The Sunflower v. 123 i. 12

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2018 • VOL. 123, ISS. 12

THESUNFLOWER.COM

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

Annual security report shows rise in weapons arrests, burglaries, dating violence, alcohol violations at WSU

BY JENNA FARHAT

Weapons-related arrests, burglaries, dating violence, and disciplinary referrals for alcohol all increased significantly on Wichita State’s campus last year, according to the university’s annual security and fire safety report.

Weapons-related arrests rose from none in 2016 to three in 2017 — the same year that the concealed carry of firearms at Kansas universities became legal.

Burglaries rose for the second year in a row. 2017 saw 15 burglaries — up from 10 in 2016 and six in

2015. Fourteen of the 15 burglaries in the 2017 report happened on campus, and one on adjacent non-campus property.

While the number of arrests for alcohol violations have remained steady at four the last two years, the number of disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations spiked from 57 to 103.

Arrests for drug abuse violations dropped sharply from 13 in 2016 to two in 2017.

Incidents of dating violence rose from one in 2016 to four in 2017, with three incidents occurring at

on-campus residence halls.

Aggravated and sexual assaults also rose slightly. Aggravated assaults rose from one in 2016 to two in 2017. Reports of nonconsensual fondling rose from two in 2016 to three in 2017. Reported rapes were down from four in 2016 to one in 2017.

Motor vehicle thefts dropped from five in 2016 to one in 2017.

Incidents of stalking dropped slightly from six in 2016 to five last year.

The ecurity report is released annually in compliance with the

Clery Act, which mandates that universities receiving federal financial aid report annual crime statistics, maintain a daily crime log, and provide “timely reports” for criminal activity that is considered an ongoing threat.

The security report includes crimes that occurred on campus, public property within and immediately adjacent to campus, and non-campus institutions related to the university’s educational purposes and frequently used by students, such as fraternity and sorority houses.

SERVING CIVIL RIGHTS

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER Galyn Vesey speaks about his participation in the Dockum Drug Store Sit-In that happened in 1958 in Wichita. The sit in was one of many that happened in protest of segregation.

60 years after Dockum sit-in, alumnus reflects on desegregating Wichita lunch counters

BY AUDREY KORTE

I

n August of 1958, Wichita youth staged a peaceful sit-in that led to the successful integration of drugstore eating counters throughout the city. The tactic was later embraced around the country and sit-ins became synonymous with the civil rights movement.

The Dockum Drug Store, which was part of the well-known Rexall drugstore chain, had nine Wichita locations. The store policy was not to allow black people to eat at the counter. Drugstore eating counters were common at that time.

Galyn Vesey, who graduated from what was known at the time as the University of Wichita in 1961, participated in the historical Dockum sit-in. He said that black working adults “would have appreciated a hot cup of coffee and a place to sit down inside while they were waiting for a bus.

But unfortunately, they would have had to get that cup of coffee and go outside and wait in the cold.”

A group of local young people, mostly high school and college students, decided to stage a non-violent

protest of the segregated eating establishments all over the city.

Most participants were members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Wichita youth group. Though the Wichita NAACP adult members supported the youth, the national chapter did not sanction the sit-in.

“IF WE WERE CALLED NAMES, IF WE WERE HIT OR SPAT ON, WE WEREN’T TO FIGHT BACK. WE KNEW IF THE POLICE SHOWED UP WE’D BE THE FIRST TO BE ARRESTED. ” ­—GAYLYN VESEY

The Dockum sit-in began in late July 1958 and ended the second week in August.

“We think of sit-ins now as kind of perfunctory,” said Mark McCormick, director of strategic communications for the ACLU of Kansas. “At the time, though, the NAACP national

organization did not sanction the sit-in.

They thought that these were kids and that these situations could explode into violence. The idea of it made them too nervous to endorse it, so they did not.”

Vesey said that while the goal of the sit-in was to disrupt business until they were served, it was important to them to remain respectful.

“By the time we would get there, there would be white patrons scattered around the counter. Our strategy was, as soon as there was a vacant stool to scoot in there and get that stool. We didn’t want to push anybody or get in a fight to accomplish what we were there for,” Vesey said.

The group spent weeks practicing for the sit-in — working mostly out of the basement of St. Peter Claver Church.

“It took more time to plan the activity than it did from the start to the middle to the end. It was almost mind-boggling how soon it was over,” Vesey said.

