The power of place

Savannah Kramer was walking to class at Justin Hall one day last week when she saw a new spot to put up some hammocks, just under the shade of a pair of pecan trees between the building and Bluemont Hall, so she bought a hammock.

It was a terrific, unseasonably warm spring day to bask in the sun.

So the freshman studied outside.

Students take the outdoor opportunities you give to them, said Brad Behnke, Betty L. Tointon Dean of K‑State's College of Health and Human Sciences.

But you have to create them in the first place.

"When we're thinking about the spaces we have for students on our campus, we have to be purposeful with that idea of place," Behnke said. "People might want to go boating, for example, but they won't do that if there isn't a ramp to launch from. Another group of people might want to go on a hike, but someone has to carve out that trail.

"We have to create those opportunities and show students that even in the outdoors, they have a spot that will support their mental health and sense of belonging."

New outdoor space provides rest and relaxation between Justin and Bluemont halls

Thanks to a collaboration between Behnke in the College of Health and Human Sciences and Dean Debbie Mercer in the College of Education, students now have that opportunity to love a spot full well outdoors on K‑State's campus.

The two deans developed the idea to transform an overlooked strip of shaded green space, and with Wildcat support — including from K-State's campus restoration initiative and donors Carl and Mary Ice and Steve and Cathy Lacy — the transformation is now almost complete.

"We have such a great asset in the green spaces we have around K‑State, but we've only recently emphasized how we can best use those spaces for students," Mercer said. "It's been a big piece of the Campus Master Plan, and as we've applied it to the area around Bluemont Hall, we've seen students appreciate and use these spaces to their best potential."

Most of the construction work recently wrapped up, and the newly renovated outdoor space now features a graveled picnic terrace with three tables, as well as several posts to hang up to 10 hammocks.

"I see this space as a place that will be a living part of campus," Mercer said. "We'll have students coming through, spending maybe just a half hour at the picnic tables for lunch or maybe even an entire morning or afternoon studying, or just enjoying campus. It'll be just another spot to love full well at K‑State."

Students will be able to check out hammocks and blankets to use in the outdoor space at the front desks of Bluemont and Justin halls.

Later in the spring, the outdoor space will also include a limestone "selfie chair" to encourage people to enjoy the space and highlight K‑State's outdoor beauty.

"People will remember sitting on the hammocks, hanging out with friends, studying for a final," Behnke said. "As long as it’s used — even if it’s just five students — something meaningful can happen. Maybe someone has a eureka moment, meets their significant other or just feels at home.

"It's a space for students, and when we invest in that kind of environment, we're fostering a stronger sense of community and belonging for everyone."

Campus projects are transforming Lover's Lane

The new outdoor space is just another chapter in the past few years of renovations to the buildings and grounds north of the campus's Lover's Lane.

Bluemont Hall recently completed an extensive renovation of the building that "created a front door" for the College of Education and opened up the formerly closed-off tower of a building with plenty of windows.

A new "story walk," or decorative signs, along the sidewalk K‑State's history as a leader in developing the next generation of Kansas educators.

Justin Hall renovations are also underway to revamp applied learning labs for the college and update several pieces of outdated infrastructure, as part of K‑State's Campus Restoration Act funding.

Kickoff for new outdoor study and relaxation space is Tuesday

The K‑State community is invited to a kickoff bash for the new space, 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, between Bluemont and Justin halls.

Students will have the opportunity to check out and use the space's hammocks, blankets and picnic areas.

Free Kona Ice snow cones, treats from the student-operated Lacy’s Fresh Fare and Catering and K‑State Day of Giving swag will be available.