The "Manhattan Optimist Club Bulletin": Vol. 2024 #20: 2-14-24
VOLUME 2024 February 14, 2024 NUMBER 20
Special Note: Kimball will close again on February 19th
President Bill Wisdom welcomed the membership and guests, and Craig Cox presented a Valentine inspired reflection with a quote by Dr. Karl Menniger, a long time Topeka, Kansas Psychiatrist. “Love cures people, both the ones who gives it and the ones who receive it.” The flag salute followed.
MHS Student of the Month
Yaileniz is a senior at Manhattan High School and is a Concurrent High School Student at both Manhattan Area Technical College and Kansas State University; she will graduate from MHS with 43 college credits. She was a delegate for the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in 2023 at Lowell University in Lowell, Massachusetts for three days. She is a Hispanic Student Union Vice President at MHS and a member of the MHS National Honors Society. Her work experience includes Prairie Star restaurant server and her current position as a sales associate at Burlington. She volunteers for the Hispanic Student Union activities, food packing for Faith E Free Church, and for several years, was a member of the Church Coffee Crew from the age of six. Her favorite person at MHS is Lisa Julian, who currently is the 10th grade principal at MHS, however she was the gifted coordinator when Yaileniz came to MHS and had a tremendous influence on her high school success. She plans to go to Kansas University next year and get a degree in clinical laboratory sciences then go to medical school and specialize in DNA research.
Yaileniz donated the $100 from her Manhattan Optimist Student of the Month award to Children’s Mercery Hospital. She has a good friend who has been recently treated there several times over the past couple of months and she appreciates the treatment her friend has received there.
Program:
When Matt started in Russell, he wanted to do sports broadcasting, but the manager said he’d have to do other things. He was eager to learn to do new things and remains so today. He has had a wonderful career in broadcasting and has had opportunities to go elsewhere, but he loves Manhattan. It’s been a great life, and the best part has been to meet a lot of people. He acknowledged knowing most of the Optimist in the room and thanked them for all they do in the community.
In 1994 he became sports director for Manhattan Broadcasting and literally did everything, including sports director, program director, severe weather reporting etc. He mentioned he would never forget in 2008 being on the air for 17 straight hours broadcasting information to Manhattan residents after the tornado. He also mentioned the Oklahoma City bombing, when the news director, who lived across the street from Matt, had a tip the FBI was in town because the bomb was started in our own “back yard.” For the next two days, Matt did nothing sports related, but gathered news on the bombing. He also mentioned the Aggieville fire. He stated people usually want him to talk about sports, but there have been many non-sports related experiences in his career.
One of the events that got Matt’s adrenalin going was chasing a tornado from Centralia to Fall City, Nebraska when he was growing up in high school at Russell; he chased a couple out there.
Matt has been a part of what may have been the greatest KSU sports history with Coach Snyder. He learned how to ask questions and also from Lew Lane, MHS long-time football coach. They taught him you have two ears and one mouth for a reason and how to ask questions. Coach Snyder called him in to talk six times, but not once was it about football.
Matt remembers calling a MHS vs Haden basketball game where the halftime score was Hayden 2 and Manhattan, 1. MHS was stalling the entire game. This was in the early stages of the internet and the broadcast was streaming over the internet and his board operator, Ryan Wallace (now of Powercat.com) said you won’t believe how many are listening on the internet -1,200! At that time, that was like having a 100,000,000 listening to you. The final was 14-11 in overtime and part of the reason the shot clock was implemented.
Matt summarized that he has had a great life and is currently managing five stations in the building. He and his team are working to make the stations matter more. Manhattan Broadcasting has been around for almost 75 years and has served the community, and they continue to strive to be what you need and what you want for our community. Our local stations serve the needs of our region, and you can’t get that for the big internet streaming services.
Guests:
Bill Wisdom introduced our student of the Month, Yaileniz Santana and our speaker, Matt Walters, General Manager, Manhattan Broadcasting.
Tim Fairbanks attended his second meeting as a guest and submitted his membership application.
Club Stuff/Announcements:
Jim Franke announced the Spaghetti Dinner preparation was ramping up. Help is needed from the membership in many different ways. We need help with ticket sales and tickets will be handed out next week. We also need contributions to the silent auction. A sign-up sheet was on the table; it is a two-day event. On Friday afternoon at Pottorff Hall, March 22, from 12:30 to 4:00 beginning preparations will occur. We will move equipment into the facility, brown the hamburger and the spaghetti will be cooked and chilled. We need a crew to help do this. On Saturday 4:30-9:30 we need about 35 people to help set up the facility, prepare the hamburger and pasta sauce, drinks, dishes, etc. The serving goes on for three hours, and then clean up and put everything away before we leave. Also help is needed for the bread baking by the K-State Baking Club, a sign-up sheet is available for that as well as for baking cookies for dessert.
Jim Morrison reminded everyone the Early Expressions Art Show at the Beach Museum would kick off at 1:00 PM Saturday.
Craig Cox was presented with a New Member Pin for recruiting a new member.
Special Recognition:
Save these dates: March 5: Lawn Mower Clinic and March 23rd for the annual Spaghetti Dinner.
Adjourned with the Optimist Creed
Next Weeks’s Meeting:
February 21 – MORNING MEETING: Program: Ryan Smallwood, Special Ed. Instructor, Eisenhower Middle School: Topic: “Special Education and Presentation.”
February Meeting Schedule
February 28 – NOON MEETING: Program: Rachel Veenstra, K-State Department of Agronomy: Topic: “A Crop Judging Dynasty – 32nd National Championship.”