The practice they did for the sit-in also may have kept them out of jail.

“If we were called names, if we were hit or spat on, we weren’t to fight back,” Vesey said. “We knew if the police showed up we’d be the first to be arrested. It was just going to be that way.”

The Dockum group didn’t have the luxury of assuming they would escape from the sit-in unscathed. Vesey recalled that recent events were fresh in their minds leading up the sit-in.

SEE DOCKUM PAGE 3

CRIMES THAT DECREASED

2016

2017

Motor vehicle theft

5

1

Drug violations: Disciplinary referrels 20 Arrests 13

8 2

Stalking 6 5 Arson 1 0

CRIMES THAT INCREASED

2016

2017

Weapons-related arrests

0

3

Burglary 10 15 Alcohol violations: disciplinary referrels

57

103

Sexual assault

2

3

Aggravated assault

1

2

Dating violence

1

4

Trump to rally in Topeka on behalf of Kobach

BY MATTHEW KELLY

President Donald Trump will visit Kansas this week to rally in support of Republican gubernatorial nominee Kris Kobach, according to a press release from the Kobach campaign.

Trump will rally at the Kansas Expocentre in Topeka Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Kobach, an outspoken advocate for stricter voter ID laws, was an early ally for the president — serving on his now defunct commission on voter fraud.

“It has been a great privilege to work with President Trump’s administration as a transition team member and informal adviser, and I look forward to working with him closely when I am Governor of Kansas,” Kobach said in the release.

Kobach, the secretary of state, is currently locked in a tight race with Democrat Laura Kelly.

Donald Trump Jr. twice visited the Sunflower State to rally support for Kobach during the primary, and a last-minute tweet endorsement from the president is credited with securing Kobach’s historically slim victory over sitting Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop coming to Innovation Campus next summer

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop is coming to campus next summer.

The taco chain announced Thursday plans to open a restaurant in Braeburn Square, the new retail complex near the 21st and Oliver corner of campus.

“Braeburn Square is going to be a great location for Fuzzy’s and I think WSU folks are going to be happy with our food and fun atmosphere,” Fuzzy’s franchisee Trace Welch said in a news release. “The developers and university have planned Braeburn Square as a great destination, with one of the best patio spaces I’ve seen anywhere.”

The restaurant will be about 4,200 square feet inside, with bar and table seating, and seating room for about 180 people. It will be located next to the Shocker Store, which opened Friday.

Fuzzy’s is expected to open in early summer 2019.

INSIDE

‘BAD KANSAS’

FALL BALL DOMINATION

LONG WAY FROM HOME

Board of Trustees members should disclose their conflicts of interest.

Kansas author’s stories are culturally aware and funny as hell.

Shocker softball is 4-1 to start their fall schedule.

Italian native Georgia Civita steps into leadership role for Shocker volleyball.

NEWS • PAGE 2

CULTURE • PAGE 3

SPORTS • PAGE 4

SPORTS • PAGE 4

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

OPINION

2 | MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2018

www.thesunflower.com

THE STAFF EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Matthew Kelly Digital Managing Editor Andrew Linnabary Visual Managing Editor Madeline Deabler News Editor Jenna Farhat Culture Editor John Darr Sports Editor Evan Pflugradt Photo Editor Selena Favela Sports Photo Editor Joseph Barringhaus

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ADVISING

Faculty Adviser Amy DeVault

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First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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The WSU Board of Trustees should be required to disclose conflicts of interest The Wichita State Board of Trustees is missing out on an opportunity to prove their commitment to transparency by not requiring board members to disclose their conflicts of interest. It’s the wrong attitude for a board in charge of public money to choose secrecy over transparency when given an option between the two.

A university audit released last year recommends that the Board of Trustees, which is responsible for spending more than $8 million of public money from a local mill levy tax this fiscal year, adopt a conflict of interest policy “similar to the one in place for the University.”

WSU requires faculty and unclassified staff to file conflict of interest disclosure forms annually.

“Potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed for Board of Trustee members, as well as members of their immediate families and should address consulting arrangements, significant financial or managerial interests (holdings greater than $5,000 or 5 percent), or employment by an outside entity,” the audit reads.

As Executive Director of the Board of Trustees Andy Schlapp was quick to point out, the recommendation is not legally binding.

“You guys need to understand you are under no obligation to follow the laws of substantial

STAFF

EDITORIAL interest at the state level,” Schlapp told the Trustees during a board meeting. “Which is a good thing because it’s a pain in the butt we have to fill out annually.

