June 6, 2016

SUN FLOWER

the

Riverfest excites patrons with mainstream healiners, classic and new food options | PAGE 2

MONDAY JUNE 6

ISSUE 121 VOLUME 1

THESUNFLOWER.COM

Bardo signs off on Law Enforcement Training Center CHANCE SWAIM

NEWS EDITOR

@chanceswaim

As early as spring 2018, Wichita State could have an increased police presence on campus.

The latest announced addition to WSU’s Innovation Campus is a Law Enforcement Training Center for the Wichita Police, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and WSU criminal justice students.

In May, WSU President John Bardo, City of Wichita and Sedgwick County officials signed letters of intent to add the training center to the northeast corner of campus, behind the Marcus Welcome Center and Woodman Alumni Center.

The proposed training center would be the second partnership building on Innovation Campus,

joining the Airbus Americas building now under construction.

President Bardo said this partnership is an important step toward “social innovation” for the Wichita State community and the surrounding area.

“What we’re trying to do is use innovation to create new opportunities for the community,” said Bardo.

“What this does, if you look at what’s been going on in the country where we’ve had so many issues with officers having confrontations with citizens—sometimes it’s necessary and sometimes it’s not been—a lot of what we’re planning to do here is to work with officers on how to deescalate things, how to create relationships with communities so that they never get to big problems in the first place.”

“When you think about safety— we’ve got to get that right,” Bardo said.

The proposal started as an idea by Michael Birzer, professor of criminal justice at Wichita State and director of the WSU School of Community Affairs. City and county law enforcement agencies, whose officers have been training in a former elementary school built in the 1950s, have been trying to find a new training center for years.

“It’s a big win-win for everybody— for faculty, for students, for the community, for law enforcement,” Birzer said. “For students, we’re talking co-ops, internships, the opportunity to work right alongside actual law enforcement officers—the very definition of applied learning.

SEE LAW • PAGE 3

photo by Evan Pflugradt

President John Bardo signs off on the development of a new Law Enforcement Training Center on May 24.

Hackers bringing the streets of Wichita to virtual gaming world EVAN PFLUGRADT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

@evpflu

In the modernized-computer age, hacking can sound like a bad thing, but for 24 hours in downtown Wichita, hacking meant innovation.

Saturday, Open Wichita — a civic hacking and open data initiative—opened a new event to Wichita’s 45th annual Riverfest.

Hackathon aimed to invite community members to connect with others, collaborate ideas and create something new to help engage the city.

The initiative behind Hackathon is known as civic hacking.

The event challenges teams to create projects designed to make the community better through the use of modern tools and technology. The contest has no limitations.

“Anything goes,” Open Wichita stated on their website.

“The only limit is your imagination.”

A group from Wichita put their imagination to the test as they aspired to enhance their home city by taking the video game virtual world and linking it to the —“real-world.” The six-person team, known as Quick Draw Studios, designed a videogame linking the 1980s videogame classic “Pac-Man” to the innovation of GPS. The idea is a game called Pac

Wichita. It works by incorporating GPS technology from a user’s smartphone, similar to features found in Google Maps, to swap Pac-Man’s old game setting for the streets of downtown Wichita.

“We believe this is a great tool,” said Nicolas Gallo, chief marketing officer and team-member of Quick Draw Studios.

Pac Wichita is designed for organizations and event planners to use to get people to physically go explore locations. Gallo said the game could be adapted for different cities.

The project is said to be similar to Pac-Manhattan, a project developed by a gaming company from New York a few years ago.

Quick Draw Studios founded in October 2015 with a vision to enhance the video game market.

In January of 2016 they signed their first contract partnering with Hopping Gnome Brewery with the purpose of designing a custom video game using Hopping Gnome Brewery’s personal logos and mascot.

In April the team received funding through Wichita State’s New Venture competition. They came to Hackathon with the vision of creating the first official Riverfest videogame.

“We want people to see that this can provide something extremely unique,” Gallo said.

