The stories behind K-State's sayings
K-State’s history tells the story of five popular sayings, and how they came to be part of the tradition
By Tim Schrag ’12 / Photos courtesy of K-State Athletics and the Royal Purple yearbook
A phrase can say so much more than the surface message, especially in a university setting. Kansas State University has several phrases and sayings that resonate with its students, alumni and friends. These words unite K-Staters in ways few other things can beyond perhaps the color purple.
Eat ’em up, Eat ’em up, K-S-U!
Usually set to accompaniment by the K-State Marching Band, the statement “Eat ’em up, Eat ’em up, K-S-U!,” says exactly what fans hope student-athletes will do to their opponents.
The phrase is most often used by the band at football, volleyball and basketball games, but also is often found on merchandise, particularly clothing.
Searching for an origin for this phrase was not fruitful. However, because the phrase uses the term K-S-U, which did not exist until 1959 when the Kansas Legislature changed the name of the school from Kansas State College of Agriculture and Applied Science to Kansas State University of Agriculture and Applied Science, it is highly likely that it became popular sometime thereafter.
University Motto: Rule by obeying nature’s laws
This one isn’t said aloud much, but can be found on most official documents and present at all solemn events. It was developed at the same time as the university seal, which it is connected to. The phrase was adopted in 1884 along with the seal and was taken from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Originally the seal used the motto “Rule by obeying nature’s powers,” but it was changed in 1931 for an unspecified reason according to documents in the University Archives.
Every Man a Wildcat - EMAW
“Every Man a Wildcat” — it sounds like the words of a great house from the fictional Game of Thrones series. For many K-Staters, however, these words are the phrase they used to cheer on the ’Cats to victory, celebrate their university and show their school spirit.
These words adorned a banner that hung in Ahearn Field House from the press box. Many times in K-State history the Marching Band has spelled the words out in a formation. Fans young and old have used the phrase on merchandise and signs held on gamedays.
There is no clearly defined origin of the phrase. K-State Athletics states that “Every Man a Wildcat,” “traces its roots back through decades of K-State athletics history, fans are unified behind the rallying cry, declaring they are all part of the Wildcat nation.”
One of the earliest documented mentions of the phrase is an Oct. 29, 1948, ad in the Manhattan Mercury from Watson Automotive and Crosley Dealer that states: “Every Man A Wildcat!! Give M.U. Your Claws! We are Behind You 100%”
The origins of the phrase are likely older. Jeff Morris ’80, vice president for communications and marketing, suggested the phrase dates back to 1915 and then-football coach John “Chief” Bender, who was first to call a K-State team Wildcats.
“When guys would have a good performance, they would be given a nickname. And it was a feline or cat related name. So basically, what the phrase ‘Every Man a Wildcat’ meant was that we want everybody to do something that lets them earn a nickname to be one of the Wildcats,” Morris said.
On Sept. 28, 1967, Gov. Robert Docking donned a purple sport coat and declared the day to be “Every Man A Wildcat Day,” while visiting campus.
The slogan would fade out of popularity and usage starting in the ’70s. The phrase resurfaced in 2009 when a University of Kansas billboard along Interstate 70 was vandalized with the letters “EMAW” in purple paint. This introduced an abbreviated version of the phrase which is used primarily on social media. That same year, Beth Mendenhall ’11, argued in an opinion column in the Kansas State Collegian the phrase was not inclusive and should be changed, suggesting “Every Person a Wildcat” or “EPAW” for short. The column garnered national attention, but did not kill or change the phrase.
Since the phrase’s resurgence, K-Staters have used it to varying degrees, mostly on social media.
Purple Pride
When Vince Gibson was brought to K-State to coach the football team he brought a culture change and with that came a catchphrase, “Purple Pride.” The late coach who led the ’Cats from 1967-1974 was responsible for ushering in an era of embracing the color purple.
A 1967 issue of Sports Illustrated narrates the phenomenon best, “The sign Gibson likes best is just plain ‘Pride.’ He put it in foot-high letters over the practice field and he had hundreds of buttons made. ‘They didn’t have prahd,’ he says. ‘Not the team, not kids, not alums, not anyone. How could they aftah what they had been through? Ah jes tole ’em alla time — have prahd and we gonna win some games.’” The magazine quoted him phonetically.
The phrase is still in use today often in marketing and promotional purposes.
“There’s pride in the university, but it’s the humble pride of the Midwest,” Morris said. “It’s the work ethic, but it’s also that we don’t have anything to apologize for that we’re proud of our land-grant heritage.”
Go ’Cats!
This one comes in many forms — Let’s go Wildcats!, Go ’Cats! among others, but it’s been in use as long as the university has used the mascot. It’s likely the most common phrase among K-Staters. People use it as a greeting, a rally cry, a cheer and, some, most notably Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association, as a way to conclude a message.
Note: This article originally appeared in the winter 2019 issue of K-Stater magazine.