The Sunflower v. 126 i. 18

/ The Sunflower

THURSDAY Jan. 20, 2022 Volume 126 Issue 18

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BIG SLUMP Ticket sales, actual basketball attendance down considerably compared with past decade Announced attendance numbers reflect the number of tickets sold, given away or allocated.

INFOGRAPHIC BY THY VO / THE SUNFLOWER

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

A

ttendance numbers at Wichita State basketball home games are at their lowest they’ve been in over 20 years – aside from last season’s limited attendance.

The average attendance from this year –which reveals tickets sold, given away and allocated – currently sits at 8,365. In the past two decades, these numbers have been above 10,000, excluding last season’s average of 1,617.

There have also been six seasons with every game sold out in that timeframe.

“We went a year where fans basically weren’t allowed to come,” Athletic Director Darron Boatright said. “A lot of times when that’s the case, you find other opportunities and other things to fill your entertainment time with.

(College athletics) has made it so easy

for our fans to just sit anywhere they want and watch games.”

“We’re known for our attendance and obviously that’s down.

I think it’s too complex to put your finger on one thing and say this is what it is. I they’re all factors and I think they’re all real.”

- Darron Boatright

The last time average attendance was below 9,000 was 2002-2003, when the season was played at the Kansas Coliseum, while renovations were being made to Charles Koch Arena.

Ticket scans – which reveal the amount of people attending – are also

showing a downward trend. In the last two seasons without restrictions, ticket scans averaged 6,958 in 2018-19 and 7,262 in 2019-20. This year, the average ticket scans through 10 games are 4,945.

Boatright believes these attendance issues stem from a wide variety of reasons, including fans not feeling comfortable attending sporting events yet. Fans are required to wear masks to sporting events on campus, in accordance with the university’s COVID-19 policy.

Rodney Gates, a longtime WSU season ticket holder, said he thinks that COVID-19 is making an impact on the attendance, along with the team’s recent performance.

“I believe the attendance is lower because of COVID, as I believe the age of our crowd is older and thus at a higher risk of more severe COVID

symptoms if they contract the virus,” Gates said.

“I think that even though many of those fans are vaccinated they are staying away because of breakthrough cases. Secondarily, because of the poorer performance of the team.”

The ticket scans for this season have also revealed that fewer fans are coming as the season has gone on. Over 5,000 fans showed up to each of the non-conference games – excluding the game against Norfolk State (4,743 ticket scans). Since AAC play started, WSU drew the most for the New Year’s Day clash with Memphis with 4,298 fans.

Boatright said the team’s performance has played a role in this decline, despite winning an AAC regular season title last year. The Shockers are 6-5 in

2021

2018 Wichita State fans “stripe the arena” black, yellow, and white during a game against Houston on Jan. 4, 2018 inside Charles Koch Arena. According to ticket scans, 8804 fans attended the game. | File Photo by Matt Crow / The Sunflower

SEE ATTENDANCE PAGE 5

Only 4,238 fans show up to a recent game against Tulane on Jan. 12 inside Charles Koch Arena. The announced attendance – which reveals ticket sales – for the game was the smallest of any conference games. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Here’s where to get tested for COVID-19 in Wichita

BY RACHEL RUDISILL rxrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

COVID-19 is hitting Wichita hard. According to the Sedwick county website, in the past two weeks, approximately 12,177 residents have tested positive with COVID-19. As of Jan. 15, 253 of those patients have been hospitalized, 77 have been placed in the intensive care unit, and seven have died.

The need for tests has also risen. Last week alone, 18,500 residents were tested at Christi St. Joseph Hospital on E. Harry.

Before Christmas, that location performs about 350 tests per week.

According to the Sedwick county website, as of this week, 50.75% of Sedgwick county are fully vaccinated and an additional 12.78% are waiting to receive their second vaccination.

With COVID-19 cases rising at an extreme rate, testing

appointments are filling quickly.

Locations such as Walgreens are completely booked for their appointments for the next two weeks.

Many testing sites are pausing vaccination and booster shots including the WSU Wellness Center. The WSU Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory and the Guadalupe Clinic have stopped giving COVID-19 tests due to the increase in cases and limited number of testing kits and staff.

However, some local testing locations remain open to the public. Here’s a list of free testing sites that do not require proof of insurance.

CVS has eight locations in Wichita. Individuals need to set up an appointment to be tested.

Testing is available from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday.

Dandurand Drugs has three

locations in Wichita. They offer both COVID-19 nasal swab testing and vaccinations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday by appointment only. Testing is only done in a patient’s car and vaccinations are administered in the building.

The Wellness Center, located in the Steve Clark YMCA, offers free COVID-19 testing. To make an appointment, log into your myShockerHealth portal or call 316-978-4792. Usually, the Student Health Center offers free vaccines, but with the rise in COVID-19 cases, they have halted all vaccination appointments to lower the risk of exposure.

Hunter Health offers drivethrough COVID-19 testing appointments from 9 a.m. through 11 a.m.

Monday through Friday. These are not rapid tests and patients must wait two to four days to receive results.

For those in Wichita who

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO / THE SUNFLOWER

do have proof of insurance, two additional testing locations are available.

MedExpress Urgent Care offers the PCR ($199 without insurance) and antigen ($189 without insurance) tests. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through

Saturday. They have two locations in Wichita and one in Derby.

The Little Clinic, located inside Dillons, offers PCR ($94 without insurance) and antigen ($144 without insurance) tests, as well as the Moderna vaccine and booster.

2 | THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022

NEWS

Student Involvement changes name to SEAL, new emphasis on engagement and leadership development

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

Student Involvement is now Student Engagement, Advocacy and Leadership, or SEAL. Along with the name change, the activity programming portion of the office will be transferred to campus recreation, allowing SEAl to put more emphasis on signature engagement experiences.

“In September, the former director of student involvement announced that she was leaving, and it really gave us an opportunity to think about the purpose and the vision of the office we were trying to create,” Gabriel Fonseca, director of SEAL, said.

“The name Student Involvement really wasn’t encompassing the entire services that the department did and provided.”

Fonseca said that students should know that SEAL is a “one stop shop” for students to figure out what they want their collegiate experience to look like, and what involvement and engagement experiences they want to have.

“SEAL provides the opportunities from freshman year all the way to graduate student experiences and there’s an opportunity for you to be involved and engaged with our office and the things that we provide for the campus,” Fonseca said.

Fonseca said that SEAL gives students the chance to take what they are learning in the classroom and bring it to the opportunities in the department. Students can also bring their experiences from the department, such as being a leader in a student organization, to the classroom.

“We’re really trying to tie that branch between social student experiences and the academic experiences,” Fonseca said.

Fonseca said that the department is divided into five or six overarching areas. The civic engagement area consists of their community service board and

“We really want to think about how we are creating real world experiences and world-reader leaders and experiences.”