SEE HACKERS • PAGE 3

photo by Manny De Los Santos

Nicholas Engle presents his project, “Skiphr” Sunday afternoon during Hackathon at Century II. Hackathon Challenges participants to create something to engage the city.

Amid budget cuts, administrators’ salaries swell infographic by Madeline Deabler

CHANCE SWAIM

NEWS EDITOR

@chanceswaim

In response to uncertain state funding from year to year, Wichita State has tied faculty salaries to enrollment numbers. With the exception of rare, merit-based raises and promotions, faculty earnings have been stagnant since WSU President John Bardo’s first year, when he said he “used his honeymoon period” to increase the salaries of all faculty members to make the university more competitive at attracting talented professors.

The following year, departments were awarded a small percentage of their pool of money to award outstanding faculty within departments merit-based raises.

Since then, faculty wages have not increased, including last year when faculty members voiced frustration with not receiving an

anticipated—and they say promised—2 percent pay increase.

This year’s Kansas Board of Regents tuition and fees proposal, which recommends a 5 percent tuition increase for the upcoming school year at WSU, says WSU is considering a 2 percent faculty salary increase in Spring 2017 if enrollment increases by 3.5 percent this fall compared to Fall 2015.

That means if enrollment doesn’t increase by 3.5 percent, faculty can expect to not receive an across-the-board raise to keep pace with cost of living and inflation for the third year in a row.

And things don’t look good.

According to the Wichita State Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, total student headcount decreased from 15,003 students in 2014 to 14,495 in 2015. The plan forecasts student enrollment to increase by less than 1 percent this fall.

Since the last faculty pay increase, WSU’s administrators salaries have increased independent of student enrollment numbers.

Here’s a look at some of those salaries, calculated by calendar year: John Tomblin, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer, Executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research. 2014 salary: $426,550.

2015 salary: $518,291. Increase: $91,741. Percent Change: 21.51.

John Bardo, University President. 2014 salary: $347,838. 2015 salary: $367,414. Increase: $19,576.

Percent Change: 5.63.

Anthony Vizzini, Provost and Senior Vice President. 2014 salary: $287,584. 2015 salary: $301,258.

Increase: $13,674. Percent Change: 4.75.

SEE CUTS • PAGE 3

THE STAFF:

EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Evan Pflugradt

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, JUNE 6

PAGE 2 | OPINION & NEWS

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Managing Editor Andrew Linnabary Multimedia Editor Manny De Los Santos Sports Editor Grant Cohen Opinion Editor Marissa Campbell Features Editor Alex Bullock Production Editor Madeline Deabler

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Advertising Manager Emily Maslow Advertising Representatives Krystal Bradley Madeline Deabler Landen Swearingen

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Riverfest food court brings old favorites and new treats

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ANDREW LINNABARY

MANAGING EDITOR

@linnabary

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photos by Manny De Los Santos

1. Unan’s Concessions returns to Riverfest with their chickenon-a-stick. 2. A Riverfest attendant adds spiles to her corn on the cob. 3. Curly fry loaves are a returning fan favorite.

For many Riverfest patrons, the main attractions are the music, the events or the carnival. For others, it’s all about the food.

“We just come down here to eat,” Goddard teacher Ken Logan said.

The food court, located in the northeast area of Century II, has remained a staple of Riverfest for years. Some returning favorites include corn on the cob, turkey legs, chicken on a stick and funnel cakes, among other options.

Logan said one of his favorite items is the gyro from Mario’s Pitas and Gyros, which can be bought for eight tickets. He said it’s fresh and big enough to keep you feeling full.

Local mail carrier Mariah Scott agreed that the gyros are a special treat.

“The lamb gyro tastes different,” Scott said. “You can go any place and eat the rest of this stuff.”

Scott said the corn on the cob is her other favorite item. It can be bought for five tickets.

“It’s coming from right off the cob,” Scott said. “It’s the best corn on the cob I’ve had ever.”

Local physical therapist Tad Wrench

said Tad’s Bodacious Burritos fulfill their name. The burritos can be purchased for nine tickets.

