the
SUN FLOWER
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016
VOLUME 120, ISSUE 47
Phi Delta Theta hosts memorial benefit to honor brother | PAGE 3
THESUNFLOWER.COM
WATC merger to pose obstacles, benefits for both sides CHANCE SWAIM
REPORTER
@chanceswaim1
Wichita State and Wichita Area Technical College are talking about the possibilities of a new merger. Senate Bill 451, introduced earlier this month, would allow WATC to become the Wichita State School of Technology and Applied Science. The merger would open new fields of study for technical college
students and give WSU students access to more equipment and facilities, along with hands-on learning experiences. “If this merger occurs, it’s a true merger,” said Wichita State President John Bardo. “Everything they own, we own, and they will have access to things here that they don’t currently have access to.” Sheree Utash, president of WATC, said a merger could
significantly increase the ability of both institutions to provide skilled employees for the Kansas workforce. “Combining our assets would offer this region and state an even greater catalyst for economic growth,” Utash said. “We are enthused about the possibilities of creating an open-access college within the university that is dedicated to career and technical
Saying goodbye
education and providing rapid responses to the evolving needs of industry.” However, the merger won’t happen overnight. “The rest of this academic year and then probably up until March or April of next year, we will probably be in a study of all the various issues involved,” Bardo said. Bardo said a commission of
faculty members is assessing the possible issues in the merger, such as general education courses. “I think we know the questions now — I don’t think we have the answers yet,” Bardo said. One of the major issues that will have to be addressed is general education courses, Bardo said.
SEE MERGER • PAGE 3
Wichita State reacts to Hesston shooting A mass-shooting spree left four killed, including the shooter, and 14 others injured Thursday at Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas. Authorities first responded to reports of a man firing shots out his vehicle around 5 p.m. in Newton. Shortly after that, the shooter continued north to Excel,
“It’s a little scary, but it can happen anywhere. You can’t just live life scared.”
a lawn-mowing manufacturer, where the shooter opened fire inside the building. The shooter, identified as Cedric Ford, 38, was an employee of Excel and resident of Newton. Harvey County Sherriff T. Walton said the first officer on the scene entered Excel and took down the shooter, saving many lives. “It’s shocking. You don’t expect it to happen so close to home.”
MISTY WEISS
HOANG VO
“It’s just the first one in a while and unfortunately, I don’t think it’ll be the last one.”
“It’s kind of coinciding with a nationwide increase in shootings.”
WSU sophomore
CRAIG LINDEMAN Director of Creative Services
WSU junior
WYATT COBB WSU freshman
“[The shooting in Hesston] is very interesting considering the university will allow concealed carry in 2017. It makes me nervous to be in this state because these things can and do happen anywhere. The university and lawmakers should really look at what the consequences of our actions could be.”
TRAVIS EDWARDS
WSU senior
“I was kind of surprised that something could happen in such a small town. It’s such a close-knit community, you wouldn’t think things like that would happen here.” BRYCE NEFF WSU junior
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
“I was shocked like anyone would be — hoping everyone was OK. All you can do is pray for the families of the people involved.”
Senior Ron Baker and coach Gregg Marshall share a moment Saturday at Charles Koch Arena after the Shockers defeated Illinois State 74-58 on Senior Day. Baker was one of five seniors honored in a celebration Saturday.
KYLE SMITH
Seniors raise trophy, jerseys in emotional farewell
“I wasn’t encouraged by it. It’s sad to see people … that one person can affect so many people in such a negative way. I hate to see that.”
EVAN PFLUGRADT
SPORTS EDITOR @evpflu
E
very story has an end, but none in Koch Arena were ready to open the final chapter as five Wichita State seniors said their final farewells. Fans, players and coaches cried and celebrated as Ron
Baker, Fred VanVleet, Evan Wessel, Anton Grady and Tom “Bush” Wamukota raised their jerseys in the air. A heartwarming final applause filled the stadium, honoring a cherished moment the seniors practiced for. “There’s so much work we’ve put in and this is the best part
about it,” VanVleet said. “Some of those practice days suck. Sometimes you’re miserable going to practice, going to weights, but when you get to experience a day like today, it all pays off. It all makes sense.”