- Gabriel Fonseca

alternative breaks program, which has been halted during COVID. The office still has fraternity/ sorority life experiences, which includes all 25 greek organizations.

The office also supports and advises all 215 student organizations. The leadership development program focuses on creating a leadership experience from day one. They also work with the national student exchange program, which allows students to enroll and pay for Wichita State courses while being at another institution in the country. SEAL also provides administrative support to the Student Government Association, while also still helping plan events such as family weekend and homecoming.

“We really want to think about how we are creating real world experiences and world ready leaders and experiences, and how we are connecting what you are doing in a classroom and connecting it to these experiences,” Fonseca said.

Fonseca said that SEAL’s values of intentional growth, belonging, connectedness, and civic mindedness all connect back to the university’s values in more ways than one.

“We are constantly looking at how else we can elevate and grow the experiences that we are trying to provide to students, and so I think for me it’s always important to know that we are trying to create these experiences for our students because these are the things that they have asked for, these are the things that they want to see, and we are open to all of the feedback in the world,” Fonseca said.

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO / THE SUNFLOWER

Sustainability Steering Committee continues to implement green efforts on campus

BY MITCHELL ADAMSON mxadamson@shockers.wichita.edu

According to the Pew Research Center, 67% of Gen Z believe that the climate and environmental issues should be top priority for policy makers. Are there efforts being undertaken on campus to protect the environment, reduce waste and promote sustainability?

Carolyn Shaw, chair of the Sustainability Steering Committee, said that many are unaware of the progress that has already been made on campus to promote practices that will be beneficial for future generations.

Shaw said that in 2019, a day-long sustainability summit including faculty, staff, and students was held to generate ideas about how to advance sustainability ideas on campus.

“They fell into three different categories,” Shaw said. “One was the curriculum. Can we create more classes, or a major/minor in sustainability studies?”

This includes promoting freshman seminar courses, creating certificates, and other environmental degrees on campus. This would be a relatively new area that many universities are beginning to focus on.

“The second was around research,” Shaw said. “Can we pull in grant money and what research can we do on campus?

The impetus for that has been in the college of engineering, particularly around solar panels

and electrical grids, a key interest being solar.”

Engineering students have the ability as seniors to focus on a project that promotes sustainability on campus. This allows students to make changes themselves instead of simply being purchased by the university.

Shaw said the third area of focus is facilities. Sustainable practices on campus include xeriscaping the landscape, using less water, turning thermostats down and conserving energy.

The Steering Committee consists of the leaders of each of the three areas, and meetings consist of discussions surrounding the work they are doing and how they are implementing the sustainability plan.

The sustainability plan has been endorsed by the president’s executive team, and in the future will begin to shape more and more of the daily life of the student body, as the campus looks to be more sustainable and efficient.

Applicability is a focus of the committee, which means focusing on what each student can do in their daily lives to promote a better, healthy environment. Shaw said educating the student body actively through engagement will create a greater awareness of sustainability.

Eason Bryer, director of facilities, commented on the efficient use of resources on campus and how they have focused on upgrading to greener LED lights that will

reduce waste and allow for more money diverted in the budget away from electrical expenses.

They also have made advances in transitioning flowerbeds to native scape, little water or xeriscape gardens.

Alice Fitzgerald, president of the Green Group, brings the perspective of a student who has lived on campus to the committee, allowing for representation of a number of students that want to bring about change to better the environment.

“If people don’t start taking environmentalism seriously, there are dire consequences,” Fitzgerald said. “Not a lot of people do take it seriously or realize that, you know, climate change is real, and using our resources carefully is really important for the future.”

The Green Group undertook many different community activities in the fall semester, including the revamping of the community garden located outside Ahlberg Hall and offering fresh produce and flowers, with a focus on growing organic food. The group looks to find areas in student life that can be slightly adjusted to bring about the greatest results for sustainability.

All of the work done by the Sustainability Steering Committee directly relates to WSU’s focus on becoming a leading university in sustainability and teaching students how to properly create a greener earth.

Housing implements new safety measures

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

The Student Wellness Center is located at the Steve Clark YMCA. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Student Health now offering walk-in COVID-19 testing

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

Starting Jan. 17, faculty, staff and students no longer need to set up an appointment to receive a COVID-19 test at the Student Health Services. Individuals can receive a test at the Student

Wellness Center at the YMCA from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

As of Jan. 18, Sedgwick County has reached a 22.9% positive test rate — which is higher than the county has ever been. 277 patients are currently hospitalized, which is also a record high since the pandemic began in 2020.

The Sunflower, founded in 1896, is the student-run newspaper covering Wichita State University. The print edition is published Monday during the fall and spring semesters. The staff publishes daily online at www.thesunflower.com.

MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association.

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Starting Jan. 14, Housing and Residence life will be implementing new security measures in Shocker Hall, Suites and Flats that includes only one entrance being used from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m., which will be a staffed entry point where guests will be required to sign in with a photo ID. During these hours, Shocker Hall will have two points of entry and exit at A1 and B0. Suites and Flats will also have one entry and exit at the front doors to the building. Residents will

also be required to sign in with their Shocker Card at the staffed security checkpoint.

“We consistently look at ways to make our building more safe and secure … It’s just an extra set of eyes when most people are sleeping, so it’s just an extra layer of protection for the safety of our students,” Scott Jensen, associate dean of students, said.

Katie Austin, associate director of residence life & educational engagement, said that students have always been responsible for their guests behavior and by policy, they are supposed to stay with you at all times in the building. She said the main changes

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith news@thesunflower.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Thy Vo design@thesunflower.com

NEWS EDITOR Julia Nightengale news@thesunflower.com

PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

OPINION EDITOR Emmie Boese opinion@thesunflower.com

MARKETING MANAGER Kaylee Stout marketing@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Rachel Thomas admanager@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunfower.com

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Rachel Rudisill elboese@shockers.wichita.edu

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

will be having only one door open and having to check guests in.

Jensen said that this idea came from having conversations and brainstorming questions with President Muma and others about ways to increase security. He said they are also looking into a new door lock system and exterior door alarms.

From conversations with residents, Austin said that one student who transferred from a smaller school was used to already having this system in place.

Read the rest at ww.thesunflower. com.

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Corrections

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THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022 | 3

Sports

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

‘Our season is not over’

How Shocker sports performed over winter break

BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

During the break when most college students were enjoying a holiday season with their family, Shocker sports were still going strong. Here’s everything you need to know to catch up.

MEN’S BASKETBALL The Wichita State men’s basketball team had their share of highs and lows during the break.

The Shockers finished their non-conference season with a 6-5 record. Since ending their non-conference season, the Shockers have struggled to find their footing in the conference season. COVID-19 has also played a factor as their opening game of the conference season against East Carolina was postponed. WSU will not play this week after both games this week were postponed this week, due to COVID-19 issue within WSU’s program.

