/ The Sunflower
WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896
@sunflowernews @thesunflowernews
THURSDAY Oct. 14, 2021 Volume 126 Issue 10
www.thesunflower.com
‘Hit the ground running:’ Sophomore doesn’t let COVID-19 keep him from following passions BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale
A
aron Tollefson, a sophomore majoring in Sport Management, said he didn’t want to waste his freshman year during COVID-19 doing nothing. Instead, he reached out to all of the professors in his department and arranged a meeting to discuss what the program would look like and what he could do as a freshman to excel. “I think just establishing that connection with professors was worthwhile for me, because I have really good connections with them, they know me, I know them, I’ve been to tons of events with them,” Tollefson said. “It allowed me to really dive in, and that’s what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to wait until my junior year or senior year to start doing things around campus and meeting professors.” While Tollefson said he didn’t have a normal freshman year, he said it was to his advantage because not a lot of people were trying to get involved on campus and he was able to have more opportunities. Tollefson said his passion for sport management came from playing sports since he was a little kid. He knew he wasn’t good enough to play professionally, but still wanted to be involved in sports. “I am a firm believer in doing things that you want to do and not just doing it for money,” Tollefson said. “Life should be something
“Life should be something meaningful, and I felt like sports was my calling and felt like I could make a difference.” AARON TOLLEFSON Sport Management sophomore
meaningful, and I felt like sports was my calling and I felt like I could make a difference … The first step was just finding which college would be the right fit for me and that was Wichita State.” Tollefson said that WSU feels like a big and small university at the same time, because there are so many opportunities but he doesn’t just feel like another number. Tollefson joined CHAMPS during his freshman year when the organization was first created as a scouting director. The organization is focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within sports, and Tollefson is currently the Vice President of the group. “It is a very white male driven industry,” Tollefson said. “So I think being a part of an organization like that allows me to be more aware of those things that are happening because there is not going to be a change unless the person who is the dominant in it makes a change and is more aware of that. “I think the organization allowed me to meet people in the
PHOTO BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
Sophomore Aaron Tollefson talking at an interview with The Sunflower at the Rhatigan Student Center on Oct. 13.
sports industry as well as allowed me to be more aware of the industry that I am going into.” Tollefson said that last year, they did many virtual panels but are hoping to have more events on campus this year and make the student body more aware of the social issues within the sports industry. He said he hopes that the organization evolves by his senior year into a place to mentor students and help put them in places to be successful. “I think allowing me to be in CHANCE, it allows me to meet new people but also make an
impact on other people,” Tollefson said. “So I think just a lasting impact would be cool on Wichita State, so I think that’s partly why I am so involved on campus.” Tollefson works in the box office for the Wichita Wind Surge and is also a college ambassador for the OKC Thunder, doing mainly social media. Tollefson said that he plans to spend his time at WSU exploring different areas in Sports Management to see what career would be the best for him. “I know in the sports industry you are going to have to start out small, just doing small jobs,”
Tollefson said. “It’s not going to be the job that you want right away. I think it is just important for me to get in those jobs right now so when I graduate I already have been at those levels, I’ve made those connections and I can just jump into whatever I would like to do.” Tollefson said his advice to an incoming freshman is to find something that you are truly passionate about, and to try out different areas and positions within the field while you have the chance. He also said to reach out to professors because they want to help you.
Student senate moves to table granting Turning Point USA RSO status BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE AND LINDSAY SMITH news@thesunflower.com / editor@thesunflower.com
PHOTO BY MONIQUE GAINES / THE SUNFLOWER
Student senators discuss legislation at the SGA meeting on Oct. 13, 2021.
SGA passes updated code of conduct, with changes from original bill BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE AND LINDSAY SMITH news@thesunflower / editor@thesunflower. com
The student senate passed an updated version of the Student Government Association’s code of ethics and conduct at Wednesday’s meeting. This week was the second read of the bill. During the first read, a number of student senators voiced freedom of speech concerns regarding a section of the bill stating that no member of SGA can make any public or private statements that are “false and disparaging” of the association. Senator Dalton Dicks was the first to make a motion concerning the bill, moving to strike the paragraph in its entirety. After much deliberation, the senators did not vote to strike it, but instead to change the wording to be more specific. The updated wording states: “no SGA official shall make, directly, any oral or
written public statements that are false, proven through objective evidence, of the Student Government Association, any of its present officers, or its Constitution, Bylaws, Codes, procedures, and regulations.” According to the bill, members of SGA can report another member for making false claims. When reported, the person who filed the complaint would be responsible for providing evidence to back up their claim. After that, the Senate Review Board would review the case and decide whether it was valid enough to be taken in front of the senate. “The likelihood of a he said, she said case making it past the SRB is extremely unlikely,” Speaker of the Senate Jacob Tubach said at last week’s meeting. Senator Sam Mccrory was one of the senators against this section of the bill. He sparked controversy in April for wearing a ‘white lives matter’ mask at a swearing-in
event. Since then, he’s worn that same mask at the majority of senate meetings and mainly asks questions targeted towards freedom of speech. He argued that the bill could be used to target “outspoken minorities.” “I would also like to point out, let’s say for instance, that I was on the SRB,” Mccrory said. “Would you feel comfortable with me determining whether or not you’re being abusive?” While multiple senators spoke against the bill for similar reasons, some said that it was vital to targeting misinformation. “I do think misinformation … poses a real threat,” Majors said. “I think it’s something we should do our best to prevent. “If people are transparent in a way that’s a lie, then it’s not really benefiting the student government at all.” The bill passed with 31 in favor and six against.
The student senate voted to table a bill that would grant the right wing organization Turning Point USA registered student organization status at Wednesday’s meeting. Senator Ella Perkins made the motion of tabling, citing legal questions. “My motion to table had to do with wanting legal clarification on, ‘Is it legal to vote no if you feel that is best representing your constituents?’” Perkins said. “I kind of want that question answered for the senate at large and I think that can pose a broader question of what we are allowed to do with our process.” Before she motioned to table the bill, she encouraged senators to “abstain” from voting instead of voting yes to avoid possible legalities. Perkins said this decision came after talking to her constituents, who she said voiced discomfort over the organization. On a national level, the group has faced significant controversy. In 2019, a leaked video showed a chapter leader shouting “white power” and other offensive phrases. The organization then fired the individual shortly after. Several other members from different chapters have also been called out for racist comments, according to Huffpost. “I’ve talked to hundreds of students … regarding the concerns
of the presence of the student group on campus, and I think those concerns are valid enough that as an at-large senator, I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable voting in affirmation of a student group that most of my constituents don’t agree with and I was obviously elected to represent them,” Perkins said. “I think there is just clearly a legal question here of whether they clearly have the right to freedom of speech under the first amendment of the constitution, but I think there are also valid concerns of students.” WSU’s Turning Point USA President Olivia Gallegos, who is also an SGA senator, answered questions from the student senate during last week’s meeting. Gallegos stated that the group’s goal is to “promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Turning Point USA believes that every young person can be enlightened to true free market value.” In response to worries from senators, she told senate that the group adhered to university policies concerning non-discrimination. Tayton Majors, who chairs the committee that sees registered student organizations, said that any RSO has oversight to make sure they follow all university rules and regulations. “There is oversight that comes from both student involvement and the student code of conduct,” Majors said. “If they violate any of the principles set forth that they agreed to previously.”