The Sunflower v. 125 i. 11

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 MONDAY

Volume 125

www.thesunflower.com

Nov. 9, 2020

Issue 11

ELECTION 2020 Results as of Sunday, Nov. 8.

Provisional ballots are still being counted.

PRESIDENTIAL 270 electoral votes needed to win

Donald Trump

Joseph Biden

Electoral Votes:

Electoral Votes:

290

214

US SENATE Total Votes: 212,525

Roger Marshall

Barbara Bollier

Vote Percentage:

Vote Percentage:

52.29%

42.97%

Total Number of Votes: 111,119

Total Number of Votes: 91,329

GRAPHIC BY MORGAN ANDERSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Our democracy is stronger than your misinformation

US REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 4 Total Votes: 211,045

Ron Estes

Laura Lombard

Vote Percentage:

Vote Percentage:

59.30%

40.61%

Total Number of Votes: 125.147

Total Number of Votes: 85.703

It’s no secret that 2020 has been a year of much civil unrest, political tension, and distrust in the nation’s leaders. On top of all that, the country has a president who likes to spread disinformation about the election process, dividing the country over what a democracy really looks like.

On Nov. 7, former Vice President Joe Biden was projected to become the next president of the United States. But sitting President Donald Trump says the election is far from over.

Trump has been pushing the voter fraud narrative since he first ran for the national highest office in 2016. But a critical assessment by law experts found that only somewhere between 0.0003% and 0.0025% of ballots are cast fraudulently — not near enough to affect the election results.

In a 2014 study published in the Washington Post, researchers found just 31 cases of impersonation voter fraud in 14 years. In that time, voters across the U.S. cast more than 1 billion ballots.

So, what are the odds that large-scale voter fraud could actually impact the outcome of the election?

In a recently published New

COUNTY COMISSIONER DISTRICT 2 Total Votes: 32,797

Michael O’Donnell

Sarah Lopez Vote Percentage:

Vote Percentage:

49.13%

49.51%

Total Number of Votes: 16,112

Total Number of Votes: 16,237

COUNTY COMISSIONER DISTRICT 3 Total Votes: 49,308

David Dennis

Mike Iuen

Vote Percentage:

Vote Percentage:

65.28%

34.28%

Total Number of Votes: 32,188

Total Number of Votes: 16,902

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

Kelly Arnold

Kelli Reid

Vote Percentage:

Vote Percentage:

59.18%

40.76%

Total Number of Votes: 119,018

Total Number of Votes: 81,976

The Student Senate voted to withdraw $4,000 from their reserves to buy 200 flu shots for students.

Director of Health and Wellness Jonathan Lozano and SGA Treasurer Zachary James authored the funding bill.

Lozano said that he authored the bill after he reached out to the Director of Student Health Services Camille Childers about

COUNTY TREASURER Total Votes: 199,459

Vote Percentage:

Charity Kennedy

York Times piece, University of Chicago political science professor John Mark Hansen breaks down exactly what it would take for fraud to change the projected presidential winner.

One common but entirely unsubstantiated claim is that some Biden voters voted twice — once in person and once through mail. Hansen argues that this would be impossible.

If a voter tried to cast two ballots, they would risk felony persecution, fines, and imprisonment. You simply can’t walk into a polling place and vote a second time having already applied for a mail in ballot. Poll workers have access to voter information and can easily see when someone has already voted, rendering this theory invalid.

More people than ever before voted in this year’s election. But that’s no surprise, and definitely isn’t proof of fraud.

Everyone knew that this election was going to be different.

Not only do we have an entire

Pennsylvania by 48.2% — roughly 40,000 more votes than Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In 2020, the gap that separates Biden and Trump is slightly smaller — with Biden holding a roughly 30,000-vote edge. The Associated Press estimates that 99% of votes have been counted.

Even though the win looks very similar to 2016, Trump still claims that many of Pennsylvania’s votes (well, the ones for Biden) are fraudulent and cannot be trusted. But, where is the proof?

Trump claims that his observers were not allowed fair access to watch the count, and for that reason, votes from “ineligible and deceased voters” were tallied. Yet again, the president speaks without merit. No proof, just words.

What about the thousands of dead people who “voted”?

That rumor was debunked in another New York Times article that addresses the claim that 21,000 dead people voted for Biden in Pennsylvania. As it turns out, the article that Trump’s personal lawyer tweeted out as “proof ” of the conspiracy was SEE EDITORIAL PAGE 6

59.36%

40.57%

Total Number of Votes: 118,397

Total Number of Votes: 80,928

the possibility of free shots.

“After speaking with her, she mentioned that they had a limited supply of vaccines this year … she recommended contacting either CVS or Walgreens pharmacy which I ended up contacting Walgreens pharmacy,” Lozano said. “After speaking with a pharmacist she mentioned that they are more than happy to help us out with administering those flu shots.”

The cost for the vaccine is $40, which brings the total to $8,000.

Student Affairs is covering half of the cost.

The vaccines will be administered through Walgreens, who will have a clinic set up on campus. The timeframe the clinic will be open has yet to be decided.

While the vaccines will be given first come first serve, specific students will be prioritized.

“If you don’t have health insurance or you can’t afford a flu shot, we would prioritize those with the higher need,” SGA Advisor Gabriel Fonseca said.

The idea of setting aside more money to buy more than 200 vaccines was brought up during the meeting, but ultimately the number stayed the same.

“We can just have another funding bill coming up later that asks for more money if there is a need for more flu shots in the future,” Speaker of the Senate Olivia Babin said.

The bill passed with unanimous consent.

NEWS | 3

A&E | 5

SPORTS | 8

COMMUNITY VOICES

SHOCKAPELLA

NEW ADDITION

Wichitans band together to keep TitleMax out of low income neighborhoods.

WSU’s only a capella group prepares for virtual competition.

Marriah Buss discusses upcoming freshman campaign.

Vote Percentage:

FOLLOW US

EDITORIAL

generation finally old enough to vote, but we are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic that opened many Americans’ eyes to how important and powerful our leaders are in controlling the nation’s response.

Americans did their civil duty and went out and voted, many for the first time and some for the first time in a long time. It’s not voter fraud — it’s democracy. But Trump isn’t ready to accept the inconvenient fact that he lost.

Instead of conceding graciously as his predecessors have done, Trump has elected to file long-shot lawsuits and take the fight to the courts where he can continue to cast doubt on the electoral process.

So far, the Trump campaign has filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Georgia, and Michigan — all states where Biden either closely won or where the winner has yet to be called.

Pennsylvania, the state whose 20 electoral votes propelled Biden across the 270 threshold he needed to win, is the central focus of the president’s litigation.

So, let’s talk about the Keystone State.