For the first time since joining the American in 2017, the Shockers have started their conference season 0-4. WSU also has five home losses this season, the most since the 2007-08 season.

Tyson Etienne, the reigning AAC player of the year, filled the shoes of Craig Porter at point guard against Cincinnati on Sunday. Porter was absent from the game due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. While Porter was greatly missed, Etienne finished with five team high assists.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Sophomore Tyson Etienne calls out a play during the game against Tulane on Jan. 12. Etienne had three back-to-back three-pointers during the first seven minutes of the first half. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Shockers remain optimistic despite 0-4 start

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

The Wichita State men’s basketball program isn’t accustomed to losing, especially fresh off an AAC regular season championship.

The Shockers fell to Tulane on Wednesday despite holding a 14-point halftime lead and also struggled finishing out a much needed win on Sunday against Cincinnati.

Winning close games was a strength for WSU last season, with 11 wins by single digits but this season that hasn’t been the case.

Sunday’s loss was also the fifth at home, the most in a season since 2007-08. It’s also the earliest a fifth home loss has happened since the 199596 season.

“Losing bothers me, period,” WSU coach Isaac Brown said. “I ain’t going to be able to sleep at no point tonight. I’m trying to figure out in my mind what I could have done differently in every game, who I need to get the ball to late and what can I do to light a fire in these guys.

“We can’t accept losing around here.”

Despite the four game skid, the Shockers remain optimistic about turning this season around. During Dexter Dennis’ freshman season at WSU, they started out 1-6. That team finished the season going 9-2, including a trip to the NIT

“The only thing we can do is stay positive. Our season’s not over yet but it does hurt to take a lot of losses, this many in a row.”

- Dexter Dennis

semifinals.

After last season’s AAC regular season championship, there were lofty expectations heading into this season. The players are confident about turning these losses into wins, similar to the 2018-19 season.

“The only thing we can do is stay positive,” Dennis said.

“Our season’s not over yet but it does hurt to take a lot of losses, this many in a row. At the end of the day, we can still turn it around so that’s our focus.”

After each of the last four losses, the Shockers have expressed their confidence in this group figuring out these struggles. Etienne is fresh off an AAC Player of the Year campaign but hasn’t found the same success this year.

The sophomore guard is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game but is doing so on 35.1% shooting.

This season showed promise early on with road victories against Missouri and Oklahoma State in the non-conference. Since then, the Shockers are 3-6 with

After a free throw for the Shockers, sophomore Clarence Jackson and Cincinnati’s Jeremiah Davenport fight for the rebound. | Photo

by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

the offense only averaging 64 points per game to start conference play.

“I just think it’s about weathering the storm,” Etienne said. “We’ve got to see it through to completion, you never know what might happen. We’ve got 13 more conference games, we could end up going 13-4. As long as the people in that locker room and the people in that office are on the same page and don’t give up on each other, we’ll be fine.”

With the outside noise surrounding the program’s slow start, the players have preached staying together during this rough patch. The Shocker program has found ways to salvage a slow start in conference play in the past seasons, never finishing lower

than sixth in the AAC. “People here are used to winning and I”m not mad at them. I’m not mad at nobody,” Dennis said. “But just block it out. And learn from it. My freshman year, we started out 1-6 but then we turned it around. Eventually, things are going to start working for us. We’ve just got to keep coming to work, blocking out the outside noise and drawing strength from one another.”

The Shockers will now have to wait until next Wednesday against UCF, after both games this week were postponed due to COVID-19 issues within WSU’s program. If the Shockers fall to the Knights, it will be their first five-game losing streak since Jan. 2009.

After wrapping up the non-conference season with a record of 9-4, the women’s basketball team has had a slightly better start to their conference season.

The Shockers dropped their conference opener with a loss to Houston 66-61 and COVID-19 postponed their matchup against South Florida. However, the players quickly responded, picking up their first conference victory against Cincinnati 76-66.

The Shockers are currently 1-2 in the league after falling to Memphis on Jan. 17.

On Sunday, it all came down to the wire for the Shockers.

Memphis led 50-47 with less than a minute remaining, but WSU was unable to tie the game in the closing seconds. WSU is currently struggling from deep, shooting 26.7% on three-pointers. However, the Shockers were 25% on threes during the game against Memphis.

Head coach Keitha Adams believes the Shockers need to focus more on passing the ball with the threepoint struggles.

The Shockers are currently in eighth place in the AAC. WSU has never finished higher than sixth in the AAC since joining the conference in 2017.

TRACK AND FIELD Shocker track and field had two indoor meets during the break – the Shocker Prelude and KU-KSUWSU Triangular.

At the Shocker Prelude, WSU competed against McPherson College, Friends University, Bethel College, Northwestern Oklahoma University and Sterling College where they claimed eight event titles.

At the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular, the Shockers picked up four more event titles.

Freshman Faith Turner also finished third in the women’s 60-meter dash with a time of 7.51 seconds. She not only finished third place at the meet, but she recorded the third fastest time in campus history. Turner is now 0.13 seconds away from the program record.

Up next, the Shockers will travel to Topeka, Kansas where they will compete in the All-Kansas Invite

4 | THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022

SPORTS

Track and Field claims four event titles at KU-KSU-WSU Triangular

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

Junior Jane Asinde goes up for a two-pointer during the first half of the game against Memphis on Jan. 16. | Photo

by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Women’s basketball falls short against Memphis

BY RACHEL RUDISILL AND EMMIE BOESE

After winning their first conference game on Thursday, the Wichita State women’s basketball team dropped their second conference game of the season to the Memphis Tigers on Sunday. This is Memphis’s first conference win of the season after they defeated the Shockers 50-49.

It all came down to the wire for the Shockers. As Memphis led 50-47 with less than a minute remaining, the Shockers needed a three-pointer to tie the game.

The closest the Shockers came to pulling off an upset was when Asia Strong scored a second chance layup with seven seconds remaining. After Strong’s layup, the Shockers could not recover the ball with 3.8 seconds left.

WSU trailed Memphis throughout the course of the game, leading only at 4-2 in the first quarter, but Memphis’ largest lead of eight points came in the first half of the game.

The Shockers got overly confident shooting three-pointers instead of passing the ball and finishing at the rim. Their lack of patience on offense led to Memphis taking over on defense.

“Us only having seven points

“I have noticed that our third quarter has been our struggle lately.

We come out of halftime and we’re slower.”

- Mariah McCully

off of fast breaks that hurt us and you see Memphis had 25 turnovers so we should have scored a lot more points off of fast breaks because with Memphis turning it over that many times,” head coach Keitha Adams said.