“They’re pretty much bodacious,” Wrench said. “They’re chock full of goodness.”

Local sales representative Calvin Avery said he and his family always get the funnel cakes and turkey legs.

“Really, the only time you can get turkey legs is at Riverfest,” Avery said.

One new vendor for this year’s Riverfest is White Castle. White Castle started in Wichita in 1921 and currently has no restaurants in Kansas. They sold burgers at Riverfest from Friday through Sunday and will resume business from Wednesday through Saturday.

Also new this year is Johnsonville Brats, which served its namesake Friday through Sunday.

The vendors in the normal food court include Hoopingarner’s Funnel Cakes, Tad’s Bodacious Burrito, Tad’s Chicken on a Stick, Made 2 Grill, Original Corn Roast, Dippin’ Dots, Big G’s Burgers, Mario’s Pitas and Gyros and Texas Red’s BBQ. All food purchases must be made with Riverfest tickets. Tickets can be bought at ticket booths for a dollar a piece.

Marissa’s Melodies Riverfest draws patrons with mainstream artists

With Riverfest upon us, Wichita residents are flocking to the downtown area COLUMN BY to be a part of MARISSA the festivities.

CAMPBELL From food to rides and more than 100 events, there are options for anyone to sift through to maximize the festival experience. Patrons can enjoy all the events with just a $10 ($3 for children 12 and under) Riverfest button that includes all of the concerts. With options like Naughty by Nature, Reel Big Fish and Elle King, music lovers can have a great time in the heart of the city.

Naughty by Nature When: June 8th Where: Kennedy Plaza Formed in 1986 in New Jersey, Naughty by Nature was one of the first hip-hop acts on the scene, along with groups like N.W.A. and Public Enemy. Starting as a group of high school students performing at talent shows, they were soon discovered by Queen Latifah and signed to her management company where they later scored their first record deal with “Independent Leaders” in 1989.

The band truly became known with their hit single “O.P.P.” off their self-titled second album. Along with that hit, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” brought the band to the forefront, making them one of the hottest hip-hop groups around. Six albums and many hits later, the group decided to take a break in 2002 and did not reunite until 2006.

Their latest album is “Anthem Inc.”, released in 2011 which featured all of their hits compiled into a 20th anniversary edition album. Although the group has not created new music since 2006, their hit songs that have been around for generations will surely liven up the streets of Riverfest.

Download: “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”

Reel Big Fish When: June 8th Where: Kennedy Plaza As a mix between ska-punk and big-band, Reel Big Fish are reminiscent of bands like Sublime, but without the angsty undertones.

Following the success of Sublime and No Doubt, Reel Big Fish hit the mainstream alternative scene in 1997 with the hit single “Sell Out.” Between the fun vocals of Aaron Barrett and the upbeat trumpets and band, you’re sure to be dancing and grooving to their entire set on Thursday evening. From generations growing up with the bombard of punk bands to the millennials who have seen Reel Big Fish at Warped Tour this band will definitely have a full audience ready to jam out to their cover of “Take on Me” as well as their own songs like “Beer” and “Everyone Else is an Asshole.”

Download: “Sell Out” Elle King When: June 8th Where: Kennedy Plaza New to the alternative scene, Elle King took the field by storm with her hit single “Ex’s and Oh’s.” After a four song EP in 2012, King released her first full-length album, “Love Stuff,” in 2015 and gained worldwide attention immediately after. Not only did the single “Ex’s and Oh’s” make her name popular amongst alternative radio stations, but also with pop stations like our own local 96.3.

After her first radio debut, “America’s Sweethearts” hit radio stations and continued to increase her popularity. Along with her music being played on stations everywhere, her recent tour opening for Vance Joy showed off her bluesy, rockabilly style. King also has a song featured in the new Ghostbusters movie called “Good Girls.” Overall, her entire first album is full of quality songs. Even if you are sick of hearing “Ex’s and Oh’s” played every hour, her set should be at the top of your Riverfest event list.