SEE SENIORS • PAGE 4
WSU junior
NOLAN BERNING WSU junior
“It’s unfortunate, and I wish there could be something that could be done.” NICHOLE VARNER WSU senior
— Compiled by Sunflower staff
Monk-Morgan to discuss being the ‘only one in the room’ Monday CHANCE SWAIM
REPORTER
@chanceswaim1
As a black woman working in math and science on a college campus, Kaye Monk-Morgan said she often is “the only one in the room.” With her race, gender, degree, background in science, place of birth, or any number of identifiers, Monk-Morgan often has one or more things that set her apart, no matter what room she steps into. Sometimes, she’s in a room full of people with doctorates. She may be the only woman, the only person of color, the only one without a doctorate or the only one without white or gray hair. Monk-Morgan serves as the program director for Wichita State’s Upward Bound Math and Science Center. She holds two degrees from Wichita State — a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in public administration. Monk-Morgan will lead a discussion Monday to help students
navigate situations in which they are the only one in the room of a certain age, race or gender. The discussion, co-sponsored by the Black Student Union and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is titled “The Only One in the Room,” and will run from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday in Room 142 of the Rhatigan Student Center. “We’ll start by talking about how you get an invite to the room in the first place,” Monk-Morgan said. “Depending on what the room looks like, what is the work one does putting together a personal brand that garners an invitation into that space? We’ll also discuss what a person’s obligations are in that space once they get there. We’ll talk about the cost.” Monk-Morgan often gets asked to answer questions as a representative of her group at-large, whether that be women, people of color or first-generation college students. “You feel as though you have to speak on behalf of the millions of people who don’t have [a] voice in
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Kaye Monk-Morgan, program director of Wichita State’s Upward Bound Math and Science Center, will speak about how to navigate situations in which you are the only one in the room from age, race or gender at 7 p.m. Monday in Room 142 of the Rhatigan Student Center.
that setting,” Monk-Morgan said. “That can be daunting. I know what my opinions are, but my opinions may or may not be reflective of 98 percent of every-
body else.” Part of the discussion will address how to engage people in discussion who come from different backgrounds and perspec-
tives without re-enforcing stereotypes. “The question becomes how we do so without a chip and without provoking people to say, ‘Aha! I knew you were going to be like this,’” she said. Monk-Morgan said being the only one in the room of a certain background can be a strength or a weakness, depending on how a person deals with the situation. “It can be any number of things that set you apart,” Monk-Morgan said. “That can be either a bonus for you, or it can be a detractor for you, depending on how you approach it with that particular group.” “I’ll talk about how to hold your own and hold a level of confidence to be able to speak in a space, and certainly not from the sense of being an expert, because this is a living, breathing experience,” Monk-Morgan said. “Hopefully it will enable people to be more confident going into these situations.”
THE STAFF:
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Shelby Reynolds Managing Editor Danielle Prewitt Multimedia Editor Jessica Green Sports Editor Evan Pflugradt Opinion Editor Alex Perry Special Sections Editor Chandler Ochoa Production Editor Jillian Clough Social Media Manager Chelsea Moore
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Advertising Manager Jordan Becker Advertising Representatives Emily Maslow Landen Swearingen
BUSINESS / ADVISING Business Manager Robbie Norton Faculty Adviser Jessica Bertapelle
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
PAGE 2 | OPINION
STAFF EDITORIAL
Seniors, thanks for the ride There were few dry eyes Saturday in Charles Koch Arena. Shocker Nation said goodbye to five seniors at the end of the men’s basketball team’s final home game, a revengeful victory over Illinois State, 74-58. While fans welcomed Tom “Bush” Wamukota and Anton Grady with open arms, it was the trio of Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Evan Wessel that put lumps in our throats and tears in our eyes. These seniors helped put the WSU basketball program — and Wichita, perhaps — on the map. “Shockers” became a household name in 2013 when the team made a historic run to Atlanta in the NCAA Tournament. Since then, they’ve reached a record-breaking 35-1 season and toppled big-name teams — including our neighbors to the north, the University of Kansas Jayhawks. They’ve also succeeded off the court; each has racked up numerous accolades and honors, broken school and national records and performed well in academics. Beyond the records and awards, though, these are three, inspiring men who serve as role models to the country’s youth.
