football-clubs-strike-sponsorship-deals">stalled</a>.

More North American sports teams are including advertising on their jerseys, in big or small ways. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbets.com/sportsbook-advertising-jerseys-america/">Washington Capitals signed a deal</a>
 with Caesars Sportsbook last year to include a 3-by-3.5 inch patch on 
their jerseys. So, don’t be surprised to see a FanDuel logo on the chest
 of your favorite player during an upcoming season.

The tension is clear. How can a 
player try his hardest to win while he wears an ad for a site where 
hundreds of people financially invest in his losing?

The line between journalism and betting advertising

Publications constantly allow 
advertisers to blur the line between advertising from a paid sponsor and
 the journalism from their staff members. That line is particularly hazy
 these days on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/">sports web page of the Kansas City Star</a>. The most prominent real estate on the page in the top left quadrant is dedicated to a module labeled “Betting.”&nbsp;

The packaging of that content uses the same fonts, story structures and provides <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/profile/257676073">bylines</a> for the writers. However, the content is sponsored.

“We may earn a fee if you make a purchase through one of our links,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/betting/article261739482.html">the page explains</a>. “The newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.”

What follows that warning is a 
promotional blitz for each of the companies that will offer sports 
gambling in Kansas: DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, WynnBET, 
FanDuel, BetRivers and PointsBet. While headlines for each post promise a
 “review,” the writer from Gambling.com gushes about the features 
without ever considering a critique.

In the final words of these reviews 
(some of them stretching more than 3,000 words), there is the same 
cut-and-paste warning about “responsible gambling.”

The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/">Wichita Eagle’s sports home page</a>
 does not display the betting content in the same prominent way, 
although the same “reviews” are there for readers. Both publications are
 owned by the same parent company and use the same website template.

Aside from sports media, Kansans 
should prepare for their fellow fans to act differently during games. 
The never-ending buffet of betting options for any particular game might
 create perverse rooting incentives for the fan sitting next to you at 
the bar.

Imagine that you are sitting next to 
your buddy, a rabid Kansas City Chiefs fan decked out in his Patrick 
Mahomes replica jersey as he crushes some chicken wings. By betting on 
the “under” for a game, he will be hoping for a low-scoring game. So, 
don’t be surprised if he is rooting for the Chiefs to take a knee, 
rather than for Mahomes to throw another touchdown pass, if the game is 
already secured for the Chiefs.

Of course, many fans are familiar 
with this from years of fantasy sports and illegal gambling. But 
legalized gambling promises to send many more fans to check their phones
 at the end of the game and consider which is more precious: their $500 
wager or their coveted team.

In the mail this week, I received a 
glitzy brochure from DraftKings VIP, promising “enhanced promotional 
offers,” “invitations to private events” and “a dedicated host.” The 
cover of the advertisement featured a map of Kansas with a clutch of 
sunflowers blooming awkwardly in the northwest corner of the state 
(Hello, St. Francis!).&nbsp;

The message of the black-and-bronze 
advertisement is clear: While gambling will be as easy as downloading an
 app, I can have an exclusive, swanky experience (through the phone?). 
This appeal might be useful for separating DraftKings VIP from the other
 gambling providers. However, the implicit message is that spending more
 (“Qualified Dynasty members”) will bring benefits.

Such marketing creates a slippery 
slope toward irresponsible gambling, even before the start of online 
wagering has been announced.

Of course, all of these dominoes of 
sports, culture, advertising and journalism were long ago set in motion.
 What’s coming into sharper focus now is how it will affect Kansans as 
we cheer from our couches — perhaps with a sports gambling app on the 
phone in our hand.

Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, a nonprofit that supports student journalism throughout the state. He also teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660921289041.png" alt="This mailing from DraftKings, which is arriving at Kansas mailboxes this week, is one sign of the marketing blitzes on the way with the Sept. 1 start of sports gambling in Kansas. (Eric Thomas)" />
 <figcaption>This mailing from DraftKings, which is arriving at Kansas mailboxes this week, is one sign of the marketing blitzes on the way with the Sept. 1 start of sports gambling in Kansas. (Eric Thomas)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ERIC THOMAS <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/19/early-signs-and-concerns-of-how-sports-gambling-apps-will-market-to-kansans/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>Thursday’s announcement that sports betting <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/18/kansas-plans-sept-1-soft-launch-of-sports-wagering-for-start-of-football-season/">will begin Sept. 1</a>
 in Kansas edges the state closer to a brave new world for sports fans, 
whether supporting the Jayhawks, Chiefs, Wildcats, Shockers, Royals or 
Sporting KC.When the Kansas Legislature <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/12/kansas-governor-signs-law-legalizes-sports-betting/">approved sports gaming</a>
 earlier this year, it triggered a complex multibillion dollar marketing
 and technology machine that is already whirring to life, even in 
advance of the start date. And that machine will certainly change our 
state’s relationship with sports.Some of these changes will be minor 
and cosmetic. However, other changes will alter how we watch games and, 
most radically, who we root for.Here are my notes about how sports has already changed with gambling on the scene — along with a forecast of coming changes.<h2>Signs of betting in new places</h2>The visual landscape of watching 
sports — or even reading about them — will never be the same. Since the 
U.S. Supreme Court opened the door to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/us/politics/supreme-court-sports-betting-new-jersey.html">nationwide sports gambling in 2018</a>, betting odds have invaded every mainstream sports app.On my phone, ESPN’s app offers a 
PickCenter, providing the run line, money line and over/under for the 
Royals game Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays. You can also get 
“exclusive PickCenter analysis” with a subscription payment. CBS Sports 
and most other apps offer the same wagering details — sometimes on a 
homepage scoreboard that doesn’t require you even to click through to 
read about the game.Like me, maybe you spent decades 
scanning the daily newspaper and the sports page, with its hundreds of 
lines of agate, displaying scores and betting lines. In most papers, 
betting information was relegated to a box on the outskirts of the page,
 signaling an uneasy yet conjoined relationship between sports 
journalism and gambling.The paper sought to inform both your 
pure love affair with your favorite team and your begrudging habit of 
making a bet against that same team with a local bookie.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>We should expect the same creeping 
presence of sports betting information when watching sports broadcasts 
too. In past NFL seasons, commentators coyly hinted at how a fourth 
quarter field goal might impact a teetering betting line. Those same 
play-by-play personalities, like Al Michaels of NBC, have acknowledged 
their increased liberation to be more direct.“So what I would do through the years
 is I would come in the back door, sometimes I would come in the side 
door, and now I guess they’re allowing me to come in the front door, 
which is not as much fun as doing it subtly,” Michaels <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-nfl-courts-sports-betting-ab511551c44d6bed4c929bfd02eda32a">told the Associated Press last year</a>.In addition to this shift to verbal 
posture, the networks broadcasting the games will provide more gambling 
information in pregame shows, “<a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-entertainment-nfl-courts-sports-betting-ab511551c44d6bed4c929bfd02eda32a">but only to help contextualize game analysis or a broader storyline</a>.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Looking to countries where sports 
betting has had decades to infiltrate the culture suggests how visually 
omnipresent sports gambling brand might become, and how much we might 
regret it eventually.The English Premier League is arguably the top soccer league in the world in a country that has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/betting-gambling-shirt-sponsorship-soccer-football-cricket-rugby-ban-caytoo/">long allowed sports gambling</a>. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/14/gambling-review-delay-lets-premier-league-football-clubs-strike-sponsorship-deals">Forty percent of teams in the league</a>
 have agreements with sports gambling companies to provide an 
advertising image on the front of the team’s uniform. This summer, the 
league looked <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/voluntary-ban-on-betting-shirt-sponsors-to-be-agreed-by-premier-league-clubs-58nqb9mqz">poised to ban</a> such ads on the front of shirts, but energy for the <a target="_blank" href="https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-accused-tokenism-ban-gambling-shirt-sponsors-1793534">prohibition</a> has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/14/gambling-review-delay-lets-premier-league-football-clubs-strike-sponsorship-deals">stalled</a>.More North American sports teams are including advertising on their jerseys, in big or small ways. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usbets.com/sportsbook-advertising-jerseys-america/">Washington Capitals signed a deal</a>
 with Caesars Sportsbook last year to include a 3-by-3.5 inch patch on 
their jerseys. So, don’t be surprised to see a FanDuel logo on the chest
 of your favorite player during an upcoming season.The tension is clear. How can a 
player try his hardest to win while he wears an ad for a site where 
hundreds of people financially invest in his losing?<h2>The line between journalism and betting advertising</h2>Publications constantly allow 
advertisers to blur the line between advertising from a paid sponsor and
 the journalism from their staff members. That line is particularly hazy
 these days on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/">sports web page of the Kansas City Star</a>. The most prominent real estate on the page in the top left quadrant is dedicated to a module labeled “Betting.”&nbsp;The packaging of that content uses the same fonts, story structures and provides <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/profile/257676073">bylines</a> for the writers. However, the content is sponsored.“We may earn a fee if you make a purchase through one of our links,” <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/betting/article261739482.html">the page explains</a>. “The newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.”What follows that warning is a 
promotional blitz for each of the companies that will offer sports 
gambling in Kansas: DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, WynnBET, 
FanDuel, BetRivers and PointsBet. While headlines for each post promise a
 “review,” the writer from Gambling.com gushes about the features 
without ever considering a critique.In the final words of these reviews 
(some of them stretching more than 3,000 words), there is the same 
cut-and-paste warning about “responsible gambling.”The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansas.com/sports/">Wichita Eagle’s sports home page</a>
 does not display the betting content in the same prominent way, 
although the same “reviews” are there for readers. Both publications are
 owned by the same parent company and use the same website template.<h2>Chatter during games</h2>Aside from sports media, Kansans 
should prepare for their fellow fans to act differently during games. 
The never-ending buffet of betting options for any particular game might
 create perverse rooting incentives for the fan sitting next to you at 
the bar.Imagine that you are sitting next to 
your buddy, a rabid Kansas City Chiefs fan decked out in his Patrick 
Mahomes replica jersey as he crushes some chicken wings. By betting on 
the “under” for a game, he will be hoping for a low-scoring game. So, 
don’t be surprised if he is rooting for the Chiefs to take a knee, 
rather than for Mahomes to throw another touchdown pass, if the game is 
already secured for the Chiefs.Sports gambling muddies our fandom.Of course, many fans are familiar 
with this from years of fantasy sports and illegal gambling. But 
legalized gambling promises to send many more fans to check their phones
 at the end of the game and consider which is more precious: their $500 
wager or their coveted team.<h2>Enticing VIP packaging&nbsp;</h2>In the mail this week, I received a 
glitzy brochure from DraftKings VIP, promising “enhanced promotional 
offers,” “invitations to private events” and “a dedicated host.” The 
cover of the advertisement featured a map of Kansas with a clutch of 
sunflowers blooming awkwardly in the northwest corner of the state 
(Hello, St. Francis!).&nbsp;The message of the black-and-bronze 
advertisement is clear: While gambling will be as easy as downloading an
 app, I can have an exclusive, swanky experience (through the phone?). 
This appeal might be useful for separating DraftKings VIP from the other
 gambling providers. However, the implicit message is that spending more
 (“Qualified Dynasty members”) will bring benefits.Such marketing creates a slippery 
slope toward irresponsible gambling, even before the start of online 
wagering has been announced.Of course, all of these dominoes of 
sports, culture, advertising and journalism were long ago set in motion.
 What’s coming into sharper focus now is how it will affect Kansans as 
we cheer from our couches — perhaps with a sports gambling app on the 
phone in our hand.Eric Thomas directs the Kansas Scholastic Press Association, a nonprofit that supports student journalism throughout the state. He also teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas in Lawrence.&nbsp;

OPINION: Early signs, and concerns, of how sports gambling apps will market to Kansans

Kali DeBey is a nursing student at Fort Hays State University. Like many non-traditional students, she must balance the immense demands of full-time work, a challenging academic program, and her responsibilities as a wife and mother of three boys, ages 4-11. Kali works as a surgical scrub technician in the operating rooms of the Hays Medical Center. This year, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a registered nurse. 

