Right to Pack Heat on the Street?
Concealed Carry in Kansas
By: Chelsy Lueth
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Customers walking into Ogden’s Best Gun and Gun Range, a locally owned gun store, in Ogden, Kansas may be greeted by Tom White, a silver-headed, older man who has a beard that is just about as long as his hair.
White might walk out from behind the U-shaped counter, which is lined with gun cases and all sorts of handguns that cling to the walls. White asks, “Hello, can I help you find something? ,” his voice carries a sort of woodsy, old man accent.
Tom White introduces himself as a friend of the owner of the store. For the afternoon White explains that he is babysitting the store while the owner is out of town.
Ogden is about 10 miles west of Manhattan and about one mile east of Fort Riley, a U.S. Army base that houses the Big Red One Unit, which holds nearly 25,000 soldiers during the daytime.
There is barely anything in this sleepy town of about 2,000. Passer-byers who drive down the main boulevard may blink before they can notice a town with three gun shop locations located on the main street. A concentration of gun shops in this tiny town located in the proximity of Fort Riley and Manhattan makes this town outwardly different.
Of course, gun shop owners in Ogden are strong proponents of conceal and carry, particularly given their location next to Fort Riley, but other Kansans do not support the law concerning concealed carry.
Conceal and Carry Policy in Kansas
According to the Kansas House Bill No. 2685, “The carrying of a concealed weapon as authorized by the Personal and Family Protection Act shall not be prohibited in state or municipality facilities or premises unless such facilities or premises have adequate security measures to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into or on such premises or facilities.” Furthermore, “ No state agency or municipality shall prohibit an employee who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon under provisions of the personal and family protection act from carrying such weapon at the employee’s work place unless the work place has adequate security measures to ensure no weapons are permitted at such work place.”
Chuck Sexson, Director of Kansas’ Hand Gun Unit, said prior to 2006, “The only law that was in affect was the law that prevented conceal and carry.” Kansas was one of the later states to pass conceal laws.
The right to bear arms has always been on the forefront of the American mindset. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, over the course of U.S. history the rights of the American people have changed and shifted as the public has reconsidered this right.
“When people settled into the United States they brought a couple of things; they brought a knife, a gun, and a Bible. I mean that’s how the West was won, that was Emancipation Proclamation, go west young man. I mean you had your essentials. This is Americana,” Ryan Batchman , a knife salesman at an Ogden Gun Show said. Batchman is on of many Kansans that are enthusiastic about gun rights and America’s foundation concerning gun control.
However, the issuing of concealed carry licenses has been a topic of controversy and another type of enthusiasm in Kansas since the 1990s, because some people believe they are safer and more protected if others did not have a firearm.
“There have been a lot of amendments to it since 2006 and it certainly isn’t the original bill or the original law that was created in 2006, but in essence it’s still the Personal and Family Protection Act; and bottom line- it still allows individuals who are qualified and eligible to carry concealed weapons,” Chuck Sexson said.
Over the course of the past five years a lot of the law has changed, but there has always been qualifications that must be met in order for a citizen to conceal carry; each state often times stipulates certain qualifications. According to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt's website, Kansas citizens must be at least 21, pass a background check, and pass a certified concealed carry test. There are also qualifications for which type of firearm may be sanctioned to be carried on a permit in Kansas; only handguns are allowed to be concealed carry weapons.
Concealed Carry on Kansas Universities
The right to conceal carried has been a hot-button issue on college campuses for the past 10 years due to the rise in school shooting massacres. These relatively peaceful institutions that are always taken by surprise, and after the shooting occurs both pro and anti conceal carry proponents blame the other for what had happened on campus.
In the atrocity of the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, 33 people were killed when gunman Seung-Hui Cho went on a campus-shooting rampage. And in December 2011 Virginia Tech was host to another ‘minor’ school shooting in which the gunman killed a police officer and then took his own life. Virginia Tech’s 2007 shooting was the deadliest one to date and shook up the policies concerning firearms on college campuses.
Since the 2007 shooting, a nation-wide coalition, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, began shortly after in response to the massacre. “Students for Concealed Carry got started after the Virginia Tech shooting, which the group says proved gun-free zones don’t work,” Daniel Crocker, Southwest Regional Director for the program in an article published on their website said. The nation-wide group sponsors the right for students and faculty to carry in an attempt to reduce these massacres by allowing students to fight back.
The reasons for the group’s use of the right to carry concealed on campus are primarily of a protective nature. In a statement on the coalition’s website they claim, “SCCC has two main functions. The first function is to dispel the common myths and misconceptions about concealed carry on college campuses, by making the public aware of the facts. The second function is to push state legislators and school administrators to grant concealed handgun license holders the same rights on college campuses that those licensees currently enjoy in most other unsecured locations.”
White has been teaching conceal and carry classes for the past year and a half, but has been teaching people to shoot for over 20 years. He primarily teaches people this as a tool for self-defense. White said, “The only way I know to defer violent crime is through conceal and carry, and or instating the death penalty. Everyone should be educated through conceal and carry and be able to shoot.”