“I’m always one who says we shouldn’t voluntarily follow a law you don’t have to,” Schlapp said.

That’s simply the wrong mentality to have when it comes to a public university — particularly one that has lately found itself battling the perception of secrecy.

Taxpayers deserve to know that the board is serving their interests and their interests only. The inconvenience of filing disclosures isn’t a good enough reason to keep that information from them.

After the board meeting, Schlapp said The Sunflower’s reporting on the conflict of interest policy was responsible for stoking public mistrust in the university.

“The Sunflower wrote a story about, none of these people have conflict of interest [forms], and it blew into this really big deal of, oh, look at all the secretive stuff going on,” Schlapp said. “Oh, they’re cheating and they’re stealing and all this stuff, was kind of the public perception. The reality was it was a pretty minor finding (in the audit).”

Members of the Board of Trustees are appointed by the governor and are not paid to serve.

Conflict of interest disclosure should be the standard when public money is being spent — especially at Wichita State, where it’s all the more important to maintain the integrity of the private-sector partnerships actively being sought out by the university.

Faculty Senate President Betty Smith-Campbell expressed this sentiment at last week’s senate meeting.

“I think it’s very important, even though they may not make specific decisions related to the Wichita State [Innovation] Alliance, some of the funds do transfer over there, and there’s for-profits and things going on,” Smith-Campbell said. “So I really think it’s important that they have conflict of interest statements.”

In this case, following the letter of the law isn’t enough.

Establishing a culture of transparency at WSU means taking active steps to combat secrecy.

Schlapp also acknowledged the importance of operating in the open.

“There is a need from a transparency and openness standpoint to let people know that you’re not making decisions that have conflicts,” Schlapp told the board members.

Requiring Trustees to disclose their conflicts of interest is the solution. Even if it is a pain in the butt.

Robinson: Kavanaugh confirmation process sets damning partisan precedent Judge Brett Kavanaugh should be confirmed to the United States Supreme Court if the FBI’s condensed investigation uncovers no new, significant evidence this week that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted women.

Over the last three months, Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court has sent Washington D.C. into a whirlwind.

The confirmation of Kavanaugh would tip the power of the highest court in the land to a 5-4 vote count in favor of conservative judges over liberal judges.

Within thirty minutes of the announcement of Kavanaugh’s nomination in early July, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged that he would “oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination with everything I have.”

Many Democratic senators followed Schumer’s lead and immediately announced their opposition to the nomination. The same night that Kavanaugh was nominated to the

court, Sen. Bernie Sanders held an anti-Kavanaugh rally at the steps of the Supreme Court, with members of the crowd holding “Stop Kavanaugh” signs.

During the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings over the last two weeks, Kavanaugh was questioned thoroughly by both Republican and Democratic senators about legal issues and policies. At the very start of the Kavanaugh hearing, Democratic senators demanded that the committee suspend to review and receive more documents on Kavanaugh.

Finally, the long days of the Kavanaugh hearings were over, and the senators on the Senate Judiciary Committee were ready to vote the nomination into the full Senate floor for a vote.

The week that the vote was suppose to take place, Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault

by Stanford University professor Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.

Immediately, Kavanaugh denied

DRAKE ROBINSON COLUMNIST

any sexual misconduct.

It has been revealed now that Sen. Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, had knowledge of the Ford accusation in the form of a letter her staff received in late August — 20 days before the allegation was leaked.

Ford stated in the letter that she wanted to remain anonymous in her accusation. Feinstein’s office is accused of leaking the accusation.

Even before the accusation was leaked, Feinstein’s office recommended lawyers for Dr. Ford.

Right before Ford and Kavanaugh publicy testified before the Senate, more sexual misconduct allegations against Kavanaugh surfaced from two other women.

Kavanaugh has denied all allegations.

Right now, we are at a he said, she said position after Kavanaugh and Ford’s testimonies. There was little to

no chance that their public testimonies on Thursday would produce new information. The president has called a condensed FBI investigation into Kavanaugh before a final Senate floor vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

Sexual assault is never OK. Due to the discrepancies in Dr. Ford’s story — no time, no place, no explanation of how she left the party, and people who were claimed to be there denying that it happened — there is no significant evidence to back up the allegation. There has not been significant evidence provided to support the other sexual misconduct claims either.

