the
SUN FLOWER
Women’s golf places in Little Rock Classic | PAGE 4
May the best bot win MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2015
VOLUME 120, ISSUE 26
THESUNFLOWER.COM
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Supporters of bidet installation continue discussion despite controversy CHANCE SWAIM
REPORTER
@chanceswaim
Wichita State hosts annual Robotics competition Senior Colby Johnson from Salina South High School maneuvers a robot through an obstacle course during the annual high school Robotics Competition, called Kansas BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) Saturday afternoon at Hartman Arena. BEST is designed to inspire and motivate students toward careers in engineering, science and technology. The event featured 30 schools from across Kansas. Wichita Homeschool took first place in the competition.
Innovation Celebration features awards for faculty, staff, students LEVI YAGER
REPORTER
@sunflowernews
Twenty-six yellow and black light-bulb shaped trophies were awarded Friday to philanthropists and Wichita State faculty, staff and students leading the way for innovation at the first Innovation Celebration. The trophies were awarded to those who have helped with Innovation Campus endeavors or have made progress in new technology or services that related to WSU. The celebration was hosted by WSU Ventures. Elizabeth King, CEO of the WSU Foundation, presented two philanthropy awards to Verlon McKay and the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, which donated $3.75 million toward the development of GoCreate, the community maker space being built as part of Innovation Campus. Ambassador Awards were given to Barbara Chaparro, associate professor of psychology, Janet Twomey, associate dean and professor of engineering, and the Training and Technology Team (T3).
SEE AWARDS • PAGE 2
Through the noise of the chapel debates, graduate student Ayesha Mosharraf continues her push for the installation of hand-held showers in the restrooms of three campus buildings. Some people have linked a petition for the inclusion “This is not of hand-held a religious bidets at issue like the Wichita State chapel. This to accusais a culture tions of an issue and “Islamic transforma- a hygiene tion” on issue.” campus in the Ayesha recent Mosharraf national WSU GRADUATE controversy STUDENT surrounding Grace Memorial Chapel. Eric Sexton, WSU vice president of Student Affairs and executive director of Athletics, said the two issues are unrelated, regardless of media reports. “With the chapel, we’re looking at creating a space that is open and welcome to all students to use in a way that they would like to use it — Christian students, as well as a variety of others,” Sexton said.
SEE BIDETS • PAGE 2
Community maker space added to plans for Innovation Campus LEVI YAGER
REPORTER
@sunflowernews
GoCreate, a new addition to Innovation Campus, was officially dedicated Friday. President John Bardo, along with WSU faculty, staff, students and community members met in the lobby of Donald L. Beggs Hall to unveil the logo and name of the building. Liz Koch, president of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, revealed the name of the future community maker space as “GoCreate.” The foundation contributed $3.75 million toward the space. Bardo said the name “GoCreate” was chosen because it implies inclusive involvement. “There’s an implied ‘you’ — it’s not ambiguous,” Bardo said. “It’s you being involved.” John Tomblin, vice president for research and technology transfer, said the building will include 25 hands-on instruction laboratories, with six of them designated as aerospace laboratories. “One year [and] nine months
Photo by Christopher Bardo
Liz Koch, president of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation, speaks at the dedication of the Experiential Learning building. Koch revealed the name of the future community maker spaces as GoCreate.
ago, a team began shaping this,” Tomblin said. Scott Miller — a professor and chair of aerodynamics, who worked on the team — said the planning was a “classic example
of figuring out what we need and how to use that.” Miller said more space will become available for aerospace projects with GoCreate. “It creates opportunities not
only for students to do research, but also faculty and for them to do it together,” he said.
SEE INNOVATION • PAGE 2
Town Hall meeting Friday tackles chapel discussion Variety of backgrounds represented in conversation surrounding removal of pews; about 50 people attend ASCHA LEE
REPORTER
@aschalee
In response to the recent controversy surrounding changes to Grace Memorial Chapel, Student Government Association held a town hall meeting Friday for students, faculty and community members to engage in discussion about the issue. About 50 people attended. Eric Sexton — vice president of Student Affairs and executive director of Athletics — opened
the meeting with a brief history of events, and stressed the conversation would be structured and held in the most respectful way possible. “The opportunity to have these kinds of fruitful discussions in a healthy, positive, respectful way is what we do at universities and what our goals and objectives here at Wichita State University are,” Sexton said. “Tonight, we have a wonderful panel that embraces the breadth of perspectives that we need in order to have a
healthy dialogue.” The panel included SGA Sen. Taben Azad, concerned community member Lisa Ritchie, graduate student Chandler Williams — who was a proponent of the original SGA resolution — and the Rev. Christopher Eshelman, board chairperson for Campus Ministries. The discussion was led by moderator Jay Price, director of the history department, and facilitated by Sexton.
SEE TOWN HALL • PAGE 2
File photo by Xavier Mortenson
Student Government Association held a town hall meeting Friday to address issues and provide an open discussion about renovations to Grace Memorial Chapel, which were completed last spring.