Manhattan Mercury

https://themercury.com/ I was a summer intern at the Mercury in 2024. I wrote for both the daily newspaper and the annual Guide to the Flint Hills magazine. I brainstormed feature articles, coordinated with editors, set up and conducted interviews, wrote copy and recieved feedback to improve drafts. I took photos to accompany my writing, and designed newspaper pages for the print edition.

articles

RED RANCH — The Symphony in the Flint Hills treats the area to beautiful music and art every summer.
Construction on Aggieville’s Midtown project remains at a standstill more than a year after it stalled, and the developer said he expects it to serve a different purpose than its original intention.
Claude “Butch” Harmon Jr. — the semi-retired professional golf instructor who trained legends like Tiger Woods — visited Manhattan for the first time this week.
After 41 years of business in Manhattan, Furniture Warehouse plans to close for good.
It’s often said we must live our lives to the fullest. Christopher Sorensen certainly does.
The Riley County Genealogical Society on Saturday installed the first of 10 planned historical markers on Linear Trail.

Photography

all photos were taken by Cole Bertelsen and used in the Manhattan Mercury newspaper or Flint Hills guide magazine
K-State rodeo team member Jade Chambers ropes a calf during breakaway roping practice. The team's next rodeo in Manhattan will be held in fall 2024.
K-State Rodeo team member Abby Muck practices her breakaway roping while others wait for their turn. They practice in Burtis Arena, near the future location of the Bilbrey Family Event Center.
The Symphony in the Flint Hills offered covered wagon rides for attendees looking to take in the scenery in an old-fashioned way. The event was held June 8, 2024.
Guest artist Katharine McPhee performs alongside the Kansas City Symphony at the Symphony in the Flint Hills in Greenwood County, Kansas.
Actress and singer sings for the crowd, accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony. The Symphony in the Flint Hills is held every year somewhere in the region.
About 6,500 attendees clap as the Kansas City Symphony nears the end of its performance on June 8, 2024.
Symphony attendees are moved by Katharine McPhee's first performance of the evening. Roughly 6,500 people attended the Symphony in the Flint Hills in 2024.
Two Powow dancers perform the grass dance, a tradition that originates from tribes on the Northern Great Plains, during the Symphony in the Flint Hills.
Hays is home to the Sternberg Musuem of Natural History, located at 3000 Sternberg Drive. It is full of fossils and plant and animal specimens, and in 2024 celebrated its 25th year open.
Christopher Sorensen sits in his home office with Charlie, one of his three dogs, in his lap and another, Layla, on the floor in the corner. Sorensen retired as a K-State professor in 2022 but still teaches astronomy.