Download: “Good Girls”

courtesy photos

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, JUNE 6 2015

PAGE 3 | ENTERTAINMENT

CUTS

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FROM PAGE 1

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photos by Manny De Los Santos

1.Nicolas Gallo, member of the winning group, “Pac Wichita, gives interviews after winning Hackathon Sunday afternoon during the Hackathon presentation at Century II. 2. Kevin Falting and his partner Andie Schmidt present their project called “G Free Ict” Sunday afternoon during the Hackathon presentation at Century II. G Free ICT is an app that it shows restaurants that are gluten free. 3. Dwight Roth, right, and John Byler, left, of WINTA(Wichita Interdisciplinary Neurological Trauma Allegiance) present their project and discuss Parkinson’s disease Sunday afternoon during the Hackathon presentation at Century II.

HACKERS

FROM PAGE 1

“When people come to the city, they won’t think of Wichita as something that’s old brick and boring.”

Quick Draw Studios gathered Saturday at 10 a.m. to start the design of Pac Wichita.

They completed the project, staying up 24 hours, and turned in the final product for judges the next morning.

Pac Wichita was crowned first place by judges on Sunday.

Quick Draw Studios and the second and third-place winners of Hackathon will present their projects to city manager Robert Layton for possible implementa-

Mary Herrin, Vice President for Administration and Finance. 2014 salary: $218,475.

2015 salary: $229,967. Increase: $11,492. Percent Change: 5.26.

Lou Heldman, Vice President for Strategic Communications. 2014 salary: $149,675.

2015 salary: $176,538. Increase: $26,863. Percent change: 17.95.

Eric Sexton, Vice President of Student Affairs. 2014 salary: $190,050. 2015 salary: $208,239. Increase: $18,189.

Percent change: 9.57.

Kansas higher education will be cut by $30.7 million in fiscal year 2017, which begins July 1, 2016, according to the state budget signed by Gov. Sam Brownback in late May. Wichita State will receive a 3.8 percent cut of $2.8 million for the upcoming school year.

In a message sent to faculty from Bardo concerning the FY 2017 budget, he instructed his vice presidents to reduce their budgets by 3 percent from 2016, and addressed the faculty concerning raises.

“As state funding diminishes, we all have strong roles to play in attracting and retaining students, seeking research funding and encouraging donor support. As enrollment increases in importance to

overall budget, student credit hour growth becomes a driving factor in the availability of raises,” Bardo wrote.

“In short, let’s not waste any energy feeling sorry for ourselves,” he said.

Bardo directed faculty to look at an updated state budget FAQ at wichita.edu/statebudgetfaq, where he asks for money-saving ideas that will be shared with the appropriate individuals and departments to review the suggestions.

Bardo said the university’s initial response to the state’s funding include a freeze on non-required spending from general use funds and approval by the President’s Executive Team for contract spending above $5,000, non-faculty new hires, and university job searches and job postings.

“The three sources of funding we can affect are tuition/fees (by retaining and attracting more students); research and grants contracts; and donated funds. Faculty and staff can have a great impact in each of those areas,” Bardo said.

“It is our top priority to avoid furloughs or layoffs. I told the Unclassified Professional Staff meeting on April 14: “Everything we’re doing is to keep that (layoffs or furloughs) from happening.

Let’s maintain our community . . . everything else is negotiable.”

tion in Wichita.

“We hope the city is as serious as we are because we believe this to be a great tool,” Gallo said.

Gallo said Pac Wichita can be expected to have a release in the Google Play Store in the coming months. The group is also expecting a later release for Apple iOS.

courtesy photo

Volunteering, internships provide experience during summer The month of May during your grade school years meant [almost] being able to COLUMN BY taste the ALEX BULLOCK freedom of summer. Whether you planned to spend every minute outside with your friends or inside playing video games, it was a time when homework responsibilities disappeared.

Fast forward and suddenly you are a college student. Now when the thought of summer creeps in you don’t have that “no cares” attitude anymore. Words like “job,” “internship,” “pre-session,” and “the future” are the only words swirling around in your head.