Her goal is to work in a nursing home. She believes the elderly deserve the best care possible, and she wants to be part of giving them the best quality of life possible.&nbsp;

This fall, Kali will begin a demanding and time-intensive course of study in the classrooms and nursing laboratories of Stroup Hall. Her middle son, Abel, will join her for part of her morning and afternoon routines on campus. Kali and Abel will start and end their day on campus in Rarick Hall, the home of the Tiger Tots Preschool Center. The premiere program of its kind in our region, Tiger Tots,&nbsp;offers a positive and safe environment that promotes each child’s social, physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Tiger Tots opened its doors in the fall of 1981 with the primary purpose of serving FHSU students. Now more than 40 years later, this focus remains.&nbsp;

Kali appreciates the tremendous resource the Tiger Tots Preschool Center is for the campus community. “It’s a fun and interactive place for the children and a super helpful asset for any student-parent looking to go to or back to school. Like my mother, I trust the faculty and staff. For me, the best feature may be that I can visit Abel between classes,” said Kali.

Kali DeBey has a special connection to Tiger Tots. She is herself an alumna of the program. As she prepares to drop Abel off at preschool, she remembers her mother, then a social work major, dropping her off at Tiger Tots each morning. And when she and Abel arrive, a familiar face will be there to greet them. It is the same face Kali used to see every morning when she was a Tiger Tot herself-the face and the welcoming smile of veteran Sara Stroup. She was one of Kali’s teachers when she was a Tiger Tot.

Sara is also an alumna of FHSU. While earning her master’s degree, Sara was teaching at Tiger Tots, where she had the opportunity to enjoy Kali and her family. She then taught at Hays, USD #489 Head Start program until 2009, when she returned to FHSU as an instructor in the Teacher Education Department. In early 2014, Natalie Unruh and Sara wrote a proposal to make the Tiger Tots Nurtury Center part of the Teacher Education Department. In&nbsp;2015,&nbsp;Natalie and Sara began their leadership roles at Tiger Tots while continuing to teach courses in the early childhood unified program. They shifted the focus from a daycare setting with preschool activities to a preschool setting with daycare available in the afternoon. In 2015, they hired lead teacher Penny McGinnis. Sara and lead teacher Penny McGinnis wanted the facility’s name to reflect the center’s focus on learning more accurately, so in 2019, the Tiger Tots Nurtury Center officially became the FHSU Tiger Tots Preschool Center.&nbsp;

The recent renovation of Rarick Hall that I discussed in a previous Heart of a Tiger Column included a total makeover of the Tiger Tots spaces. The renovation added space for the children to spread out and explore in the classroom and the outside play area, office space for the director and lead teacher, better lighting, and a sound-dampening system built around a big artificial tree in the middle of the room. The renovation also provided an observation&nbsp;room&nbsp;forparents and FHSU students&nbsp;in education, social services, and allied health majors.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The new academic year begins next week, and Tiger Tots is at full enrollment. On hand to greet the students and parents will be Sharon Tallman, the program’s new lead teacher. Sharon brings more than 27 years of teaching experience to the program.

Priority enrollment in the Tiger Tots Preschool Center is given to FHSU students and students enrolled in the North Central Kansas Technical College (NCKTC) or the Hays Academy of Hair partnership programs. The “<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/student-affairs/ncktc-gateway-program/">NCKTC Gateway Program</a>” provides students enrolled in a two-year associate’s degree program to live and take classes on the FHSU campus. Enrollment is also open to the children of FHSU staff and faculty. Learn more about the Tiger Tots Preschool program at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tigertots/">fhsu.edu/tigertots</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575301942236.jpeg" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>Kali DeBey is a nursing student at Fort Hays State University. Like many non-traditional students, she must balance the immense demands of full-time work, a challenging academic program, and her responsibilities as a wife and mother of three boys, ages 4-11. Kali works as a surgical scrub technician in the operating rooms of the Hays Medical Center. This year, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a registered nurse. Her goal is to work in a nursing home. She believes the elderly deserve the best care possible, and she wants to be part of giving them the best quality of life possible.&nbsp;This fall, Kali will begin a demanding and time-intensive course of study in the classrooms and nursing laboratories of Stroup Hall. Her middle son, Abel, will join her for part of her morning and afternoon routines on campus. Kali and Abel will start and end their day on campus in Rarick Hall, the home of the Tiger Tots Preschool Center. The premiere program of its kind in our region, Tiger Tots,&nbsp;offers a positive and safe environment that promotes each child’s social, physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. Tiger Tots opened its doors in the fall of 1981 with the primary purpose of serving FHSU students. Now more than 40 years later, this focus remains.&nbsp;Kali appreciates the tremendous resource the Tiger Tots Preschool Center is for the campus community. “It’s a fun and interactive place for the children and a super helpful asset for any student-parent looking to go to or back to school. Like my mother, I trust the faculty and staff. For me, the best feature may be that I can visit Abel between classes,” said Kali.Kali DeBey has a special connection to Tiger Tots. She is herself an alumna of the program. As she prepares to drop Abel off at preschool, she remembers her mother, then a social work major, dropping her off at Tiger Tots each morning. And when she and Abel arrive, a familiar face will be there to greet them. It is the same face Kali used to see every morning when she was a Tiger Tot herself-the face and the welcoming smile of veteran Sara Stroup. She was one of Kali’s teachers when she was a Tiger Tot.Sara is also an alumna of FHSU. While earning her master’s degree, Sara was teaching at Tiger Tots, where she had the opportunity to enjoy Kali and her family. She then taught at Hays, USD #489 Head Start program until 2009, when she returned to FHSU as an instructor in the Teacher Education Department. In early 2014, Natalie Unruh and Sara wrote a proposal to make the Tiger Tots Nurtury Center part of the Teacher Education Department. In&nbsp;2015,&nbsp;Natalie and Sara began their leadership roles at Tiger Tots while continuing to teach courses in the early childhood unified program. They shifted the focus from a daycare setting with preschool activities to a preschool setting with daycare available in the afternoon. In 2015, they hired lead teacher Penny McGinnis. Sara and lead teacher Penny McGinnis wanted the facility’s name to reflect the center’s focus on learning more accurately, so in 2019, the Tiger Tots Nurtury Center officially became the FHSU Tiger Tots Preschool Center.&nbsp;The recent renovation of Rarick Hall that I discussed in a previous Heart of a Tiger Column included a total makeover of the Tiger Tots spaces. The renovation added space for the children to spread out and explore in the classroom and the outside play area, office space for the director and lead teacher, better lighting, and a sound-dampening system built around a big artificial tree in the middle of the room. The renovation also provided an observation&nbsp;room&nbsp;forparents and FHSU students&nbsp;in education, social services, and allied health majors.&nbsp;&nbsp;The new academic year begins next week, and Tiger Tots is at full enrollment. On hand to greet the students and parents will be Sharon Tallman, the program’s new lead teacher. Sharon brings more than 27 years of teaching experience to the program.Priority enrollment in the Tiger Tots Preschool Center is given to FHSU students and students enrolled in the North Central Kansas Technical College (NCKTC) or the Hays Academy of Hair partnership programs. The “<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/student-affairs/ncktc-gateway-program/">NCKTC Gateway Program</a>” provides students enrolled in a two-year associate’s degree program to live and take classes on the FHSU campus. Enrollment is also open to the children of FHSU staff and faculty. Learn more about the Tiger Tots Preschool program at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fhsu.edu/tigertots/">fhsu.edu/tigertots</a>.&nbsp;

Heart of a Tiger: Four decades, two generations of Tiger Tots 

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher As I was outside with my kids waiting for them to catch their big yellow bus to begin another school year, I was reminded of how all of the back-to-school excitement is similar to the anticipation of fall on the farm. &nbsp; Being that it’s a new school year, the kids are understandably excited to return to school. This has translated to them getting out to their bus stop with plenty of time to spare ensuring they don’t miss the bus and avoiding frantic, last-minute morning chaos. &nbsp; As we get closer to the start of fall harvest, we are also getting out into the fields and testing the moisture of the corn with plenty of time to spare. While some might argue it’s still too early, just like with the kids, we want to make sure we experience a smooth transition into fall harvest with as little unnecessary chaos as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the days leading up to the first day of classes, our school district provided us with a rough estimate of when we should expect the bus to arrive. Although we had a good idea of when to expect the bus, we knew to be ready a little before the expected time while also understanding if it was later.&nbsp; &nbsp; Just like the morning bus, we know fall harvest will get here. We’re not quite sure when exactly that will be; we just have to be ready to go when it’s time. &nbsp; While waiting for their bus, I reminded my two children to be observant as they have the tools needed to identify the bus and know when it’s coming minutes before actually seeing it. If one listens, amid the morning sounds of feed trucks and cattle in the distance, the distinct sound of the bus bouncing down the gravel roads can be heard. &nbsp; As adults, we too have tools to use to help determine when it’s time to harvest. While it might not be our sense of hearing, we do scout fields using our eyes to make observations while also picking and shelling ears of corn before testing for moisture. If we look, the distinct signs of a field that’s ready for harvest can be seen. &nbsp; Once on the morning bus, I watched the silhouettes of my two little ones cautiously walk down the aisle before committing and settling into their seats for the duration of their morning ride. I know both my son and daughter prefer to sit up near the front of the bus to avoid negative results like getting car sick or getting themselves into trouble. &nbsp; We will also be intentional in our field selections prior to committing the machines to a field as we want to make sure our decisions will not cause negative results like dockage once our grain is delivered to the elevator. &nbsp; As the bus slowly moved forward, I scanned the bus windows to see if I could spot any other morning riders. With the sun rising behind the bus, it appeared my two were the first ones on. The saying “first ones on, last ones off” has been true given our location within the school district’s boundaries and bus route. Being first on and last off the bus can make for some long and tiring days for my little kiddos.&nbsp; &nbsp; And just like the bus rides, fall harvest will also bring some exhausting days as expected. In either case, we know that at the end of these long days, whether we’re riding a school bus or driving a combine, we’ll all return and find comfort (and snacks) at home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1573617414005.jpeg" alt="Kim Baldwin&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Kim Baldwin&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson County farmer and rancher As I was outside with my kids waiting for them to catch their big yellow bus to begin another school year, I was reminded of how all of the back-to-school excitement is similar to the anticipation of fall on the farm. &nbsp; Being that it’s a new school year, the kids are understandably excited to return to school. This has translated to them getting out to their bus stop with plenty of time to spare ensuring they don’t miss the bus and avoiding frantic, last-minute morning chaos. &nbsp; As we get closer to the start of fall harvest, we are also getting out into the fields and testing the moisture of the corn with plenty of time to spare. While some might argue it’s still too early, just like with the kids, we want to make sure we experience a smooth transition into fall harvest with as little unnecessary chaos as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp; In the days leading up to the first day of classes, our school district provided us with a rough estimate of when we should expect the bus to arrive. Although we had a good idea of when to expect the bus, we knew to be ready a little before the expected time while also understanding if it was later.&nbsp; &nbsp; Just like the morning bus, we know fall harvest will get here. We’re not quite sure when exactly that will be; we just have to be ready to go when it’s time. &nbsp; While waiting for their bus, I reminded my two children to be observant as they have the tools needed to identify the bus and know when it’s coming minutes before actually seeing it. If one listens, amid the morning sounds of feed trucks and cattle in the distance, the distinct sound of the bus bouncing down the gravel roads can be heard. &nbsp; As adults, we too have tools to use to help determine when it’s time to harvest. While it might not be our sense of hearing, we do scout fields using our eyes to make observations while also picking and shelling ears of corn before testing for moisture. If we look, the distinct signs of a field that’s ready for harvest can be seen. &nbsp; Once on the morning bus, I watched the silhouettes of my two little ones cautiously walk down the aisle before committing and settling into their seats for the duration of their morning ride. I know both my son and daughter prefer to sit up near the front of the bus to avoid negative results like getting car sick or getting themselves into trouble. &nbsp; We will also be intentional in our field selections prior to committing the machines to a field as we want to make sure our decisions will not cause negative results like dockage once our grain is delivered to the elevator. &nbsp; As the bus slowly moved forward, I scanned the bus windows to see if I could spot any other morning riders. With the sun rising behind the bus, it appeared my two were the first ones on. The saying “first ones on, last ones off” has been true given our location within the school district’s boundaries and bus route. Being first on and last off the bus can make for some long and tiring days for my little kiddos.&nbsp; &nbsp; And just like the bus rides, fall harvest will also bring some exhausting days as expected. In either case, we know that at the end of these long days, whether we’re riding a school bus or driving a combine, we’ll all return and find comfort (and snacks) at home."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Bus rides and harvest