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
The five seniors hoist their jerseys Saturday during a celebration with family on the court of Charles Koch Arena.
Each represents the hard-working, nitty-gritty attitude that is the make-up of Wichita, Kansas. The team recently visited National Guard soliders who were headed oversees, and welcomed a group of kids from the Wichita Children’s Home to
‘Designing’ babies same as playing God Celebrity Chrissy Teigen recently revealed she was COLUMN BY pregnant VICTORIA with her HENDRICKS first child with husband John Legend. Even more recently, she told the public that she chose to have a girl, according to CNN. Read that again. She chose to have a girl. You’d think this means she ate a lot of acidic foods (an old wives’ tale says if you eat foods high in acid you’ll conceive a female baby) and other fun rituals. But no, there is actually a way for a couple to choose the sex of their fetus. They can even “pick” out which eye and hair color it will have — it’s like they’re shopping in a department store. It’s really amazing. Medicine and science has come such a long way from using sticks as scalpels. Teigen got pregnant via IVF (in vitro fertilization), which is an alternative for couples struggling to have a baby the natural way. Medicine and science are advancing rapidly every day and give people opportunities for healthier, longer lives, which I support 100 percent. However, I think we have to be careful about genetic manipulation, also known as “designer babies.” Of course, it is Teigen’s right to have a girl if she chooses. Sexes
were presented to her in a petri dish, and they mutually chose to have a baby girl. What I don’t agree with is changing the eye color, hair color and other natural things that develop as a baby grows and matures in the womb. In other words, we have to be careful not to play God. I don’t know about you, but if my mother had told me that she designed me a certain way, I’d feel, in a way, sad. I have brown hair and brown eyes. It has taken me a long time to love those features. I also have a broad nose and full lips. My earlobes are detached and my forehead is about four fingers “tall,” and my mother loves me for who I am. So let’s say a mother really likes the look of dark hair and fair eyes, but her baby is naturally born with light hair and blue eyes. Would this be a disappointment, especially if she found out afterward of the idea of manipulation? What if, as the child grew, it felt “different,” like it was supposed to look another way? There are many implications to this science that need to be asked, investigated and scrutinized. I support just about any measure taken to insure the health and life of a fetus, but I don’t know how I feel about changing the physical characteristics of a baby just so it can look like your favorite handbag. Let’s not get carried away. Let’s let our babies be who they may.