Despite Memphis’ losing streak, they still had one of the strongest defenses in the AAC. The Tigers are steadfast within their defensive transitions making it difficult for the Shockers to make any easy shots. Their offense took over as they out rebounded the Shockers 48-35.

Statistically, the Shockers came into the game shooting the ball better than Memphis from the field (40.2%-38.1) and from the free throw line (74.5%-70.4%).

WSU did not live up to those numbers, as their free throw percentage dropped to 60% and field goals dropped to 30%.

Returning to the second half of the game, the Shockers

had high hopes with Memphis leading 31-27 with an 8% shot difference. However, WSU could not catch up.

Senior Mariah McCully led Wichita State scoring a team high of 13 points. She was the only Shocker to score double digits and scored the first six points of the game.

“I have noticed that our third quarter has been our struggle lately,” McCully said. “We come out of half time and we’re slower, we’re heavier than the beginning of the game. I feel like we need to find that heart to play all four quarters. We haven’t had that yet.”

WSU went into a scoring drought for three minutes in the third quarter without any scoring and it took over three possessions to get the ball past the paint.

This season Jane Asinde has developed great footwork which has helped her become a strong asset in the lineup for the Shockers. Asinde recorded 10 rebounds, two assists and scored a total of nine points against Memphis.

Up next, the Shockers will face Tulane at the Avron B. Fogelman Arena on Saturday, Jan 22. Tipoff is at 2 p.m. and will be broadcasted on ESPN+.

The Wichita State track and field program competed in two meets in the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular over the weekend, the first scored meet of the indoor season.

Freshman Faith Turner raced to a third-place finish in the 60 meters with a time of 7.51 to record the third-fastest time in WSU track and field history Friday at the Triangular.

Turner is now just 0.13 away from the program record, sitting behind Nikki Larch-Miller (7.38; 2017) and Audacia Moore (7.44; 2011) on the WSU all-time list.

Her time also ranks second in the American Athletic Conference.

“This is a marvelous athlete.

This is a special girl and a really wonderful athlete,” Director of Track and Field Steve Rainbolt said. “We were having a celebration around here when she signed as a senior in high school. Last year she had a good freshman year but I would not put it in a category of a great freshman year.

“This year she’s been a different person, mainly with this leg speed improvement that’s going to translate to long jump and triple jump success.”

WSU claimed four event titles on the men’s side with senior Michael Bryan throwing within a meter of his own school record to win the weight throw with a toss of 20.25m/66-05.25. Joakim Genereux led the way in the sprints with a victory in the 200m (22.01) and a second-place finish in the 60m (6.93). Genereux’s 200-meter time currently leads the AAC. On the distance side, Adam Moore battled with KU’s Michael Melgares to claim a hard-fought mile win and then came back to take second in the 1,000 meters later in the meet.

“It’s always great to see a guy like that win a premier event like that at a nice, strong, tough Triangular like that,” Rainbolt said of Moore. “It just looked like he was able to execute a race strategy that was really effective and strong at the end and was able to finish strong that way.”

In the final individual event of the day, the Shockers swept the top three spots in the 3,000 meters with Clayton Duchatschek snagging the win in 8:28.62, followed

by Trey Rios (8:32.40) and Jackson Caldwell (8:35.31).

Brady Palen placed third in the high jump with a conference-leading mark of 2.09m/6-10.25 and Dowdy Elazarig jumped 15.03m/49-3.75 to finish second in the triple jump. Dae’Trell Gordon also earned another second-place finish in the shot put with a throw of 15.74m/51-7.75.

For the women, Yazmine Wright came off her AAC Championship win to earn two top-three finishes, placing third in both the mile (5:03.79) and the 1,000 meters (2:54.96). Paula Garcia joined Wright and Turner in the top three with her second-place

After spinning several times, sophomore Anna Zimmer throws her weight. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

performance in the 400 meters with a personal-best time of 56.30.

In the 60-meter hurdles, Destiny Masters and Brianna Utecht went two-three with times of 8.78 and 8.92 (PB), respectively.

Masters also placed second in high jump with a mark of 1.73m/5-8. In the long jump, Summer Stevenson made her Shocker debut with a third-place performance and a leap of 5.47m/17-11.5.

“She did a nice job but there’s a lot more in the tank,” Rainbolt said. “Her performance wasn’t startling or unbelievable but it was solid. Kind of at a season opener, that’s what you’re hoping for.”

Wichita State took third as a combined men’s and women’s team in the Triangular team competition.

“Both those teams competed the previous weekend, that makes a difference,” Rainbolt said. “Every week that goes by, we’re five weeks now from the conference championships, and every week that goes by we build toward that. I feel like it was a good start for lots of our athletes.”

Rainbolt said that this meet serves as a season opener for the team, which also helps give the program a starting point.

“The Triangular serves as a season opener where we can see where we’re at,” Rainbolt said.

“That helps us figure out where we’re going, to see where we’re starting from. It helps us to establish a team mindset and how to go to a meet and sort through a track meet as a team. Obviously, that’s a skill at a conference championship that we’ve been successful at.”

The Shockers will now travel to a pair of meets in the coming weeks, as they continue to ramp up the indoor season. This weekend the program will participate in the All-Kansas Invite in Topeka, Kansas, followed by the Adidas Classic the following weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“Both of these weekends are really good in giving our athletes opportunities to compete in their individual events and continue working towards where they know they need to be to make the conference team, to go to the conference meet and compete for a spot in the final,” Rainbolt said.

Shocker Baseball to return to Riverfront Stadium

BY SEAN MARTY spoerts@thesunflower.com

The Wichita State baseball program will host longtime rival Oklahoma State game at downtown Riverfront Stadium on April 26 for the second straight season.

First pitch of the non-conference matchup is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

WSU opened the new stadium last season on April 10, 2021 with a 10-1 win over Houston, at the home of the Wichita Wind Surge.

The Wind Surge completed their inaugural season as Double-A affiliates of the Minnesota Twins last summer.

7,509 fans turned out for the debut of Riverfront Stadium, which was the seventh-highest in WSU baseball single-game history.

The Shockers also collected the first run and home run in the ballpark’s history.

Head coach Eric Wedge said that this is announcement is bigger

DOWNTOWN GAME DATE

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

OPPONENT

WSU vs Oklahoma State

TIME

6:30 p.m.

TICKETS Pre-Sale – 10 a.m. Thursday General Public – 10 a.m. Saturday than baseball and impacts the city of Wichita, as a whole.

“Ultimately this is just not about the Wind Surge and Wichita State,” head coach Eric Wedge said. “This is about the city of Wichita, this is about Wichita State University, it’s even about this state and this region. It’s bigger than baseball.

It’s about the fans, the city, the growth of the city, the growth of the

university. I just think when you put all of that together, that’s what this event’s about.”

Paxton Wallace – now a member of the Los Angeles Angels organization – launched the first ever home run in the stadium’s history, with a two-run shot over the right-center field wall that gave the Shockers an early 2-0 inning in the first inning.