By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;

This Kansas business is for the birds – gamebirds, that is. Today we’ll meet a young ruralpreneur who has created a business of raising pheasants and guiding pheasant hunts in his home region of rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Last week we learned about Bethany Wallin, who founded a physical therapy and fitness center in her community of Courtland. Today we’ll meet her husband and learn about his business.&nbsp;

Clay Wallin and his friend Nathan Lindberg are owners of Heartland Game Birds. Wallin and his wife are from Republic County originally. Clay went to K-State and earned degrees in golf course management and agronomy before he and Bethany were married. He worked in crop seed sales in Kansas and Nebraska. For six years, they lived in Manhattan.&nbsp;

In 2018, Bethany took a position at the hospital in Belleville and they moved to Clay’s hometown of Courtland. Clay became an independent Channel seedsman and raised corn and soybeans.&nbsp;

Clay also joined his boyhood pal Nathan Lindberg and another friend in creating a pheasant business. “We grew up pheasant hunting together,” Wallin said. He remembered the excitement of the beginning of pheasant season. “Opening weekend was better than Christmas for me.”&nbsp;

Because of their location in the heartland of the nation, they named their business Heartland Game Birds. Today, they raise thousands of pheasants, lease many acres of farmground for hunting, provide guided hunts, and have even opened a hunting lodge in Courtland.&nbsp;

“We aim to provide (customers) with the best upland hunting experience the Heartland has to offer,” the website states.&nbsp;

“We raise our own birds,” Wallin said. “This year we’ll raise 11,000 birds, and our goal is to get to 25,000.”&nbsp;

Heartland Game Birds raises and sells birds by contract to others in addition to their own local use. “The guided hunts are growing,” Wallin said. “Our goal is to double the number of hunts each year.”&nbsp;

During busy times, two other individuals help Wallin and Lindberg guide groups of hunters.&nbsp;

In 2020, the business purchased a historic downtown building that had been built in the 1890s. “It was one of the first buildings in Courtland,” Wallin said. They gutted and remodeled the building which has become their hunting lodge. It operates as an Airbnb, but during the busiest part of hunting season from November through February, the lodge is reserved for hunters only.&nbsp;

For the hunters, they provide home-cooked meals and will clean, process and vacuum package the birds.&nbsp;

“I’m a huge hometown supporter,” Wallin said. “I want to see more vehicles on Main Street and draw people to downtown. This old building helps us tell the story. Every customer we have asks about the history of the place.”&nbsp;

For many people, part of the experience is reconnecting with the memory of a time when they might have gone hunting with a dad or grandpa. “Usually there’s one in every crowd that grew up doing this, and now they’re wanting to share it with other people,” Wallin said. “There’s a camaraderie to the hunt. Our greatest joy is helping bring back good memories for them.”&nbsp;

He adds: “This is a people business. We’re tailored to the smaller groups so we can build relationships. It’s fun to meet people from other walks of life. We’ve made friends and great connections.”&nbsp;

Repeat customers have been a foundation of the business as it has grown. Many customers have come from the east coast. “We’ve had people from Florida, Washington DC, California, Utah, Wyoming, Michigan, North Carolina,” Wallin said.&nbsp;

During the recent pandemic, business actually increased as people wanted to get away from the crowded cities.&nbsp;

It's an impressive record for a business based in the rural community of Courtland, population 294 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;

For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.heartlandgamebirds.com/">www.heartlandgamebirds.com</a>.&nbsp;

This business is for the birds – for gamebirds by the thousands, that is, and that’s a good thing. We commend Clay Wallin and Nathan Lindberg for making a difference by using the great outdoors to create positive memories for their customers. These birds got game.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660142351162.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RON WILSON Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development&nbsp;This Kansas business is for the birds – gamebirds, that is. Today we’ll meet a young ruralpreneur who has created a business of raising pheasants and guiding pheasant hunts in his home region of rural Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Last week we learned about Bethany Wallin, who founded a physical therapy and fitness center in her community of Courtland. Today we’ll meet her husband and learn about his business.&nbsp;Clay Wallin and his friend Nathan Lindberg are owners of Heartland Game Birds. Wallin and his wife are from Republic County originally. Clay went to K-State and earned degrees in golf course management and agronomy before he and Bethany were married. He worked in crop seed sales in Kansas and Nebraska. For six years, they lived in Manhattan.&nbsp;In 2018, Bethany took a position at the hospital in Belleville and they moved to Clay’s hometown of Courtland. Clay became an independent Channel seedsman and raised corn and soybeans.&nbsp;Clay also joined his boyhood pal Nathan Lindberg and another friend in creating a pheasant business. “We grew up pheasant hunting together,” Wallin said. He remembered the excitement of the beginning of pheasant season. “Opening weekend was better than Christmas for me.”&nbsp;Because of their location in the heartland of the nation, they named their business Heartland Game Birds. Today, they raise thousands of pheasants, lease many acres of farmground for hunting, provide guided hunts, and have even opened a hunting lodge in Courtland.&nbsp;“We aim to provide (customers) with the best upland hunting experience the Heartland has to offer,” the website states.&nbsp;“We raise our own birds,” Wallin said. “This year we’ll raise 11,000 birds, and our goal is to get to 25,000.”&nbsp;Heartland Game Birds raises and sells birds by contract to others in addition to their own local use. “The guided hunts are growing,” Wallin said. “Our goal is to double the number of hunts each year.”&nbsp;During busy times, two other individuals help Wallin and Lindberg guide groups of hunters.&nbsp;In 2020, the business purchased a historic downtown building that had been built in the 1890s. “It was one of the first buildings in Courtland,” Wallin said. They gutted and remodeled the building which has become their hunting lodge. It operates as an Airbnb, but during the busiest part of hunting season from November through February, the lodge is reserved for hunters only.&nbsp;For the hunters, they provide home-cooked meals and will clean, process and vacuum package the birds.&nbsp;“I’m a huge hometown supporter,” Wallin said. “I want to see more vehicles on Main Street and draw people to downtown. This old building helps us tell the story. Every customer we have asks about the history of the place.”&nbsp;For many people, part of the experience is reconnecting with the memory of a time when they might have gone hunting with a dad or grandpa. “Usually there’s one in every crowd that grew up doing this, and now they’re wanting to share it with other people,” Wallin said. “There’s a camaraderie to the hunt. Our greatest joy is helping bring back good memories for them.”&nbsp;He adds: “This is a people business. We’re tailored to the smaller groups so we can build relationships. It’s fun to meet people from other walks of life. We’ve made friends and great connections.”&nbsp;Repeat customers have been a foundation of the business as it has grown. Many customers have come from the east coast. “We’ve had people from Florida, Washington DC, California, Utah, Wyoming, Michigan, North Carolina,” Wallin said.&nbsp;During the recent pandemic, business actually increased as people wanted to get away from the crowded cities.&nbsp;It's an impressive record for a business based in the rural community of Courtland, population 294 people. Now, that’s rural.&nbsp;For more information, go to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.heartlandgamebirds.com/">www.heartlandgamebirds.com</a>.&nbsp;This business is for the birds – for gamebirds by the thousands, that is, and that’s a good thing. We commend Clay Wallin and Nathan Lindberg for making a difference by using the great outdoors to create positive memories for their customers. These birds got game.&nbsp;

Now That’s Rural: Clay Wallin, Heartland Game Birds 

By EMILY RUDE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/amid-partisan-strife-in-kansas-the-art-of-avoiding-war/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>

This summer, as civil war looms ever closer, I’ve begun to take seriously <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu#Misattributed">that old adage from “The Godfather Part II</a>,” invoking the spirit of such luminaries as Sun Tzu and Machiavelli: Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer.

In other words: Get involved in church activities.

Yes, yes, “love thine enemy” and all 
that. But it’s easy to “love” from a distance — like that person with a 
“Vote Yes” yard sign beside another, handwritten yard sign that said, 
“To the person who stole my yard sign: Jesus still loves you!” The “o” 
in “love” was a cutesy heart.&nbsp;

I wonder what that “love” looks like?
 It’s certainly very convenient to outsource the job of loving to a 
deity who’ll do it for free, but, as they say, you get what you pay for.
 If you don’t put in the time and awkwardness of actually loving your 
neighbor, you don’t really get the results.

But what does “time and awkwardness” 
look like? Should you invite that pro-life neighbor for coffee to talk 
about politics? That would be in line with the typical advice you read 
about solving political polarization in this country — which, frankly, 
is laughable. Common sense says that nothing will be solved by trying to
 discuss abortion with your enemies. In fact, there’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1804840115">good</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16278-6">research</a> (and personal experience) to suggest that talking about things serves merely to cement prior beliefs.

No — we need less discussion, and more doing.

This is why I’m going to church. Not 
to the services. That would be disingenuous, since I don’t believe (long
 story). But the reality is that churches in Kansas do most of the 
neighbor-loving work that government doesn’t — can’t? won’t? — do. Work 
such as hosting free lunches for kids, or raising money for the local 
hospital, or helping people pay their rent (see: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lindsborgadhocroundtable.com/news-and-notes/archives/07-2018">TACOL</a> in Lindsborg). Cleaning up capitalism’s mess, basically.

Yes, many of the people at church are
 anti-abortion. Some don’t believe climate change is a problem. Some 
(many?) would just as soon have all “the gays” leave town, one way or 
another. Lots of them have guns. I might see one of those guns in a very
 uncomfortable context someday. I have material reasons to fear and 
distrust “church-going folk.”

Or rather, a certain vocal fraction 
of them are. After all, it isn’t the going-to-church part that makes 
someone a bigot. That’s absurd. Dangerous people are dangerous because 
of their personality and their media diet, not because of their 
religion. Having grown up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, I know 
that people who go to church are, you know, people. They’d be who they 
are regardless. The church just organizes them.

And anyhow, the Lutheran churches in my town are ELCA, not Missouri Synod (if you know, you know).

So, to not get involved in church 
community projects just because I might bump into a pro-life activist 
whom I disagree with would be sheer cowardice. Most of the people I 
interact with on a daily basis — yes, even the gay ones — go to church. 
Just because my enemies do too doesn’t mean I must boycott the concept 
wholesale. At that point, I might as well boycott the entire town, 
conservatives, liberals and all.