White believes that teaching women to conceal and carry is important because he believes that through teaching women to shoot that there will be one less victim out there. “I had one class that was 50/50 male and female ratio, which was kind of surprising to me, but in retrospect, it really isn’t since the females that want to carry are really pretty serious about what they are doing,” White said. The rising amount of female concealed carriers has been on the rise White believes- all due to self-defense and a sort of empowerment women feel through owning a firearm.
While arming men and women with the ability to shoot and carry concealed may appear the best way to equip citizens, other Kansans have differing ideals. Dr. Dorinda Lambert, Director and Licensed Psychologist at K-State’s Counseling Services is a strong proponent of anti-concealed carry on college campuses. Nonviolence strategic tactics is how Lambert suggests others to protect themselves. “Non- violence is really an attitude, a behavior, and it’s a value also. It’s being able to treat people with respect and without any intentional harm.”
The use of a non-violent lifestyle is an alternative in self-defense, especially on a campus that does not allow concealed carry Lambert advises. “I think that we as human beings can protect ourselves best when we pay attention to each other with respect, and that for those individuals who do not, we have systems in our culture within the criminal system to do it,” Lambert said. Using firearms as a form of diplomacy between individuals is not a correct tool to do so.
“People sort of picture this as the old Wild West- like everyone is going to be their own little posse, defending themselves and pulling out guns. But as a community member, I am concerned about who the heck out there has a gun on them, and if they have been trained to use them reliably.”
White explained that all concealed carriers must pass an eight hour training class in order to have a conceal carry permit. Throughout these eight hours participants learn about the dynamic power of the gun, and the weight of responsibility that even carrying one can hold White explained.
Lambert however disagreed and stated that, “Operating out of fear does not respect the rights of other people and there are other ways as a community that you can try to provide protection for ourselves- it’s not always by guns.”
One argument has claimed that killers do not simply ‘snap’ when a school shooting occurs; most often people acquire the weapons and are well informed of the area they are targeting claims the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. With this factoid of research it is punctual for school authorities to decipher whether allowing guns on campus is a good or bad decision.
In a state with available conceal and carry permits, Kansas State University is officially a non-conceal oasis.
Don Stubbings, Captain of Support Services at Kansas State University’s Police Department said, “In terms of the official stance (of concealed carry on campus) we support the Kansas Board of Regents policy on concealed carry.”
The Kansas Board of Regents policy of weapons possession states, “ To the extent allowed by law and except as otherwise provided herein, the campus of each state university shall be weapons free.”
In the unlikely situation of an active shooter on campus, Stubbings said that K-State police officers are extensively trained and well-equipped to handle active shooters, and that students should essentially leave it up to police staff to handle matters of safety on campus regarding gun control.
Stubbings said that, “Our intent is to stop an active shooter type of situation in a crowd, and the chances of a concealed carry shooter hitting the active shooter is unlikely. How, as a law enforcement officer, responding (to a scene) is supposed to differentiate between a person dressed like you are, and the active shooter? There’s no special hat that either shooter wears- we go in to eliminate the threat.”
As mentioned previously, the issue of safety and protection on college campuses has always brought into the discussion about concealed carry on college campuses. Stubbings recommended several ways to stay safe with out the use of a firearm on campus. “On campus, the most basic personal safety things that we’ve learned since we were little; so, you know, go in groups, use the buddy system, let people know where you are going- that sort of thing.”
Heather Reed, Associate Dean of Student Life at K-State and Chairwoman of K-State’s Non-Violence Campaign combats the issue of violence on campus by providing a source for discussions concerning safety and concealed carry.“I think you know universities are overall very safe places, and in general people are supposed to feel safe on college campuses, so saying that carrying guns to be safe here- it just doesn’t seem to jive with me,” Reed said.
Safety on Campuses
Since the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings K-State has taken the precautions to prepare itself in the unfortunate event of a school shooting. Reed said, “After the initial shooting at Virginia Tech we did have a committee that met- we reviewed it with the governor, there was a couple of different reviews that happened and we evaluated the response and what should be done differently. So, we have reviewed all of that information and that’s when we developed the CERT program and when we updated our Emergency Management Procedures. It’s also when we put in place our K-State Alerts. And so a lot of those things that we did we were in the process of doing that, but it gave us the motivation to get all of it in place, and to really take some time to make sure that we are doing things right.”
Conceal and carry has been an issue of rights and protection since America’s conception; therefore, this is one reason why the hot- button debate really flairs up at times. White explained while looking around at all of the guns on the walls of the store, “Go back to the beginning, go back to why there are firearms. Why did we have independence from England? People need to read the Constitution and read the contents of it.” America has changed dramatically since its founding, but the foundational principals of how it was set up should always be kept in mind White commented. While there will always pro and anti concealed carry, it is important for citizens to know their rights and methods to protecting themselves.
Concealed Carry in Kansas
By: Chelsy Lueth
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Customers walking into Ogden’s Best Gun and Gun Range, a locally owned gun store, in Ogden, Kansas may be greeted by Tom White, a silver-headed, older man who has a beard that is just about as long as his hair.
White might walk out from behind the U-shaped counter, which is lined with gun cases and all sorts of handguns that cling to the walls. White asks, “Hello, can I help you find something? ,” his voice carries a sort of woodsy, old man accent.