“It was like ‘wow’, that’s the best way to put it,” Wallace said after the game last year. “When I hit it and knew it had a good chance of going out, whenever I saw it go over the wall, it was the best feeling ever. Especially when the place erupted with all those people. It was incredible.”

Wind Surge and Shocker baseball season ticket holders will have an opportunity to buy tickets for the game, with a pre-sale starting at 10 a.m. Thursday at windsurge. com. Tickets will be available to the general public starting this

Riverfront Stadium, home of the Wichita Wind Surge, held its first game on April 10, with Wichita State baseball breaking in the new stadium. Shocker baseball will host another game at the ballpark against Oklahoma State on April 26. | Courtesy of Khanh Nguyen

Saturday at 10 a.m.

“I can’t wait to see another season of the Wind Surge and I can’t wait to watch the first game the Wichita State baseball team gets the break in the new year here at the stadium,” Wichita mayor

Brandon Whipple said.

The Shockers open the season on Feb. 18 at Louisiana Tech, with the home opener at Eck Stadium scheduled for March 8 vs. Oral Roberts.

SPORTS

Senior guard’s own intuition provides success on the court

BY EMMIE BOESE @elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

The decision to play one more year of college basketball is a decision that fifth year senior guard Mariah McCully still feels confident in since the start of the season for the Wichita State Women’s basketball team.

McCully is averaging 13 points per game and has a total of 39 assists, seven blocks and 36 steals.

She also has scored in double figures 11 times this season, including 23 points against the University of Kansas.

However, McCully said her personal stats are more than just a cumulation of scoring a lot of points. It’s about seeing her hard work through her basketball journey pay off.

“It basically gives me confidence in your own intuition because I knew when I came back that I would have one of my best seasons since I’ve been here and so then I was looking at the team we had and the team is exactly what I expected,” McCully said.

“It basically gives me confidence in your own intuition because I knew when I came back that I would have one of my best seasons since I’ve been here.”

- Mariah McCully

McCully usually has headphones in when she is warming up for a game, and has a specific song called Documentary by YFN Lucci that she listens to. This song has been a reflection of her journey for her before games. After a loss to Kansas last month, McCully gave everyone in the press conference a description of how much the song has put things in perspective for her.

Senior Mariah McCully dribbles the ball down the court, signaling to her teammates. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

“I’ve been through a lot with this basketball stuff and it just really put my story into one like people slept on you,” McCully said. “Keep your confidence. Don’t give up. You got dreams ahead of you that you gotta chase so I just think it gets me in a good set of mind before a game because it reminds me you know I overcame a lot so I just have to like keep it going.”

McCully said that head coach Keitha Adams is excited that McCully is realizing the talent she has to play well for the Shockers.

“She’s been encouraging me but she already new right off the bat that I should have never even had that second doubt in my mind,” McCully said. “She already had that type of faith in me when it

came to basketball. She’s more like that’s what I’m talking about.”

McCully said that this year’s team has helped her connect with her teammates well due to what she considered to be the best team she’s ever played with at Wichita State.

“For me personally there hasn’t been a team where I’ve connected with every single person like this,” McCully said. “I feel like I’ve always had that drama on the team where there was either jealousy or there was backstabbing or fake stuff going on. This year, there’s not a doubt in my mind that I know there is none of that going on. We’re all genuinely happy with each other. This is one of the best teams I’ve had, like on the team and off the court.”

THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022 | 5

ATTENDANCE FROM PAGE 1 home games this season, which is the most losses in a season since 2007-08. It’s also the earliest a fifth home loss has occurred since the 1995-96 season.

“There are some that don’t agree with the coaching change that was 15-16 months ago. So, that’s there,” Boatright said.

“There are some that didn’t like our home non-conference schedule. We didn’t have trouble drawing downtown for Kansas State so not everyone has thrown in the towel.

“We’re known for our attendance and obviously that’s down. I think it’s too complex to put your finger on one thing and say this is what it is. I think they’re all factors and I think they’re all real.”

WSU has historically produced some of the best attendance numbers in the past 20 years, with the program finishing in the top 50 nationally from 2003-2020. Boatright said he doesn’t see those numbers returning immediately, especially with college athletics as a whole experiencing a decline in attendance.

“I don’t know if we will see those numbers where they were again for a while,” Boatright said. “It’s definitely a problem that we are forced to deal with here at Wichita State but it’s not unique to our situation. I look and watch many events and see people dealing with the same thing. I don’t think it’s unique to us, however, we have an expectation of outdrawing people and we have to be back to that.”

WSU has gained a reputation for their attendance over the years but this decline is now being noted at a national level.

CBS analyst Jim Spanarkel said on air how quiet the arena had gotten during WSU’s 18 point loss.

“It’s like they’re at a movie theater almost watching this game,” Sparnakel said.

TICKET SCANS FROM 2021-22 SEASON Jacksonville State – 5,177 South Alabama – 5,566 Tarleton State – 5,401 Norfolk State – 4,743 Alcorn State – 5,387 North Texas – 5,219 Prairie View A&M – 4,475 Memphis – 4,298 Tulane – 4,238 Fans have voiced their displeasure with how things are going with Wichita State basketball in the age of social media.

The players have taken notice with comments about them and questioning head coach Isaac Brown as their coach.

After the loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, players said it will be important to “block out the noise” surrounding the program.

“We’ve got 13 more conference games,” sophomore Tyson Etienne said after the game. “We could end up going 13-4 and people look back at the end of March and say, ‘Man, they went 13-4, that’s a great conference record.’”

“And everybody that hopped off will hop back on,” WSU junior Dexter Dennis added.

Boatright said the solution is very simple to identify. It’s to win.

The Shockers opened conference play with an 0-4 record, the worst start since they joined the AAC in 2017. WSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes look bleak, with the rough start to the season but Boatright remains confident in a return to winning.

“We can give away all the kool-aid and whatever alligators you want to but that’s not going to fill your stadium,” he said.

“You want to win and we’re accustomed to that. I’m confident that’s what we’re going to do.”

THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022 | 6

WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM

Opinion

Omicron Variant is over exaggested Mitchell Adamson COLUMNIST

mxadamson@shockers. wichita.edu

Omicron has taken over local headlines and public health conversations. But is it really worth the hype? Now, I do think that this is a very important issue, I simply do not believe that it is something to obsess about.

First, I need to point out that being vaccinated and masked up does not make you more virtuous. The people that don’t want to get vaccinated are not evil people, they just see the world differently than you do. It is important to make this point as we continue, because there are too many people trying to assert their self-righteousness.

I get it, the people that are not vaccinated could get people with underlying health conditions sick. However, if they already have the vaccine — why does it matter? The COVID-19 vaccine prevents hospitalization, so why are we continuing to focus on masking up on campus when around others, especially if these are young people with no serious medical conditions?