Because my enemies are lending a 
hand, I need to do at least as much. After all, “my enemies” are part of
 “the good guys” in my town. They are the only ones making a visible, 
tangible difference.

To be useful to my neighbors and for 
my own sanity, I need my enemies to think of me as part of their 
community. I need to think of them as part of mine, even if we fight 
sometimes. It’s worth it if it means we don’t fall apart when things 
really fall apart. We need to get used to each other — become a little 
more like sibling rivals and a little less like opposite sides in an 
armed civil war. I can handle a family feud. Not civil war.

I’ve started by volunteering at the 
Messiah Lutheran a couple of times a week, helping with the free lunch 
program for children. I’m not that essential to the group, yet, but it’s
 something.

My next move is to see if the 
impressively effective TACOL (The Associated Churches of Lindsborg) 
thrift shop needs any free help. For instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://tacoloflindsborgkansas.weebly.com/">they have a very minimal website</a>, and I happen to have experience setting up websites.

I expect to learn a lot — about my 
enemies, my friends, my town, myself, and hopefully about what happens 
when you stop hiding and start helping.

Emily Rude teaches biology at Bethany College in Lindsborg.&nbsp;She lives with her husband in a house of mud, straw and horse manure. She enjoys it all.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660585071159.png" alt="Emily Rude" />
 <figcaption>Emily Rude</figcaption>
 </figure>By EMILY RUDE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/08/15/amid-partisan-strife-in-kansas-the-art-of-avoiding-war/">Courtesy Kansas Reflector</a>This summer, as civil war looms ever closer, I’ve begun to take seriously <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sun_Tzu#Misattributed">that old adage from “The Godfather Part II</a>,” invoking the spirit of such luminaries as Sun Tzu and Machiavelli: Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer.In other words: Get involved in church activities.Yes, yes, “love thine enemy” and all 
that. But it’s easy to “love” from a distance — like that person with a 
“Vote Yes” yard sign beside another, handwritten yard sign that said, 
“To the person who stole my yard sign: Jesus still loves you!” The “o” 
in “love” was a cutesy heart.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>I wonder what that “love” looks like?
 It’s certainly very convenient to outsource the job of loving to a 
deity who’ll do it for free, but, as they say, you get what you pay for.
 If you don’t put in the time and awkwardness of actually loving your 
neighbor, you don’t really get the results.But what does “time and awkwardness” 
look like? Should you invite that pro-life neighbor for coffee to talk 
about politics? That would be in line with the typical advice you read 
about solving political polarization in this country — which, frankly, 
is laughable. Common sense says that nothing will be solved by trying to
 discuss abortion with your enemies. In fact, there’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1804840115">good</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-16278-6">research</a> (and personal experience) to suggest that talking about things serves merely to cement prior beliefs.No — we need less discussion, and more doing.This is why I’m going to church. Not 
to the services. That would be disingenuous, since I don’t believe (long
 story). But the reality is that churches in Kansas do most of the 
neighbor-loving work that government doesn’t — can’t? won’t? — do. Work 
such as hosting free lunches for kids, or raising money for the local 
hospital, or helping people pay their rent (see: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lindsborgadhocroundtable.com/news-and-notes/archives/07-2018">TACOL</a> in Lindsborg). Cleaning up capitalism’s mess, basically.Yes, many of the people at church are
 anti-abortion. Some don’t believe climate change is a problem. Some 
(many?) would just as soon have all “the gays” leave town, one way or 
another. Lots of them have guns. I might see one of those guns in a very
 uncomfortable context someday. I have material reasons to fear and 
distrust “church-going folk.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660585175900.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>They’re my enemies.Or rather, a certain vocal fraction 
of them are. After all, it isn’t the going-to-church part that makes 
someone a bigot. That’s absurd. Dangerous people are dangerous because 
of their personality and their media diet, not because of their 
religion. Having grown up in a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, I know 
that people who go to church are, you know, people. They’d be who they 
are regardless. The church just organizes them.And anyhow, the Lutheran churches in my town are ELCA, not Missouri Synod (if you know, you know).So, to not get involved in church 
community projects just because I might bump into a pro-life activist 
whom I disagree with would be sheer cowardice. Most of the people I 
interact with on a daily basis — yes, even the gay ones — go to church. 
Just because my enemies do too doesn’t mean I must boycott the concept 
wholesale. At that point, I might as well boycott the entire town, 
conservatives, liberals and all.Because my enemies are lending a 
hand, I need to do at least as much. After all, “my enemies” are part of
 “the good guys” in my town. They are the only ones making a visible, 
tangible difference.To be useful to my neighbors and for 
my own sanity, I need my enemies to think of me as part of their 
community. I need to think of them as part of mine, even if we fight 
sometimes. It’s worth it if it means we don’t fall apart when things 
really fall apart. We need to get used to each other — become a little 
more like sibling rivals and a little less like opposite sides in an 
armed civil war. I can handle a family feud. Not civil war.I’ve started by volunteering at the 
Messiah Lutheran a couple of times a week, helping with the free lunch 
program for children. I’m not that essential to the group, yet, but it’s
 something.My next move is to see if the 
impressively effective TACOL (The Associated Churches of Lindsborg) 
thrift shop needs any free help. For instance, <a target="_blank" href="https://tacoloflindsborgkansas.weebly.com/">they have a very minimal website</a>, and I happen to have experience setting up websites.I expect to learn a lot — about my 
enemies, my friends, my town, myself, and hopefully about what happens 
when you stop hiding and start helping.Emily Rude teaches biology at Bethany College in Lindsborg.&nbsp;She lives with her husband in a house of mud, straw and horse manure. She enjoys it all.&nbsp;

OPINION: Amid partisan strife in Kansas, the art of (avoiding) war

Professors of political science are in a unique position to not only impart academic knowledge, but to build better citizens.&nbsp;I give students the trust, resources, engagement, and invitations they need to participate. Then I encourage them to put those civic skills into action.

I teach&nbsp;my students&nbsp;how&nbsp;to think, not&nbsp;what&nbsp;to think.&nbsp;

Our young people&nbsp;have the opportunity to&nbsp;shape the communities we live in&nbsp;and in recent years they have started to participate in droves, especially young women.

Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://united-we.org/">United WE</a>, an evidence-based, nonpartisan organization dedicated to unlocking women’s economic and civic leadership, released<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545815dce4b0d75692c341a8/t/61fa931d5cf4fa1101723fb5/1643811618520/StatusofWomeninKansas2021_1.26.22.pdf">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545815dce4b0d75692c341a8/t/61fa931d5cf4fa1101723fb5/1643811618520/StatusofWomeninKansas2021_1.26.22.pdf">new research</a>&nbsp;that illuminated progress made&nbsp;by Kansas women but also showed barriers to their economic potential.&nbsp;While several issues impact women’s ability to fully participate in the workforce, barriers to childcare stands out as a pressing issue in Kansas that even garnered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/child-care-keeping-women-from-work/">national attention</a>.

In Kansas,&nbsp;about 29% of a working mother’s salary is spent on childcare costs alone, making Kansas childcare costs as a percentage of salary one of the highest in the country.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;womenalso&nbsp;represent a higher share of the labor force than the rest of the country, however, the gender earnings gap is wider in Kansas. For Kansas women, 73.5% are employed while only 69.6% of U.S. women participate in the labor force. Women in Kansas earned 78 cents for every dollar earned by a Kansas man in 2020.

In addition to the research report,&nbsp;United WE&nbsp;has been hosting a&nbsp;Town Hall Series across the state&nbsp;that is&nbsp;listening to Kansas&nbsp;women and allies share their stories about barriers they’ve faced in the workplace.&nbsp;The&nbsp;research statistics&nbsp;are&nbsp;compelling, but real-life stories provide eye-opening insights into often unspoken challenges:

•“I miss so much work trying to keep up with my licensure…for work.”•“They hired me because I was twice as qualified as anyone else, but I was still paid less.”•“At 34, I got my first job with health insurance.”•“I know if I have anotherchildI won’t be able to keep my job financially due to childcare expenses.”•“No matter what status or position us women are in, we are all experiencing the same struggles.”

These stories&nbsp;from the Town Halls&nbsp;highlight&nbsp;barriers impacting women in the workplace and entrepreneurship, including&nbsp;occupational licensing, pay equity, healthcare, childcare, and more.&nbsp;According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/mckinsey.analytics/viz/USPowerofParity/Dashboard1womens-economic-task-force/">McKinsey Global Institute</a>, the Kansas economy can grow by 10-15% by 2025&nbsp;if women are fully participating in the workforce.&nbsp;To recruit and retain women in the workforce and grow our Kansas economy to its full potential, we need to come together and make progress in these areas.

There is a&nbsp;virtual&nbsp;statewide&nbsp;Town Hall&nbsp;by United WE&nbsp;on August&nbsp;24&nbsp;from&nbsp;12:00 p.m.&nbsp;to 1:00 p.m.&nbsp;This&nbsp;event is&nbsp;open to all women and allies and includes&nbsp;a Spanish translator and&nbsp;a $10 gift card for all participants. The stories heard will be combined into a comprehensive report and used to create bipartisan policy reform for all Kansas women.

Please join&nbsp;me&nbsp;at the virtual statewide Town Hall&nbsp;to&nbsp;speak up about&nbsp;issues that will make our state&nbsp;thrive,&nbsp;our economy stronger,&nbsp;our women empowered,&nbsp;and a place for our young people&nbsp;to&nbsp;be proud to live&nbsp;for years to come.

Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/10/1633377761670.jpeg" alt="Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University." />
 <figcaption>Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.</figcaption>
 </figure>Professors of political science are in a unique position to not only impart academic knowledge, but to build better citizens.&nbsp;I give students the trust, resources, engagement, and invitations they need to participate. Then I encourage them to put those civic skills into action.I teach&nbsp;my students&nbsp;how&nbsp;to think, not&nbsp;what&nbsp;to think.&nbsp;Our young people&nbsp;have the opportunity to&nbsp;shape the communities we live in&nbsp;and in recent years they have started to participate in droves, especially young women.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Earlier this year,&nbsp;<a href="https://united-we.org/">United WE</a>, an evidence-based, nonpartisan organization dedicated to unlocking women’s economic and civic leadership, released<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545815dce4b0d75692c341a8/t/61fa931d5cf4fa1101723fb5/1643811618520/StatusofWomeninKansas2021_1.26.22.pdf">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/545815dce4b0d75692c341a8/t/61fa931d5cf4fa1101723fb5/1643811618520/StatusofWomeninKansas2021_1.26.22.pdf">new research</a>&nbsp;that illuminated progress made&nbsp;by Kansas women but also showed barriers to their economic potential.&nbsp;While several issues impact women’s ability to fully participate in the workforce, barriers to childcare stands out as a pressing issue in Kansas that even garnered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/child-care-keeping-women-from-work/">national attention</a>.In Kansas,&nbsp;about 29% of a working mother’s salary is spent on childcare costs alone, making Kansas childcare costs as a percentage of salary one of the highest in the country.&nbsp;Kansas&nbsp;womenalso&nbsp;represent a higher share of the labor force than the rest of the country, however, the gender earnings gap is wider in Kansas. For Kansas women, 73.5% are employed while only 69.6% of U.S. women participate in the labor force. Women in Kansas earned 78 cents for every dollar earned by a Kansas man in 2020.In addition to the research report,&nbsp;United WE&nbsp;has been hosting a&nbsp;Town Hall Series across the state&nbsp;that is&nbsp;listening to Kansas&nbsp;women and allies share their stories about barriers they’ve faced in the workplace.&nbsp;The&nbsp;research statistics&nbsp;are&nbsp;compelling, but real-life stories provide eye-opening insights into often unspoken challenges:•“I miss so much work trying to keep up with my licensure…for work.”•“They hired me because I was twice as qualified as anyone else, but I was still paid less.”•“At 34, I got my first job with health insurance.”•“I know if I have anotherchildI won’t be able to keep my job financially due to childcare expenses.”•“No matter what status or position us women are in, we are all experiencing the same struggles.”These stories&nbsp;from the Town Halls&nbsp;highlight&nbsp;barriers impacting women in the workplace and entrepreneurship, including&nbsp;occupational licensing, pay equity, healthcare, childcare, and more.&nbsp;According to the&nbsp;<a href="https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/mckinsey.analytics/viz/USPowerofParity/Dashboard1womens-economic-task-force/">McKinsey Global Institute</a>, the Kansas economy can grow by 10-15% by 2025&nbsp;if women are fully participating in the workforce.&nbsp;To recruit and retain women in the workforce and grow our Kansas economy to its full potential, we need to come together and make progress in these areas.There is a&nbsp;virtual&nbsp;statewide&nbsp;Town Hall&nbsp;by United WE&nbsp;on August&nbsp;24&nbsp;from&nbsp;12:00 p.m.&nbsp;to 1:00 p.m.&nbsp;This&nbsp;event is&nbsp;open to all women and allies and includes&nbsp;a Spanish translator and&nbsp;a $10 gift card for all participants. The stories heard will be combined into a comprehensive report and used to create bipartisan policy reform for all Kansas women.Please join&nbsp;me&nbsp;at the virtual statewide Town Hall&nbsp;to&nbsp;speak up about&nbsp;issues that will make our state&nbsp;thrive,&nbsp;our economy stronger,&nbsp;our women empowered,&nbsp;and a place for our young people&nbsp;to&nbsp;be proud to live&nbsp;for years to come.Alexandra Middlewood, PhD&nbsp;is an Assistant&nbsp;Professor of Political Science at&nbsp;Wichita State&nbsp;University.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Speak up for women and our economic future

