In 1863, Kansas State Agricultural College, which eventually became K-State, was founded in Manhattan. Since then, thousands of students have participated in, as well as created, traditions that run in our shared purple blood.
“My favorite K-State memory is going up to Manhattan Hill with my friends,” Megan Midkiff, junior in chemical engineering, said.
Some memorable K-State traditions include taking a trip up Manhattan Hill, which is a left off Juliette Avenue onto Bluemont Scenic Drive. This is a popular location for couples and friends to hike, picnic or relax. It is a great location to view the city of Manhattan from above.
Another well known tradition is stopping by Call Hall. For some K-Staters, Call Hall has become famous for delicious ice cream, as well as quality dairy and meat products. This is one of the places to get some of the most renowned ice cream in the state of Kansas.
“I used to go into Kramer Dining Center at dinner and check to make sure there was Call Hall ice cream,” Nicole Harris, sophomore in architecture, said. “And if there was, I would eat the entire tub.”
A tradition some K-State students take part in is the Wabash Cannonball, a sort of routine that fans participate in at various K-State events. During many sporting events, K-State’s “Pride of Wildcat Land” marching band starts up the “Wabash Cannonball” song and away the students go.
The Wabash Cannonball consists of moving your torso forward and backward, and left to right, opposite of the people next to you while clapping. If the people to your right and left are leaning frontward, you want to lean backward until your neighbors lean backward and you switch, too. When done in unison, the entire student section is impressive. This tradition is one that can be easily learned by anyone sitting in the student section at a home football game in the fall.
Whether you grew up a Wildcat fan or are just figuring out the ropes during your freshman year, one of the most important K-State traditions is to be friendly. No matter the time or place, K-State students are often smiling and happy to lend a hand. According to the Princeton Review, K-State was voted one of the happiest campus’ in the U.S. So welcome to your happy Wildcat family!
Kelsie Johnson is a junior in mass communications.