In 2016, Trump won

SGA puts aside $4,000 to buy 200 flu shots for students

COUNTY CLERK Total Votes: 201,124

Brandi Baily

STAFF

/ The Sunflower

@sunflowernews

@thesunflowernews

2 | MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2020

NEWS

What you need to know about WSU’s voluntary asymptomatic COVID-19 testing

BY RACHEL LYONS ralyons@shockers.wichita.edu

Wichita State is continuing it’s multi-faceted approach to controlling COVID-19 on campus and is now offering free voluntary asymptomatic COVID testing with the help of Student Health Servicesand the new Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory.

“Come in, and you bring your ID and collect your kit. You’ll register your kit and follow the instructions provided before returning your kit to Student Health Services.”

CAMILLE CHILDERS

Director of Student Health Services FILE PHOTO: SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

The Rhatigan Student Center on March 23, 2020.

Student Affairs in-person events cancelled for the rest of the year

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

The university has cancelled all in-person events held through Student Affairs for the rest of the year due to increased COVID19 cases. The cancellations are effective immediately.

This includes greek events, intramural sports, student health events, and housing events.

Athletics are excluded.

“As the numbers continued to increase, it just became apparent that we needed to make other decisions so that’s why we decided,” Vice President of Student Affairs Teri Hall said.

Any events that were originally scheduled for in-person must be cancelled, held virtually, or postponed for a later date.

“If they can’t be held virtually,

“Part of my concern is that what students are doing now, they could be going home during Thanksgiving and taking the virus home. [Cancelling] is the responsible thing to do.”

TERI HALL Vice President of Student Affairs

they must be postponed to a time where it’s safer to be held in person and we’ll notify them when that can be, probably in the spring semester,” Hall said.

Hall said that what may happen during Thanksgiving break was one of the concerns that led to the

decision being made.

“Part of my concern is that what students are doing now, they could be going home during Thanksgiving and taking the virus home,” Hall said. “[Cancelling] is the responsible thing to do.”

While the decision makes cancelling, moving online, or postponing required for any event held through Student Affairs, any event that isn’t connected with Student Affairs isn’t affected. Hall said she hopes that will soon change.

“I can only speak for my division and what happens within my division so I don’t know what’s going to happen with other divisions across campus,” Hall said.

“But I am hoping that they will follow suit and do things similarly.”

Voting open for tartan design to celebrate WSU’s 125th anniversary

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

Scotland tradition is coming to Wichita State’s campus.

Students have the opportunity to vote on a tartan design through Nov. 25 to celebrate the university’s 125th anniversary. A tartan is a distinct pattern of lines and checks found on kilts to represent different Scottish clans.

Department of History Chair Jay Price said that the idea came

from his love of Scottish culture that blossomed during his semester abroad during his junior year of college.

“I’ve always been interested in how communities identify and use symbolism with flags and stuff, and tartans are another way to do that,” Price said. “It seemed like it would be a fairly straightforward way to help mark WSU’s 125th [anniversary].”

Price said that WSU’s colors lend themselves very well to this

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.

The Sunflower is a member of Kansas Collegiate Media, the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association.

Copyright © 2020 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

project and he is hoping to register the tartan in the Scottish Registry of Tartans.

Students in an art class designed four possible tartans for the project, and when it came down to deciding on a winner, Price said that they weren’t able to decide on one so decided to pass that responsibility to the student body.

“Why don’t we let students decide and let them have a chance to use their voice?” Price said.

Price said that through voting,

students will be able to have a part in the celebration of WSU’s milestone.

“I think that this is a chance to get a little bit of a buy-in to WSU’s 125th [anniversary] because a lot of the activities had to get postponed with COVID,” Price said.

Students can vote through a survey sent to their student emails that was initially sent on Oct. 22nd. If students did not receive an email, they can contact Price at Jay. Price@wichita.edu.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

COPY EDITOR Julia Nightengale copyeditor@thesunflower.com

MANAGING EDITOR Morgan Anderson visuals@thesunflower.com

PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

OPINION EDITOR Jeromiah Taylor opinion@thesunflower.com

ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Kaylee Stout photos@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

PODCAST DIRECTOR Audrey Korte podcast@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Karen Galindo arts@thesunfower.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Noah Merrell admanager@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

Director of Student Health Services Camille Childers said all a student needs to bring is their ID. “Come in, and you bring your ID and collect your kit,” Childers said. “You’ll register your kit and follow the instructions provided before returning your kit to Student Health Services.”

This testing is available to asymptomatic students, expanding upon previously announced testing for faculty and staff. The results of the tests will be published as part of the university COVID-19 Dashboard and reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) if applicable.

If a student utilizing this program tests positive, they will be asked to isolate and contact professors stating that they are ill and unable to attend class.

For students living in another county, Childers said all information will be provided to KDHE and other health departments.

“If you live in another county, because Student Health Services is your testing site, info is reported to KDHE and will be distributed to applicable health departments, and Student Health will follow up,” she said.

Childers stresses that if students are showing symptoms of COVID-19 they should contact Student Health Services or their Primary Care Provider.

Testing is available in the lobby of the WSU Student Wellness Center Monday thru Friday 9 am- 4pm. It’s available to all enrolled students who are not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and is free of charge.

Questions can be directed to Student Health Services at (316) 978-4792 or student.health@ wichita.edu

Contact Us 019 Elliott Hall 1845 N. Fairmount Ave. Campus Box 134 Wichita, KS 67260-0134 EDITORIAL

Lindsay Smith: 316-978-6905 editor@thesunflower.com ADVERTISING

Noah Merrell: 316-978-6906 admanager@thesunflower.com

Corrections

The Sunflower is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in any of its publications, please email the editor at editor@thesunflower.com immediately.

NEWS

MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2020 | 3

‘OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER’

KAYLEE STOUT/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita citizen’s and Wichita State students were protesting TitleMax and other loan businesses from entering their community and preying on low income communities on Nov. 7.

Community members protest the opening of TitleMax

BY CALEN MOORE cjmoore3@shockers.wichita.edu

Wichita community members took a break from the election news to bring awareness to another issue affecting the community: the opening of TitleMax, a payday loan business, on 13th and Oliver.

Protesters expressed their distrust of the business and its predatory behavior against those of low income and people of color.

Many of them carried signs and passed out informational pamphlets about resources available for people in need.

The protest was organized

by Ti’Juana Hardwell, a former Wichita State graduate and current realtor. Once she heard about the TitleMax moving in, she organized a Facebook event. The event on Facebook stated those protesting wished to stop loan sharks from profiting on vulnerable communities.

“They know we are vulnerable, they recognize that,” Hardwell

said. “I understand that single moms and others can struggle … but we can not keep putting our families in this position for these places to set up.”