Tom White introduces himself as a friend of the owner of the store. For the afternoon White explains that he is babysitting the store while the owner is out of town.
Ogden is about 10 miles west of Manhattan and about one mile east of Fort Riley, a U.S. Army base that houses the Big Red One Unit, which holds nearly 25,000 soldiers during the daytime.
There is barely anything in this sleepy town of about 2,000. Passer-byers who drive down the main boulevard may blink before they can notice a town with three gun shop locations located on the main street. A concentration of gun shops in this tiny town located in the proximity of Fort Riley and Manhattan makes this town outwardly different.
Of course, gun shop owners in Ogden are strong proponents of conceal and carry, particularly given their location next to Fort Riley, but other Kansans do not support the law concerning concealed carry.
Conceal and Carry Policy in Kansas
According to the Kansas House Bill No. 2685, “The carrying of a concealed weapon as authorized by the Personal and Family Protection Act shall not be prohibited in state or municipality facilities or premises unless such facilities or premises have adequate security measures to ensure that no weapons are permitted to be carried into or on such premises or facilities.” Furthermore, “ No state agency or municipality shall prohibit an employee who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon under provisions of the personal and family protection act from carrying such weapon at the employee’s work place unless the work place has adequate security measures to ensure no weapons are permitted at such work place.”
Chuck Sexson, Director of Kansas’ Hand Gun Unit, said prior to 2006, “The only law that was in affect was the law that prevented conceal and carry.” Kansas was one of the later states to pass conceal laws.
The right to bear arms has always been on the forefront of the American mindset. The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
However, over the course of U.S. history the rights of the American people have changed and shifted as the public has reconsidered this right.
“When people settled into the United States they brought a couple of things; they brought a knife, a gun, and a Bible. I mean that’s how the West was won, that was Emancipation Proclamation, go west young man. I mean you had your essentials. This is Americana,” Ryan Batchman , a knife salesman at an Ogden Gun Show said. Batchman is on of many Kansans that are enthusiastic about gun rights and America’s foundation concerning gun control.
However, the issuing of concealed carry licenses has been a topic of controversy and another type of enthusiasm in Kansas since the 1990s, because some people believe they are safer and more protected if others did not have a firearm.
“There have been a lot of amendments to it since 2006 and it certainly isn’t the original bill or the original law that was created in 2006, but in essence it’s still the Personal and Family Protection Act; and bottom line- it still allows individuals who are qualified and eligible to carry concealed weapons,” Chuck Sexson said.
Over the course of the past five years a lot of the law has changed, but there has always been qualifications that must be met in order for a citizen to conceal carry; each state often times stipulates certain qualifications. According to Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt's website, Kansas citizens must be at least 21, pass a background check, and pass a certified concealed carry test. There are also qualifications for which type of firearm may be sanctioned to be carried on a permit in Kansas; only handguns are allowed to be concealed carry weapons.
Concealed Carry on Kansas Universities
The right to conceal carried has been a hot-button issue on college campuses for the past 10 years due to the rise in school shooting massacres. These relatively peaceful institutions that are always taken by surprise, and after the shooting occurs both pro and anti conceal carry proponents blame the other for what had happened on campus.
In the atrocity of the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, 33 people were killed when gunman Seung-Hui Cho went on a campus-shooting rampage. And in December 2011 Virginia Tech was host to another ‘minor’ school shooting in which the gunman killed a police officer and then took his own life. Virginia Tech’s 2007 shooting was the deadliest one to date and shook up the policies concerning firearms on college campuses.
Since the 2007 shooting, a nation-wide coalition, Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, began shortly after in response to the massacre. “Students for Concealed Carry got started after the Virginia Tech shooting, which the group says proved gun-free zones don’t work,” Daniel Crocker, Southwest Regional Director for the program in an article published on their website said. The nation-wide group sponsors the right for students and faculty to carry in an attempt to reduce these massacres by allowing students to fight back.
The reasons for the group’s use of the right to carry concealed on campus are primarily of a protective nature. In a statement on the coalition’s website they claim, “SCCC has two main functions. The first function is to dispel the common myths and misconceptions about concealed carry on college campuses, by making the public aware of the facts. The second function is to push state legislators and school administrators to grant concealed handgun license holders the same rights on college campuses that those licensees currently enjoy in most other unsecured locations.”
White has been teaching conceal and carry classes for the past year and a half, but has been teaching people to shoot for over 20 years. He primarily teaches people this as a tool for self-defense. White said, “The only way I know to defer violent crime is through conceal and carry, and or instating the death penalty. Everyone should be educated through conceal and carry and be able to shoot.”
White believes that teaching women to conceal and carry is important because he believes that through teaching women to shoot that there will be one less victim out there. “I had one class that was 50/50 male and female ratio, which was kind of surprising to me, but in retrospect, it really isn’t since the females that want to carry are really pretty serious about what they are doing,” White said. The rising amount of female concealed carriers has been on the rise White believes- all due to self-defense and a sort of empowerment women feel through owning a firearm.