Sedgwick County, with a population of over 500,000 people, has seen a little over 7,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, which I should

“The people that don’t want to get vaccinated are not evil people, they just see the world differently than you do.” remind you started in early 2020. Most of the people that are being diagnosed with COVID19 are among 18-34 year olds. If you look at the recovery rate for Sedgwick county, nearly all are fully recovering with little to no problems.

Half of the population in Sedgwick County has been vaccinated, which also means that there is little risk of going out and interacting with others and then being hospitalized.

There is widespread media attention for the overcrowding of hospitals, which again would make sense because of how many people are freaked out about the virus due to media coverage of the pandemic.

How many of those people being brought into the hospitals with COVID-19 are actually in dire need of support, and how many have recovered with little to no attention from medical staff?

Crowding does not equal death of COVID patients.

HAVE AN OPINION?

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Emmie Boese opinion@thesunflower.com

Reducing parking privileges on game day is a poor choice Emmie Boese

OPINION EDITOR opinion@thesunflower.com

I love my job. I love the opportunity I have to be able to cover division one college basketball.

It’s one of the many things I’ve dreamed of doing since I realized I wanted to become a journalist.

Last semester I wrote an opinion about treating every journalist equally. I know that professionals will have seniority over student journalists on who gets to interview players and coaches first, or what players will be in the press conferences after games. I know they also have seniority over big stories. However, if a person has a media credential regardless if they are a student or professional everyone should have the same basic privileges and be treated equally.

Otherwise why give someone a credential?

One problem that I have recently run into is media parking on game days for the Wichita State Men’s basketball team. The first time I needed to park for a game my coworker and I pulled up with our media parking pass to park in regular media parking. However, we came to find out later from our boss that our parking pass is actually in the parking lot across from Charles Koch Arena. This is very frustrating for me and my co-workers that we are not given the same

The Charles Koch Arena parking lot on Jan. 17, which is typically filled up on gamedays . | Photo by Devon Sipes / The Sunflower

privilege as other members of the media.

However, it isn’t just about the logic or if I should have a parking spot. Personally, I have several reasons why I think it is unfair and unacceptable.

When you are in the media, you usually have to be there at least an hour or 30 minutes beforehand to set up. Sometimes that includes bringing several bags with you if you are taking photos. Therefore, you need to be able to get as close as you can to the media entrance so you don’t have to walk through crowds of fans with all of your belongings.

Also, as a female journalist it is unsafe to not be able to park with the other media. After the games, I usually have to walk through Charles Koch Arena while it’s about to close and then walk across several parking lots

by myself in the dark in an area where crime rate is high. Having the same parking privileges as the other media would be safer because I could walk out of the media room on the bottom level of Charles Koch with every other media member, and then out the door and straight to my car.

By not giving student journalists regular media privileges like every other member of the media, it is treating us like we are a joke. We are not a joke. I have been to other college campuses to cover games including Oklahoma State University. I was treated like everyone else and was able to park in media parking. I was clearly instructed about what my credential could do for me in terms of covering games. If you are reading this and you disagree I respectfully disagree with you. However, I strongly feel that this parking

COMPARISON IS A SLIPPERY STEEP SLOPE Emmie Boese

OPINION EDITOR opinion@thesunflower.com

I’ve heard from people all the time that if you still live with your parents in college you are not mature and you are not getting ahead in life. People also say that if you have moved out then you are somehow more mature and succeeding more in life.

In my personal philosophy — yes I think there are certain milestones that people need to reach throughout their life. However, the timing on those milestones is not exactly clear cut. I absolutely think if you are at least capable of having a job and the mental capacity to live on your own you probably should not live with your parents until you are 30.

However, when you are in college you are only a few years into adulthood. Most college students have not had the time and money to build up their own financial stability. If you are in college you are also going to be in school for at least two to four years. This means you have not landed a job yet that will provide you with the financial stability you are aiming

for. This means having a job that provides enough for a place to live, for your other basic needs, a car, healthcare, and paying off those expensive college loans you may have.

In my specific living situation I do live with my parents. I have lived in a student apartment on my own, and even in the dorms but in my current financial situation I have decided to live with my parents until I graduate to save money on living expenses.

It is personally difficult for me to get a workforce job due to having a chronic illness that causes some minor disability. Therefore, I do not make enough to live on my own right now. However, when I land a job in my future career field I will be able to make enough to at least live on my own.

If you already live on your own, but don’t have your dream job yet or if you live on your own and have your dream job that is awesome, and there is no jealousy coming from me in my own situation. However, we all need to remember that as long as you are striving for a goal in life, and the goal to eventually become financially independent. You are on the right track. What works for one person may not work for the other person. We are all different.

Opinion LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for accuracy, clarity and length. Please include your name, WSU affiliation and a phone number for verification purposes. To submit letters, email opinion@thesunflower.com or submit at www.thesunflower.com.

The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or the university. The Sunflower reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. We also reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO / THE SUNFLOWER

Stories are more than a headline “I am a huge fan of constructive criticism.

I know that I am far from being the best journalist to exist.”

Rachel Rudisill COLUMNIST

racheltaaryn238@gmail. com

According to The Washington Post, six in 10 people will read a headline. After reading the headline, the reader will decide whether they should share that post or not, without reading the full article.

I believe people sharing without reading is not necessarily the fault of not only the audience, but the writers themselves. Nobody is going to want to read an article that is long and boring. They want more than facts, they want a story, something that flows and does not feel like it takes a lot of effort to read.

We are all guilty of sharing unread posts. We often scroll on Facebook or Twitter and see an interesting and heart wrenching title and instantly share the post.

For example, “Ryan Reynolds runs into a burning building to save a family of puppies.”

The problem with this is a lot of time, people do not know how to write headlines appropriately.

Creating a headline is extremely difficult. Summarizing the main point of an article in a few words can seem overwhelming, especially to new writers.

If a headline is not written correctly, the article is completely ruined. Journalists want to represent their articles as best as possible and a misinterpreted article can cause false information or even “fake news.” Reynolds may not have been the beloved actor and 2010 Sexiest Man Alive, but just a random civilian that works in the laundry mat next door.

To me, headlines are the most important part of journalism.

They evoke emotion and capture the attention of the audience. The headline also represents what the article will be about.

As a journalist, I understand not everyone will read my stories.

That does not bother me. If I am writing about football, I do not expect someone who is not into sports to read my stories.

However, when I have numerous people commenting on my stories stating their issues that can be answered if they read the full article, I get annoyed. Each time I want to say “Hey, you must have not read this thoroughly because I answered that question.”