“It’s sad to see a place like this in this community. This community deserves better, deserves a much needed grocery store instead of a chicken place, liquor stores and a TitleMax.” OLETHA FAUST-GOUDEAU Member of the Kansas Senate

Payday loans have been known to reach a 391% interest rate in Kansas and while most loan businesses claim they offer money to people in time of need, others say they take advantage of those

instead.

“It’s close proximity to WSU is threatening, it’s bad for college students as well,” Hardwell said Many members of the community felt that payday loan facilities trap people in low income areas in a cycle of debt, due to their high interest rates on short term loans.

Hardwell said these businesses are profiting off of people of color and are targeting the communities they open up in.

Member of the Kansas Senate, Oletha Faust-Goudeau, was at the protest to show her support. She spoke to the crowd of protesters urging them to organize as a community and show their disdain for payday loan businesses opening in their neighborhood.

“It’s sad to see a place like this in this community,” Faust-Goudeau said. “This community deserves better, deserves a much needed grocery store instead of a chicken place, liquor stores and a TitleMax.” While some have defended payday loans, others believed

that its presence does damage to lower income communities. A study done by Howard University showed that low income areas look more desirable to payday loan businesses because banks usually deny loans to people with low incomes or bad credit.

Danielle Johnson, the Assistant Director for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at WSU, said these loan businesses make it harder for people of color to have access to things most citizens need.

“As a community member it is important to me for us to have access to capital and access to low interest rates, but what we are finding is that these loan places pop up with high interest rates and not a lot of regulations,” Johnson said. “We have to regulate these things in Kansas.”

In Kansas, lawmakers are considering a bill that would make the maximum interest rate 36%.

This would put a low cap on the amount of interest rate a loan business could charge. So far nothing

has been passed yet.

Protestors also said they were trying to educate people on the dangers of “loan sharks” and payday loan businesses.

“It’s also about education, we need to understand what we are signing,” Johnson said. “Your alternator goes out, you can’t make rent, these things happen and if you must utilize these loan places people need to understand the predatory nature of these places.”

The protest offered information about alternative resources open to the community. Free resources for those in need can be found through programs like the ICT Community Fridge project for food. The program Center of Hope offers services for those who need help with utilities.

Hardwell encouraged community members to use these free resources and continue to protest loan businesses entering the community.

Birthday ballot: Wichitan celebrates 18th birthday by casting first vote

BY CALEN MOORE cjmoore3@shockers.wichita.edu

On Gabe Murphy’s 18th birthday, he did not leave school to celebrate with his friends and family. Instead, he went to Grace Presbyterian Church to cast his vote.

Murphy was one of the lucky few who barely made the cut to be able to vote in the 2020 election. He turned 18 Nov. 3, right on Election Day. Murphy, a high school senior, noticed last election that he would be just old enough to participate in the 2020 one. Not only is the 2020 election important because of the unprecedented time it is, it also has proved to be a historic one, setting records in early voter turnout.

Almost 100 million ballots have already been cast. To put that into perspective, approximately 138 million eligible Americans voted in 2016 total.

“I used to not understand the importance of voting, but it is not a huge commitment, it’s not hard,” Murphy said.

Murphy said he is not taking the opportunity to vote for granted.

“I have a lot of friends who may be even more passionate than me who would love to vote but can’t,” he said.

Murphy’s mother, Lynette, the Senior Director of Development of the WSU Foundation, was excited that her son was able to vote in a special election.

“When we realized that Gabe could vote in the next election, we had no idea that that election

would be as important as it is,” Lynette said.

“I used to not understand the importance of voting, but it is not a huge commitment, it’s not hard” GABE MURPHY First-time voter

Lynette, who is a WSU graduate, said that while she doesn’t remember her first year voting, her son’s first year will be a memorable one with how important the election is.

Many Americans debate the meaningfulness of an individual’s vote. While some believe a vote can either change the world or not matter at all, Murphy said that while his vote might not change anything significant, he still was setting an example and doing his duty and that was enough for him.

After coming out of the church where he casted his vote, he felt slightly underwhelmed but he still felt hopeful.

“I feel like maybe yeah depending on the state you live in your vote might not make a difference but at the end of the day it is showing support, and setting an example,” Murphy said. “Like the saying it’s the thought that counts.”

Murphy said he generally wishes to avoid political talk, but recently has felt inclined to stay informed to know the values of each candidate instead of relying

on political ads or his peers.

His mother spoke on his mindfulness of what is going on and saying Murphy “pays close attention to the nation” and its current events.

Murphy said that with his excitement comes nervous anticipation.

“I’m excited but also I will feel regretful if my candidate does not win, I’m not sure why, it’s not something I can control but I’ll still feel it,” Murphy said.

While leaving the voting area Murphy remained hopeful for the foreseeable future.

“I think that this year has been testing with coronavirus which has had a huge impact, the police brutality and minority movements, and the corruption that has shown itself,” Murphy said. “But it would be good to perhaps start over and grow from this.”

CALEN MOORE/THE SUNFLOWER

Gabe Murphy walks out after casting his vote at Grace Presbyterian Church Tuesday, Nov. 3. He turned 18 on Election Day and celebrated by going to the polls.

ATTENTION STUDENTS: You (or your parents) may be eligible for a 2020 Higher Education Tax Credit.

To be eligible you must have your SSN on file with WSU by Novemeber 30, 2020.

For more information, go to http://www.wichita.edu/1098t

4 | MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2020

NEWS/ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

VOTING AMIDST A VIRUS

PHOTOS BY KHANH NGUYEN/THE SUNFLOWER

Top: Voters prepare to cast thier vote inside the St. Vincent de Paul Church in Andover on Tuesday. St Vincent de Paul Church in Andover is among many polling places across the Wichita area.

Left: Volunteer Makayla Holmes helps out a voter at Boston Recreation Center on the day of the election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Above: Josh Stepp drops off his ballot in the drop box at Boston Recreation Center on Tuesday.

Study Abroad Office holds interactive language webinars to keep students culturally connected

BY KAREN GALINDO arts@thesunflower.com

Although WSU was unable to welcome new exchange students this year, the Study Abroad Office decided to make the best out of a difficult situation by organizing interactive language webinars with students from Paraguay.

The languages offered were Spanish and Japanese. Ann Burger, Associate Director for Study Abroad and Exchange Programs, says the idea for the webinars came near the end of the summer.

“The idea came about towards the end of the summer once we knew that, unfortunately, we weren’t going to have any exchange students coming onto campus,” Burger said.