While arming men and women with the ability to shoot and carry concealed may appear the best way to equip citizens, other Kansans have differing ideals. Dr. Dorinda Lambert, Director and Licensed Psychologist at K-State’s Counseling Services is a strong proponent of anti-concealed carry on college campuses. Nonviolence strategic tactics is how Lambert suggests others to protect themselves. “Non- violence is really an attitude, a behavior, and it’s a value also. It’s being able to treat people with respect and without any intentional harm.”
The use of a non-violent lifestyle is an alternative in self-defense, especially on a campus that does not allow concealed carry Lambert advises. “I think that we as human beings can protect ourselves best when we pay attention to each other with respect, and that for those individuals who do not, we have systems in our culture within the criminal system to do it,” Lambert said. Using firearms as a form of diplomacy between individuals is not a correct tool to do so.
“People sort of picture this as the old Wild West- like everyone is going to be their own little posse, defending themselves and pulling out guns. But as a community member, I am concerned about who the heck out there has a gun on them, and if they have been trained to use them reliably.”
White explained that all concealed carriers must pass an eight hour training class in order to have a conceal carry permit. Throughout these eight hours participants learn about the dynamic power of the gun, and the weight of responsibility that even carrying one can hold White explained.
Lambert however disagreed and stated that, “Operating out of fear does not respect the rights of other people and there are other ways as a community that you can try to provide protection for ourselves- it’s not always by guns.”
One argument has claimed that killers do not simply ‘snap’ when a school shooting occurs; most often people acquire the weapons and are well informed of the area they are targeting claims the Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. With this factoid of research it is punctual for school authorities to decipher whether allowing guns on campus is a good or bad decision.
In a state with available conceal and carry permits, Kansas State University is officially a non-conceal oasis.
Don Stubbings, Captain of Support Services at Kansas State University’s Police Department said, “In terms of the official stance (of concealed carry on campus) we support the Kansas Board of Regents policy on concealed carry.”
The Kansas Board of Regents policy of weapons possession states, “ To the extent allowed by law and except as otherwise provided herein, the campus of each state university shall be weapons free.”
In the unlikely situation of an active shooter on campus, Stubbings said that K-State police officers are extensively trained and well-equipped to handle active shooters, and that students should essentially leave it up to police staff to handle matters of safety on campus regarding gun control.
Stubbings said that, “Our intent is to stop an active shooter type of situation in a crowd, and the chances of a concealed carry shooter hitting the active shooter is unlikely. How, as a law enforcement officer, responding (to a scene) is supposed to differentiate between a person dressed like you are, and the active shooter? There’s no special hat that either shooter wears- we go in to eliminate the threat.”
As mentioned previously, the issue of safety and protection on college campuses has always brought into the discussion about concealed carry on college campuses. Stubbings recommended several ways to stay safe with out the use of a firearm on campus. “On campus, the most basic personal safety things that we’ve learned since we were little; so, you know, go in groups, use the buddy system, let people know where you are going- that sort of thing.”
Heather Reed, Associate Dean of Student Life at K-State and Chairwoman of K-State’s Non-Violence Campaign combats the issue of violence on campus by providing a source for discussions concerning safety and concealed carry.“I think you know universities are overall very safe places, and in general people are supposed to feel safe on college campuses, so saying that carrying guns to be safe here- it just doesn’t seem to jive with me,” Reed said.
Safety on Campuses
Since the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings K-State has taken the precautions to prepare itself in the unfortunate event of a school shooting. Reed said, “After the initial shooting at Virginia Tech we did have a committee that met- we reviewed it with the governor, there was a couple of different reviews that happened and we evaluated the response and what should be done differently. So, we have reviewed all of that information and that’s when we developed the CERT program and when we updated our Emergency Management Procedures. It’s also when we put in place our K-State Alerts. And so a lot of those things that we did we were in the process of doing that, but it gave us the motivation to get all of it in place, and to really take some time to make sure that we are doing things right.”
Conceal and carry has been an issue of rights and protection since America’s conception; therefore, this is one reason why the hot- button debate really flairs up at times. White explained while looking around at all of the guns on the walls of the store, “Go back to the beginning, go back to why there are firearms. Why did we have independence from England? People need to read the Constitution and read the contents of it.” America has changed dramatically since its founding, but the foundational principals of how it was set up should always be kept in mind White commented. While there will always pro and anti concealed carry, it is important for citizens to know their rights and methods to protecting themselves.
Ramadan 2010-
Manhattan, Kansas
Published in the Kansas State Collegian
________________________________________________________
The two women's heads bob toward each other, one clad in a sequined gold hijab, the other in a purple leopard print hijab, as they join together and walk up the stairs and through the door of the Islamic Center of Manhattan.
A kiss is planted twice on both cheeks, and the women embrace in a tight hug. "As-salaam-alaikum," which means "Peace be upon you," is spoken in a hushed tone as the two women slip off their sandals and walk on the padded evergreen carpet into the whitewashed, windowed room of worship.
It is the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan and the start of three-day celebration known as Eid al-Fatr.
Ramadan is the month-long Islamic holiday that runs corresponding with the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The 2010 Ramadan in Manhattan took place from Aug. 11 to Sept. 10.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, which is about 14 hours long in Manhattan. During the day, Muslims restrain themselves from food, water, sexual relations and bad attitudes or outlooks on life. Ramadan fasting is part of the five pillars of Islam and is an obligatory action in Islam.