A&nbsp;recent cool front and drizzle of rain was welcome, welcome, welcome. Instead of dreading to go outside to do chores, I got&nbsp;the&nbsp;weeding, veggie&nbsp;picking, and watering done, and looked forward to a country drive and&nbsp;a&nbsp;chance to spot&nbsp;Kansas wildlife. If I&nbsp;were really&nbsp;lucky, we’d spy some of this summer’s gangly,&nbsp;wild youngsters following their moms.

Nothing ever works out the way&nbsp;we&nbsp;expect, and this&nbsp;foray into the countryside wasn’t any different. We checked out favorite spots along the Saline, stopping to gaze up and down tree shaded banks where a thin trickle keeps the river bottom fairly green and offers drinks&nbsp;to thirsty critters.&nbsp;We pulled aside in spots where we have turkey&nbsp;or deer-watched in the past. Nothing, not even a mosquito when we rolled the windows down to listen.&nbsp;

Along the way, we saw&nbsp;several&nbsp;vulture&nbsp;flocks&nbsp;circling&nbsp;high above pastures, so I’m guessing&nbsp;more than one&nbsp;something didn’t make it til it’s next birthday.&nbsp;On&nbsp;the road,&nbsp;these&nbsp;large birds’ target was clear. A&nbsp;young&nbsp;raccoon lost&nbsp;its contest with a vehicle&nbsp;and left its carcass behind to sustainbuzzards who flew off only long enough for our car to pass.&nbsp;Even with our binoculars and zoom lens camera, we couldn’t identify the&nbsp;clean-up team’s&nbsp;targets&nbsp;farther&nbsp;from&nbsp;the road, so their dinner&nbsp;plans&nbsp;remained&nbsp;a mystery.&nbsp;

Over&nbsp;one&nbsp;stretch&nbsp;of dusty trail, we spied&nbsp;two&nbsp;different&nbsp;juvenile red-headed woodpeckers identifiable because of their black and white zippy flight pattern. We saw them flying&nbsp;about a mile apart&nbsp;but&nbsp;couldn’t tell if they came from the same nest&nbsp;despite their similar size and appearance.&nbsp;Their top notches hadn’t turned scarlet&nbsp;so we knew they were this year’s babies.&nbsp;Doves, meadowlarks, and king birds&nbsp;flitted&nbsp;nearby, but we didn’t detect a single turkey, deer, or pheasant.

After&nbsp;enduring extreme&nbsp;heat for so long, it was&nbsp;nice&nbsp;to&nbsp;crack&nbsp;our&nbsp;windows&nbsp;to capture 70-degreetemperatures&nbsp;during our&nbsp;cross-country quest.&nbsp;While all we saw were&nbsp;prairie&nbsp;birds, blue skies, sunflowers, snow on the mountain, lead plant, waving ditch grasses, and&nbsp;buffalo gourd plants,those made&nbsp;the&nbsp;drive worth time&nbsp;and gas.&nbsp;

Just when we were about to give up and head,&nbsp;we discovered our adventure was not over. We detoured south to Old 40 and drove into the west side of Ellis, our former hometown. We were about a block, maybe a block and a half off Big Creek when&nbsp;a momma turkey followed by three poults&nbsp;caught my eye. The&nbsp;gray toned&nbsp;young&nbsp;had&nbsp;feathered out but&nbsp;were&nbsp;nowhere near adulthood.Watching them&nbsp;go through grass to scare up insects they’d quickly snarf down, we could tell mom taught them well how to find food.

My husband&nbsp;drove&nbsp;around the block&nbsp;while I&nbsp;rolled&nbsp;down the windows&nbsp;to&nbsp;prepare to&nbsp;listen to their chatter as they&nbsp;hunted&nbsp;bugs.&nbsp;The group&nbsp;peeped,&nbsp;pipped, and&nbsp;skracled&nbsp;as they&nbsp;crisscrossed&nbsp;the empty lot, snagging occasional treats.&nbsp;I&nbsp;guess that’s turkey&nbsp;talk&nbsp;for “Eureka, I found one!”

Because they were in town,&nbsp;and the young&nbsp;were in that&nbsp;gawky stage that makes identification difficult,&nbsp;these could have been someone’s backyard pets out for a stroll.&nbsp;But they seemed to&nbsp;be wild turkeys&nbsp;wandering&nbsp;from&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;Big Creek to check out what was going on in&nbsp;town! &nbsp;No matter what, like&nbsp;lots&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;visitors, they found something good to eat before they headed home.&nbsp;They definitely added interest to our cool weather getaway.

Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1660329139489.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>A&nbsp;recent cool front and drizzle of rain was welcome, welcome, welcome. Instead of dreading to go outside to do chores, I got&nbsp;the&nbsp;weeding, veggie&nbsp;picking, and watering done, and looked forward to a country drive and&nbsp;a&nbsp;chance to spot&nbsp;Kansas wildlife. If I&nbsp;were really&nbsp;lucky, we’d spy some of this summer’s gangly,&nbsp;wild youngsters following their moms.Nothing ever works out the way&nbsp;we&nbsp;expect, and this&nbsp;foray into the countryside wasn’t any different. We checked out favorite spots along the Saline, stopping to gaze up and down tree shaded banks where a thin trickle keeps the river bottom fairly green and offers drinks&nbsp;to thirsty critters.&nbsp;We pulled aside in spots where we have turkey&nbsp;or deer-watched in the past. Nothing, not even a mosquito when we rolled the windows down to listen.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>Along the way, we saw&nbsp;several&nbsp;vulture&nbsp;flocks&nbsp;circling&nbsp;high above pastures, so I’m guessing&nbsp;more than one&nbsp;something didn’t make it til it’s next birthday.&nbsp;On&nbsp;the road,&nbsp;these&nbsp;large birds’ target was clear. A&nbsp;young&nbsp;raccoon lost&nbsp;its contest with a vehicle&nbsp;and left its carcass behind to sustainbuzzards who flew off only long enough for our car to pass.&nbsp;Even with our binoculars and zoom lens camera, we couldn’t identify the&nbsp;clean-up team’s&nbsp;targets&nbsp;farther&nbsp;from&nbsp;the road, so their dinner&nbsp;plans&nbsp;remained&nbsp;a mystery.&nbsp;Over&nbsp;one&nbsp;stretch&nbsp;of dusty trail, we spied&nbsp;two&nbsp;different&nbsp;juvenile red-headed woodpeckers identifiable because of their black and white zippy flight pattern. We saw them flying&nbsp;about a mile apart&nbsp;but&nbsp;couldn’t tell if they came from the same nest&nbsp;despite their similar size and appearance.&nbsp;Their top notches hadn’t turned scarlet&nbsp;so we knew they were this year’s babies.&nbsp;Doves, meadowlarks, and king birds&nbsp;flitted&nbsp;nearby, but we didn’t detect a single turkey, deer, or pheasant.After&nbsp;enduring extreme&nbsp;heat for so long, it was&nbsp;nice&nbsp;to&nbsp;crack&nbsp;our&nbsp;windows&nbsp;to capture 70-degreetemperatures&nbsp;during our&nbsp;cross-country quest.&nbsp;While all we saw were&nbsp;prairie&nbsp;birds, blue skies, sunflowers, snow on the mountain, lead plant, waving ditch grasses, and&nbsp;buffalo gourd plants,those made&nbsp;the&nbsp;drive worth time&nbsp;and gas.&nbsp;Just when we were about to give up and head,&nbsp;we discovered our adventure was not over. We detoured south to Old 40 and drove into the west side of Ellis, our former hometown. We were about a block, maybe a block and a half off Big Creek when&nbsp;a momma turkey followed by three poults&nbsp;caught my eye. The&nbsp;gray toned&nbsp;young&nbsp;had&nbsp;feathered out but&nbsp;were&nbsp;nowhere near adulthood.Watching them&nbsp;go through grass to scare up insects they’d quickly snarf down, we could tell mom taught them well how to find food.My husband&nbsp;drove&nbsp;around the block&nbsp;while I&nbsp;rolled&nbsp;down the windows&nbsp;to&nbsp;prepare to&nbsp;listen to their chatter as they&nbsp;hunted&nbsp;bugs.&nbsp;The group&nbsp;peeped,&nbsp;pipped, and&nbsp;skracled&nbsp;as they&nbsp;crisscrossed&nbsp;the empty lot, snagging occasional treats.&nbsp;I&nbsp;guess that’s turkey&nbsp;talk&nbsp;for “Eureka, I found one!”Because they were in town,&nbsp;and the young&nbsp;were in that&nbsp;gawky stage that makes identification difficult,&nbsp;these could have been someone’s backyard pets out for a stroll.&nbsp;But they seemed to&nbsp;be wild turkeys&nbsp;wandering&nbsp;from&nbsp;nearby&nbsp;Big Creek to check out what was going on in&nbsp;town! &nbsp;No matter what, like&nbsp;lots&nbsp;of&nbsp;Ellis&nbsp;visitors, they found something good to eat before they headed home.&nbsp;They definitely added interest to our cool weather getaway.Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and
 sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