Normally, the Study Abroad Office runs an International Buddy Program where WSU students volunteer to become an exchange students “buddy”. Burger says the interactive webinars are a great alternative to the program. “... Since we weren’t going to have any exchange students then obviously we couldn’t do that

buddy program this fall,” Burger said. “So I was thinking of what are some other things we can do that students can still get connected and still have that cultural aspect of it ... That’s how these cultural language interactive webinars came about.”

“If you can’t travel to another country and spend time there learning the language, then the next best way is to find a native speaker and to practice with them … you’re both learning from each other.”

ANN BURGER Associate Director for Study Abroad and Exchange Programs

The office reached out to Comité Paraguay Kansas, a nonprofit study abroad organization in Paraguay.

“They were really excited,” Burger said. “They were like, ‘Oh yes, we’re gonna have so many students who will want to do this.’”

Sophomore Nicole Bloomquist attended the first Spanish webinar in September and plans to attend the one next week.

“It was a lot of fun! It was really interesting to see the differences in schooling,” Bloomquist said. “I ended up connecting with one of [the students from Paraguay] on Instagram and we Zoomed on our own outside of the webinar. So I made a friend from it, which is really cool.”

Bloomquist is double majoring in political science and Spanish.

She is hoping to study abroad in Spain her junior year.

She first learned about the webinars because she thought it was a requirement for her classwhich it wasn’t.

“That first caught my attention, but really I just wanted to practice my Spanish and that’s a great way to practice,” Bloomquist said. “I’m really interested in Latin American politics and in [the countries] in general, so I thought that would

be a great way to hear first-hand experiences in another country.”

During the webinars, students are separated into breakout rooms of two to four. They are given a certain amount of time to converse in English and the exact same amount of time to converse in Spanish. This way, the students from Paraguay are able to practice their English and WSU students are able to practice their Spanish.

“The interest on the Paraguayan side was definitely there,” Burger said. “The interest on our side was a little less, but part of that is maybe students are a little bit timid sometimes. But both sides benefited greatly from it.”

Registration for the second webinar has closed, with 30 students signed up.

“We try to make it very informal … you’re not getting graded on anything, you are just there to practice your Spanish,” Burger said. “... If you can’t travel to another country and spend time there learning the language, then the next best way is to find a native speaker and to practice with them … you’re both learning from each other.”

MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2020 | 5

WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM

Arts & Entertainment

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

‘Blood of Zeus’ is the definition of epic TV CRITIC Wyman Wheeler Reporter, Columnist wjwheeler@shockers.wichita.edu

KAYLEE STOUT/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State held an annual holiday pottery sale. This event was held in Henrion Hall, room 105 on Nov. 5.

Students and faculty showcased their work at WSU Ceramic Guild’s annual holiday sale KAREN GALINDO arts@thesunflower.com

Wichita State’s Ceramic Guild held their annual holiday pottery sale on Wednesday and Thursday at Henrion Hall.

The pieces on sale were handmade by students and faculty members.

Associate professor of ceramic media Ted Adler helped organize the event. He says that 50 percent of the profit goes to the artists and the other half goes to the ceramic guild.

“The guild pays for visiting artists, students travel to conferences, and sometimes equipment the school can’t buy,” Adler said.

“It’s a way for students to help other students through direct funding for travel or indirectly for equipment.”

Adler says the holiday sale is usually held a week after Thanksgiving, but due to COVID19 and the altered fall schedule the sale was moved earlier into the semester.

COVID-19 also changed the sale’s location to Henrion Hall instead of McKnight. Although there have been many changes, Adler says that the pandemic has

also brought some good. “[COVID-19] has actually made us up our social media game a little bit. We’ve had to be a little bit better about being more proactive to reach out to people that dont know [the sale is] happening and I feel like I’m actually seeing some new faces,” Adler said. “...In the same way COVID has made people more thoughtful, I think we’ve gotten a little more thoughtful about how we connect with our supporters in the community.”

WSU alumni Katherine Smalley returned to campus to participate in this year’s sale.

“They had some renovations that I wanted to come back and experience that I didn’t get to experience since last year ended abruptly,” Smalley said.

This is her sixth WSU ceramic sale she has participated in. She says she has been doing ceramics for about six or seven years now and although the process can frustrate her at times she still “loves it dearly”.

“It makes me want to pull my hair out half the time to be honest,” Smalley said. “...That’s part of the process...You just spend so much doing one little thing and it comes out and sometimes it

KAYLEE STOUT/THE SUNFLOWER

Katherine Smalley participated in an annual holiday pottery sale at Wichita State. She is standing around some of her pottery that she has designed.

doesn’t, but it’s okay.”

Adler says he hopes for buyers to be able to gift loved ones with something unique this year.

“I think the biggest thing about the sale is that hopefully we are

helping to supply our campus community and our friends outside of the campus community with gifts to give that are made by people that they may know or interact with,” Adler said.

Netflix never ceases to unload new shows on its service. With every passing week, Netflix releases new and original content for the masses to consume. A couple of weeks ago, the ‘show of the week’ was an original anime titled “Blood of Zeus”. The show has received positive reviews and currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Personally, I am not an avid consumer of anime but the hype surrounding the show encouraged me to give it a try, and I am so glad that I did.

“Blood of Zeus” was created

by Charley and Vlas Parlapanides and tells the story of Heron, the illegitimate son of Zeus.

The season consists of eight 30-minute episodes. The story told is truly an epic tale filled with triumph, tragedy, and grandeur as well as compelling characters.

When I started the show I was not expecting to become so heavily invested in it. I am not a fan of anime; while admittedly beautiful, it just gives me a headache so I tend to stay away from it. That being said, “Blood of Zeus” wiped my negative viewpoint away. I was impressed by the massive scope the show conveyed. The story was legitimately compelling and I caught myself gasping at the TV multiple times.

The story is what makes the show, but not to be forgotten is the animation and the score.

The action choreography is easy on the eyes and thrilling to watch and the backgrounds featured in the show look like masterpieces that could be featured in the finest museums. The highlight of the show for me was the music. Paul Edward-Francis provided the score for all eight episodes and knocked it out of the park-- the music cue that accompanies the antagonist truly made my skin crawl.

While the story of the show is what keeps the viewer invested, the music elevates the material to a whole other level.

Before watching “Blood of Zeus” I was what you might call an ‘anime hater’, but now I can confidently say that my eyes have been opened to the medium in the best way possible. If you enjoy larger than life characters as well as deeply dramatic storytelling, then I highly encourage you to check out “Blood of Zeus” for yourself.

Clubs and organizations you may not have heard of: Shockappella KAREN GALINDO arts@thesunflower.com

A cappella first entered mainstream media with the release of the 2012 hit movie, “Pitch Perfect”.

Eight years later, this style of music continues to be widely popular.