Although those words can bring stress and anxiety, there are many simple ways college students can enjoy their summer and prepare for their future.

“I always made sure I was volunteering, actually volunteering throughout the summer landed me my first job out of

college,” Kristin Pelizzaro, Professor of Journalism at Arizona State University said.

Pelizzaro volunteered in Honduras through a group at her college. She documented her trip through pictures, video and writing and put together a blog about her experiences. When executive producers at a news channel saw her blog and other works she had done for fun, she was hired as a producer.

“Volunteering is such a good way to make the most of your summer because it’s such a rewarding feeling and it’s also a great resume booster,” Pelizzaro said.

Another way to get the most of your summer is to gain real life experience through an internship.

A good internship can be the most valuable item on your resume and can also be one of the best experiences for college students.

“It’s a good way to transition to the real world because you don’t get summer breaks once you’re working,” said Brian Taylor, Grinnel College Alumnus.

Taylor worked as an intern at a premiere Wichita company for two summers. After finishing the second summer, he had a job available after he graduated.

“Interning is a great way to prepare yourself for life after college, but remember to enjoy the freedoms you won’t get once you are out,” Taylor said.

Other than an internship and volunteer work, taking a summer class or two is a great way to earn credits and maintain structure.

I have taken summer classes every year of college and it has been the best thing for me. I am able to keep a good schedule and the summer to fall transition is not hard because I have kept a structured mentality.

The summer semester is short and sweet. Before you know it summer is over and you have nine credits out of the way.

So college students, don’t stress out about your summer plans. If you don’t get that internship or job you were hoping for, remember there are many ways to contribute to your future and have a good time.

Warren 21 worth the extra cost If you’re a movie lover and want a one-of-a-kind movie-watching experiCOLUMN BY ence, the East TJ RIGG Warren Theatre’s Warren 21 has something for you.

Warren 21 opened earlier this year. It is a separate area from the main theater, exclusively for people 21 and older.

To see a movie at Warren 21, you purchase your ticket online in advance and pick it up from the box office. When you buy your ticket, you also reserve your seat(s), so if you reserve early enough in advance, you can get the best seats in the auditorium.

After showing your ID to a Warren employee, you are invited into Warren 21.

The theater also offers a full food menu for you to choose from and eat while watching the movie. The theater recommends arriving at least half an hour before the show if you are ordering a meal to allow the staff time to prepare your meal before the movie starts.

In addition to food, there are alcoholic drinks, including various beers and wines, for you to enjoy, too.

If you order a meal, you are given a pager, which will vibrate when your food is ready.

The auditoriums are unique in their own right. Every chair can recline and allows you to adjust the height of the foot rest to

your pleasure. In addition, the seats are heated. You can adjust the heat of your seat with the simple touch of a few buttons.

While getting a meal and a beverage costs extra money, this exclusive experience is worth it.

If you don’t buy food or drink, you’ll pay $12 for a matinee ticket and $16 for an evening ticket, compared to $7 to $10 for standard auditorium tickets.

For all of the convenience offered by Warren 21, the extra money is worth it. Seeing a movie there is truly a unique experience and is something to try if you’re looking for a different atmosphere when seeing this summer’s blockbusters.

For more information, visit warrentheatre.com/warren21.

The Law Enforcement Training Center will provide classrooms for 500 students, offices for 12 faculty and training space for officers.

LAW

FROM PAGE 1

This opens the doors to opportunities that students can’t get anywhere else, at any other university.”

Master’s of Criminal Justice student Wendell Nicholson, who is a sergeant for the Wichita Police Department, said the training center would establish Wichita State as a premier criminal justice program in the country.

“Nationwide it is difficult recruiting applicants for law enforcement,” Nicholson said.

“There’s a lot to be considered when you hire someone for law enforcement. We ask ourselves, ‘Who do you trust with a badge, a gun and the ranks of authority?

“This will be a breakthrough for us in generating great applicants. Those numbers are currently down from where we’d like them to be.”