"The special thing about Ramadan is not just the fasting," said Mofalh Al Shlgeathri, a Muslim resident of Manhattan. "Muslims should fast during this month, but because Allah our God revealed the Holy Quran to our prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, during the last 10 days of Ramadan. That is what makes Ramadan special to us."
Mohammad Al Batainah, president of the Muslim Student Association, created an analogy to describe Ramadan in the context of the Islamic faith.
"Muslims are the cars of their faith, and Ramadan is like the gas station; it is a month to allow Muslims to refill themselves with a religious fuel that will give them enough energy to run through the rest of the year," he said.
For Ahmed Almadhi, president of the Saudi Club, a student-run K-State organization, Ramadan is a time for strengthening and asking God for forgiveness and help, he said.
"For me myself, I think Ramadan is like the reset button for your life," Almadhi said. "We are people and we do a lot of mistakes, so we as Muslims should take advantage from this month and pray to Allah and ask him for forgiveness, help and guidance."
In the month of Ramadan, evenings in Manhattan are spiced with events for the Islamic community.
Every Saturday, the Islamic Center of Manhattan hosts an evening community supper where Muslims can discuss different issues they are experiencing, eat and experience fellowship in community. The center also hosts an evening prayer time called Tarawih, where Muslims of the Islamic community can worship. Both men and women are invited; however, according to religious rule, men and women are separated, therefore making it convenient for them to practice their faith.
"During Ramadan you find people more active and more willing to do more worship during Ramadan," Al Batainah said. "Muslims feel different here at Ramadan, they have more passion for religion and their faith, so they do more worship, they do more prayers and give more donations."
One of the lessons taught during Ramadan is the action of giving to the unfortunate of society. The act of fasting allows Muslims to experience life with no earthly pleasures. Al Batainah said Muslims in the Manhattan community collected money during the month of Ramadan and bought food to donate to local charities.
Outside the Islamic Center of Manhattan, the Saudi Club offers support to Muslims during Ramadan. Almadhi said the club hosts a breakfast each weekend throughout Ramadan, but by breakfast he means having a meal after sunset. The Saudi Club also was planning on hosting an event to celebrate Eid al-Fatr.
Concluding the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the end of the fast with a three-day event known as Eid al-Fatr, or commonly referred to as Eid. Muslims break their fast by eating a small portion early in the morning and typically head to a mosque or community center to participate in the Eid. In Manhattan, the Eid, along a celebratory ceremony, took place on Friday at the Islamic Center of Manhattan.
During the ceremony, a prayer and sermon were offered. Proceeding the ceremony, both men and women joyfully greeted their fellow brothers and sisters and talked while they drifted to the basement of the center where they held a feast of foods to celebrate the Eid.
Nurulsyaida Mat Saman, a resident of Manhattan, said this was her first Eid here.
"Here I meet many people from many countries," said Mat Saman, who is originally from Malaysia. "There are not many Malaysians - only three families - I feel far from my family."
Eid al-Fatr in Manhattan is much different than most Muslim traditional Eids because there is such a diversity of cultures that gather to celebrate, Mat Saman said, using the various types of food as an example.
"I want to see different cultures, different ways to celebrate Eid," she said. "I like it here because I can feel different Eid celebrations inspiring."
As the Eid celebration ended, women held the hands of their children as they said goodbye to friends before meeting with their husbands in the parking lot of the Islamic Center.
Al Batainah said people of all faiths are welcome at the center.
"We have our worship inside this building, so it's not a secret thing," he said. "We open our doors for both Muslims and non-Muslims to join us for any kind of activity; we have no limitations. We are not conservative for just Muslims, but we open our doors for anyone, and we would like to communicate with other people in our nice city."
A kiss is planted twice on both cheeks, and the women embrace in a tight hug. "As-salaam-alaikum," which means "Peace be upon you," is spoken in a hushed tone as the two women slip off their sandals and walk on the padded evergreen carpet into the whitewashed, windowed room of worship.
It is the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan and the start of three-day celebration known as Eid al-Fatr.
Ramadan is the month-long Islamic holiday that runs corresponding with the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The 2010 Ramadan in Manhattan took place from Aug. 11 to Sept. 10.
During the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, which is about 14 hours long in Manhattan. During the day, Muslims restrain themselves from food, water, sexual relations and bad attitudes or outlooks on life. Ramadan fasting is part of the five pillars of Islam and is an obligatory action in Islam.
"The special thing about Ramadan is not just the fasting," said Mofalh Al Shlgeathri, a Muslim resident of Manhattan. "Muslims should fast during this month, but because Allah our God revealed the Holy Quran to our prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, during the last 10 days of Ramadan. That is what makes Ramadan special to us."
Mohammad Al Batainah, president of the Muslim Student Association, created an analogy to describe Ramadan in the context of the Islamic faith.
"Muslims are the cars of their faith, and Ramadan is like the gas station; it is a month to allow Muslims to refill themselves with a religious fuel that will give them enough energy to run through the rest of the year," he said.
