K-State's Call Hall has new flavor of ice cream. Here's the romantic backstory

Jason Alatidd, Topeka Capital-Journal

When Kansas State University president Richard Linton visited Topeka to talk to lawmakers about K-State's economic impact, he brought with him Call Hall ice cream.

Among the individually portioned tubs of ice cream was a new flavor: cherry choco crunch.

Legislators, or at least those on the House Appropriations Committee, knew of the new flavor and its romantic backstory thanks to a previous hearing where Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, asked about it.

Kansas State University president Richard Linton, left, offers Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson, right, a sample of the new Call Hall Ice Cream flavor, 'Cherry Choco Crunch', Wednesday at the Statehouse.
Kansas State University president Richard Linton, left, offers Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson, right, a sample of the new Call Hall Ice Cream flavor, 'Cherry Choco Crunch', Wednesday at the Statehouse.

"I hear that one of those ice cream flavors has a romantic twist to it," Estes said at that Feb. 15 meeting, the day after Valentine's Day. "It might be the flavor you first had with your wife?"

"Yes there is a new ice cream," Linton said. "It's the president's flavor at Kansas State University. It's a white vanilla base with really great chocolate chunks – crispy, crunchy chocolate chunks – and Michigan style cherries. Those are my favorite components in a flavor of ice cream. And yes, I did put a ring in cherry Garcia ice cream some 25 years ago for my wife. I'm just thankful that she didn't choke."

The newest flavor of Call Hall Ice Cream has special meaning for president of Kansas State, Richard Linton, as he holds up a sample Wednesday at the Statehouse. "It's a white vanilla base with really great chocolate chunks - crispy, crunchy cholocate chunks - and Michigan-style cherries. Those are my favarote components in a flavor of ice cream," Linton said.

He previously had a similar dean's flavor of ice cream when he was an administrator at North Carolina State University.

Linton previously revealed the new ice cream flavor in an episode of a podcast from the K-State Alumni Association, "The Scoop on K-State." He said the Call Hall team spent months working on it.

Call Hall is known for its dairy bar that sells ice cream, among other retail goods. The milk in the ice cream comes from cows in K-State's dairy program.

Along with the tubs of ice cream, K-State officials handed out ice cream scoops with an attached note with a QR code and the message "scan to get the scoop on K-State's impact." The university was touting a new report estimating K-State's annual economic impact at $2.3 billion.

More: K-State president says university is 'smart investment' for Kansas. A new report shows why

Samples of the newest Call Hall Ice Cream flavor, 'Cherry Choco Crunch', are offered for those visiting the Kansas Statehouse Wednesday for Kansas State Day of Impact.
Samples of the newest Call Hall Ice Cream flavor, 'Cherry Choco Crunch', are offered for those visiting the Kansas Statehouse Wednesday for Kansas State Day of Impact.

Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: K-State shares new Call Hall ice cream flavor with Kansas lawmakers

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