MADORIN: A summer turkey hunt

By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher I am writing this on the day of the primary elections, complete with my “I Voted” sticker on the left pocket of my shirt. I am proud to say that I exercised my right to vote, and, in my mind, I made all the right choices. To my knowledge I have participated in every election since I turned 18, and I intend to exercise it every opportunity I get for the rest of my life. I don’t know if you have noticed but we are at a serious crossroads in the history of our great nation. That crossroads makes exercising the right to vote even more critical now than ever. That is especially true for those of us in agriculture. We are an ever-shrinking number, and we must take every chance we can get to make our voices heard and that is especially true when it comes to the polls. That is also why it is so critical for each of us as Farm Bureau members to get involved with Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends, or VOTE FBF. First, let me encourage you to support it monetarily. The dollars are used to support candidates friendly to agriculture are only generated through donations from members. It doesn’t have to be much if each of us donate every year. More importantly get involved in the county process to decide which candidates to support. Like everything else in Farm Bureau, the decision of which candidates to support starts at the county level. Increasingly we are seeing candidates recognize this and start to attend county board meetings and this gives us an opportunity to have discussions with them about our views. Those recommendations along with voting records are heavily considered by the Vote FBF board when deciding which candidates to endorse. I would also hope that when you do go to the polls you will look at the list of candidates endorsed by VOTE FBF and consider supporting them. They are the candidates who have the best interest of agriculture in mind and most closely align with our policy. In the end you will make up your own mind and vote for the candidates that best represent you, but the list of endorsed candidates is a good place to start. The most important thing is to get out and vote in November. It is the best way for us to make our voices heard. It was ingrained in me early on that if you did not participate and vote, you really had no right to complain. I know I still get a feeling of pride every time I go to the polls and cast my vote. Regardless of how I feel about the slate of candidates or the issues I am voting on, I do get a great deal of satisfaction participating in the process. It isn’t perfect, but it is the best in the world. So go cast your vote and wear that sticker with pride, you earned it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576508626397.png" alt="Glenn Brunkow" />
 <figcaption>Glenn Brunkow</figcaption>
 </figure>By GLENN BRUNKOW Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher I am writing this on the day of the primary elections, complete with my “I Voted” sticker on the left pocket of my shirt. I am proud to say that I exercised my right to vote, and, in my mind, I made all the right choices. To my knowledge I have participated in every election since I turned 18, and I intend to exercise it every opportunity I get for the rest of my life. I don’t know if you have noticed but we are at a serious crossroads in the history of our great nation. That crossroads makes exercising the right to vote even more critical now than ever. That is especially true for those of us in agriculture. We are an ever-shrinking number, and we must take every chance we can get to make our voices heard and that is especially true when it comes to the polls. That is also why it is so critical for each of us as Farm Bureau members to get involved with Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends, or VOTE FBF. First, let me encourage you to support it monetarily. The dollars are used to support candidates friendly to agriculture are only generated through donations from members. It doesn’t have to be much if each of us donate every year. More importantly get involved in the county process to decide which candidates to support. Like everything else in Farm Bureau, the decision of which candidates to support starts at the county level. Increasingly we are seeing candidates recognize this and start to attend county board meetings and this gives us an opportunity to have discussions with them about our views. Those recommendations along with voting records are heavily considered by the Vote FBF board when deciding which candidates to endorse. I would also hope that when you do go to the polls you will look at the list of candidates endorsed by VOTE FBF and consider supporting them. They are the candidates who have the best interest of agriculture in mind and most closely align with our policy. In the end you will make up your own mind and vote for the candidates that best represent you, but the list of endorsed candidates is a good place to start. The most important thing is to get out and vote in November. It is the best way for us to make our voices heard. It was ingrained in me early on that if you did not participate and vote, you really had no right to complain. I know I still get a feeling of pride every time I go to the polls and cast my vote. Regardless of how I feel about the slate of candidates or the issues I am voting on, I do get a great deal of satisfaction participating in the process. It isn’t perfect, but it is the best in the world. So go cast your vote and wear that sticker with pride, you earned it."Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: A sticker of satisfaction

Our garden each year consists of six tomato plants, and some years, that’s&nbsp;all. Each winter, using a tried-and-true family recipe, we make tomato soup. So, all our tomatoes, minus a few for BLT’s are cut-up and frozen in one-gallon freezer bags for&nbsp;this winter’s soup. I usually plant my tomatoes early,&nbsp;mid-March to early April, using “Walls-of-Water,”&nbsp;plastic gadgets filled with water that provide each plant with its own little greenhouse. I’ve learned that here in Kansas, planting that early gets them setting fruit and producing tomatoes before the obnoxious hot weather.&nbsp;I plant “indeterminate” tomato plants which will live and continue to produce fruit until frost, allowing for a nice fall harvest also.

As most of you have already noticed, this year has not been a “tomato year” as a Master Gardener friend of mine puts&nbsp;it. My tomatoes were planted later than usual because I had knee surgery, so&nbsp;I have not even put any into the freezer yet. Shirley Buller, my Master Gardener friend from Montezuma&nbsp;and author of the weekly gardening column called “Hoe and Tell,”&nbsp;Kansas explains that tomatoes will not set fruit when the&nbsp;temperature stays above 75 degrees. 

So, since the weather got so hot so early, and the fact that the temperatures barely&nbsp;get as low as&nbsp;the mid 70s at night, combined with the horribly hot days, tomato plants are just not yielding fruit. Her advise is to keep the plants well-watered and well-fertilized until the weather begins to cool, then prepare for a nice fall harvest of tasty Kansas tomatoes.&nbsp;Adding too much nitrogen when fertilizing often results in massive plants but few tomatoes. But this year, Shirley says that extra watering can result in leaching away of nitrogen reserves, so adding a&nbsp;LITTLE&nbsp;nitrogen now may be beneficial.

Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again.&nbsp;Late last Augustthat&nbsp;scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and&nbsp;four&nbsp;of the little buggers hung-out here with us&nbsp;until they left to go south. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.&nbsp;He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts&nbsp;&amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;

When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that,&nbsp;as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feedersup in late July to begin attracting fall travelers.&nbsp;

Our feeders have been up a week, but with no hummingbirds yet. I spoke with Chuck yesterday and he said he has lots already at his home near Junction City, so his&nbsp;advice&nbsp;for all of us&nbsp;“fall hummingbird hopefuls” is to keep the faith, so we’re looking for fall hummingbirds with our fall tomatoes.&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.&nbsp;

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574696211722.png" alt="Steve&nbsp;Gilliland" />
 <figcaption>Steve&nbsp;Gilliland</figcaption>
 </figure>Our garden each year consists of six tomato plants, and some years, that’s&nbsp;all. Each winter, using a tried-and-true family recipe, we make tomato soup. So, all our tomatoes, minus a few for BLT’s are cut-up and frozen in one-gallon freezer bags for&nbsp;this winter’s soup. I usually plant my tomatoes early,&nbsp;mid-March to early April, using “Walls-of-Water,”&nbsp;plastic gadgets filled with water that provide each plant with its own little greenhouse. I’ve learned that here in Kansas, planting that early gets them setting fruit and producing tomatoes before the obnoxious hot weather.&nbsp;I plant “indeterminate” tomato plants which will live and continue to produce fruit until frost, allowing for a nice fall harvest also.As most of you have already noticed, this year has not been a “tomato year” as a Master Gardener friend of mine puts&nbsp;it. My tomatoes were planted later than usual because I had knee surgery, so&nbsp;I have not even put any into the freezer yet. Shirley Buller, my Master Gardener friend from Montezuma&nbsp;and author of the weekly gardening column called “Hoe and Tell,”&nbsp;Kansas explains that tomatoes will not set fruit when the&nbsp;temperature stays above 75 degrees. So, since the weather got so hot so early, and the fact that the temperatures barely&nbsp;get as low as&nbsp;the mid 70s at night, combined with the horribly hot days, tomato plants are just not yielding fruit. Her advise is to keep the plants well-watered and well-fertilized until the weather begins to cool, then prepare for a nice fall harvest of tasty Kansas tomatoes.&nbsp;Adding too much nitrogen when fertilizing often results in massive plants but few tomatoes. But this year, Shirley says that extra watering can result in leaching away of nitrogen reserves, so adding a&nbsp;LITTLE&nbsp;nitrogen now may be beneficial.---------Each year here in Inman, we see one or two hummingbirds in the spring or in the fall, then we’ll hustle to get a feeder up but never see them again.&nbsp;Late last Augustthat&nbsp;scenario repeated itself, we put up a couple feeders, and&nbsp;four&nbsp;of the little buggers hung-out here with us&nbsp;until they left to go south. In researching hummingbird “gurus” here in KS, I was told to contact Chuck Otte, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Geary County.&nbsp;He says that hummingbirds here in KS “leisurely” begin meandering south in late July; the adult males first, followed by the adult females then this-years young. Otte also says winds and weather fronts&nbsp;&amp; patterns help determine when they leave for their winter digs in southern Mexico or northern Central America. I just assumed they would all go together in one large group, especially so the youngsters could safely follow, but he says that’s not the case. &nbsp;When talking hummingbirds, feeding them always enters the discussion, and Otte had lots of advice. He advises feeding hummingbirds straight sugar water, mixed one-part sugar to four parts water; NO red food color, NO honey, NO sugar substitutes or other additives, just straight sugar water. Don’t mix the syrup stronger than that,&nbsp;as hummingbirds get most of their water from the syrup they drink. They are attracted to the color red, so it may be helpful if the feeder is red, but avoid yellow on the feeder as yellow attracts bees and wasps. Put the feedersup in late July to begin attracting fall travelers.&nbsp;Our feeders have been up a week, but with no hummingbirds yet. I spoke with Chuck yesterday and he said he has lots already at his home near Junction City, so his&nbsp;advice&nbsp;for all of us&nbsp;“fall hummingbird hopefuls” is to keep the faith, so we’re looking for fall hummingbirds with our fall tomatoes.&nbsp;Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.&nbsp;Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at stevenrgilliland@gmail.com.

Exploring Kansas Outdoors: Tomatoes (or lack thereof) and fall hummingbirds 

A friend and I were at a restaurant earlier this week having an end-of-summer-vacation celebration, when my friend mentioned to the waitress that she teaches high school in Wichita. “How great,” said the waitress. “Thank you for being a teacher.” 

This small appreciation meant a lot to my friend who’s facing another hard school year, partly because this fall teachers and substitute teachers will be in short supply.

In July, the Kansas State Department of Education reported around 4 percent or about 1,400 teaching positions were unfilled, and the vacancies are expected to grow as fall start dates come closer. 

Teacher and staff shortages are a long-building, national problem. In a July study, EdWeek Research Center found almost 75 percent of the 535 principals and district leaders surveyed said the number of applicants this year for teacher, para-professional, bus driver, food service worker and custodian is not adequate. 

Teachers’ salaries have not kept pace with other careers that require university preparation. However, the current competitive job market offers teachers opportunities for better pay that helps them deal with record inflation and threats of recession. 

Educators say recent shortages are compounded by demands on personnel brought about by COVID induced school disruptions which also created student learning loss and problems with student social interactions.

In a July Kahn Academy national study nearly 70 percent of 639 teachers surveyed chose “student behavioral issues” as a barrier to addressing unfinished learning and 57 percent chose “student mental health.” 

Educator burn-out is aggravated by worries about school safety amid rising numbers of school shootings. There is also increased stress about what teachers feel important to teach and what they feel safe to teach amid increasing pressure from politicians and parents motivated by social media.

Despite shortages and reasons thereof, school will go on.

Short term vacancy solutions include pushing upper-grade classrooms to as many as 38 students in larger schools, dropping elective courses to ensure classes required for graduation, asking current employees to take on additional duties and hiring long-term substitute-teachers when they can be found. 

State Board of Education members have authorized retired teachers who previously had a Kansas teaching license that has been expired for six months to receive a license for the 2022-2023 school year. The board also relaxed requirements for substitutes.

KSDE will be holding discussions this fall to go beyond stop-gap measures and address the current education environment. 

The challenge will be to attract a diverse population of dedicated teachers without lowering the criteria for rigorous teacher preparation and licensure.  Ideas from my interviews include:   

	•	Tuition support for education majors who commit to five-year teaching contracts in Kansas public schools.