Nicholson said he thinks the partnership, and having officers and sheriffs working so closely with students, will help create professional opportunities for criminal justice students.

“The way our promotion process works, the more educated you are, the quicker you can promote to detective and then to sheriff. There are not many officers that hold master’s degrees. They’re limited by cost and time. This partnership can help that,” Nicholson said.

Bardo said this addition to Innovation Campus is an exemplar of the mission of innovation on campus.

“I love the fact that this came from the faculty,” Bardo said. “This was something that bubbled up from Michael (Birzer) and I thought, ‘That is the right kind of thing. That is the right thought! Let’s see what we can do with it.’

“That’s what we’re trying to do here. None of us have a lock on great ideas, so what we’re trying to do is encourage people to think and to try and when that happens, look what can occur.

Nothing is final with the proposal as the building of the training center awaits approval by the Kansas Board of Regents, but it could be completed in as few as 18 months. That would be Spring 2018.

According to the proposal, the three-story, 60,000 square-foot building will cost an estimated $9.5 million, which will be funded by the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County. The university will provide parking for the building through Innovation Campus infrastructure funding from the state. The university will pay maintenance fees for the building for the first five years at a cost of approximately $200,000 a year.

The university is expected to provide between 200 and 250 parking spaces for the building. The building will provide classrooms for 500 criminal justice students, offices for 12 faculty and staff, and training space for officers and sheriff’s deputies.

The first and second f loors of the building will include classrooms and training facilities for Wichita police and Sedgwick Co. Sheriff’s department personnel. The third f loor will be the new home of WSU’s criminal justice department, which is currently located on the third f loor of Lindquist Hall, including classrooms and offices for faculty and staff.

The first f loor will include rooms for tactical training and fitness, 911 backup and training, crime scene incident and quartermaster’s rooms for the WPD and sheriff’s department, a news release from the university said.

“No community can be successful focusing only on engineering and business,” Bardo said. “It can’t. It has to be successful by making sure that those people who design, those people who create, those people who account, want to live there.

“What we’re doing today is a visible indicator of Wichita State’s commitment to making sure that this community is the best that it can be.”

PAGE 4 | SPORTS

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, JUNE 6 2016

Baseball finishes with bright spot

file photo by Manny De Los Santos

Senior Julia Schiller strikes the ball against Southern Illinois Sunday afternoon at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex. WSU women’s tennis ended up winning the MVC Championship sweeping Southern Illinois 4-0.

Future of women’s tennis after first round loss MATT HOPPER

REPORTER

@the_hopper96

The women’s tennis team finished the season strong with a 27-3 record with wins against some tough opponents. Next year could be as good or maybe better with returning starters back in the lineup.

Wichita State’s record was 9-3 against opponents ranked in the top 65, with one of those losses coming from the rackets of Oklahoma State, one of the eventual NCAA Tournament runner-ups.

With big wins over Kansas and Tulsa both NCAA tournament teams - in the later half of non-conference play, the Shockers roared into Valley play confident and eager to defend their regular season title that extends back to the 2009 season. The Shockers held its spot with ease, ending with a record of 42-1 matches won against Missouri Valley Conference opponents.

The Shockers visited Florida to face TCU in the opening round of the NCAA tournament and were defeated 4-3. Once again, Wichita State was sent home after a close to perfect season.

Despite their success in the Missouri Valley Conference and an always-competitive nature against ranked, non-conference opponents, the Shockers have yet to find success in the NCAA team tournament. After ten tournament appearances dating back to 2006, the Shockers have only advanced past the opening round once.

With five seniors listed on the 2015-2016 roster, WSU must break their losing habits in the tournament with the support of their returning stars.

Missouri Valley Player of the Year

Gabriela Porubin, with a No. 104 ending Division I Women’s singles ranking, is the obvious leader heading into the spring of 2017 team season after a confident sophomore season in singles and doubles play.

Porubin’s mental toughness and ability to rebound will be on display next season after a contested end this year. Porubin lost a second-set tiebreak to TCU’s Seda Arantekin, ending the match and WSU’s hopes of advancing when Arantekin secured the fourth point needed in TCU’s 4-3 victory.

