Kansas State University Athletics
SE: Giving Thanks and Giving Back — Global Cats Celebrate Thanksgiving Together; MBB Volunteers at Flint Hills Breadbasket
Nov 23, 2017 | Sports Extra, STEP (Stronger Together Excellence Plann, Athletics, Athlete Services
By Corbin McGuire
One by one, 20-plus K-State student-athletes, sporting different accents from across the globe, stood up and shared what they were thankful for this year.
Some said the opportunity to compete in Division I athletics. Many said family. Others said life itself. One student-athlete said she was thankful to share this moment with others in the same position as her.
That position, as an international student-athlete, means being far away from family and unable to travel home for holidays like Thanksgiving. But this group of Wildcats made the most of their similar circumstances.
More than half of K-State's 40-plus international student-athletes got together on Tuesday night to celebrate Thanksgiving with one another, as part of the Global Cats program created this year.
"I think it was a brilliant idea to come up with all of this because we have a lot of people who are not from here and can't go home," said track and field's Shardia Lawrence, from Jamaica. "Everybody's going home and we're here alone. I think that really brings in the whole family aspect of K-State. I really love it."
"Most of our teams are gone, and to have these guys here, it's just kind of like our celebration," added Clare Gibson, a freshman high jumper for K-State who is from Australia. "It's kind of like a mutual understanding with some things. Some things you don't have to say, they just understand because they're that far away from home too. We have things in common, like we haven't got family close by or we're here for Christmas. They become like your people, I suppose, which is cool."
While the Wildcats, representing six different sports and more than 10 different countries, ate the traditional Thanksgiving spread — turkey, corn, green beans, stuffing and pumpkin pie — they went around the table and named a holiday unique to their home country.
The Jamaicans brought up Heroes Day, which celebrates seven national heroes from the country's history. Gibson named Australia Day, a national holiday with wide-ranging historical roots. On and on this went, as they all learned a little bit about each other.
"I like being able to see other people from other sports and, obviously, them being international makes it better," said Ella Adams, a freshman for K-State women's golf who is from Australia. "They're kind of going through the same thing as me, so I like it, meeting other people."
After the meal was game time. A group of Jamaicans played Catch Phrase. A melting pot of international student-athletes tried Apples to Apples, while another mixture broke out UNO.
The common theme: Laughter.
"I enjoyed that all of us came, played games, interacted and just to get a chance to see everybody and meet new people," Lawrence said.
Global Cats started this semester as part of K-State Athletics' ongoing Diversity and Inclusion efforts.
The program is designed to support K-State's international student-athletes in their transition to college, athletics and life here in the states. The program aims to provide international student-athletes with the resources and support necessary to ensure their success while at K-State. In addition, Global Cats strives to celebrate and embrace the vast diversity that each student-athlete brings to our community.
"To get together with other international students is nice," said K-State track and field's Simone Fassina, from Italy. "Even when you run into another international student-athlete at training table or something, it's always interesting to see how you see some things in the same way."
So far, Global Cats has helped create a small community within K-State Athletics of student-athletes who understand each other. The Thanksgiving meal was the group's second gathering, with many more planned in the future.
"I got introduced to Ella, the other Australian, through this program, which is the coolest thing," Gibson said. "We see each other around all the time, so actually getting to know each other and learn about each other, it's a nice feeling. It feels a bit more like a family."
"I think it's a good idea because, obviously, we're all kind of here for the same reason, for our sports," Adams added. "We've made a big move, so it's good to kind of have each other, a little family."
K-State MBB Volunteers at Flint Hills Breadbasket
On Sunday, instead of passing basketballs and throwing down dunks, the K-State men's basketball team was passing cardboard boxes and laying cans of food in them.
The Wildcats helped fill 170 boxes of food at the Flint Hills Breadbasket, a community food network whose mission is "to minimize hunger and poverty through the distribution of available food and to nurture projects that help alleviate hunger and poverty."
"We just asked them (to let us know) if they ever needed help, and they said we could help with putting together boxes," said K-State head coach Bruce Weber, whose team faces Arizona State in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., CT, on FS1. "I think it was good for them to see what it's about and more than anything appreciate what they have. That's my biggest message to them. Any time you can get them out in the community, it's a positive."
On Monday, the food the Wildcats boxed up was distributed to families in need in the Manhattan community. Maribeth Kieffer, director of the Flint Hills Breadbasket, said these baskets go to a wide variety of family sizes, usually between three to eight in a household.
Any and all help is appreciated, she added, but it certainly means a lot coming from those as busy as student-athletes.
"It's phenomenal," she said. "They're helping in the community. They're excellent in basketball but, at the same time, they're showing their community interests and they're helping."
"It's extremely important that the basketball team was here and everyone in the community helps do this every year," added Fred Willich, who served on the board of directors for the Flint Hills Breadbasket for three years. "It's a powerful program."
More than anything, Weber hopes his passion for community involvement becomes a permanent fixture in his players' lives as well.
"It's really positive," he said. "To be involved in the community, to see that people are in need, to help others, if I can send that message down and help them learn that lesson, I think that will be a positive impact for them and their futures."