In allegations as serious as sexual misconduct, it is important that Kavanaugh be treated as innocent until proven guilty. It’s too early to pass judgment on the nominee.

Last week was not a great week to be an American. If Kavanaugh is confirmed to the Supreme Court, there will undoubtedly be significant consequences for the courts in the future. Whether he is confirmed or denied, the process Kavanaugh has gone through —coupled with the nomination process of Merrick Garland in 2016 — has set a damning partisan precedent for future nominees to the court.

Barring new evidence, Kavanaugh should be confirmed.

Shepard: “It’s time we allow new leaders to give it a shot” Originally from San Diego, California, I decided to make Wichita my permanent home after graduating from Wichita State in 2016. Throughout my time here, I watched as friends and loved ones left Wichita to settle in a larger city they felt could support their aspirations and career goals.

Perplexed by the vast amount of brain drain our city is experiencing, I am often led to question what is it that “we” aren’t doing.

While Wichita’s economy shrank, other cities surrounding us grew.

We’ve heard it before: To attract and retain talent, we need to promote technical education, invest in small businesses, increase our diversity, create a city culture comparable, yet competitive with

LETTER TO THE EDITOR other large metropolitan cities etc.

But many tend to ignore a critical component that plays a significant role in our economic success…. Our leaders. On Nov. 6, we can send a message loud and clear: Our city and state are not only ready for, but in dire need of leadership that will break our economy out of the current stalemate.

This election season should not be about partisan politics, but rather who has what it takes to create an economy that will support every day Wichitans and Kansans for generations to come.

Our allegiance, in any election, should not be to our political party but to our state and country. This requires us to dig deep, do our research, and support candidates who can turn this thing around for us. Candidates that embody what it means to be diverse, inclusive, and know how to reach across the aisle.

ZERO GROWTH for our economy in over a decade is a red flag we CANNOT ignore. You may be thinking your vote doesn’t matter this election season, but

know that it is your vote that will elect leaders committed to changing the trajectory of our city and state.

What we’ve been doing isn’t working. It’s time to try something new. Perhaps it’s time we allow new leaders to give it a shot.

As young people, we have more power in these elections than we’d like to give ourselves credit for. I implore you, get registered to vote by Oct. 16. Get out to polls on Nov. 6 and let’s take our potential back. Let’s show our state what happens when Millennials vote.

Ad Astra Per Aspera, — Joseph W. Shepard Former Student Body President

CORRECTIONS This space is reserved for corrections.

Spot an error? Call us at 316-978-6905.

Sunflower Editorial Briefs The Sunflower editorial board offers their one-sentence takes Matthew Kelly: Voluntarily following laws you don’t have to is exactly how you build trust Andrew Linnabary: Stanning Kanye West has become an extreme sport.

Madeline Deabler: Some people have the job of delivering Digiorno’s pizzas to grocery stores.

Jenna Farhat: Power is not going to hold itself accountable.

John Darr: It’s OK to find everyday tasks extremely difficult sometimes.

Evan Pflugradt: I find it amazing that everyone on the Supreme Court shares the first name Judge.

Selena Favela: More people should adopt from the Kansas Humane Society.

Joseph Barringhaus: Teachers who give more than four major exams in a semester are asking for bad responses on their evaluations.

CULTURE

www.thesunflower.com

Kansas author pens story collection, kills goldfish

BOOK CRITIC

|3

WEEK PREVIEW oct. 1-12

Oct. 6

oct. 3

CADMAN ART EXHIBITS: “THE ROAD TO CHANGE”

BY EMILIANO MOLIA & “CANVAS COLLABORATIONS” BY HANNAH BEAM Date: On Display Until October 12 Location: Cadman Art Gallery, Rhatigan Student Center Cost: Free

MATT COOPER

MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2018

The Cadman’s rotating art exhibit is featuring new work by a couple of excellent student artists for the next two weeks. Emiliano Molina’s work, titled “The Road to Change,” reflects on Molina’s journey through life with his brothers and the changes he’s experienced after moving forward on his own. Hannah Beam’s “Canvas Collaborations” repurpose found canvases to create new works inspired by each canvas’s discovery and previous use.

Make sure to catch these works one day while passing through the RSC.

ESCAPE ROOM

WU’S BIG EVENT IX

Date: Wednesday, October 3 Time: Noon - 4 p.m.

Location: RSC First Floor Cost: Free

Date: Saturday, October 6 Time: 9 a.m - 2 p.m.