For Ahmed Almadhi, president of the Saudi Club, a student-run K-State organization, Ramadan is a time for strengthening and asking God for forgiveness and help, he said.
"For me myself, I think Ramadan is like the reset button for your life," Almadhi said. "We are people and we do a lot of mistakes, so we as Muslims should take advantage from this month and pray to Allah and ask him for forgiveness, help and guidance."
In the month of Ramadan, evenings in Manhattan are spiced with events for the Islamic community.
Every Saturday, the Islamic Center of Manhattan hosts an evening community supper where Muslims can discuss different issues they are experiencing, eat and experience fellowship in community. The center also hosts an evening prayer time called Tarawih, where Muslims of the Islamic community can worship. Both men and women are invited; however, according to religious rule, men and women are separated, therefore making it convenient for them to practice their faith.
"During Ramadan you find people more active and more willing to do more worship during Ramadan," Al Batainah said. "Muslims feel different here at Ramadan, they have more passion for religion and their faith, so they do more worship, they do more prayers and give more donations."
One of the lessons taught during Ramadan is the action of giving to the unfortunate of society. The act of fasting allows Muslims to experience life with no earthly pleasures. Al Batainah said Muslims in the Manhattan community collected money during the month of Ramadan and bought food to donate to local charities.
Outside the Islamic Center of Manhattan, the Saudi Club offers support to Muslims during Ramadan. Almadhi said the club hosts a breakfast each weekend throughout Ramadan, but by breakfast he means having a meal after sunset. The Saudi Club also was planning on hosting an event to celebrate Eid al-Fatr.
Concluding the month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the end of the fast with a three-day event known as Eid al-Fatr, or commonly referred to as Eid. Muslims break their fast by eating a small portion early in the morning and typically head to a mosque or community center to participate in the Eid. In Manhattan, the Eid, along a celebratory ceremony, took place on Friday at the Islamic Center of Manhattan.
During the ceremony, a prayer and sermon were offered. Proceeding the ceremony, both men and women joyfully greeted their fellow brothers and sisters and talked while they drifted to the basement of the center where they held a feast of foods to celebrate the Eid.
Nurulsyaida Mat Saman, a resident of Manhattan, said this was her first Eid here.
"Here I meet many people from many countries," said Mat Saman, who is originally from Malaysia. "There are not many Malaysians - only three families - I feel far from my family."
Eid al-Fatr in Manhattan is much different than most Muslim traditional Eids because there is such a diversity of cultures that gather to celebrate, Mat Saman said, using the various types of food as an example.
"I want to see different cultures, different ways to celebrate Eid," she said. "I like it here because I can feel different Eid celebrations inspiring."
As the Eid celebration ended, women held the hands of their children as they said goodbye to friends before meeting with their husbands in the parking lot of the Islamic Center.
Al Batainah said people of all faiths are welcome at the center.
"We have our worship inside this building, so it's not a secret thing," he said. "We open our doors for both Muslims and non-Muslims to join us for any kind of activity; we have no limitations. We are not conservative for just Muslims, but we open our doors for anyone, and we would like to communicate with other people in our nice city."
Basic Language Training Program
Published in the Kansas State Collegian
Hello. Hola. 你好. Привет. Guten Tag. If you have ever wanted a brief introduction course to a modern language you will have the opportunity to take a course offered through the International Student Center.
Karl Anderson, International Student Advisor and the Basic Language Training Program Techniques advisor said that the goal behind the program is to give an opportunity for people around campus and in the Manhattan community to learn about the instructor’s native language, culture, and country’s history while also giving K-State’s international students a chance to develop their teaching and public speaking skills.
Anderson went on to say, “Obviously in six weeks they will not be fluent, but hopefully [they will] have an interest in the country’s history, culture and language, and hopefully go on and enroll in a language course through Modern Languages or chose to travel to the country.”
The languages offered in the Basic Language Training program differs each semester; this semester there are six languages that are being offered: Russian, Czech, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and German. All of the classes will be held in the afternoon or evening at the International Student Center. Students will meet twice a week during a one-hour class which runs from February 22-April 9, 2010. The registration for the class is a flat $25 course fee.
“We make sure that we have small courses. We don’t want 20 people in a class because we want to make sure there is some one-on-one attention, so the classes will never be more than 12 students,” said Karl Anderson.
Caitlin Kelley, International Student Support Coordinator, participated in the Mandarin language program during the 2009 fall semester. Kelley “ I thought it was a great chance to learn the basics of the language, I mean I didn’t learn a ton of language, but it was a great chance to interact with different students and also pick up some basics.” Kelley participated in the Mandarin language program during the 2009 fall semester.
Registration for a course ends today at five p.m. To register for the class you may contact Karl Anderson at [email protected] or by completing the application at the International Student Center.
Karl Anderson, International Student Advisor and the Basic Language Training Program Techniques advisor said that the goal behind the program is to give an opportunity for people around campus and in the Manhattan community to learn about the instructor’s native language, culture, and country’s history while also giving K-State’s international students a chance to develop their teaching and public speaking skills.
