Sources: Kirk Schulz, 785-532-6221, kirks@k-state.edu; Ralph Richardson, 785-532-5660, rcr@vet.k-state.edu; John English, 785-532-5590, jenglish@k-state.edu; Virginia Moxley, 785-532-5500, moxley@k-state.edu; Dennis Kuhlman, 785-826-2601, dkuhlman@k-state.edu; Ruth Dyer, 785-532-6224, rdyer@k-state.edu; Susan Peterson, 785-532-6221, skp@k-state.edu; Amy Button Renz, 785-532-6260, arenz@k-state.com
News release prepared by: Cheryl May, 785-532-6415, may@k-state.edu

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009

K-STATE TAKING FAMILY REUNION ON THE ROAD TO KANSAS CITY THIS SATURDAY

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University fans are planning to turn Arrowhead Stadium purple this Saturday, Oct. 3, as the Cats play the Iowa State Cyclones at 2 p.m. K-Staters are planning lots of activities and attractions to add to the fun of a Kansas City-based K-State family reunion.

"We are excited to have our football team playing at Arrowhead," said K-State President Kirk Schulz. "This is a great opportunity to spotlight K-State and have a family reunion in Kansas City for the 28,000 alumni who live in the Greater Kansas City area, along with those traveling from all over the country. And because a great university is all about teaching, research and engagement, we are bringing many displays so people can see some of the very exciting work going on at our campuses in Manhattan and Salina."

K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine invites K-State alumni and friends to take a tour of the Wildcat Express, a 24-foot motor coach used by the K-State Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. In addition to a general information booth about the college, K-State fans will be able to take pictures of themselves as "Dr. Willie Wildcat" at a special photo display.

Veterinary Dean Ralph Richardson said, "Being at Arrowhead Stadium allows us to celebrate our nearby K-State Olathe Campus as well as the tremendous relationship we enjoy with the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor, so named for the many specialized companies and institutions in the area."

K-State at Salina will display Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles from their Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, their Cat Cannon, and their Baja SAE car. The UAVs on display will include the Powercat and the Wildcat, which are produced by K-State at Salina's Unmanned Aircraft Systems partner Flint Hills Solutions. They are fully autonomous helicopters with payload capabilities that are flown from the ground by a specially trained pilot.

The Cat Cannon and the Baja SAE car are student organization projects, each conceptualized, designed, built and maintained by K-State at Salina students. The Cat Cannon is used to launch T-shirts into the stands during K-State sporting events. Students in the Baja SAE Club take the car to a national competition sponsored by Society of Automotive Engineers International.

"These three displays are only a small sampling of what the College of Technology and Aviation has to offer current and future members of the K-State family," said Dennis Kuhlman, dean.

The College of Engineering is spotlighting the SAE Formula car team, said team president Tim Mourlam, senior in mechanical engineering from Mission, Kan., with 10 members of his team presenting the car at Arrowhead.

"Members of our Engineering Ambassadors will also be on hand to greet attendees and answer questions," said Tom Roberts, assistant dean of the College of Engineering. "These students promote the college and its programs and the engineering profession throughout the year, both as on-campus hosts and off-campus ambassadors."

The College of Human Ecology will feature the college's athletic training program. Visitors can participate in wrapping and taping demonstrations, try out the rehabilitation toys used by the K-State athletic teams, and kids can try on a K-State football helmet and shoulder pads.

College of Arts and Sciences student Ambassadors will be on hand to provide information about the college they believe serves as the intellectual heart of K-State. Ambassadors will describe the myriad of majors offered by diverse departments ranging from art to physics.

The College of Business Administration will host a display introducing its new major in Entrepreneurship and highlighting recent accomplishments of its students, faculty and also the national rankings success of accounting graduates passing the CPA exam.

Other K-State colleges that will staff tables and displays include the Colleges of Agriculture and Architecture Planning and Design. Also, K-State Libraries, K-State's Olathe Innovation Campus, the Graduate School and Division of Continuing Education plan a presence at the pre-game event.

Game tickets are still available starting at $25. Order online for pickup at the game by visiting http://www.kstatesports.com/ The game will be televised on Fox College Sports and in Kansas on Cox 22 for all Cox subscribers.

A Friday night pep rally is sponsored by the KC Catbackers at The Other Place in downtown Old Overland Park, in the Farmer’s Market area, 7324 W. 80th St. Speakers at 6:30 p.m. include Wyatt Thompson, Stan Weber, Marcus Watts and others. For more information, visit http://www.kccatbackers.com/