Location: RSC Beggs Ballroom Cost: Free

The idea of an escape room — a sort of live-action videogame where you must solve puzzles and cooperate with friends in order to win — is just awesome. Even more awesome?

Not having to pay to do it! Come to the RSC’s special Escape Room event with some friends and prepare for some heart-pumping, highstakes fun.

Community Service not only offers us an opportunity to give back to those around us, but also to grow with other volunteers and feel more engaged with where we live and work.

Come by the Community Service Board’s biggest event of the year, Wu’s Big Event IX. You’ll attend a presentation by a special speaker, then work at a service site with other volunteers before returning for lunch and reflection. Register for this great community service opportunity at wichita.edu/BigEvent.

INFORMATION COMPILED

BY JOHN DARR

Sunflower Archives —Wednesday, Oct. 3, 1984

Fiery Crowd Attacks Preacher

BY LINDA SATTER

COURTESY

When any author openly admits to strange behavior — say, crafting decorative dolls out of human hair — you should begin reading their work immediately.

Becky Mandelbaum, author of “Bad Kansas,” is one such storyteller. She effortlessly shapes the morbidities of life into laughter. In one especially memorable story, “Bald Bear,” a pet goldfish named Goldie Prawn is killed via insecticide. The incident is both darkly funny and provocative, forcing readers to question the reality of bizarre yet feasible events. Furthermore, she utilizes such humor to interrogate social dynamics that drive people towards awkwardness and division.

Mandelbaum, winner of the 2016 Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction, has been published in 13 heralded literary journals throughout the U.S. Her acclaimed “Bad Kansas” showcases her authority as a writer in terms of wit and cultural understanding. Most often, she uses her affinity for incisive humor to explore how gender dynamics affect characters’ procurement and defense of their convictions.

The aforementioned “Bald Bear” opens with two college-aged women sunbathing on a Kansas beach who are approached by a pair of haggard cowboy types. The two are agreeable to the proposition of leaving with the two hyper-masculine men to attend a party, but doubts grow as dialogue reveals the men’s backwards attitudes.

One of the men, Jackson, questions the main character’s vegetarianism when she refuses to eat buffalo chicken wings. “He looked at me as if I’d confessed to something shameful, like a case of chlamydia,” Mandelbaum writes of Jackson. Yet the narrator doesn’t relent, thereby asserting that it is paramount for maintaining one’s moral identity to ignore the distaste and judgements of one’s peers.

Later, the narrator expresses frustration towards Jackson as his misogyny becomes more apparent: “If they (men) had their way, every woman would be an orphan.”

Though the narrator seems open to sexual interaction throughout the story, she maintains a persistent intuition that Jackson would greatly benefit from a shift in his outlook on roles of the opposite gender.

Mandelbaum’s narrator maintains a dualistic mindset wherein they are open to promiscuity yet actively cognizant of sexist privilege. This is completely vital for readers, especially those in a college environment where sex and inebriation are common.

“Bad Kansas” ultimately offers a sharp discourse on the subject of inherent misogyny.

While her literature invokes laughter, Mandelbaum’s works also consistently challenges readers’ core beliefs regarding identity and sexuality.

“Bad Kansas” continues in Mandelbaum’s tradition of writing stories that are empathetic, culturally aware, and funny as hell to read. Throughout the collection, Mandelbaum crafts an environment wherein the reader is entertained while simultaneously being shepherded via the medium of creative prose. The result is a literary arena perfectly suited to the generation of cultural understanding.

If you’ve been on campus at all the past two days — and if you’ve been awake — chances are you’ve seen (or at least heard) the commotion in front of the Campus Activities Center. You may still be able to experience it today.

You needn’t wait for the chance to slither through a hole in the crowd in order to get a taste of what Reverend Jim Gillis is all about. You can hear him — and the crowd — quite easily from a distance.

The blond revivalist-style preacher from Evansville, Indiana, dressed in a navy suit and clutching a bible in his hand, began his two-or-three day stint at Wichita State University Monday.

From mid-morning until late afternoon, Gillis pointed to students curiously crowded around him, calling them sinners, proclaiming that there are no virgins on campus, and condemning drugs, alcohol, premarital sex and kissing, among other things.

“My purpose is to preach to devils like you!” he declared.