Porubin will hopefully gain confidence after winning the Missouri Valley Sectional in the US Open National Playoffs with teammate Julia Schiller.

In August they will travel to Connecticut and compete for a doubles spot in the 2016 U.S. Open.

Giulia Guidetti will need to have a big year if the Shockers want to make a larger splash in team tennis. After losing three singles points to TCU in the tournament, the Shockers will need Guidetti to consistently win matches.

Guidetti finished the season with a 39-5 singles record.

Most of Guidetti’s wins came from the back half of the roster, posting a 14-0 record at the No. 4 singles slot.

However, with a 3-0 record at the No. 2 position this season, Guidetti appears to be ready to move into a top spot and face higher caliber players after the seniors depart.

According to tennisrecruiting.net, the Shockers have one commitment so far for next season: Marijia Mastilovic from Serbia.

Behind the now upperclassmen, women’s tennis will likely continue their winning tradition next season in the Missouri Valley and will be rewarded another shot at a tournament win.

Track and field standouts advance to NCAA Championship CHRISTIAN HARVEY

REPORTER

@sunflowersports

Last month, the Wichita State track and field team went to the NCAA West prelims at Rock Chalk Park in Lawrence, Kansas. Twenty-five Shocker athletes were selected to participate, making this the largest group in Shocker history to ever attend this event.

WSU track and field head coach Steve Rainbolt complimented his team’s training for the meet, citing it as the catalyst for their ability to perform.

The meet gave light to three standout performances — Damien Odle, Skylar Arneson, and Ashley Peterson. All three were able to move on to the NCAA Championship.

Odle hit a personal record mark of 233.11 feet in the javelin event, soaring past any of his in-season throws. Odle’s efforts landed a fourth place at the meet, a trip to the championship, an opportunity to qualify for the Olympic trials.

When asked about training and attitude prior to the meet, Coach Rainbolt said Damien is going to continue doing exactly what he has been doing in training. Rainbolt said Damien’s constant passion for hard work is helping his success.

Skylar Arneson participated in the

hammer throw. He threw his hammer 207.7 feet, and placed 9th at the meet.

This throw was made on his first attempt during the meet, and the throw carried him the rest of the way.

Rainbolt said he looks forward to watching Arneson perform.

“He is continuing to work on his technique with the championship coming up,” Rainbolt said.

The last of the three championship qualifiers, Ashley Peterson, jumped 5-feet-10.75-inches. She broke her record and got fourth place overall.

Last year, Peterson was unable to compete because of an injury occurring around the time of the prelims.

According to Rainbolt, consistency is Peterson’s strongpoint. He said Peterson keeps her fiery confidence within her at all times, making her an incredible talent.

Rainbolt said he was impressed with each of his athletes.

“These athletes’ performances were absolutely spectacular, they continued to break personal records, and each one of the 25 athletes competed with all the training and preparation backing them,” Rainbolt said.

All three athletes will compete in the NCAA Track and Field Championship June 8 through 11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Wichita State redshirt sophomore Sam Tewes started pitching COLUMN BY against Cal NICK BEACH State Fullerton to open a series in March.

The Titans swept the Shockers after Tewes left the game with a torn UCL in his elbow, requiring Tommy Jones surgery and ending the season for him; Tewes is still touted as a top 100 prospect by Baseball America heading into the MLB draft as he anticipates a professional career. The right handers injury summed up the Shockers’ season, full of surprises and not always good ones.

The season opened with senior first baseman Ryan Tinkham and sophomore catcher Gunnar Troutwine looking to lead the way for WSU in the field alongside Tewes and junior Willie Schwanke at the top of the pitching rotation.

This combo didn’t last half of the season.

Schwanke suffered a minor injury early in conference play. He was expected to get skipped once in the rotation; he did not start a game for the remainder of the year.

Wichita State finished 21-37 on the regular season before losing to Bradley and Indiana State in the Missouri Valley tournament.