One by one, 20-plus K-State student-athletes, sporting different accents from across the globe, stood up and shared what they were thankful for this year.
Some said the opportunity to compete in Division I athletics. Many said family. Others said life itself. One student-athlete said she was thankful to share this moment with others in the same position as her.
That position, as an international student-athlete, means being far away from family and unable to travel home for holidays like Thanksgiving. But this group of Wildcats made the most of their similar circumstances.
More than half of K-State's 40-plus international student-athletes got together on Tuesday night to celebrate Thanksgiving with one another, as part of the Global Cats program created this year.
"I think it was a brilliant idea to come up with all of this because we have a lot of people who are not from here and can't go home," said track and field's Shardia Lawrence, from Jamaica. "Everybody's going home and we're here alone. I think that really brings in the whole family aspect of K-State. I really love it."
"Most of our teams are gone, and to have these guys here, it's just kind of like our celebration," added Clare Gibson, a freshman high jumper for K-State who is from Australia. "It's kind of like a mutual understanding with some things. Some things you don't have to say, they just understand because they're that far away from home too. We have things in common, like we haven't got family close by or we're here for Christmas. They become like your people, I suppose, which is cool."
Game night and a Thanksgiving meal for our international student-athletes that are in town! #GlobalCats #KStateStudentAthletes #International #Thanksgiving ???????? pic.twitter.com/0RcauQGysy
— K-State SAAC (@kstatesaac) November 22, 2017
While the Wildcats, representing six different sports and more than 10 different countries, ate the traditional Thanksgiving spread — turkey, corn, green beans, stuffing and pumpkin pie — they went around the table and named a holiday unique to their home country.
The Jamaicans brought up Heroes Day, which celebrates seven national heroes from the country's history. Gibson named Australia Day, a national holiday with wide-ranging historical roots. On and on this went, as they all learned a little bit about each other.
"I like being able to see other people from other sports and, obviously, them being international makes it better," said Ella Adams, a freshman for K-State women's golf who is from Australia. "They're kind of going through the same thing as me, so I like it, meeting other people."
After the meal was game time. A group of Jamaicans played Catch Phrase. A melting pot of international student-athletes tried Apples to Apples, while another mixture broke out UNO.
The common theme: Laughter.
"I enjoyed that all of us came, played games, interacted and just to get a chance to see everybody and meet new people," Lawrence said.
Global Cats started this semester as part of K-State Athletics' ongoing Diversity and Inclusion efforts.
The program is designed to support K-State's international student-athletes in their transition to college, athletics and life here in the states. The program aims to provide international student-athletes with the resources and support necessary to ensure their success while at K-State. In addition, Global Cats strives to celebrate and embrace the vast diversity that each student-athlete brings to our community.
"To get together with other international students is nice," said K-State track and field's Simone Fassina, from Italy. "Even when you run into another international student-athlete at training table or something, it's always interesting to see how you see some things in the same way."
So far, Global Cats has helped create a small community within K-State Athletics of student-athletes who understand each other. The Thanksgiving meal was the group's second gathering, with many more planned in the future.
"I got introduced to Ella, the other Australian, through this program, which is the coolest thing," Gibson said. "We see each other around all the time, so actually getting to know each other and learn about each other, it's a nice feeling. It feels a bit more like a family."
"I think it's a good idea because, obviously, we're all kind of here for the same reason, for our sports," Adams added. "We've made a big move, so it's good to kind of have each other, a little family."
K-State MBB Volunteers at Flint Hills Breadbasket
On Sunday, instead of passing basketballs and throwing down dunks, the K-State men's basketball team was passing cardboard boxes and laying cans of food in them.
The Wildcats helped fill 170 boxes of food at the Flint Hills Breadbasket, a community food network whose mission is "to minimize hunger and poverty through the distribution of available food and to nurture projects that help alleviate hunger and poverty."
"We just asked them (to let us know) if they ever needed help, and they said we could help with putting together boxes," said K-State head coach Bruce Weber, whose team faces Arizona State in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., CT, on FS1. "I think it was good for them to see what it's about and more than anything appreciate what they have. That's my biggest message to them. Any time you can get them out in the community, it's a positive."
On Monday, the food the Wildcats boxed up was distributed to families in need in the Manhattan community. Maribeth Kieffer, director of the Flint Hills Breadbasket, said these baskets go to a wide variety of family sizes, usually between three to eight in a household.
Any and all help is appreciated, she added, but it certainly means a lot coming from those as busy as student-athletes.
"It's phenomenal," she said. "They're helping in the community. They're excellent in basketball but, at the same time, they're showing their community interests and they're helping."
"It's extremely important that the basketball team was here and everyone in the community helps do this every year," added Fred Willich, who served on the board of directors for the Flint Hills Breadbasket for three years. "It's a powerful program."
More than anything, Weber hopes his passion for community involvement becomes a permanent fixture in his players' lives as well.
"It's really positive," he said. "To be involved in the community, to see that people are in need, to help others, if I can send that message down and help them learn that lesson, I think that will be a positive impact for them and their futures."
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