People in the audience, some of whom were entertained, others who were infuriated — retaliated with sometimes derogatory, often defensive and occasionally thoughtful comments. Some rolled to the ground in mockery as Gillis rushed toward them, pounding his bible with his fist, exclaiming “Hallelujah!” or “Burn, baby, burn!”

At one point, a woman in the audience came forth and

DOCKUM

FROM PAGE 1 Three years prior to the Dockum sit-in, 14-year-old Emmett Till was lynched in Mississippi after being accused of offending a white woman. “(Till) spoke with a lisp, by the way, which means he might have whistled when he talked.

Supposedly he whistled at a white woman. He was taken at night from his home and murdered. He had one eye socket missing and daylight through one ear. His head was swollen,” Vesey said.

“His mother barnstormed the country — going to black churches and organizations to tell the story of what had happened to her son. She came to Wichita and visited the New Hope Baptist Church, down on 9th and Ohio,” Vesey said. “It was packed. She wanted the world to know what evil had done to her son. At the funeral, she insisted on having the casket left open. “ White students were also involved in the protest.

“One of our members, Robert Newby, was in the band at Wichita University. On Saturdays, he brought a handful of white students with him, and of course, there were black college students from WU and Friends University.

It’s much more complex than the story is often told,” Vesey said.

McCormick said desegregation and integration was a slow process for Wichita.

“It took longer for Wichita to integrate public schools than it did a lot of places in the deep south,” McCormick said. “It took 18 years for the Wichita schools to integrate,

vehemently asked Gillis, “Who decided you were our judge? It says in the Bible, ‘judge not who shall not be judged.’”

“I know what’s in her heart,” Gillis replied to the audience.

“Manure. This is a very rebellious and pretentious woman.”

Pointing in the direction of a male section of the audience, he told the woman “These boys will tell you anything to get in your pants.”

While the audience exploded with a combination of laughter and outrage, the young woman, dressed in a black leather jacket, refused to give up.

“You’re a hypocrite!” she shouted. “You’re not God. You have no right to judge me.”

After asking her if she was a lesbian, Gillis replied, “You’re condemned, condemned, condemned! Burn, baby, burn! But I’ll still love you, wicked woman.”

At that point, the woman grabbed Gillis by the front of his suit coat. Somewhat flustered but undeterred, he shook her off, proclaiming “the power of Christians (enables us to) love our enemies.”

The woman later returned with two cups of iced tea, threw them in Gillis’ face, and was consequently apprehended by WSU police. Her name has not yet been released and it is as yet unknown whether she has been charged in the incident.

And so the saga went. Although at times Gillis appeared contemplative, even vulnerable, he continued undaunted, shouting above the cries of the audience.

He began his Brother Jim story

— the story of how he became a born-again Christian — with a description of his relationship with his past girlfriend.

“The epitome of our love existed in the glandular experience,” he said, explaining that his girlfriend gave in easily to his demands for sex.

“I was an egotist,” he said of his earlier self. “My motto was ‘go for it, fulfill yourself,’ but Jesus said deny yourself.”

The self-proclaimed former drug dealer said his new life began while he was searching for a job raking leaves on Nov. 7, 1980.

THE SUNFLOWER FILE PHOTO After unsuccessfully knocking on the doors of three consecutive Jim Gillis houses, he was taken aback by the fact that each posted the same words, “Not even God can save sign. On the sign was a biblical your soul at a Van Halen concert,” phrase ending with the words, Gillis recalled.

“We shall serve our Lord.”

Taken aback by the comment Puzzled, Gillis biked to a and by the standing ovation it friend’s house, where he was generated from concert-goers, invited in.

Gillis said that he asked God “I walked through the door what it all meant, and that God and, lo and behold, there was this replied through the next song, same sign,” he said. “It hit me “Running with the devil.” Gillis right between the eyes.” said he knew then that was Gillis’ friend told him it was exactly what he had been doing. a sign from God, warning him “God told me to repent, to have that he must choose between faith in the Son, to use David Lee salvation or damnation, Gillis Roth’s own words against him reported. to prove him a liar,” Gillis said.

That night, he said, he attend“I said, ‘God, save my soul,’ and ed a Van Halen concert, reasonGod set me free. Hallelujah!” ing that rock ‘ roll pleases God. High at the time on alcohol But he found out that it does not, on drugs, Gillis said Monday, he he said. returned to the bleachers where While Gillis was stationed five he refused drugs offered by his feet from the stage, emulating his friends and sobered up instantly. idol, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, He recalled that he knew he was with an imaginary guitar, lead saved when he no longer wanted singer David Lee Roth uttered the to hear rock ‘n roll music.

and even when they did eventually . . . there were discussions on the part of the school board of forgoing federal funds so that they could continue to segregate.