Shockapella is Wichita State’s one and only a cappella group.

The group participates in the ICCA competition, also known as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, and performs at other local community events.

The competition is being held virtually this year due to COVID19. Erick Snedegar, president of Shockappella, says the group is following the ICCA’s lead and meeting virtually this year for practices.

“Like the competition which has gone virtual, we have decided to run Shockappella entirely

virtually,” Snedegar said. “[We are] basically learning all of our music independently, and instead of meeting up together to sing we’ve been sending in personal recordings and video editing them together to create a virtual experience.”

Vice president of the group Ramon Mosate says the process was a challenge at first, but not hindering.

“It’s definitely been a bit of a learning curve for both the people in the group who are singing and the editors, but when you get past it, it starts flowing pretty quickly,” Mosate said. “With trial and error, it can be such a simple process.”

Mosate said that in the past he was more connected to classical music, and a capella music is a newer interest of his.

“The difference between singing classically and singing a cappella is just so different because you have

to sing in a different voice-type essentially,” Mosate said. “You have to be more open and operatic for classical, but for a cappella you can be more pop and chill and laid back. Same amount of enjoyment in different ways.”

WSU Shockappella has spent the last two months practicing and gathering recordings for their latest competition.

“We submitted our audition at the end or middle of October,” Mosate said. “We will hear back around Nov. 15 if we are going to advance to the next bracket of the competition.”

To view their performances, visit their Youtube channel or social media outlets.

Last year, Shockappella was ranked fourth in the region and student Joaquin Martinez earned the title of “Best Beatboxer”.

As a music education major, Snedegar says his passion for music

can sometimes become stressful when mixed with school. “...When your entire class structure revolves around music, when your performance becomes a grade, it is such a refresher to be able to engage in music as a hobby,” Snedegar said. “Shockappella has become a really nice outlet to still engage with what I’m passionate about for no other reason than to just have fun.”

When it comes to the “Pitch Perfect” movie series, Snedegar says the portrayal is nearly spot-on. “...My only comment from that is that the experience and the competition process that is portrayed in the movie is not all that far off from what happens in real life,” Snedegar said. “It really is getting to live out that fantasy that you saw in theatres a few years ago.”

Auditions for Shockappella occur at the beginning of the fall semester.

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Opinion

HAVE AN OPINION?

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Jeromiah Taylor opinion@thesunflower.com

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Kamala Harris is paving the way for all women Olivia Babin Columnist

There haven’t been many days in 2020 where I am extremely proud to be a woman. Saturday, I had one of those days.

Kamala Harris is the Vice President elect of the United States. She is the first woman, the first Black person, and the first person of Asian descent to hold this office.

If you’ve read any of my columns before, you know that I am a feminist obsessed with politics.

I’ve written about AOC, femininity, Harvey Weinstein and most recently, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

This is the article I wanted to write in 2016. The article that could have been written in 2012. An article that should have been written many years ago, but I am happy to write it today.

It’s hard to imagine your career goals when you’ve never seen someone who looks like you achieve them. How do I imagine what my life as the Vice-President would look like if I’ve never seen a woman hold that position? How do young Black girls imagine their careers when they’ve never seen a Black person, much less a Black woman, in those positions?

How about young Indian girls?

The answer is most of them don’t.

Girls aren’t taught they can be politicians.

Growing up, I was told I could

be anything and do anything I wanted to do. But how can I even see it as a possibility when no one like me has ever done it before?

For some women, like Kamala Harris, it’s a motivator to take those leaps. But for most women, it makes it feel like an impossibility.

Kamala Harris has opened the door. Kamala Harris smashed the glass ceiling. She has raised herself higher than any woman ever before in this country’s leadership. Higher than Nancy Pelosi. Higher than Hillary Clinton. Her election is meaningful for every single woman in America. Politics aside, Harris is paving the way for all women.

While, as a woman, this is meaningful to me, I can never imagine what it’s like for women of color. No matter how amazing I

feel, this moment means so much more to the Black women who have worked incredibly hard to change this country. The Black women who rallied the vote in Georgia. The Black women who are organizing in our communities.

Indian-American actress Mindy Kaling tweeted: “Crying and holding my daughter, ‘look baby, she looks like us.’” with a picture of Harris. These moments are meaningful and important, regardless of politics.

There is no doubt that not everyone agrees with Harris’ politics— even I don’t agree with everything she’s done. But there is no doubt that she is an example of what a strong woman is and how far women of color can go in our society.

Sunflower Archives - Feb. 29, 2016: Trump: A bad joke that missed the punchline

BY ANDREW LINNBARY

Last June, Donald Trump launched his “Make America Great Again” campaign. Who would have predicted he’d be leading the Republican nomination today?

Here are some remarks from this “great American.”

“Jeb Bush likes illegals because of his wife,” Trump tweeted on July 4, 2015. Trump later deleted the post.

“Thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down.

Thousands of people were cheering,” Trump said at an Alabama rally in November, referring to the 9/11 attacks, later saying to ABC that the thousands he referred to were Muslims. No media outlet has been able to uncover any report confirming Trump’s claim.

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot people and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Trump said at a rally in Iowa. That’s such a ridiculous statement, but I am prone to believe him. If none of the absurd things Trump has said and done have swayed his supporters yet, why would this?

These quotes merely scratch the surface. It’s troubling to think such a pompous man could rally up such support. Trump was met with laughter when he entered the race. How have we not booed him off the stage?

Maybe those Hitler

comparisons on Twitter and Facebook aren’t too far off the mark.

In the ‘90s, Trump confirmed to Vanity Fair that he had a copy of Hitler’s “My New Order” in a bedside cabinet.

On Sunday, Trump retweeted a Mussolini quote, “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump said he was unaware it was a Mussolini quote.

When asked if he wanted to be associated with Mussolini, he said he wanted to be associated with good quotes.

One could argue that Trump is merely interested in the subject of fascism, but it seems more alarming when you take into account Trump’s claims to round up every Mexican immigrant and build a wall between the United States and Mexico, or his claim for “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”

Not to mention the crazy propaganda song performed by the “Freedom Girls” at a Pensacola rally last month. If you haven’t seen that, you should Youtube it.

It is equally entertaining as it is disturbing.

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has persistently criticized Trump, and on Friday said that Trump reminds him of

Hitler. Last month, Anne Frank’s stepsister accused Trump of “acting like another Hitler.”

No, Trump does not seem as evil as Hitler, but there are many parallels.

He says anything that will get him a headline and media coverage, and what’s disheartening is how much support his ideas receive.

Trump’s claims and ideas are also damaging to our relations with other countries.

In response to Trump’s call for a ban on all Muslims, a statement from Dar al-Ifta, the Egyptian’s official religious body, called Trump’s remarks “hate rhetoric.”

