Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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Perfecting his display, Slate arranges bundles of flowers on his handmade cart. I usually have about five or SIX types of flowers, Slate said, It changes, because in different weeks different things are in bloom, Slate sold flowers from 9 a.m, to 1 p,m. each Saturday during marl et season. Catrina Rawson Sometimes there ' s not very much coior out nere. And if Im going to be out here for four hours each Saturday, I might as well nave music. J.T. Slate, freshman in secondary education Flamenco music blended with conversation and the summer sun as Manhattan residents shopped the Farmers ' IVIarket, Sept, 10, J,T, Slate, freshman in secondary education, sold flowers and produce to admiring shoppers. Zinnias, gomphrena and daffodils sat in buckets of water on his handmade cart. The music flooded out of the open trunk of his car and into the market crowd. This is the first year I ' ve played music, Slate said, I thought it would add some spice to the market, I ' m going to put on the (K-State vs, Marshall) football game, though - it ' s more important, The Manhattan Farmers ' Market operated May through October at two locations - downtown at Fifth and Humboldt streets Saturdays and north of CiCo Park Wednesdays. Slate sold at the market Saturdays, and Wednesdays he took his flowers to the People ' s Grocery at 17th and Yuma streets. The radio announced a Wildcat touchdown, and Slate relayed the news to the produce stand across the stream of shoppers, I meet quite a few people out here, and I get to see a lot of people I know, Slate said, Half of the kids from the high school walk by and say, ' What? He grows flowers? ' Slate ' s cart displayed his merchandise and showed his artistic ability. After living in Costa Rica as an exchange student in 2004, he bet his father he could make an ox cart for less than $50 - he spent $60, The cart is their international symbol in Costa Rica, Slate said. It ' s kind of like our covered wagon. Slate ' s father occasionally helped him prepare for market, but he completed most of the work alone. I try to cut everything the night before, Slate said, and I spend about two and one-half hours cutting and four hours bundling them all together. Slate said he appreciated the company of other vendors as much as their products. Freal Frazier, Manhattan resident, sold homemade soap from the stand next to Slate ' s. Everything here is either grown or handmade by the citizens of Kansas, Frazier said, and it ' s all natural. As he advertised the benefits of his homemade soap, Frazier ate cookies made by Barb Jones, whose stand was near the soap and flowers. How can I tempt ya? Jones said as she greeted her customers. A retired teacher, Jones spent her time baking for the market each Wednesday and Saturday. I just think J.T. is the cutest kid in the world, Jones said. He is bright and fun and a great addition to the market. Slate said his market season ended after the first frost, when his flowers could no longer withstand the weather. He said he sold flowers for fun, but he was glad to make $100- 120 each Saturday. I think I ' ll continue selling stuff, but I don ' t think it will ever be a really big business, Slate said. I think it will always just be something I do for fun. farmers ' market flowers 11

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Preparing his flowers the night before the Saturday Farmers ' Market. J.T. Slate, freshman in secondary education, reaches for a tie to secure the bundles. He began cutting flowers each Friday evening to make them presentable for the market the next day. Once. someone brought in flowers. Slate said, and I rebundled them and sold them and made more money. Catrina Rawson Merchants, including freshman J.T. Slate, bring homegrown products to Farmers ' Market; Slate brings a colorful perspective with music, flowers and fun lOstudent life

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During a pregame tailgate, Gina Remus, sophomore in bakery science and management, chats with Lee Legleiter. sophomore in marketing. Remus and Legleiter relaxed in the stadium lot before gomg into the football game against Florida International, Sept. 3. The party had beer and drinking games in which Legleiter took part before he entered the stadium. Joslyn Brown by AlexYocum The scent of alcohol and barbecue filled the air while vehicles of all shapes, sizes and colors filled the parking lots and fields. Hours before the gates of Wagner Field opened for Saturday football games the sounds of music, laughter and conversation shifted from party to party. Tailgating, a long-standing football tradition, brought fans from competing schools together for a common purpose - a good time. Kathy Johnston, K-State alumna, said tailgating was for everyone. Even fans from rival teams opted to join Wildcat fans for the festivities. We had six Nebraska students join us, Johnston said. It is what you do when you tailgate. Everyone is there for the game and you always have enough food so why not share it, and the moments, with whoever wants them? Besides the company of family, friends and passersby, food was an important element in the art of tailgating. Fans brought a variety of food and beverages. Some tailgaters like Jenny Pereira, senior in marketing, had themes for their food. We have something different for every team, Pereira said. For KU we cooked chicken hawk. My dad even made it red, one of the Jayhawks ' colors. Beer was often the beverage of choice for tailgaters; students incorporated beer in games like beer pong, poor-man ' s golf and washers. Family Tailgating unites fans young and old, Wildcats and rivals, who arrive at the stadium before the gates open with one simple thought - college football tailgating consisted more of casual conversation and throwing footballs. It ' s a different tone between family tailgating and college students and their tailgates, Johnston said. I did both, and they both have their similarities, but with families it is more talking about the game and solid food, while students play their games and have liquid meals. Both family and student tailgaters arrived at the game early. Pereira said her family arrived early in the morning to get their spot. Miles Duncan, junior in sociology, said he and his friends got there two to three hours before the game. Because they arrived so early, tailgaters found innovative ways to entertain themselves. I wore my banana costume to tailgate once, Duncan said. It was kind of scary, but really you just need to have fun while you are out there. Everyone should try to be a banana. (Tailgating) is all about being spontaneous and having a good time. When the game began, most families and students went into Bill Snyder Family Stadium but a few continued tailgating outside, listening to the game on the radio. Most people associate tailgating with beer drinking, Duncan said. Really though, it ' s about a bunch of diehard K-State fans having a really good time. 12student life