Head Coach Todd Butler’s team looked promising after opening the season winning two out of three against Northern Colorado.

A tough non-conference schedule and struggles to win on the road in the Valley resulted in 37 losses.

Key wins for the Shockers included a series win against No. 15 Missouri State, taking two out of three at Eck Stadium, and a late season win against non-conference rival Creighton.

On the hitting side, there were plenty of positives. The main one was left handed hitting slugger

Greyson Jenista. The freshman first baseman led the Shockers with a .326 batting average and 56 hits.

Sophomore catcher Gunnar Troutwine finished the season hitting a .278 average and led the team with 37 RBIs. He also played stellar defense, making his season a success, with a .989 fielding percentage. As far as seniors go, centerfielder Mikel Mucha hit .300 and stayed in the top of the batting lineup for the majority of the year. He finished his career with the Shockers as an everyday player with a reliable left-handed bat.

Senior first baseman Ryan Tinkham, however, lost his spot to Jenista. Jenista originally played right field and designated hitter, but Butler tried to get the most out of the lineup by putting Tinkham as a spot starter at DH and a pinch hitter.

Tinkham finished the year batting .233, but kept a great demeanor and led by example for the younger players with his attitude.

Sophomore shortstop Trey Vickers batted .306. The rest of the hitting mainly came from a bevy of freshmen.

Freshman outfielder Dayton Dugas and freshman third baseman and designated hitter Alec Bohm hit above .300 to help the Shockers score an average of 5.37 runs per game.

While the 2016 season was not a complete wash for Wichita State with the young talent swinging the bat, one huge question mark looking ahead to the future is how the pitching staff will perform.

Wichita State’s team finished at 5.97. The Shockers were a solid hitting team, but it is hard for any squad to win consistently when they need to score at least six runs each game. Tewes injury was a huge blow to the Shockers staff and Schwanke did his job while he could, but it wasn’t enough.

Schwanke was the only Shocker

to post an ERA under 3.50, pitching with a 3.40 on the year along with junior reliever Reagan Biechler pitching under 4.00.

The starting rotation lacked consistency, and the relievers were right there with them. Redshirt sophomore Cody Tyler had a stunning stretch of three starts in April against Missouri State, Bradley, Southern Illinois, in which the lefty brought his ERA below 4.00 and struck out opposing hitters at an impressive rate.

Tyler is a talented left-hander and some off-season adjustments could make him next year’s number two pitcher, assuming Schwanke is healthy at the top.

Other freshman, such as Clayton McGinness and Connor Lungwitz, struggled a bit as freshmen, but will have a year of experience to build off as talented right handers in 2017.

Regarding relievers, Biechler was the closest one to a standout and the Shockers will have freshman Robby Evans and freshman swingman Codi Heuer returning next year with a solid year of experience.

Freshman recruits from yet another strong class and 2016 redshirts should help the Wichita State pitching staff vastly improve next year. The batting lineup has plenty to be excited about with all the young hitters returning and the loss of few key contributors.

A 21-37 record is tough and Eck Stadium’s attendance was down in 2016 compared to previous years. The Shockers have reduced their errors, though, and have found ways to win games on the road.

While it will be difficult to make a complete turnaround next year in a strong Missouri Valley Conference, Shocker fans have plenty to be excited about with the young talent swinging the bat and a young pitching staff that is poised to improve upon a rough stretch.

file photo by Jessica Green

Outfielder Dayton Dugas prepares for a hit during Tuesday’s game against the University of Nebraska-Omaha on March 1st. Dugas ended the day with three at-bats, two hits and one RBI. Dugas is returning to WSU for his Sophomore season.

Wichita State University is seeking comments about the University in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency.

The University will host a visit October 10–11, 2016, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission. Wichita State University has been accredited

by HLC since 1927. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation. Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding the university to the following address: Public Comment on Wichita State University Higher Learning Commission 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 The public may also submit comments on HLC’s website at www.hlcommission.org/comment Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing.

All comments must be received by September 12, 2016.