A translated tweet from French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said,

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“Mr. Trump, like others, stokes hatred: our ONLY enemy is radical Islamism.”

Trump says he’ll make America great again. What’s wrong with the way it is? It is unlikely anyone will be 100 percent happy with every last law, standard or person in our country. We’re not all wired the same, and we will not all get along. It is one thing to respectfully disagree, and it is another to be intolerant. Trump rallies around elitism and narrow-mindedness.

Trump is entertaining. That is undeniable, but does that make him qualified to be president?

At the rate we’re going, Kanye West’s 2020 presidential bid could be taken seriously.

EDITORIAL

FROM PAGE 1 about a lawsuit filed in October by the Public Interest Legal Foundation that claimed Pennsylvania’s secretary of state added 21,206 deceased Pennsylvanians on voter rolls. The group filed the lawsuit to make sure the dead people didn’t get to cast their vote.

The court’s chief judge concluded that there was no proof — contradicting the group’s claim that the evidence was “filed under seal with the court.”

“We cannot and will not take plaintiff’s word for it — in an election where every vote matters, we will not disenfranchise potentially eligible voters based solely upon the allegations of a private foundation,” the judge said.

Trump pushing his voter fraud and unfair election claim is dangerous and must be stopped. 2020 has already been a year of unrest, division, tension, and distrust in the country, and stoking more doubt in American voting systems can only cause more damage.

We want facts. We want truth.

We want the American people to decide an election, and when they decide, we need two candidates who are willing to accept the result and give the people the president they chose to run the country for the next four years.

At The Sunflower, we believe every American has the fundamental right to voice their own opinion and vote for whomever they choose. What we don’t stand for is being a poor loser and stoking fear and distrust in the country’s voting system.

OPINION

MONDAY, NOV. 9, 2020 | 7

I just wanna dance with somebody INTO THE ZEITGIEST Jeromiah Taylor Opinion Editor opinion@thesunflower.com

At the beginning of 2020 I was newly single. I did what seemed appropriate and joined the apps.

Those apps being the mobile applications wherein most queer Gen Z dating takes place.

On Tinder, unlike Grindr, there is at least some pretense that you are interested in your counterpart’s personality. One indicator of this pretense is the presence of an anthem on your profile. A song that embodies you, or I suspect, your motives. My anthem was “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” by Whitney Houston.

Fast forward to November and the apps worked their magic. But I still very much want to dance with somebody.

Having embarked on the first queer relationship of my adult life, I have learned that for LGBT+ people dancing is a profound act fraught with difficulties.

The most visible act of queer civil disobedience in the 20th century, the Stonewall riots, were in response to the raiding of a gay bar. The bars were routinely raided on the premise that they were operated by the mafia and did not have liquor licenses. The actual arrests and charges made were against cross dressing and dancing with members of the same sex; an actual crime in 1960’s America.

Yet despite this generational trauma, dancing remains an integral part of gay culture. GranVarones, the online archive of black/latinx LGBT+ oral history, is full of musical recollections. One running theme is the first song you heard in a gay club.

For one, the C+C Dance Club remix of Taylor Dayne’s “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love” played. For another it was Whitney Houston’s rendition of “I’m Every Woman.” For me, the first song I danced to in a gay bar, was Britney Spear’s “...Baby One More Time.” Music and dancing to music are cornerstones of gay culture.

Yet dancing with someone of the same sex is more profound than any pop song. Partner dancing is almost always an expression of love or desire.

The language of dancing, of “leading” and “following,” of “seduction” and “battle,” of “getting it” and “throwing it back,” of “feeling the rhythm,” suggests romantic and erotic roles that are hegemonically played by opposite sex players.

For one man to follow another, for two women to feel each other’s rhythm, is such a profound taboo as to be criminalized well into the 20th century.

Yet the queer dance is not fully emancipated.

My boyfriend and I have had tense conversations about dancing in public. Of why he is so hesitant to dance with me and why I am so stubbornly set on dancing wherever I want with whomever I want.

I remember being angry with him when he told me he did not feel comfortable dancing with me at the karaoke bar we frequent because of how the largely straight, older patrons might react. Later, I realized that what enraged me was the fact that a straight couple would never have a conversation like that.

Dancing for queer people is the ground of both oppression and liberation. Deep in our bones is the trauma of nightclub raids and high in our spirits is the ecstasy of those same dance floors.

At the heart of most people is the desire to “dance with somebody who loves me;” it’s time that everyone be allowed to.

FILE PHOTO: EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Daria Moore, a freshman studying biological sciences and graphic design, draws using a laptop during the LGBT self-care event on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019 at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

ZOOM UNIVERSITY: WHAT PROFESSORS NEED TO CHANGE FOR THE SPRING 2021 SEMESTER Julia Nightengale Copy Editor copyeditor@thesunflower.com

As I entered into my Junior year of college during a national pandemic, I expected professors to be more compassionate and empathetic with their classwork and students. For the most part, I was right. But for some of my experience, I was completely, downright wrong.

For many students, this semester has been challenging for a variety of reasons.

Although I signed up for in-person classes, a majority of my classwork has been moved online, and I spend hours every day staring at a computer screen, and have not spoken one word to some of my classmates or professors. This semester has made me feel more isolated than ever before.

Adjusting to a new way of learning isn’t easy for anybody, and trying to juggle that on top of other life priorities has made this an overwhelming semester to say the least. On top of this, the worry and stress that I or someone that I love might be exposed to COVID-19 is always lurking in the back of my mind.

Some students may even be facing the challenge of finding wifi to do their homework or finding a space to complete their schoolwork with no distractions.

Trying to do homework in a crowded and loud household is not ideal but is the only choice that some students have had this semester.

My experience with professors this semester has been phenomenal for the most part.

By giving extra time to complete assignments, or posting info for mental health resources at WSU directly onto Blackboard, I have felt seen and cared for.

These are the professors that I have been able to build a connection with, even through a computer screen, during a time when connecting with people is hard to come by.

Through Zoom classes and recorded lectures, I feel that I am still able to form a connection with professors and other classmates. I also don’t feel like I’m missing out on my education in most of my classes, which was a big concern for me this semester.

Not everything has been perfect. From a lack of communication and what also feels like a lack of effort, I have also had the experience of having to spend extra time teaching myself

material. That is not a good feeling when you pay a large amount of money for a professor to teach you.

Communication of due dates and expectations has also been a huge problem for me, as well as other students I have heard from.

Trying to navigate Blackboard, which is a sub-par application to begin with, has left me feeling lost. Figuring out exactly what I have due has almost been harder than the actual classwork.