	•	Tuition support for teachers who are teaching outside their licensure area to become licensed in their current teaching area.

	•	Repurposing funds for unfilled para-professional positions to create paid internships for education majors in their final semester of student teaching. 

	•	Redirecting COVID relief funding and other federal and state resources to cover expanding teacher preparation costs.

	•	Reviewing current licensure requirements to eliminate waiting periods, fees and other non-skills or knowledge-based requirements.

KSDE will consider a range of options to build back the full complement of highly qualified Kansas teachers.

In the meantime, if you encounter a teacher who is returning to students this fall, just say thanks. 

Dr. Sharon Hartin Iorio is dean emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

A friend and I were at a restaurant earlier this week having an end-of-summer-vacation celebration, when my friend mentioned to the waitress that she teaches high school in Wichita. “How great,” said the waitress. “Thank you for being a teacher.” This small appreciation meant a lot to my friend who’s facing another hard school year, partly because this fall teachers and substitute teachers will be in short supply.In July, the Kansas State Department of Education reported around 4 percent or about 1,400 teaching positions were unfilled, and the vacancies are expected to grow as fall start dates come closer. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1593719779701.jpeg" alt="Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education." />
 <figcaption>Sharon Hartin Iorio is Dean Emerita Wichita State University College of Education.</figcaption>
 </figure>Teacher and staff shortages are a long-building, national problem. In a July study, EdWeek Research Center found almost 75 percent of the 535 principals and district leaders surveyed said the number of applicants this year for teacher, para-professional, bus driver, food service worker and custodian is not adequate. Such shortages should not be surprising.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575913663048.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Teachers’ salaries have not kept pace with other careers that require university preparation. However, the current competitive job market offers teachers opportunities for better pay that helps them deal with record inflation and threats of recession. Educators say recent shortages are compounded by demands on personnel brought about by COVID induced school disruptions which also created student learning loss and problems with student social interactions.In a July Kahn Academy national study nearly 70 percent of 639 teachers surveyed chose “student behavioral issues” as a barrier to addressing unfinished learning and 57 percent chose “student mental health.” Educator burn-out is aggravated by worries about school safety amid rising numbers of school shootings. There is also increased stress about what teachers feel important to teach and what they feel safe to teach amid increasing pressure from politicians and parents motivated by social media.Despite shortages and reasons thereof, school will go on.Short term vacancy solutions include pushing upper-grade classrooms to as many as 38 students in larger schools, dropping elective courses to ensure classes required for graduation, asking current employees to take on additional duties and hiring long-term substitute-teachers when they can be found. State Board of Education members have authorized retired teachers who previously had a Kansas teaching license that has been expired for six months to receive a license for the 2022-2023 school year. The board also relaxed requirements for substitutes.KSDE will be holding discussions this fall to go beyond stop-gap measures and address the current education environment. The challenge will be to attract a diverse population of dedicated teachers without lowering the criteria for rigorous teacher preparation and licensure. Ideas from my interviews include: 	•	Tuition support for education majors who commit to five-year teaching contracts in Kansas public schools.	•	Tuition support for teachers who are teaching outside their licensure area to become licensed in their current teaching area.	•	Repurposing funds for unfilled para-professional positions to create paid internships for education majors in their final semester of student teaching. 	•	Redirecting COVID relief funding and other federal and state resources to cover expanding teacher preparation costs.	•	Reviewing current licensure requirements to eliminate waiting periods, fees and other non-skills or knowledge-based requirements.KSDE will consider a range of options to build back the full complement of highly qualified Kansas teachers.In the meantime, if you encounter a teacher who is returning to students this fall, just say thanks. Dr. Sharon Hartin Iorio is dean emerita Wichita State University College of Education.

INSIGHT KANSAS: Kansas school districts feel staffing crisis

I’ve mentioned we encourage birds to share our yard. Several American Robin pairs have accepted our invitation and raised multiple broods this summer. I met&nbsp;Grumpy Pot,&nbsp;one of the newest fledglings,&nbsp;the other morning between a pumpkin and tomato vine. While the disoriented little guy pretended to be invisible, I raced&nbsp;to&nbsp;the house for my camera.&nbsp;

Once outside, I&nbsp;knelt to his level and zeroed in for a picture.&nbsp;It&nbsp;clearly was not happy to get launched from&nbsp;a&nbsp;nest where parents delivered regular hot meals and then have some lady, even if she planted the garden&nbsp;that sort of hid&nbsp;it, point a lens in his face and say, “Smile!” In fact, if I had to compare his demeanor to someone most of us have heard of, I’d say he looked a lot like a stern Winston Churchill telling the free world,&nbsp;“Never, Never, Give Up!”

Once we’d met, I needed to&nbsp;learn&nbsp;more about this&nbsp;new&nbsp;neighbor. I abandoned&nbsp;The Attitude&nbsp;to hunt bugs in my garden as its parents flitted from clothesline to tree branch, singing encouragement. I headed&nbsp;inside&nbsp;to google&nbsp;robins. At the click of a button, I promptly discovered I could&nbsp;appropriately&nbsp;call the little&nbsp;saucy&nbsp;one a turd as&nbsp;its&nbsp;bird family is Turdidae and its genus is Turdus.&nbsp;

This little&nbsp;song bird&nbsp;is one of — if not — the most common birds in North America. According to Partners in Flight Database, 370,000,000 robins call this continent home. More robins claim&nbsp;its&nbsp;real estate and air space than do&nbsp;huge numbers of&nbsp;redwing blackbirds, finches, or mourning doves. Proportionally, our backyard census confirms these statistics.&nbsp;Robins&nbsp;may be common, butthey&nbsp;are engaging&nbsp;as all get out&nbsp;to watch as they build nests, search for food, and come to water for drinks and&nbsp;splashathons.

Watching robins construct nests exhausts me even though they do the work! They&nbsp;busily&nbsp;gather twigs, coarse grasses, feathers, and bits of paper&nbsp;for&nbsp;their nurseries. We&nbsp;devoted a morning to watching&nbsp;a pair&nbsp;assemble&nbsp;a nest in&nbsp;less than&nbsp;half a day in&nbsp;the&nbsp;branches&nbsp;hanging&nbsp;over our patio,&nbsp;only&nbsp;feet above our heads. Obviously,&nbsp;this species&nbsp;doesn’t mind living close to humans. &nbsp;We’ve watched&nbsp;robins, upon completing nests,&nbsp;visit&nbsp;our&nbsp;just-watered garden to&nbsp;gather&nbsp;mud to daub into the nest bowls. In short time, mom lays 3 to 5 blue eggs&nbsp;and so begins the next generation. &nbsp;

She incubates&nbsp;the eggs&nbsp;for two weeks&nbsp;and then nurtures her hatchlings with&nbsp;masticated&nbsp;worms, insects, and berries she and her mate forage&nbsp;til offspring fledge&nbsp;after&nbsp;another two weeks.&nbsp;Upon&nbsp;leaving&nbsp;their nest, it takes&nbsp;additional&nbsp;two weeks before youngsters fly&nbsp;reliably. That’s where the&nbsp;Grumpy&nbsp;Pot in my garden comes in.&nbsp;That little one is&nbsp;strengthening its wings and learning to find its own food.

This particular&nbsp;fledgling&nbsp;is lucky. We’ve watched its parents&nbsp;hunt food&nbsp;like pros all summer. They wander the yard and garden, cocking heads to listen for insects and worms&nbsp;or perhaps&nbsp;they feel vibrations. Anyway, in no time, that beak stabs&nbsp;repeatedly at&nbsp;the ground&nbsp;until,&nbsp;Eureka, up comes fresh meat. We make finding water easy with our&nbsp;always full&nbsp;bird baths. I’m sure mom and dad will provide bathing instructions that&nbsp;detail&nbsp;how to splash&nbsp;enough to make humans laugh.

Based on my observations, raising babies is&nbsp;endless&nbsp;labor for adult robins. The bad news is that some statistics say only a quarter of&nbsp;these offspring&nbsp;hatched live to maturity. That explains&nbsp;naked bird bodies I find&nbsp;littering the yard. For those that reach adulthood, most live an average of two years. &nbsp;I hope Grumpy Pot beats these&nbsp;statistics and returns to raise its own young next summer.&nbsp;I know we’ll&nbsp;enjoy&nbsp;seeing it&nbsp;and hearing&nbsp;its song as it raises its own young.

Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/8/1659711777234.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KAREN MADORINI’ve mentioned we encourage birds to share our yard. Several American Robin pairs have accepted our invitation and raised multiple broods this summer. I met&nbsp;Grumpy Pot,&nbsp;one of the newest fledglings,&nbsp;the other morning between a pumpkin and tomato vine. While the disoriented little guy pretended to be invisible, I raced&nbsp;to&nbsp;the house for my camera.&nbsp;Once outside, I&nbsp;knelt to his level and zeroed in for a picture.&nbsp;It&nbsp;clearly was not happy to get launched from&nbsp;a&nbsp;nest where parents delivered regular hot meals and then have some lady, even if she planted the garden&nbsp;that sort of hid&nbsp;it, point a lens in his face and say, “Smile!” In fact, if I had to compare his demeanor to someone most of us have heard of, I’d say he looked a lot like a stern Winston Churchill telling the free world,&nbsp;“Never, Never, Give Up!”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1658158605319.jpeg" alt="Karen Madorin" />
 <figcaption>Karen Madorin</figcaption>
 </figure>Once we’d met, I needed to&nbsp;learn&nbsp;more about this&nbsp;new&nbsp;neighbor. I abandoned&nbsp;The Attitude&nbsp;to hunt bugs in my garden as its parents flitted from clothesline to tree branch, singing encouragement. I headed&nbsp;inside&nbsp;to google&nbsp;robins. At the click of a button, I promptly discovered I could&nbsp;appropriately&nbsp;call the little&nbsp;saucy&nbsp;one a turd as&nbsp;its&nbsp;bird family is Turdidae and its genus is Turdus.&nbsp;This little&nbsp;song bird&nbsp;is one of — if not — the most common birds in North America. According to Partners in Flight Database, 370,000,000 robins call this continent home. More robins claim&nbsp;its&nbsp;real estate and air space than do&nbsp;huge numbers of&nbsp;redwing blackbirds, finches, or mourning doves. Proportionally, our backyard census confirms these statistics.&nbsp;Robins&nbsp;may be common, butthey&nbsp;are engaging&nbsp;as all get out&nbsp;to watch as they build nests, search for food, and come to water for drinks and&nbsp;splashathons.Watching robins construct nests exhausts me even though they do the work! They&nbsp;busily&nbsp;gather twigs, coarse grasses, feathers, and bits of paper&nbsp;for&nbsp;their nurseries. We&nbsp;devoted a morning to watching&nbsp;a pair&nbsp;assemble&nbsp;a nest in&nbsp;less than&nbsp;half a day in&nbsp;the&nbsp;branches&nbsp;hanging&nbsp;over our patio,&nbsp;only&nbsp;feet above our heads. Obviously,&nbsp;this species&nbsp;doesn’t mind living close to humans. &nbsp;We’ve watched&nbsp;robins, upon completing nests,&nbsp;visit&nbsp;our&nbsp;just-watered garden to&nbsp;gather&nbsp;mud to daub into the nest bowls. In short time, mom lays 3 to 5 blue eggs&nbsp;and so begins the next generation. &nbsp;She incubates&nbsp;the eggs&nbsp;for two weeks&nbsp;and then nurtures her hatchlings with&nbsp;masticated&nbsp;worms, insects, and berries she and her mate forage&nbsp;til offspring fledge&nbsp;after&nbsp;another two weeks.&nbsp;Upon&nbsp;leaving&nbsp;their nest, it takes&nbsp;additional&nbsp;two weeks before youngsters fly&nbsp;reliably. That’s where the&nbsp;Grumpy&nbsp;Pot in my garden comes in.&nbsp;That little one is&nbsp;strengthening its wings and learning to find its own food.This particular&nbsp;fledgling&nbsp;is lucky. We’ve watched its parents&nbsp;hunt food&nbsp;like pros all summer. They wander the yard and garden, cocking heads to listen for insects and worms&nbsp;or perhaps&nbsp;they feel vibrations. Anyway, in no time, that beak stabs&nbsp;repeatedly at&nbsp;the ground&nbsp;until,&nbsp;Eureka, up comes fresh meat. We make finding water easy with our&nbsp;always full&nbsp;bird baths. I’m sure mom and dad will provide bathing instructions that&nbsp;detail&nbsp;how to splash&nbsp;enough to make humans laugh.Based on my observations, raising babies is&nbsp;endless&nbsp;labor for adult robins. The bad news is that some statistics say only a quarter of&nbsp;these offspring&nbsp;hatched live to maturity. That explains&nbsp;naked bird bodies I find&nbsp;littering the yard. For those that reach adulthood, most live an average of two years. &nbsp;I hope Grumpy Pot beats these&nbsp;statistics and returns to raise its own young next summer.&nbsp;I know we’ll&nbsp;enjoy&nbsp;seeing it&nbsp;and hearing&nbsp;its song as it raises its own young.Karen is a retired teacher, writer, photographer, outdoors lover, and sixth-generation Kansan. After a time away, she’s glad to be home.