a practice. The seniors will leave a lasting impact on the university, on Wichita and college basketball in general. They’ve taken Shocker fans on a thrilling ride, sharing many ups and downs. Their reign has coincided with changes on campus, ushering in
a new era at WSU in terms of exposure and success. The Sunflower staff salutes the five seniors for their contributions to the program, and VanVleet, Baker and Wessel for sticking with us and raising the standards. — Sunflower Editorial Board
LETTER to the EDITOR
On the Hesston shooting I was recently asked my opinion of the shooting in Hesston, Kansas, and I gave a summary of my fears for the future of Wichita State. I think it is important to have this debate about the changing of school policy on open carry on campus, but I think there are other concerns that we are missing. I think the real problem is the lack of responsibility by our legislation in the state of Kansas. Governor Sam Brownback has repeatedly cut funding to social safety nets, such has our mental health professions, education, and other public services. The decrease in state funding for mental health programs leaves an increase in poverty-stricken people without access to the services that they need. This causes an increase in desperation in our population, and it is common knowledge that desperate people lead to desperate actions. If people cannot get access to the help they need, then they will turn to other means of meeting their needs no matter how illogical it may be. This lack of access to mental health care and education
combined with the easy access to firearms can create a potential powder keg in our society. If we take away help from people in need, we create a desperate situation. When forced into a corner, desperate people will act out. The question to ask yourself is, “Is our legislation creating a safer society or are they putting us in potential danger and leaving it up to civilians to police ourselves? Is the lack of social services and a higher access the violent weapons really the direction we want our society to go?” To be honest I think this is a dangerous combination with the potential to lead to more violence that could be stopped if people had access to the services that could help them and prevent horrible events like the one that occurred the other day. This could be just the starting of a series of more senseless violent acts, which is the product of the irresponsible and short-sighted decisions of our legislation, the people we elected that are supposed to have our society’s well-being in mind at all times. — Travis Edwards, WSU senior
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Last June, Donald Trump launched his “Make America COLUMN BY Great Again” ANDREW campaign. LINNABARY Who would have predicted he’d be leading the Republican nomination today? Here are some remarks from this “great American.” “Jeb Bush likes illegals because of his wife,” Trump tweeted on July 4, 2015. Trump later deleted the post. “Thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering,” Trump said at an Alabama rally in November, referring to the 9/11 attacks, later saying to ABC that the thousands he referred to were Muslims. No media outlet has been able to uncover any report confirming Trump’s claim. “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot people and I wouldn’t lose voters,”
Trump said at a rally in Iowa. That’s such a ridiculous statement, but I am prone to believe him. If none of the absurd things Trump has said and done have swayed his supporters yet, why would this? These quotes merely scratch the surface. It’s troubling to think such a pompous man could rally up such support. Trump was met with laughter when he entered the race. How have we not booed him off the stage? Maybe those Hitler comparisons on Twitter and Facebook aren’t too far off the mark. In the ‘90s, Trump confirmed to Vanity Fair that he had a copy of Hitler’s “My New Order” in a bedside cabinet. On Sunday, Trump retweeted a Mussolini quote, “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he was unaware it was a Mussolini quote. When asked if he wanted to be associated with Mussolini, he said he wanted to be associated with good quotes. One could argue that Trump is merely interested in the subject of
fascism, but it seems more alarming when you take into account Trump’s claims to round up every Mexican immigrant and build a wall between the United States and Mexico, or his claim for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.” Not to mention the crazy propaganda song performed by the “Freedom Girls” at a Pensacola rally last month. If you haven’t seen that, you should Youtube it. It is equally entertaining as it is disturbing. Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has persistently criticized Trump, and on Friday said that Trump reminds him of Hitler. Last month, Anne Frank’s stepsister accused Trump of “acting like another Hitler.” No, Trump does not seem as evil as Hitler, but there are many parallels. He says anything that will get him a headline and media coverage, and what’s disheartening is how much support his ideas
receive. Trump’s claims and ideas are also damaging to our relations with other countries. In response to Trump’s call for a ban on all Muslims, a statement from Dar al-Ifta, the Egyptian’s official religious body, called Trump’s remarks “hate rhetoric.” A translated tweet from French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, “Mr. Trump, like others, stokes hatred: our ONLY enemy is radical Islamism.” Trump says he’ll make America great again. What’s wrong with the way it is? It is unlikely anyone will be 100 percent happy with every last law, standard or person in our country. We’re not all wired the same, and we will not all get along. It is one thing to respectfully disagree, and it is another to be intolerant. Trump rallies around elitism and narrow-mindedness. Trump is entertaining. That is undeniable, but does that make him qualified to be president? At the rate we’re going, Kanye West’s 2020 presidential bid could be taken seriously.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
PAGE 3 | NEWS
Phi Delta Theta collects funds for brother lost to ALS GRANT COHEN
REPORTER
@gforce4preach
Photo by Samual Genilo
Michael Bermes, a U.S. Army veteran and social worker, provides a seminar Thursday on how student veterans perform in class after serving in the military.
