Students propose changes to K-State policy in speech forum

Students were able to attend the K-State Speech Forum, entitled "Six Persuasive Speeches on KSU Issues" at the Leadership Studies Building on Thursday. The speeches were given by a group of six K-State students, each of whom had chosen a campus issue to address and presented proposed solutions to audience members.

Nick Attwater, senior in English and communication studies, spoke on the excessive use of plastic water bottles.

"The use of plastic water bottles is a problem that really doesn't get talked about much," Attwater said. "There are better alternatives, and cutting down or eliminating plastic bottles can not only decrease the amount of waste, but also can save us money."

According to Attwater, drinking the recommended amount of water every day out of plastic bottles could add up to $1,400 per year. Drinking the same amount of tap water, however, would only add up to about 49 cents, a difference that Attwater said is significant.

He also said that the "reduce, reuse, recycle" motto is not producing the effect that many believe it is on the amount of waste produced.

"We have this romantic idea that everybody out there is recycling," Attwater said. "But the fact is that only 30 percent of plastic bottles are actually recycled."

Attwater proposed to have all plastic bottles banned on the K-State campus, and said that promoting alternatives such as reusable water bottles and adding "hydration stations" were viable solutions.

Blair Kocher, senior in business management, chose to address classroom hygiene. Kocher used a slideshow of various pictures to show the sanitation issues that some buildings had encountered, and said that lack of cleanliness was something that could cause health problems for students and staff.

"There are over 100 buildings on campus," Kocher said. "That means there are 5,000 rooms that our janitors have to clean. I know if I had that kind of workload, I wouldn't be checking every corner of every room."

Kocher proposed a "Clean Cats Report," which is a form that he said would allow students to report sanitation issues in order to help janitors do their jobs more effectively.

"This form would allow students to communicate with janitors and help them out," Kocher said. "There are so many benefits to maintaining a clean environment. Not only do clean classrooms look better, but they help students avoid trips to Lafene, which is always a good thing."

The third speaker was Dani Winters, freshman in communication studies, who spoke of the need of a student self-defense seminar.

"The threat of violence is real, and even though it may not seem like it, we have the numbers to prove it," Winters said.

According to Winters, there were 12 violent crimes on the K-State campus in 2010, three of which were rapes, and nine of which were assault cases.

"It may not seem like 12 crimes is a big number," Winters said. "But what if you were one of the 12 people attacked on campus?"

Winters said that although there are programs like Wildcat Walk that help students travel safely, self-defense training is something that is necessary to teach students.

"I don't like looking over my shoulder and questioning my safety," she said. "I think that young people are even more susceptible because most of us aren't very well-educated when it comes to self-defense."

Winters proposed to start a self-defense seminar called "Mission: Wildcat Self Defense" in order to help students learn basic safety maneuvers.

Kasey Coad, senior in horticulture, addressed the K-State snow removal policy, or lack thereof.

"The lack of a well-documented snow removal policy compromises the safety of pedestrians on campus," Coad said. "Last year we had several people fall and hurt themselves, including a professor who broke his ankle."

Coad proposed to use student volunteers to shovel snow and also created a clear, succinct policy that addressed the quality and timeliness of snow removal.

Patrick Mellard, junior in agricultural economics, spoke on the condition of the running track in Memorial Stadium.

"The other day I was talking to a member of the K-State rugby team and he mentioned that the track was really falling apart," Mellard said. "One of his starters rolled an ankle from stepping into one of the many holes on the track."

According to Mellard, there are currently 25 holes on the track with a circumference greater than five inches, something that he said is a major safety hazard to runners.