I entered into this semester reminding myself to have empathy for professors during this time. This is a huge learning curve for everybody and we are all just trying to do our best during an unnaturally chaotic time in history.

My empathy for professors stops when that same empathy is not given to me. This is not a normal semester but that doesn’t mean that professors get to decide to completely stop teaching. Uploading a powerpoint and a ten-question quiz that grades itself is not teaching.

I want things to be different next semester. I don’t want to dread school and feel apathetic towards my coursework. I came to college to learn and have a lot of really great life experiences, and I paid a lot of money to be here.

Professors should be required to either hold normal class time over Zoom or through recorded lectures if students signed up for in-person classes. For many people, learning online is just not practical for them— this semester, they had no choice. With the plethora of video and audio conferencing apps available, this should not be an issue.

I also don’t think that it is too much to ask professors to send out a weekly email of due dates and assignments coming up. Knowing exactly what is expected for the week allows students to plan ahead and take away the anxiety of missing that an assignment was due somewhere on Blackboard.

I think we can all agree that school during COVID-19 sucks and we can’t wait for things to go back to normal. But until then, we need to be able to show empathy towards others and the stressful things that may be happening in their personal lives.

Professors, please reach out to students who are struggling, and find the best way to teach your material to students so they can get the most out of your classes. This semester was a test run and I hope for everyone’s sake that next semester runs a lot smoother than this one did.

Mental health is a delicate issue that should be approached in a careful manner Throughout decades and generations of individuals who have dealt with life, all of them have faced similar issues that have plagued their time. Issues such as increasing student debt, lower wages, unemployment, housing costs, are just to name a few. One on the rise on a national level would be increasing concerns for mental health among people.

Mental health concerns have drastically risen over the years. In an online blog.therapyhills.com, the writer states, “all generations have their challenges, and young adults are facing employment challenges, high cost of living, and other stressors. These issues can take a serious toll on your mental health, which shouldn’t be overlooked”. Even if these

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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR issues were not at the root of the mental health concerns, “it’s clear that mental health is a big concern for many”. Especially during tough times, like the current pandemic we are facing, it is of the utmost importance to be there and care for one another as this pandemic can affect someone in distinguishing ways as someone else.

Mental Health is a delicate issue that should be approached in a careful manner that prioritizes those in need to receive urgent treatment. The Federal Government has a pivotal role in helping those who need the help. They have set in place “major pieces of legislation such as the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MPHAEA), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With these legislation pieces in action, “There is still unmet need for

mental health treatment among youth and adults”. Now, a person could say that the culprit of rising mental health numbers reported skyrocketing would be due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I am not downplaying the pandemic in any way, it has played a role in the declination of mental health for some people, perhaps due to the nationwide lockdown or loss of employment. Prior to Covid-19, the numbers were rising year by year. “23.6% of adults with mental illness reported an unmet need for treatment in 2017-2018.

This number has not declined since 2011”. This proves that way before the pandemic was in our time, mental health numbers have been increasing at a rapid rate with millions of people not receiving treatment for it. This is a poor representation of our Federal Government and creates an image of the country for others to come to the idea that our leaders are not looking out for us and do not have our best interest at heart.

Many people still are not on the same page as many others and do not think that mental illness is an issue that could be placed on the same agenda as issues such as abortion or gun

control. That difference among older adults and younger adults would be the generations and how things were treated during those respective times. While in earlier times, they dealt with the same issue, it is now that younger generations have been more open and vocal about the issue of mental health concerns.

Jenny Maris wrote on nami.org, “Millennials are more likely to talk about mental health than their parents or grandparents”.

The younger generations are trying to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and bring awareness to the major issue of mental health, whether people are dealing with it or not.

With recent and potential future events, the issue and numbers will only continue rise and along with that increase will show a spike in mental health. The number of people who are trying to bring awareness to it will also grow and continue to bring a positive view on getting help and allow resources new opportunities for those that are seeking help.

Oscar Maturino, Wichita State student in his sophomore year majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry.

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Sports

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

Buss utilizes postponed season as she prepares for freshman campaign

BY JOE BAKER joebakerwsu@gmail.com

MORGAN ANDERSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Freshman Marriah Buss spikes the ball while yellow team defenders block at the net during the Black and Yellow Scrimmage on Friday inside Charles Koch Arena.

From Lincoln, Nebraska to Wichita, Kansas, Marriah Buss is the latest addition to the Shocker volleyball program.

Growing up in Lincoln, Buss attended Lincoln Lutheran High School in Lincoln, Nebraska and was a four-year starter for the Warriors. Her impact on the court didn’t go unnoticed as she was a three time first-team all-state recipient and was a first-team all-conference performer in all four years of high school.

During her junior season of high school, Buss won Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year. The following season, Buss helped lead the Warrior volleyball program to a 37-3 record and a state championship in her senior campaign.

Outside of her excellent play on the volleyball court, Buss was also an exceptional athlete in track and field. She set the school record in the triple jump at 35 feet, five ½ inches.

Buss decided to take her talents to Wichita State University and become a member of the Shocker volleyball team. After receiving offers from other Division-I schools including Colorado State, Dayton, Missouri and

A look at every non-conference game for the 2020-21 season

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

Wichita State has officially released its non-conference schedule for the upcoming season. Currently, the Shockers have seven games on its slate.

With WSU putting their final touches on the schedule, here is a breakdown of every non-conference opponent scheduled to be faced this season:

CROSSOVER CLASSIC, NOV. 25-27 This year’s non-conference tournament for WSU features a stacked field of highly-regarded programs from across the country. Originally this tournament was supposed to be The Batter For Atlantis but has now been moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Duke, Ohio State and Utah have all opted out of the tournament with Dayton, South Dakota State and Saint Mary’s serving as replacements.

The Shockers were originally slated for a quarterfinals matchup with Dayton but the Flyers have now pulled out of the tournament as well. According to a report from CBS Sports’s Jon Rothstein, the Shockers will face off with Utah State in the quarterfinals. If WSU decides to stay in the tournament, they will have quarantine for 14 days due to KDHE guidelines. In total, WSU will play three games if they decide to play, but they will also not be allowed to practice as a team for two weeks unless the guidelines change.

ORAL ROBERTS, DEC. 2 For the third straight season, WSU will face off with Oral Roberts as the Shockers look to win their fourth consecutive

contest against the Golden Eagles. Last season, WSU was able to hold off with a 68-59 victory after key free throws down the stretch from Erik Stevenson and Dexter Dennis.

After a successful 2019-20 season that saw ORU have a fourth-place finish in the Summit League, they will look to improve on that finish this upcoming season. The Golden Eagles return three starters including former Shocker Chadrack Lufile’s brother, Elijah.