Army veteran leads seminar on challenges of student veterans MADELINE DEABLER
REPORTER
@sunflowernews
United States military veterans face a variety of problems after returning from serving abroad, and one of those challenges is going back to school. Michael Bermes, a U.S. Army veteran and a social worker, gave a seminar to student veterans and faculty Thursday at Wichita State. “He’s been a professor, he’s been in the army, retiring after 21 years, and then he went back and received his Ph.D. in administration and social work,” said Brian Bolin, director of the School of Social Work, which hosted the seminar. “He’s a clinically licensed social worker, so it is pretty apparent that he has a really impressive résumé.” Bermes said some of the biggest battles veterans face after miliary service include depression, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), mTBI (mild traumatic brain injury) and if they then decide to go to college, their GPAs. He said the transition to college can be one of the most difficult times for a soldier, and some veterans drop out without proper support. “He was talking about coming to campus and how alienating it is,” veteran junior Cody Herrin said. “That hit me really hard because when I came here in 2012, there were no groups here to connect with, so I almost dropped out. Then, I ran into another Marine, and we opened the Military and Veterans Student Center here in 2013.” Bermes said teachers and faculty could better help and challenge student veterans. “As professors and faculty, we need to
take the lead in understanding our population, and we need to set the example and be role models,” he said. “We need to be accessible to not only our veteran students but to all of our students.” During and after the seminar, many student veterans in the audience shared their opinions, experiences and stories. “He’s a great speaker, and it was a good way to bring it to a wider audience of what some of the needs of our student veterans are,” said Sarah Sell, director of Veterans Services at WSU. Though many topics were discussed during the seminar, Bermes’s own stories of helping veterans as a social worker stood out, which Bolin said was one of the main reasons he wanted Bermes to come. “We had initially thought he would be a great speaker ... because he can talk about the power of social work and professionalism as a social worker,” Bolin said. “I really wanted some of our veterans, after their service in the military, to be able to continue that service in other ways, and social work is one of those ways to help others.” Bermes said because the Military and Veteran Student Center is still new to campus, it is probably not receiving the attention it deserves, yet, and it will take action from the highest level of the university to get it the attention it deserves. “We need to stop talking about student veteran challenges, and we need to start making these things actionable,” Bermes said. “We have talked too long and there are too many generations of our veterans falling under the bridge. We can’t do that anymore, so we have to start stepping up and doing something about it.”