MADORIN: A little guy with a big attitude

A&nbsp;highlight&nbsp;of&nbsp;every&nbsp;summer at Fort Hays State University is&nbsp;the&nbsp;wide range of exciting experiential learning programs we offer elementary, middle,&nbsp;and high school students.&nbsp;Our team does an amazing job bringing young folks to campus for a myriad of fun, friendship, and growth. Here are just a couple of recaps of a very full summer schedule.

<a></a>I absolutely love the variety and uniqueness of our Sternberg Science Camps! We offer elementary school camps (6-10 years old)&nbsp;with a focus on our&nbsp;museum and&nbsp;another specifically on&nbsp;dinosaurs,&nbsp;middle school camps (11-13 years old) including camping trips,&nbsp;and high school trips (ages 14-18).

<a></a>This year we offered three thirteen-day high school field&nbsp;programs,&nbsp;including field paleontology,&nbsp;field herpetology, the volcanic history of Oregon, vertebrate anatomy, fossil preparation, and a California&nbsp;zooquarium&nbsp;adventure.

<a></a>The staff at the Sternberg Museum know that people of all ages love the freedom of the great outdoors, so they successfully ran two parallel field paleontology high school camps. The programs drew 17 students, and with six camp staffers, these became our largest in-person camp operations since before COVID.&nbsp;

Student campers came from 12 states, led by New York with three. Students were delighted with the rich geologic landscape, an abundance of fossil shark teeth, fossil fish bones, and the ubiquitous giant clams that once covered the bottom of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.&nbsp;

<a></a>Staff this year includes Teaching Assistant Kathryn Gatlin, who began with us as a camper in 2015.&nbsp;According to Sternberg’s outstanding camps director, David Levering,&nbsp;Kathryn has been crucial in our pre-camp prep and in-the-field execution of programs this year.&nbsp;

Prior to camp, she was one of two staff who volunteered to participate in an intensive 80-hour Wilderness First Responder&nbsp;(WFR)&nbsp;certification course through the National Outdoor Leadership School, giving her a certification one rank below a Wilderness EMT. Kathryn is a true powerhouse of a young scholar and will be starting her undergraduate at FHSU this fall as a freshman double majoring in Geology and Biology.&nbsp;

<a></a>Thanks to the intrepid Dr. Laura Wilson, multiple fossil sites were visited or revisited this summer. Much to our camper's delight, Dr. Wilson was also able to join our high school field paleontology campers for a day of fossil hunting on private land not normally accessible to fossil hunters.&nbsp;

<a></a>There is so much more to share about Sternberg camps (lots of great information on our website),&nbsp;but I also want to mention the 75thanniversary of&nbsp;the&nbsp;High Plains Music camp and&nbsp;one of&nbsp;many&nbsp;very successful&nbsp;athletic camps.

<a></a>The first High Plains Music Camp was organized by FHSU Professor Hal Palmer 75 years ago and has been held every summer since. It continues to be one of the most comprehensive summer camps in the state and has garnered a reputation as one of the top summer camps in our region.&nbsp;

This year’s High Plains Music Camp was held July 10-16, 2022. More than 200 middle and high school-aged singers, actors,&nbsp;and instrumentalists spent the week in rehearsals led by FHSU Music and Theater faculty, alumni, and invited guest teachers from around the state.&nbsp;

<a></a>Daily evening concerts included the Faculty Recital, High School Honors Recital, Faculty Band, Jazz Ensembles, Alternative Strings, and Theater Scenes from Annie Get Your Gun. The featured soloist with both the Faculty Band and Jazz Ensemble was the world-renowned trumpet soloist Allen Vizzutti.&nbsp;

<a></a>Our Tiger Volleyball Camps&nbsp;were also very popular&nbsp;this year.&nbsp;The youth volleyball camp in June&nbsp;attracted&nbsp;60 campers. This camp ended up being so popular&nbsp;Tiger Volleyball Coach&nbsp;Jessica&nbsp;Wood-Atkins&nbsp;added&nbsp;a second session at the end of July.&nbsp;

Along with learning the basics of volleyball, campers also enjoyed games, a pool party, and pictures with our inflatable Tiger Head. All Skills I Camp had 70 high school and middle school athletes from Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska.&nbsp;

Campers enjoyed sharpening their volleyball skills while getting feedback from our current athletes. They also got to experience what it is like to live in the residence halls for a night of games,&nbsp;snacks,&nbsp;and stories. Camps continued throughout the summer. At the end of July,&nbsp;our outstanding staff worked with our incoming freshman class as well as some great recruits from the 2023 and 2024 classes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575302014229.png" alt="Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president</figcaption>
 </figure>A&nbsp;highlight&nbsp;of&nbsp;every&nbsp;summer at Fort Hays State University is&nbsp;the&nbsp;wide range of exciting experiential learning programs we offer elementary, middle,&nbsp;and high school students.&nbsp;Our team does an amazing job bringing young folks to campus for a myriad of fun, friendship, and growth. Here are just a couple of recaps of a very full summer schedule.<a></a>I absolutely love the variety and uniqueness of our Sternberg Science Camps! We offer elementary school camps (6-10 years old)&nbsp;with a focus on our&nbsp;museum and&nbsp;another specifically on&nbsp;dinosaurs,&nbsp;middle school camps (11-13 years old) including camping trips,&nbsp;and high school trips (ages 14-18).<a></a>This year we offered three thirteen-day high school field&nbsp;programs,&nbsp;including field paleontology,&nbsp;field herpetology, the volcanic history of Oregon, vertebrate anatomy, fossil preparation, and a California&nbsp;zooquarium&nbsp;adventure.<a></a>The staff at the Sternberg Museum know that people of all ages love the freedom of the great outdoors, so they successfully ran two parallel field paleontology high school camps. The programs drew 17 students, and with six camp staffers, these became our largest in-person camp operations since before COVID.&nbsp;Student campers came from 12 states, led by New York with three. Students were delighted with the rich geologic landscape, an abundance of fossil shark teeth, fossil fish bones, and the ubiquitous giant clams that once covered the bottom of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway.&nbsp;<a></a>Staff this year includes Teaching Assistant Kathryn Gatlin, who began with us as a camper in 2015.&nbsp;According to Sternberg’s outstanding camps director, David Levering,&nbsp;Kathryn has been crucial in our pre-camp prep and in-the-field execution of programs this year.&nbsp;Prior to camp, she was one of two staff who volunteered to participate in an intensive 80-hour Wilderness First Responder&nbsp;(WFR)&nbsp;certification course through the National Outdoor Leadership School, giving her a certification one rank below a Wilderness EMT. Kathryn is a true powerhouse of a young scholar and will be starting her undergraduate at FHSU this fall as a freshman double majoring in Geology and Biology.&nbsp;<a></a>Thanks to the intrepid Dr. Laura Wilson, multiple fossil sites were visited or revisited this summer. Much to our camper's delight, Dr. Wilson was also able to join our high school field paleontology campers for a day of fossil hunting on private land not normally accessible to fossil hunters.&nbsp;<a></a>There is so much more to share about Sternberg camps (lots of great information on our website),&nbsp;but I also want to mention the 75thanniversary of&nbsp;the&nbsp;High Plains Music camp and&nbsp;one of&nbsp;many&nbsp;very successful&nbsp;athletic camps.<a></a>The first High Plains Music Camp was organized by FHSU Professor Hal Palmer 75 years ago and has been held every summer since. It continues to be one of the most comprehensive summer camps in the state and has garnered a reputation as one of the top summer camps in our region.&nbsp;This year’s High Plains Music Camp was held July 10-16, 2022. More than 200 middle and high school-aged singers, actors,&nbsp;and instrumentalists spent the week in rehearsals led by FHSU Music and Theater faculty, alumni, and invited guest teachers from around the state.&nbsp;<a></a>Daily evening concerts included the Faculty Recital, High School Honors Recital, Faculty Band, Jazz Ensembles, Alternative Strings, and Theater Scenes from Annie Get Your Gun. The featured soloist with both the Faculty Band and Jazz Ensemble was the world-renowned trumpet soloist Allen Vizzutti.&nbsp;<a></a>Our Tiger Volleyball Camps&nbsp;were also very popular&nbsp;this year.&nbsp;The youth volleyball camp in June&nbsp;attracted&nbsp;60 campers. This camp ended up being so popular&nbsp;Tiger Volleyball Coach&nbsp;Jessica&nbsp;Wood-Atkins&nbsp;added&nbsp;a second session at the end of July.&nbsp;Along with learning the basics of volleyball, campers also enjoyed games, a pool party, and pictures with our inflatable Tiger Head. All Skills I Camp had 70 high school and middle school athletes from Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska.&nbsp;Campers enjoyed sharpening their volleyball skills while getting feedback from our current athletes. They also got to experience what it is like to live in the residence halls for a night of games,&nbsp;snacks,&nbsp;and stories. Camps continued throughout the summer. At the end of July,&nbsp;our outstanding staff worked with our incoming freshman class as well as some great recruits from the 2023 and 2024 classes.<a></a>The FHSU Volleyball coaching staff was also busy with camps off campus as well. We ran four local Tiger satellite volleyball camps at Quinter, Hoisington, Ulysses, and Decatur High Schools. Our staff also traveled to two camps in Colorado at Byers High School and Limon High school. All these camps hosted both high school and middle school campers.<a></a>Next up, the Tiger Volleyball team will kick off the 2022 season at the Oklahoma City Tournament on August 26. Don’t miss the 2022 home opener on Friday, September 16, at 6 p.m. in Gross Memorial Coliseum.<a></a>It’s been a blistering hot summer, but the heat is not the only memory those who chose to spend part of their summer at FHSU will take home. Hundreds&nbsp;of&nbsp;student&nbsp;camperstook advantage of&nbsp;unique&nbsp;opportunities to pursue their intellectual, creative,&nbsp;or athletic passion, meet&nbsp;new friends, and begin or renew relationships with the caring and compassionate people who make FHSU special.&nbsp;<a></a>It’s almost August, and in less than 30 days, the new academic year will begin at FHSU.&nbsp;Many of the new students we will welcome this fall will already know&nbsp;us pretty well from their time as summer campers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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