Projected Starting Five: RJ Fuqua, Max Abrams, Sheldon Stevens, Kevin Obanor and Elijah Lufile KenPom Ranking: No. 201

MISSOURI, DEC. 6 After making the NCAA Tournament in the first year under Cuonzo Martin, the Tigers have struggled the past couple of seasons. They also lost top-recruit Michael Porter Jr. early in the season.

The 2020-21 season looks to be one of the most promising in the Martin Era as they return almost all of last season’s roster. The Tigers had three players enter the NBA Draft (Xavier Pinson, Mitchell Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon) but all returned to school for the 202021 season.

Projected Starting Lineup: Dru Smith, Xavier Pinson, Kobe Brown, Mitchell Smith and Jeremiah Tilmon KenPom Ranking: No. 58

OKLAHOMA STATE, DEC. 12 After picking up one of the biggest victories last season in Stillwater, the Cowboys are set for a return trip to Wichita with a much different squad. OSU was able to land the nation’s

top recruit in point guard Cade Cunningham along with the No. 13 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Besides Cunningham, the Cowboys also return Isaac Likekele to compliment him in the backcourt after averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game a season ago. OSU was also able to add a top graduate transfer in Ferron Flavors who averaged 13.5 points last season at California Baptist. This game will also be the annual INTRUST Bank Arena game in downtown Wichita.

Projected Starting Five: Cade Cunningham, Isaac Likekele, Ferron Flavors, Kalib Boone and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe KenPom Ranking: No. 33

MISSISSIPPI, JAN. 2 As the only true road game currently on the schedule, WSU will be heading to Oxford following the matchup with the Rebels last season. In the meeting a season ago, the Shockers were able to handle the Rebels following Erik Stevenson’s 29 points guiding WSU to a 20-point victory.

Ole Miss figures to be one of the top teams in the SEC this upcoming season despite losing leading scorer Breein Tyree. The Rebels have two transfers, Jarkel Joiner (CSU Bakersfield) and Dimencio Vaughn (Rider) who both expect to make an impact.

Ole Miss will also return four of their five starters but will look to fill the void of Tyree’s 19.7 points per game.

Projected Starting Five: Devontae Shuler, Jarkel Joiner, KJ Buffen, Romello White and Khadim Sy KenPom Ranking: No. 42

Nebraska-Omaha, Buss committed to WSU. Buss said the coaching staff played a huge part in making her decision.

“One of the main things that drew me to Wichita State was the coaches,” Buss said. “They’re knowledgeable and personable.”

On Aug. 25, the American Athletic Conference postponed the volleyball season until the spring.

With no games on tap for the Shockers in the fall, Buss said she has been focused on what she needs to improve on before competition.

“I really want to become a better passer and just more knowledgeable with how I am blocking and kind of how my body is moving while blocking and hitting,” Buss said.

While Buss seeks to improve her playing ability, she also wants to be a great teammate and demonstrate good leadership qualities.

“Just (being) there for my teammates always cheering them on through the ups and the downs,” Buss said.

As one of nine true freshmen on the roster, Buss credits her upperclassmen teammates for helping to make the transition from high school to WSU a

smooth one.

“Thanks to the older girls and some of the other returners, they make it really inviting and easy to make that transition.”

Shocker volleyball hosted three Black and Yellow scrimmages at Charles Koch Arena this fall. Buss made an impact in each of the three scrimmages, including a 13 kill performance on Sept. 12 and a match-high 15 kill performance in the final scrimmage on Oct. 16.

Buss said she is encouraged that she has played at a high level against her teammates and that she is excited to see how her high level of play will translate into competition in the spring.

“It’s been really encouraging for me to know that I’m able to compete with some of the girls that have been here for a couple of years.”

Buss said she has enjoyed her experience playing under WSU volleyball Head Coach Chris Lamb to this point.

“He is such a great person to be around and has so much knowledge,” Buss said. “He keeps you on your toes for sure.”

Buss is planning to major in sport management at WSU and has aspirations to be a director of fan experience at a power-five Division I sports program in the future.

Breaking down the trustworthiness of preseason polls

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

As we are now just under weeks away from the 2020-21 college basketball season, more media outlets and conferences are releasing their preseason predictions and polls.

Here is how Wichita State has fared in these preseason predictions in the recent seasons.

AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE COACHES POLL On Oct. 28, the AAC released its annual coaches poll which saw the Shockers ranked as the seventh-best team in the conference.

In previous years, the coaches have been accurate with the Shockers’ place in the conference.

Since joining the conference in 2017, the coaches have nailed the prediction in two out of the three years and have only had the prediction wrong for the 2018-19 season. That season, the coaches predicted the Shockers to finish in eighth place while they ended up in sixth place.

This season’s prediction of a seventh-place finish is the second-lowest since 2017. Similarly to the 2018-19 season, the Shockers have a sizable overhaul to the roster which could be a result of the lower prediction.

KENPOM The popular analytics website released its preseason rankings with the Shockers coming in at No. 74 in the country and fifth overall in the AAC. In two of the past three seasons, the Shockers have been consistent in improving on their preseason rankings. Last year saw the biggest jump from the preseason to the end of the year, as WSU jumped up 23 spots.

The only time WSU performed worse than its preseason ranking was back in the 2017-18 season.

KenPom projected the Shockers at

No. 4 but they ended the season in the No. 21 spot.

ESPN CONFERENCE RANKINGS Prior to the 2019-20 season, ESPN debuted conference predictions for each conference in Division-I college basketball.

Although a small sample size to this point, ESPN has been very accurate in predicting WSU’s season.

Last year, the consensus of the three ESPN analysts -- John Gasaway, Jeff Borzello, Myron Medcalf -- was a fourth-place finish which is where the Shockers ended up finishing. This year, they project WSU finishing in fifth place, two spots higher than where the AAC coaches had the Shockers.

MATT NORLANDER’S 1-357 PRESEASON RANKINGS Prior to every season, CBS Sports’s Matt Norlander ranks every Division-I college basketball program. This year, Norlander put the Shockers in the No. 86 spot but he said that depends on which coach is roaming the sidelines this upcoming season.

“The Shockers are a team whose ranking could fluctuate by 40 points depending on whether or not Gregg Marshall is the coach by the time the season begins,” Norlander said in his prediction.

“With no news on that front yet, the Shockers are ranked as though Marshall will be on the sideline.”

In the previous two years, Norlander has put the Shockers in the No. 99 (2018-19) and the No. 47 (2020-21) spots respectively.

Although it is difficult to judge Norlander’s rankings, WSU flew under the radar two years ago including a trip to the NIT semifinals. Last year, his prediction of WSU was accurate as the program was on the cusp of a NCAA Tournament birth prior to the cancellation of the season.