Wichita State’s Phi Delta Theta chapter hosted the second annual benefit for Clark Jackson on Saturday at the Museum of World Treasures in downtown Wichita. Jackson, who was an alumnus of the chapter and university, died in 2009 from ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) affects about 30,000 people in the United States, according to the ALS Association. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is responsible for two deaths per 100,000 people annually. “Last year really boosted the moral of the guys,” said Dalton Glasscock, president of Phi Delta Theta. “We were on our heels of a failed ALS golf tournament. Last year was the first Clark Jackson benefit and people saw how successful that was, and the members of the fraternity wanted to be a part of the success this year.” The event consisted of guest speakers to educate attendees about ALS, hors d’oeuvres, live jazz music and auctions to raise money for awareness of the disease. Participation in this year’s event doubled from 80 people to about 200 people this year, said Jonathan Dennill, former president ofPhi Delta Theta. “It has been an amazing turnout this year,” Dennill said. Speakers who were personally affected
MERGER FROM PAGE 1
Currently, general education credits earned at WATC transfer to Wichita State, but cost significantly less in tuition and fees. In-state tuition for general education courses at WATC is $67 per credit hour plus $31 in student fees per credit hour. This year, undergraduate in-state tuition at Wichita State is $202.70 per credit hour and $48.22 in student fees per credit hour. Bardo said the university might consider listing the technical college general education courses differently. For example, instead of English 101, a student would take English 101T. “Tuition would be less because the funding would come as part of the technical education funding,” Bardo said. “That’s going to be an area that’s going to have to be looked at very carefully.” Bardo said it will be important to maintain WATC’s open admission standards for technical college students. “We think that’s really important for them to be able to maintain that,” Bardo said. “But we don’t believe it’s appropriate to count open admission students against our retention rate, since it’s a different standard than every other regents’ institution uses. That will be an issue we’ll have to address, as well.” Another hurdle, Bardo said, will be
by the disease shared their stories and encouraged others to make a difference in raising awareness about ALS. “We have a good atmosphere going,” Dennill said. “A lot of people are learning about ALS and making a great community effort to raise funds and inform people in the Wichita community about ALS.” Shelby Verble has been involved with the Greek community and spoke at previous Phi Delta Theta events about her mother’s diagnosis with ALS. Verble said she was nervous to speak in front of a large crowd at first, but she was glad she was able to give a personal story about how the disease affects people on a daily basis. “It felt a little scarier because my family was going to be here, but it was really cool that [Phi Delta Theta] asked me to be a part of this,” Verble said. “People can look up what [ALS] does to people, but they don’t really know until they hear it from someone who has been affected by it personally.” Phi Delta Theta will host other events in support of ALS later in the year, such as the ALS Strikeout Softball Tournament and ALS week. The fraternity raised $6,500 last fall for ALS awareness, and the members are looking to build off of that success. “Last year’s events were a huge success,” Glasscock said. “This year we are looking for new and creative programs to add to those events for this year.” finding a way to integrate WATC’s faculty. “Once they become part of the university, if they have baccalaureate degrees, they’re going to have tenure-track faculty position,” Bardo said. “So instead of researching ‘Beowulf’ they may be researching how you make Marriott more cost-effective.” Bardo said this merger will be an opportunity to be able to address concerns about benefits for non-tenuretrack faculty in a systematic way. “We may use this as an opportunity to clean up some things we probably need to clean up ourselves regarding people with master’s degrees who teach here — to look at a new ranking system that we would then apply to everybody.” Bardo said he knows the merger will face difficulties, but the rewards will be worth the trouble. “It’s facilities, it’s programs, it’s meeting the needs of the people that are here—finding new ways of linking traditional fields to emerging fields,” Bardo said. “There’s a raft of opportunity here.” Before anything is decided, the bill will have to pass at the state level and gain the approval of the Kansas Board of Regents and the Higher Learning Commission. “I’m not trying to tell anybody what will be the answer,” Bardo said. “I’ve got some guesses on what might work, but that’s all they are right now. Nothing is set in stone.”
