August 31, 2015

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the

SUN FLOWER

MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2015

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 7

Bronze-medal winning pianist performed Friday | PAGE 3

THESUNFLOWER.COM

Signs of change Limited parking causes campus-wide frustration

Photo by Celeste Thompson

New, more recognizable maps are also among the new signs found around campus.

New way-finding system hints at WSU, community history LEVI YAGER

REPORTER

@sunflowernews

Anyone walking around campus is sure to notice the new 18-feet-tall signs in front of many of the buildings. In a partnership with Gardner Design, the university brought in a new signage system that features maps, way-finding signs and building placards to help visitors, as well as students, find their way around. “The project actually started to develop when the Rhatigan Student Center was still under renovation,” said Barth Hague, associate vice president of Strategic Communications and chief marketing officer. Hague said the plans date back to 2012, the first year the RSC was under construction. After a period of planning and approval, the new signs started appearing on campus in the spring. More signs were placed over the summer and some have been placed this semester. Hague said the entire project cost $1.75 million. The money used to pay for the signs was saved spending money from 2013 that rolled over into the next year, so that tuition and fees weren’t raised in order to cover the costs. The project is split into two phases. “The first phase was an effort to cover the core of the

campus, essentially … Phase two is basically going to be the perimeter,” Hague said. With phase one nearing completion, the plan is to move on to phase two soon, Hague said. In addition to the primary two phases, signs will be placed on the new Innovation Campus as it is being built. The old brick building signs on campus will be taken down as part of the project. The design for the new signs carries intentional symbolism. “The material that these things are made out of — they’re aluminum … Aircraft are made out of aluminum,” said Bill Gardner, president and founder of Gardner Design. “And, if you take a look at these signs, they have almost just kind of a wing configuration to them.” Not only do the signs represent the aircraft industry of Wichita, but they are also reminiscent of wheat. “This wheat pattern is obviously associative to the wheat shockers and the fact that university students used to raise funds for their college education by going out to shock wheat,” Gardner said. In fact, the shapes of wheat grains on the signs are cutouts. This allows for a visual effect when sunlight shines through them during the daytime. At night, many of the signs will be lit up.

Photo by Tarun Bali

Parking at Wichita State has changed since last year. The more noticable differences are that there are merged parking lots for both students and faculty and now residents of Shocker Hall have a designated parking area on the main campus rather than at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex. SAVANNAH STEVENSON

W

REPORTER

@sunflowernews

ith the growing student body, Wichita State’s parking lots are experiencing more congestion than ever. This has caused a sizeable amount of uproar from students who depend on campus parking. A large amount of student complaints deal with difficulty finding a spot near the buildings where they have class. Sophomore Mackenzie Kane said she feels frustrated when she commutes to campus each week. “It’s a pain to spend 15 minutes or more to try to find an open parking spot,” Kane said. Lou Heldman, vice president of Strategic Communications, said the changes made this semester appropriately accommodate students when it comes to parking on campus. “Based on feedback from students and staff, we have already adjusted the shuttle system, adding another bus to the system during peak ridership hours,” Heldman said. “This year we made the green and green/yellow lots open parking as of 5 p.m. each weekday instead of 6

SEE SIGNS • PAGE 2

p.m., as it was last year.” In 2014, the university began charging $120 a year to park on campus. Previously, students did not have to pay for parking. This year, the price for permits has increased to $150. This has caused students such as sophomore Chase Sacket to express irritation toward the situation. “I don’t think parking is an issue for me,” Sacket said. “It’s pretty easy to find a spot. I do, however, disagree with making students pay $150 for a pass. I already spend thousands a semester and that just adds to the frustration.” Many students have resorted to parking at one of the off-site lots located at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex at 29th and Oliver and at 21st and Oliver. As a result, the shuttle buses are being used by a greater number of students this semester, which has caused more congestion. “The [buses] are so much more crowded,” Kane said. “In the afternoons I’ve had to wait for more than one bus because the first one that came by was already full.”

Last year’s parking permits expire Monday. How much does a parking permit cost? Cars, trucks and SUVs Full year: $150 One semester: $75 Motorcycles Full year: $60 One semester: $30 Voice your opinions on campus parking at wichita.edu/parking WATCH IT ONLINE Visit thesunflower.com to find a timelapse video of WSU parking throughout the day.

SEE PARKING • PAGE 2

Fellow students send Miss Kansas off for national crown MEGAN LOOPER

REPORTER

@sunflowernews

For the business major who grew up thinking a pageant competitor was something she would never be, and for the girl who said she never cries, the tears came spilling out Friday afternoon. Sophomore Hannah Wagner is on her way to battle for the Miss America crown. But she did not leave without first receiving some love from her family, Alpha Phi sorority sisters and fellow Wichita State students. About 50 people gathered Friday afternoon outside the Rhatigan Student Center to send her off to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where she’ll compete in the 2015 Miss America Pageant Competition. Student Government Association organized the send-off party. At the meet-and-greet, visitors mingled with Wagner, took photos and sent her on her away with their

encouraging words. Wagner was serenaded with a remix of “Isn’t She Lovely,” which was personalized for Miss Kansas. Moved to tears, Wagner gave a speech on what the university’s support has meant to her throughout her journey. One by one, her peers stood up to talk about their sisterhoods and friendships with Wagner. “The fact that Wichita State hosted a party for me, and the number of people that came out to support, means the most,” Wagner said after the party. “I know the entire student body is behind me.” Wagner said she hopes the pageant will give her a story to tell her future children. “I hope I can leave the pageant with a story that I can tell my kids in the future, and am hoping to gain pride for myself no matter what the outcome is,” she said.

SEE CROWN • PAGE 4

I know the entire student body is behind me.” HANNAH WAGNER WSU SOPHOMORE

Photo by Tarun Bali

Sophomore Hannah Wagner tears up during a send-off party Friday. Wagner will compete for Miss America next month.

E S U O H N E P O CAREE| 4R-7 P M | C ro ss Po in te B ra n c h

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August 31, 2015 by The Sunflower Newspaper - Issuu