/ The Sunflower
THURSDAY March 24, 2022 Volume 126 Issue 26
WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896
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Political science department holds panel to analyze the Ukraine crisis BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ mxrivera-cortez@shockers.wichita.edu
In the midst of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the department of political science at Wichita State University held a panel to attempt to explain the complexity of the issue at hand. “This is an extremely difficult and awful situation that’s going on across the world, which is bleeding over into every country in the world,” Political Science Chair Neal Allen said. Allen, who was moderating the debate, decided that he would take off his tie and remain in his all black ensemble to mourn the loss of people who have died and will die. As of right now, scholars consider the conflict in Ukraine to be a crisis. “It is where there’s a possible path and things escalate, somebody does something that’s aggressive, somebody also responds to something that is aggressive and pretending it’s conspiring,” Michael Hall, associate professor of political science, said. This crisis is not something that happened overnight, but has been developing for a while. There is also no one-size solution for crises due to different factors and the unique situation. Hall said that no one can really predict what will happen, or how the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will end. What analysts can do is come up with possible scenarios. “There is likely to be a lot more fighting before the full extent of which scenario we’re looking at as it is going to play itself out,” Hall said. A factor that will most likely lead to the crisis lasting longer will be the fight over natural resources. The Nord Stream and the Nord Stream 2 are natural gas pipelines from Russia to Germany, running through the Baltic Sea. “They have immense political power and they highly determine the future of energy in Europe,” political science major Dominick Lett said. The Nord Stream pipeline runs from Russia to Germany, which in turn brings the United States into play. This could affect how much money Americans are spending on natural resources, such as gasoline and propane. The United States has a strategic oil reserve, where they have accumulated oil with their allies if a crisis were to arise. “But in any major case, there will probably be major global economic ramifications so significant that could cause a global downturn,” Lett said. The sanctions that have been imposed on Russia have come from many different countries. “Historically, economic sanctions have had various levels of effectiveness and it really just depends on how much political will other countries have to actually enforce them,” Alexandra Mildewood, an associate professor of political science, said. Middlewood said that what is being seen now is that countries have the will and political power to enforce sanctions against Russia. “Countries are actually seizing or freezing assets of certain people who are on those sanctions lists, and we’ve never seen that before,” she said. Though the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is ever changing with no certainty of what tomorrow will bring, both countries have experienced a large amount of loss.
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Elizabeth Berhrman having fun while lifting weights at F45 on March 22 at the Heskett Center. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower
Maggie Hairabedian does lunges with dumbbells at F45 on March 22 at Heskett Center. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower
Victor Nguyen instructs a student during a class at F45 on March 22 at the Heskett Center. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower
Scott Schul and Clint Carrier do a lats exercise at F45 on March 22 at the Heskett Center. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower
Fitness franchise offers group workouts to the community BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com
Working out might seem like too much of a hassle for many college students. But F45 wants to make it fun. F45 is an organization located in the Heskett Center that provides workout classes for faculty, staff, students and anyone with a Heskett Center membership. Director Andy Sykes said that F45 is the fastest growing fitness franchise in the world. It was started in Australia and Wichita State was the second school to bring it on its campus.
“It was a huge deal, we went to SGA to get funding for it and everything,” Sykes said. “It was a big, big deal.” Pre-COVID, each class maxed out at 27. They now go up to 18. Daily attendance throughout their multiple classes reaches roughly 50. Instructor Tristram Nguyen said that people have the option of getting classes tailored to their own needs. “I know a lot of people are apprehensive about joining the classes because they either have zero activity experience or very little,” Nguyen said. “We can
always regress it if they need — make it easier.” The organization offers 21 classes every week and 10 classes per week during summer. Student instructor Ivan Castillo said that the difference between YMCA classes and the F45 organization is community. “F45 is just so unique,” Castillo said. “That the philosophy of it is community based… I’ve gotten to meet faculty members that I don’t think I would have ever met or interacted with if I wouldn’t have gone to F45. “I have made friends that are completely out of my major, even
better like grad students so it’s a really great opportunity to meet the campus community.” Castillo joined the organization in fall of last year. “After a semester, I really enjoyed it and actually applied to be an instructor,” Castillo said. “Ever since then I’ve been kind of involved both as an attendee, but also as an instructor.” Students can sign up through the campus recreation app. Sykes said that community members outside of Wichita State can attend their first class free. A Heskett membership is $40 a semester for non-WSU students.
Shiftspace starts petition to reinstate funding BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE AND LINDSAY SMITH news@thesunflower.com and editor@ thesunflower.com
A petition to reinstate Shiftspace Gallery’s full funding has received over 300 signatures. Shiftspace Gallery, a downtown student-run art gallery, received a 65.8% decrease in the student fees proposal. If the proposal gets passed by the student senate and signed by the president, it would cut the gallery’s manager position and just be enough to pay the gallery’s rent. Without the gallery manager, the gallery would struggle to stay afloat. The gallery itself does not make any income. “We would lose the space without a gallery manager in place there so it really cut Shiftspace,” Manager Kristin Beal said. Lydia Humphreys, president of the gallery, said that having a student in the full-time gallery manager position, without getting paid, would be too much to ask. ShiftSpace gallery’s request
was debated heavily after questioning its Registered Student Organization status. However, while many student organizations can develop through Shiftspace, the gallery as a whole is not an RSO. “We were asking for funding as an org, not a registered student organization … I hope that they realize that that was a misunderstanding,” Beal said. Representative John Kirk initially motioned to give them $0 due to its questionable RSO status. “I would share my concern of eliminating funding for a position without at least some time to prepare for that,” Gabriel Fonseca, SGA advisor, said at the hearings. SGA Treasurer Zachary James made a motion to fund $23,000 instead of their full $67,445 request. The vote on the motion was tied so James voted in favor to break it. “I’m really just looking to pay for the gallery itself,” James said. “I support students, I love working with students, I know
An exhibit speaking out against rape culture in Shift Space, a WSU student-run art gallery in downtown Wichita. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower
there are students in SGA that support Shiftspace … I don’t question that,” Beal said. “This is a misunderstanding that needs to be corrected.” Applied learning Shiftspace Gallery opened in 2005, according to wichita.edu. It became an org through SGA in 2008. Students get to take on a role within the gallery including, but not limited to, preparator, curator, social media manager and community outreach coordinator.
Professor Robert Bubp founded Shiftspace. He said that it adds value to learning opportunities on campus. “[Shiftspace] completely aligns with the university’s ‘applied learning’ philosophy,” he said. “Students who volunteer or work there learn the tools to exhibit, brand, and fund exhibitions, as well as create and facilitate opportunities to engage with the local public.