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29
PAGE 4 | SPORTS
Softball finishes 4-0 in South Alabama Invitational GRANT COHEN
REPORTER
@gforce4preach
The Shockers won all four of their games in the South Alabama Invitational this weekend, with victories over Dartmouth, South Alabama and two against Bowling Green. Wichita State started off the showcase with Dartmouth, with the Big Green striking off of a single in the first inning by Morgan Martinelli to give Dartmouth a 1-0 lead at the end of the first inning. Cacy Williams, who was hitting .107 percent heading into Friday’s game, tied the game up in the top of the fifth inning with a home run. Williams’s home run started off a six-run, fifth-inning scoring drive, with two of those runs coming from hits by Brittany Fortner and Paige Luellen. Jenni Brooks pitched the last five innings for the Shockers, striking out three batters and not allowing a run. She earned the victory. Wichita State won 6-1. Brooks pushed her record to 4-1 on the season after her five shutout innings over the Big Green. WSU faced a similar start the next day against Bowling Green. Marissa Shook’s home run put the Talons up on the board first with a 1-0 lead at the end of the second inning. Luellen’s two-run double in the top of the third inning gave the Shockers the 2-1 lead. Kelli Spring followed in the fourth inning, hitting an RBI single, followed by a Mackenzie Wright two-run single and a Fortner one-run single that gave Wichita State a 6-1 lead. After a two-run fourth inning by Bowling Green, a throwing error by the Shockers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning that cut the WSU lead 6-4. A three-run, sixth-inning solidified the victory for the Shockers, 9-4. Ashlynne Neil earned her first victory for Wichita State, pitching three shutout innings, allowing two hits. WSU turned up the heat four hours later against South Alabama. A single by Liz Broyles scored the first run of the game in the first inning, giving the Shockers a 1-0 lead. The Shockers didn’t score until the fifth inning, when Cassidy Kelsheimer hit her first solo home run of the season. Her score was followed by a Williams triple in the sixth inning. That would be enough for the Shockers, as Katie Malone pitched seven shutout innings with two strikeouts, giving Wichita State the 3-0 victory. Bowling Green came into Sunday’s matchup looking for a revenge victory that spoiled the Shockers’ flight back home to Wichita. But Wichita State made sure early they were going to come home on a high note, going on an 11-0 scoring run that forced the run rule to be applied into the fifth inning. Malone pitched four shutout innings before giving up three runs in the fifth inning. Malone struck out three batters, giving the Shockers their fourth straight victory with an 11-3 win over Bowling Green. The Shockers will travel to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Saturday for a three-game series against the University of Nebraska.
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SENIORS FROM PAGE 1
The seniors enjoyed their final moments down to the closing seconds and long after. With highlight-reel alley-oops, dunks and blocks, Wichita State defeated Illinois State 74-58, avenging their loss in Normal earlier this season. The players each took turns climbing the ladder to cut down the net in celebration of winning the MVC Tournament title. The four- and five-year seniors said they had this game circled for months; they wanted to leave the home crowd on a high-note. “It’s the last time we get to play here. There was no shortage of reasons, this one was important to us,” VanVleet said. Seniors arrived early. Baker and Wessel were spotted on the court five hours before the tip. VanVleet soon followed. From the get-go, the three raced out to a fast start against the Redbirds. In the opening minutes, Baker connected on three free throws, and moments later a steal by Baker led to transition break ending with a driving layup by VanVleet to give the Shockers a one-point advantage over the Redbirds. Two trips later, a three-pointer by Baker made the lead four; VanVleet tallied an assist. Baker hit another step-back jumper for eight points in the opening minutes. It was only enough to keep pace with the Redbirds, who connected on five of their first six shots, all three-pointers. Baker rolled into a quick rhythm offensively, but after picking up two quick fouls, Baker took a seat on the bench. He played only seven minutes in the first half. VanVleet took it as a chance for himself to lead the senior showcase. VanVleet faked a defender and stepped back for an uncontested three-pointer. Wessel then tipped the ball out of Illinois State guard Paris Lee’s hands and passed ahead to a sprinting VanVleet. VanVleet threw up what appeared to be an errant pass to Markis
Photos by Manny De Los Santos
(TOP) Head coach Gregg Marshall cuts down the net Saturday at Charles Koch Arena to celebrate the Shockers’ Missouri Valley Conference title. (ABOVE) Senior Fred VanVleet flexes his muscles Saturday during the Illinois State game.