Anderson went on to say, “Obviously in six weeks they will not be fluent, but hopefully [they will] have an interest in the country’s history, culture and language, and hopefully go on and enroll in a language course through Modern Languages or chose to travel to the country.”
The languages offered in the Basic Language Training program differs each semester; this semester there are six languages that are being offered: Russian, Czech, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and German. All of the classes will be held in the afternoon or evening at the International Student Center. Students will meet twice a week during a one-hour class which runs from February 22-April 9, 2010. The registration for the class is a flat $25 course fee.
“We make sure that we have small courses. We don’t want 20 people in a class because we want to make sure there is some one-on-one attention, so the classes will never be more than 12 students,” said Karl Anderson.
Caitlin Kelley, International Student Support Coordinator, participated in the Mandarin language program during the 2009 fall semester. Kelley “ I thought it was a great chance to learn the basics of the language, I mean I didn’t learn a ton of language, but it was a great chance to interact with different students and also pick up some basics.” Kelley participated in the Mandarin language program during the 2009 fall semester.
Registration for a course ends today at five p.m. To register for the class you may contact Karl Anderson at [email protected] or by completing the application at the International Student Center.
Society of Appreciation of Bharatiya Heritage & Arts
Published in the Kansas State Collegian
The high-pitched squeal of a young vocalist breaks the beat of the tap, tap, tapping of a percussion beat that is reverberating through the room. The shrill voice belongs to that of which is a classical Bharatiya performer.
On February 27, 2010 K-State students will have the opportunity to experience such vocal performances in the Forum Hall of the Union. K-State’s Society of Appreciation of Bharatiya Heritage and Arts is hosting a concert style event that will showcase the classical and semi-classical music and dance of India.
The Society of Appreciation of Bharatiya Heritage and Arts-SABHA- was founded six years ago, and currently obtains eight committee members and over 200 members. The purpose and objective of SABHA is to raise awareness of Indian classical and semi-classical music and dance in America and throughout the world. Parangirinivas Rajaram, president of the Society of Appreciation of Bharatiya Heritage and Arts on the Kansas State University campus, said that the purpose of SABHA is to, “Increase the love for classical art.” Members involved with SABHA do not want the Bharatiya Heritage of Indian classical Indian art forms to fade from society.
According to K-State’s SABHA website, there are multiple events that occur throughout the year that SABHA hosts, including Taal and Sanskriti. This past year during the Sanskriti celebration SABHA brought in various artists from India to perform at their event. Arka Chattopadhyay, graduate student in mechanical engineering, and member of SABHA said, “They do a good job of bringing artists from India.” In addition to these concerts SABHA organizes fundraisers and does other various activities in the community.
Taal is translated in Hindi as “rhythm”. This rhythm in a sense corresponds with a ‘meter’ in Western music. Taking a spin off of this term, SABHA decided that they would title their upcoming concert event Taal. In this event SABHA has decided to host a talent show concert by and for K-State students in an attempt to display their talents in the classical and semi-classical art forms of India. Taal will be held at the K-State Union on February 27 at 7 p.m.
Saudi Club celebrates Eid al-Adha in Alumni Center
By Chelsy Lueth- December 3, 2009 (Kansas State Collegian)
The Saudi Club at K-State sponsored the annual celebratory Festival of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, in the Ballroom of the K-State Alumni Center yesterday.
Eid al-Adha is a holiday celebrated worldwide by Muslims to observe and honor the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah.
Eid al-Adha occurs each year after people on the pilgrimage of Hajj descend from Mount Arafat. The holiday was celebrated this year on Nov. 27 through Nov. 30. However, since it fell during the time of Thanksgiving break, the Saudi Club’s event was postponed until Dec. 2.
By Chelsy Lueth- December 3, 2009 (Kansas State Collegian)
The Saudi Club at K-State sponsored the annual celebratory Festival of Sacrifice, Eid al-Adha, in the Ballroom of the K-State Alumni Center yesterday.
Eid al-Adha is a holiday celebrated worldwide by Muslims to observe and honor the willingness of the Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah.
Eid al-Adha occurs each year after people on the pilgrimage of Hajj descend from Mount Arafat. The holiday was celebrated this year on Nov. 27 through Nov. 30. However, since it fell during the time of Thanksgiving break, the Saudi Club’s event was postponed until Dec. 2.
Parents, children enjoy excitement, ‘community atmosphere’ found at Manhattan drag-racing track
By Chelsy Lueth- July 15, 2009 (Kansas State Collegian)
Heads veered from left to right while eyes intently traced the path of the golden 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle chasing the 1968 Dodge Dart GTS down the drag strip. The rumbling of the engines, followed by the billowing smoke emitted from the screeching tires, marked one of the many rounds drag racers completed at Midwest Raceway for this season’s first competition on Saturday.
The raceway is eight miles from Manhattan, off Kansas Highway 18 on 56th Street. More than 160 drivers entered Saturday’s races; among them were an array of cars ranging from an old Volkswagen beetle to a classic 1955 Chevrolet.
“It’s a carnival atmosphere in a way, but you are driving the ride,” said Mike McKeeman, sportsman drag racer of St. George, Kan., who has raced at Midwest Raceway for the past four years. “It’s just something fun to do. You know, make a little noise, meet friends, have a beer and cheeseburger and of course watch the races.”