The Dockum sit-in protesters ran into the issue of a lack of press coverage. Vesey said they were intentionally ignored by the press.

“You needed publicity and we weren’t going to get that,” Vesey said. “Our belief was that all that was planned. We felt that they all thought the less publicity, the better. Maybe we’d get tired and go away.”

Gretchen Cassel Eick’s book “Dissent in Wichita: The Civil Rights Movement in the Midwest” quotes attorney Chester Lewis addressing the lack of press coverage.

“The downtown white business community was so terrified that the Wichita two daily newspapers, as well as the other news media, refused as a matter of unanimous decision to print or report the sit-in. Of the two local daily newspapers, the Wichita Eagle printed nothing about it and the Wichita Beacon carried only one very small article.”

This, along with the fact that the NAACP did not sanction or report to other chapters about the Dockum sit-in meant that there was no fanfare for the students after Dockum and Rexall integrated their establishments.

It was a win for the students, but you wouldn’t know it from the history books.

“Just like we had started, it was over,” Vesey said. “A lot of people in the black community had no idea what had transpired. No idea. There was no parade at that time. Life didn’t

have time to recognize us. That was years later.”

“On that day, we had made posters for the first time to set up on the counters and there was a tall guy who had come in to talk to the manager behind the partition. On his way out, he said under his breath, ‘and put those posters down’ so we immediately put the posters down. And I took it upon myself to go back behind that partition. We had never gone back there.”

“I said to the manager, ‘We’re not here to cause trouble, you know. We just came here to be served like everybody else.’ He let it be known that he couldn’t make the decision to do that, but he seemed to be willing to say that he would try to contact some of the business leaders of that establishment if necessary to check on it.

“We had an adult adviser, an attorney named Chester Lewis who said he’d get us out of jail if it came to that,” Vesey said.

Dockum did integrate their lunch counters as a result of the youth sit-in.

Eick writes, “Dockum confirmed via telephone the next

day, all their lunch counters would ‘serve all people without regard to race, creed or color.’”

The rest of the Rexall chain also desegregated, albeit quietly, after the sit-in.

“It was part of a chain of events that created a kind of awakening,” McCormick said. “You could argue that it was an important domino in a certain kind of segregation downtown ending.”

McCormick is quick to point out that the Dockum sit-in is an important part of national history. “There may have been other sit-ins, but Dockum was the first successful student-led one,” McCormick said.

For Vesey, being the first isn’t as important as being involved.

“People spend a lot of time talking about how Greensborough wasn’t the first — that place wasn’t the first, and I say poppycock,” Vesey said. “All of them were necessary.”

“I like listening to a tape of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at Kansas State. He says, ‘When the students sit down, they are standing up for the best American dream.’ I can’t listen to that enough.”

SPORTS

4 | MONDAY, OCT. 1, 2018

www.thesunflower.com

WSU softball is 4-1 and has outscored its opponenets 64-15 in fall exhibition games

NEIMAN THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Mckenzie Weber delivers a pitch. Wichita State lost to Oklahoma State on the game held at Wilkins Stadium. Below, Oklahoma State pitcher winds up and delivers Thursday.

NEIMAN THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Top right, Wichita State’s Adeline Reese hits a ball during their game against Central Oklahoma on Sept. 30, 2018 at Wilkins Stadium. Wichita State won 13-2. Middle right, Wichita State outfielder Bailee Nickerson records a hit against Oklahoma State. Above, Wichita State’s Bailey Lange pitches ball during their game against Central Oklahoma Sunday. Left, Wichita State infielder Adeline Reese tags an Oklahoma State runner out at third base.

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

Volleyball out of first place for the first time since joining AAC

BY EVAN PFLUGRADT

Wichita State Head Coach Chris Lamb called his team “vulnerable” ahead of Saturday’s game at Tulsa.

The Shockers lost in five sets in a lengthy contest with the Golden Hurricane.

Shocker volleyball is now out of first place in the American Athletic Conference for the first time in program history. The Shockers are in a three-way tie for third place.

Since joining the American Athletic Conference, WSU volleyball had not lost a conference match. WSU cruised through AAC play last season with a perfect 20-0 record. They started conference play this season by defeating Tulane and Memphis.