McDuffie; McDuffie controlled it and threw it down for a one-handed slam dunk to finish off the alley-oop. “It was a terrible pass,” VanVleet said. “When I let it go, I knew for sure it was either going to hit the backboard or go out-of-bounds. Markis found a way to get it in, he made me look really good. It was probably one of my top favorite plays I’ve had.” VanVleet sent the arena into a frenzy after he connected for a long-distance three-pointer in the
midst of a 27-9 WSU run with Baker on the bench. “Throughout the game you could feel the pulse of the arena,” VanVleet said. “I made a couple of plays in a row leading up to it, as I was dribbling up it felt good, I let it go and it went in, and then the roof came off.” VanVleet followed his shot with a steal, a defensive rebound and back-to-back assists. Wichita State entered the half with a 20-point lead on the Redbirds. “It would have been hard for
any team to beat us today,” VanVleet said. “Incredible fans, and the passion we played with, it’s all really special.” He carried the same intensity into the second half. Pulling down the rebound off a missed ISU three-point jumper, VanVleet called his own number and split the defense for a layup in transition. He drew contact and finished a three-point play. After a defensive stop on the other end, VanVleet called for the ball from Conner Frankamp. VanVleet tossed up back-toback alley-oops. The first, a baseline pass finished by Rashard Kelly; the second in transition half-court offense, a two-handed slam by Shaq Morris. VanVleet finished with 16 points and handed out nine assists. Grady scored 16 and gathered five rebounds. Baker added 10 points and Wessel snagged eight rebounds and three steals. Wamukota played in the final minutes. With three minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the game, all five seniors shared the court together. It was the first time all season. In the closing minutes, Gregg Marshall pulled his seniors out one-by-one, and the crowd applauded, giving each senior a standing ovation. “They’re leaders, they’re winners, they’ve taken us all on a tremendous ride,” Marshall said. “I feel like one of the luckiest coaches to have them here. All I did was put them together.” Through hugs, cheers and an outpour of emotions the seniors were recognized in commemorative post-game celebration. “Emotions hit me pretty heavily when I lifted my jersey up,” Baker said. “Our fan base is the real deal and they appreciate greatness.” Senior Day was a fitting end to one of the final chapters of three monumental careers, but the seniors want to continue to build on their legacies and extend this book for a few more chapters. “Tonight was a special moment, I was glad to share this one with everyone,” Wessel said. “There’s been a lot of great moments, but there’s more to come.”
Offensive struggles burden Shockers in road loss NICK BEACH
REPORTER
@nickbeach1
The Shockers left Carbondale, Illinois, last weekend with confidence, having defeated Evansville for their seventh win of the season. Two days later, adversity hit once again; the winning team faced a challenging opponent in Southern Illinois. On Saturday the Shockers fell to Missouri State in Springfield, Missouri, 74-45. The Bears entered with an 11-4 record in the Missouri Valley, in a three-way tie for second-place in the conference. Missouri State stands tied with Drake and Southern Illinois, each a game behind from Northern Iowa. Rangie Bessard led the Shockers with 14 points on five made baskets. Missouri State guard Kenzie Williams led all scorers with 18 points. Bessard’s recent scoring increase has led to more consistency in Adams’s offense. But the defense has sputtered late in games, struggling sufficiently in games File photo by Manny De Los Santos
Junior Jyar Francis drives to the paint in the second quarter against Bradley Feb. 12 at Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers fell to Missouri State on Saturday in Springfield, Missouri, 74-45. Wichita State returns home to finish the regular season at 7 p.m. Thursday against Illinois State.
away from Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers were within range, down 14-10 at the end of the first quarter. The deficit continued to grow; the Bears led 28-17 at the end of the first half. Taquandra Mike finished with seven turnovers. She had no assists and shot 25 percent from the field. Mike’s offensive efforts fell short, and Jaleesa Chapel fell into foul trouble; she fouled out with 5:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. She finished with four points and a steal. With Chapel on the bench the deficit continued to grow. The Bears outscored the Shockers 46-28 in the second half. WSU returns to Koch Arena this weekend for their final series of games before preparing for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in Moline, Illinois, beginning March 13. The Shockers host Illinois State at 7 p.m. Thursday in Koch Arena. They finish the regular season at 2 p.m. Saturday against Indiana State in Koch Arena.