I am a huge fan of constructive criticism. I know that I am far from being the best journalist to ever exist. In one of the first stories I wrote for The Sunflower, I discussed why I thought WSU should have a football team. I wrote this story right after I transferred to Wichita State and was unaware of how impossible this is.

After reading the feedback, I learned a lot and now know it is impossible, at least for now. If you give me proper feedback, I greatly appreciate it. My goal is to write and take photos for the NFL, so I want to learn how to become better. I want clear pictures that can perfectly capture the moment, and write captions that go beyond the photo.

Before you share an article, I urge you to read the full text. Do not fall victim to sharing false news. Know what you are posting.

SUNFLOWER HOT TAKES The Sunflower editorial board gives their one-sentence opinions.

Lindsay Smith: People need to stop buying at SHEIN. Julia Nightengale: Pre-session classes are exhausting but so worth it.

Emmie Boese: Travis Kelce’s mom is the GOAT. Kyran Crist: TedTalks are underrated.

Melanie Rivera: Change fills my pockets with uncertainty.

Rachel Rudisill: TikTok is better than Vine.

THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022 | 7

WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM

Arts & Entertainment

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com

COURTESY PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTIN STORIE

From elemetary school drawing to Tallgrass Film Festival poster contest winner

BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com

Elementary teachers encouraging young Austin Storie to continue to pursue art, leads him to winning the appraisal of Tallgrass Film Festival director Mirra Bank with his contest winning poster designed for the film.

Storie, a WSU senior and Ulrich Museum student employee, grew up north of St. Louis, Missouri, but has now lived in Kansas for the past six years.

Currently, Storie is working towards his bachelors of fine arts in studio arts with a concentration in applied drawings.

Before elementary school, Storie didn’t have a lot of interest in the arts. However, Storie’s interest sparked after few of his teachers encouraged him to look

into art after seeing his potential.

“That interest later grew into a true passion for all types of visual communication, and I haven’t really looked back since,” Storie said.

Since pursuing his art career, he recently won the Ulrich Museums contest in November for the college division of the Tallgrass Film Festival poster contest with a designed poster for the film No Fear No Favor by Mirra Bank.

When he found out that he placed in the contest, Storie said he was arrogantly confident that he could handle the challenge and was excited for the opportunity and research that came with the project.

“Leading up to the contest was great. When I heard the news that it was taking place my first thought, while it knowingly seems

arrogant, was, ‘I can win this if I really think smart.’,” Storie said.

“I’m very lucky that the research phase leading up to the submission of work for these types of contests is very fun for me to work through. So I was feeling pretty confident even in the early stages.”

The film No Fear No Favor depicts the choices that the African communities have to make to protect their land’s wildlife heritage against the illegal trading that happens frequently. A large part of the documentary focuses on the illegal ivory hunting of the African elephants.

“Basing my composition around an African elephant rendered in graphite, I recreated its tusks using scans I took of my own fingers printed in ink,” Storie said.

“I made this specific decision to connect viewers with the idea that

humans have an active role in the degradation, but also restoration, of wildlife species. After making a

“Basing my composition around an African elephant rendered in graphite, I recreated its tusks using scans I took of my own fingers printed in ink.”

-Austin Storie

few minor adjustments, I felt that what I created was conceptually and visually strong enough to put into the contest.”

Storie was presented with a prize of $100 and two all-access passes to the film festival. Storie said the best prize he got from the

competition was the positive feedback from the film director as well as approval from other designers and visual artists.

“I had a fantastic experience with the contest! Getting the stamp of approval by designers and visual artists that I respect greatly was such a validating experience,” Storie said. “I think the most memorable portion was hearing such positive feedback from the Mirra Bank, the film’s director.

Knowing that she was so receptive of the concept and how I chose to visually represent that was worth its weight in gold.”

Storie has many other illustrations and artwork online on Instagram. Posting many varieties of art such as object illustrations, album redesign artwork and portrait illustrations.

How I Met Your Father does well in areas that other alike spin-offs don’t

BY RACHEL RUDISILL rdrudisill@wichita.shockers.ed

On Tuesday, Hulu released the first two episodes of How I Met Your Father. Already, there are multiple similarities to the original show How I Met Your Mother.

However, the similarities are not overpowering.

The show stars Hilary Duff which was the perfect casting choice. My generation, along with the 90’s kids grew up watching Hiliary Duff as Lizzie McGuire and Sam on Another Cinderella Story.

As we are getting older and some want to find love, having Duff play a character with the same goals makes her the perfect comfort character.

Sophie is meant to be very similar to Ted Mosbey. Sophie dreams about meeting her soulmate despite the struggles that come with dating in today’s society as well as her mom’s dating history and absent father.

The shows also have similar intros. They are both versions of the song “Hey Beautiful” and the intro shows pictures of the new friend group. The pictures are not taken on a polaroid or an iphone like some would predict, but film because Sophie is an upcoming street photographer.

In the first episode, Sophie tells the story of how she met her husband to her future son. The

difference is, we do not get to see the child like we saw in How I Met Your Mother.

Sophie reveals in the first episode, she met her future husband, but they did not start dating. The show is more diverse than How I Met Your Father, and I believe the future child’s appearance would give it away.

There are multiple contenders in the show. Within the friend group: Charlie, a British man dating Sophie’s best friend who wears a suit and is overly cocky just like Barney, Ian, Sophie’s Tinder date who moved to Australia ending the currently possibility of them to start dating like Victoria and Ted, Sid, a surgeon who proposed to his Hannah in the first episode like Marshal and Lily, and Jesse, the bar owner and uber driver who currently has a crush on Sophie but does not believe in marriage, like Robin.

Another similarity are the locations where the friends hang out. The first location is the bar.

The setup of the bar is different.

Instead of a booth, the group hangs out on a couch, similar to the coffee house from the sitcom Friends. The group also hangs out in Jesse’s apartment. This apartment happens to be Marshall and Lily’s old apartment. Ted and Marshall’s swords are still hanging above the fireplace.

If the show wants to be obvious,

I predict who the father is Jesse.

I believe Sophie will eventually catch feelings for him and the two will form a relationship. As of right now, Sophie is still hung up on her Tinder date Ian. She admits she sees a possible future with him, but I do not know how long the two will last. Jesse does not believe in marriage, so I do not know if the two will last, despite them having a strong connection and the same comfort song “Drop of Jupiter”.

As of now, Sophie admits she wants to stay single and focus on growing as an individual. This is a very Ted Mosbey comment, so let’s see how long it is until she continues with Tinder dates. For now, we get to see the friend group of Sophie, Ellen, Jesse’s adopted sister, Valentina, Sophie’s roommate and best friend, Jesse, Sid, and Charlie grow.

I really enjoy the show so far.

I was worried the show would be very similar to how Fuller House represented Full House. Instead of using a few references, the show just recreated old episodes. How I Met Your Father has not done this yet. Each character has their own identity. They all share characteristics from previous characters from How I Met Your Mother, but again it’s not overpowering. I highly suggest giving How I Met Your Father a try.