Tulsa is tied with Central Florida for first place, each with a 3-0 record. WSU travels to UCF next Sunday.

Lamb said ahead of Saturday’s game that “scoring was down” and that the team was not “defending at the highest level” against AAC competition.

The loss Saturday loss did not come without broken records.

WSU outlasted Tulsa in the game’s first set, rallying from six points down to win the set 41-39.

The set was is the longest in program history.

Sophomore libero Giorgia Civita recorded a career-high 42 digs in the game — ranking third in school history for a five-set game.

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

A long way from Milan: Civita chases volleyball dreams from Italy to WSU

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

Sophomore Giorgia Civita is a long way from home.

Civita was born in Italy and grew up around Milan. While in Italy, the rising star won multiple awards — including best libero in Italy two years. She also was named best libero at the European Championships in Belgium, while playing for Italy’s U18 team.

That’s when Civita’s brother asked her if she wanted to come to the United States to play volleyball.

“My brother asked me if I wanted to experience a different experience,” Civita said. “He asked me if I wanted to come to the states to learn English and play volleyball.”

After thinking it over, Civita decided to test the waters. She sent her tape to 50 schools nationwide and patiently waited for a reply.

Only a few schools answered her.

One was Wichita State.

No one was more excited to see her tape than WSU Associate Head Coach Sean Carter.

“Sean (Carter) told me he would keep in contact with me, and he did,” Civita said. “He called me every month to hear my stance on things. It showed me how much they wanted me to play here.”

Civita traveled nearly 5,100 miles to make her official visit to WSU. “It was amazing to come and see what they had to offer,” Civita said.

“At the end of the day, I knew that Wichita was the place for me.”

After redshirting her freshman season, Civita has had an immediate impact on Head Coach Chris

sports briefs CAN’T DIG ONE OUT — Volleyball lost in five sets to Tulsa on Saturday. Sophomore Giorgia Civita recorded a career-high 42 digs in the match, which ranks third in WSU history for fivematch sets.

ONE-HIT WONDER — Softball

rebounded from Thursday’s loss to Oklahoma State with a 12-1 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Shockers surrendered just one hit in the game and Caitlin Bingham pitched the final five innings. On Sunday, WSU routed Central Oklahoma 13-2.

TEEING OFF — Men’s golf teed JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Giorgia Civita sets the ball during their game against Tulane on Sept. 21, 2018 at Koch Arena.

Lamb’s team.

Civita has already recorded over 1,000 digs in just over 200 sets played — surpassing the mark faster than anyone else in program history.

“The main goal is about winning — you aren’t thinking about records,” Civita said. “At the end of the day though, it’s pretty cool to hold that record.”

Civita is on a tear this season for the Shockers. She has recorded 285 digs through 51 sets played this season. Civita was an integral piece of a team that went 20-0 in the American Athletic Conference a season ago, leading WSU to host their first-ever NCAA Tournament regional. Now she’s a featured piece of a team that’s struggled with blocking.

“We’ve been up and down some to start the season,” Civita said.

“Playing the harder teams early on

has helped us learn to fight, and most of the time it’s on us rather than the other team when we go into rough patches.”

Civita has learned to assume more of a role leading the WSU defense this season. The Shockers lost outside hitter Emma Wright, who accounted for more than half the team’s blocking. This team, Lamb has said, resembles the kinds of teams Civita played with in Italy — limited in point scorers.

Lamb called Civita his best defender, and has said that she can defend at “the highest level.”

“Her thought is see it, go get it,” Lamb said.

Civita is confident WSU can work through the early-season adversity.

“When we learn how to overcome those mistakes, this team will be an entirely different team moving forward,” Civita said.

off Sunday morning for The Jackrabbit, hosted by South Dakota State. WSU will compete with 12 teams in the tournament, including AAC competitor Central Florida. Women’s golf will tee off Monday morning at Missouri’s host tournament, the Johnie Imes Invitational.

Sports Six Trivia Answers from last issue: 1. Baseball will hold their SCREAMage on Oct. 20.

2. Softball hosted Oklahoma State on Thursday and lost 9-7.

3. Former NFL Coach Bill Parcells attended Wichita State.

4. WSU football appeared in three bowl games.

5. Horse hair was not used in the making of the original WuShock costume, but a ping-pong ball was.

6. Cross country’s Winny Koskei was last week’s American Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week.