Racers started the elimination rounds at 11 a.m. and proceeded to the final rounds at 4 p.m. Though there are dozens of classes in drag racing, Saturday’s competition consisted of five classes: pro-sportsman, sportsman, bracket two, junior dragsters and bikes.
Midwest Raceway’s drag racing structure is the form of competition called bracket racing. Contrary to popular belief, in bracket racing, the driver does not aim to drive as fast as possible toward the finish line. Instead, the driver attempts to calculate the time it will take for the car to reach the finish.
The driver who finishes within the closest time to his or her approximated time progresses to the next round.
Nancy Kampschroeder, Lecompton, Kan., resident and co-owner of Midwest Raceway, has operated Midwest Raceway for 22 years with her husband, Errol. The Kampschroeders began racing shortly after they were married and traveled to drag strips across Kansas and in several other states.
In 1986, a friend suggested the Kampschroeders buy Midwest Raceway, and upon hearing his suggestion, they did.
The Kampschroeders said they pride themselves in the fact that their track is unsponsored and independently operated. While the Kampschroeders said they maintain the track themselves for the most part, several family members helped at the race.
“Drag racing is a family sport — you compete, but you help,” Kampschroeder said. “You’ll meet a lot of nice people out there.”
Terry and Tamera Szel, Wabaunsee, Kan., residents, took advantage of this family sport by sprawling out on a blanket next to the bleachers to watch the race, while their children played.
The Szels said they have found a special place in their hearts for the Midwest Raceway.
“This was going to be our first date in 1990,” Tamera said. “I was 14, he was 17, so we’ve been coming here for a few years. We really enjoy it. The kids enjoy it. We used to do it — he used to race out here. It’s a great environment for the kids.”
Alexandria Wood-Ford, Manhattan resident, watched her daughter play with the Szels’ children as their families shared a cooler during the evening races. Wood-Ford said her favorite memory is the community atmosphere.
“In high school, I remember we’d come out and just start talking and somebody’s cooler of pop became everyone’s cooler of pop,” Wood-Ford said. “It’s a community — everyone’s one big family out here.”
By Chelsy Lueth- July 15, 2009 (Kansas State Collegian)
Heads veered from left to right while eyes intently traced the path of the golden 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle chasing the 1968 Dodge Dart GTS down the drag strip. The rumbling of the engines, followed by the billowing smoke emitted from the screeching tires, marked one of the many rounds drag racers completed at Midwest Raceway for this season’s first competition on Saturday.
The raceway is eight miles from Manhattan, off Kansas Highway 18 on 56th Street. More than 160 drivers entered Saturday’s races; among them were an array of cars ranging from an old Volkswagen beetle to a classic 1955 Chevrolet.
“It’s a carnival atmosphere in a way, but you are driving the ride,” said Mike McKeeman, sportsman drag racer of St. George, Kan., who has raced at Midwest Raceway for the past four years. “It’s just something fun to do. You know, make a little noise, meet friends, have a beer and cheeseburger and of course watch the races.”
Racers started the elimination rounds at 11 a.m. and proceeded to the final rounds at 4 p.m. Though there are dozens of classes in drag racing, Saturday’s competition consisted of five classes: pro-sportsman, sportsman, bracket two, junior dragsters and bikes.
Midwest Raceway’s drag racing structure is the form of competition called bracket racing. Contrary to popular belief, in bracket racing, the driver does not aim to drive as fast as possible toward the finish line. Instead, the driver attempts to calculate the time it will take for the car to reach the finish.
The driver who finishes within the closest time to his or her approximated time progresses to the next round.
Nancy Kampschroeder, Lecompton, Kan., resident and co-owner of Midwest Raceway, has operated Midwest Raceway for 22 years with her husband, Errol. The Kampschroeders began racing shortly after they were married and traveled to drag strips across Kansas and in several other states.
In 1986, a friend suggested the Kampschroeders buy Midwest Raceway, and upon hearing his suggestion, they did.
The Kampschroeders said they pride themselves in the fact that their track is unsponsored and independently operated. While the Kampschroeders said they maintain the track themselves for the most part, several family members helped at the race.
“Drag racing is a family sport — you compete, but you help,” Kampschroeder said. “You’ll meet a lot of nice people out there.”
Terry and Tamera Szel, Wabaunsee, Kan., residents, took advantage of this family sport by sprawling out on a blanket next to the bleachers to watch the race, while their children played.
The Szels said they have found a special place in their hearts for the Midwest Raceway.
“This was going to be our first date in 1990,” Tamera said. “I was 14, he was 17, so we’ve been coming here for a few years. We really enjoy it. The kids enjoy it. We used to do it — he used to race out here. It’s a great environment for the kids.”
Alexandria Wood-Ford, Manhattan resident, watched her daughter play with the Szels’ children as their families shared a cooler during the evening races. Wood-Ford said her favorite memory is the community atmosphere.
“In high school, I remember we’d come out and just start talking and somebody’s cooler of pop became everyone’s cooler of pop,” Wood-Ford said. “It’s a community — everyone’s one big family out here.”