COURTESY OF HULU

8 | THURSDAY, JAN. 20, 2022

A&E

REVIEW - ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ has the perfect amount of nostalgia Kyran Crist A&E Editor arts@thesunflower.com

If you have been on social media in the last couple of weeks, you will notice Marvel and Spider-Man fans losing their minds over the newest SpiderMan film, and rightfully so.

Marvel has released many films this year, such as “ShangChi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”, “Eternals” and “The Black Widow”. But they ended the year with a bang and their biggest release of the year “Spider-Man: No Way Home”.

No Way Home is the third Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. Before Holland, there were two other actors who starred in their own Spider-Man movies. Holland is the first Spider-Man to join Marvel’s Cinematic Universe.

This film has fans going crazy because it features all three Spider-Men, who are trying to cure villains of Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield’s movies who had tragically died by the end of their films.

Holland, Maguire and Garfield team up to give these villains a second chance before they are sent back to their universes,

“The film leaves fans in a mess of emotions and nostolgia, while opening the door for conversation and speculation into what Marvel will do with the Multiverse.” hoping to change the outcome of their fate.

The plot of the film was good, though it seemed rushed and seemed to lack depth. It worked because the point of the film was to introduce the Multiverse, bring the Spider-Men together and bring back beloved villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), and Electro (Jamie Foxx).

The biggest difference between this film and the others Marvel has released earlier in the year that made it blow up so much bigger was that they brought familiar characters and actors back to the screen to relive the past films. It was something new, yet not. It was nostalgic to those who grew up with different Spider-Man and villains.

Throughout the film, there are also many other Marvel character cameos - such as Matt

Murdock, who is played by Charlie Cox in the Netflix series Daredevil, and an end credit scene with Eddie Brock and his alien symbiote Venom, both played by Tom Hardy - that had fans cheering in the theaters.

These additions to the film may have been one of the smartest pieces to the film that Marvel made. Because since adding Murdock for simply a few minutes on screen as Parker’s lawyer, this sent many to watch the Netflix Daredevil as well as the others following it such as Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and The Defenders.

This has put Daredevil back on Netflix’s trending shows list for the first time since its final season in 2018.

With just two hours and 28 minutes, Marvel stopped an almost decade-long debate of which actor played the hero best, by showcasing the qualities and faults of each actor’s Spider-Man. The film leaves fans in a mess of emotions and nostalgia, while opening the door for conversation and speculation into what Marvel will do with the Multiverse and Holland’s SpiderMan in future films. What a great way to get fans eager for more, right before the release of another Doctor Strange film.

COURTESY OF MARVEL

Ulrich Museum of Art Director announces resignation

BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com

The Casey Donahew Band performs on Jan. 15 at the Cotillion, starting off a new year of events and concerts. | Photo by Kyran Crist / The Sunflower

Wichita concert venue brings affordable concerts to town

BY RACHEL RUDISILL rdrudisill@wichita.shockers.edu

Living in Wichita, I get the opportunity to attend way more concerts than I could in Alabama. Not many artists go on tour in Alabama. The closest we normally get is Atlanta, Georgia.

However, we were blessed to have Morgan Wallen last October.

In Wichita, there are always live music events. My favorite place to watch events is the Cotillion, located on West Kellogg.

Jad Wolf helped found the Cotillion in the late 1950’s. His goal was to create a space for people to kick back and have a fun time listening to live music with friends. In the past, Wolf has hosted events for Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and numerous other artists.

Concert tickets can be outrageously expensive, but the Cotillion has a great deal on prices. Tickets range from $10 to $40–depending on the artist and event–and welcomes people of all age groups.

There is no assigned seating.

It is first come first serve to get as close to the stage as possible.

The Cotillion has a confined area, but it allows everything to be assessed easily. Their area is

a huge dance floor, so people can either stand toward the gate of the stage, or use the rest of the open space to dance and watch the bands play.

There is also a bar located near the stage for those 21 and over as well as a table for people to eat and watch the bands play.

COVID-19 regulations are left to the artists descretion. Staff is masked and vaccine or mask requirments also depend on the artist for viewers.

Near the entrance, there is a merchandise shop which holds meet and greets with the opening artist. Many openers will be at their table after the show.

The Cotillion does not only offer country music concerts, but all music types including R&B, rock n’ roll and hispanic music.

They also have Q&A events, wrestling and even cat shows.

The Cotillion has events scheduled through October of 2022, but they have pop up events occurring throughout the month.

To receive updates on Cotillion events and ticket purchases, the Cotillion’s website has information and tickets for purchase.

UPCOMING COTILLION CONCERTS WADE BOWEN - JAN 21 Tickets $20

PARAMOUNT 80S ROCK NIGHT FT THE AUSTRONAUTS - JAN 22 Tickets $15

THE CAVVES - JAN 28 Tickets $12

POP EVIL - JAN 30 Tickets $17

STONEY LARUE - FEB 19 Tickets $22

JIMMY EAT WORLD & DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL – SURVIVING THE TRUTH TOUR - MARCH 4 Tickets $40 All ages welcome and tickets can be purchased before or day of event if not sold out before

On January 11th the Ulrich Museums of Arts announced the resignation of Leslie Brothers from her position of art director. Brothers accepted an offer for executive director for the Museum Campus in her hometown Kenosha, Wisconsin. She worked at Ulrich for four years in the arts director position, her resignation is effective as of Feb. 15th.

“I have enjoyed my time at the Museum and the university.

It has been a pleasure working with many wonderful colleagues across campus and the Museum’s exceptional staff,” Brothers said in the Jan 11th Ulrich press release.

“The Ulrich will celebrate 50 years in 2024, and I, like so many before me, am honored to have been a part of former President Ahlberg

and Dr. Martin H. Bush’s visionary legacy.”

“We are grateful to Leslie for her service to the university and visionary leadership while serving as director of the Ulrich Museum,” said Dr. Shirley Lefever, interim executive vice president and provost at Wichita State, also said in the Jan At Museum Campus, Brothers will be overseeing the Civil War Museum, Kenosha Public Museum and the Dinosaur Discovery Museum.

“It is an exceptional opportunity to work closely with the community and participate in the city’s transformation through this profession that I love. It also means being close to my son and family.”

Brothers said.

No mention was made of who would take Brothers place as arts director at this time.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK THURSDAY COVID-19: Employers, Vaccines, Masks, and Mandates: Exploring the Boundaries for Business 12-1 @ online Community Service Board Membership Meetings 3:30-5 @ RSC Last day to add a Spring first 8-week course Senior citizen registration for Spring full-semester classes

FRIDAY

Success Academy 1-4:30 @ Clinton Hall Nerdology 8-9:30 p.m @ CAC Theater