THE WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM
SUNFLOWER WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-RUN NEWS SOURCE
WEDNESDAY • OCTOBER 22, 2014
VOLUME 119, ISSUE 36
How to save a life News: Bardo mingles over breakfast Page 3 | Sports: Marshall talks sports media Page 4
Photo by Kevin Brown
Wichita State University lifeguard Emma Ast swims the backstroke Tuesday afternoon at the Heskett Center pool as a part of the required lifeguard personal training.
Heskett Center lifeguards stay sharp to keep swimmers safe By Jake Trease MANAGING EDITOR @thejaketrease
Garrett Zerener was sitting in his lifeguard office Tuesday when he heard three whistle blasts from across the Wiedemann Natatorium — the pool at the Heskett Center. “Are you serious right now?” he said, looking out across the pool. “Is he jumping in?” Three whistles enact the EAP, or emergency action plan. Usually, it means the lifeguard on duty is jumping into the pool to save a swimmer in trouble. Zerener rushed across the pool to see what the problem was. The other lifeguard, Ru Min, was standing with a patron who had hurt her head during a fall in the locker room.
When Zerener got there, though, he discovered it wasn’t real. “We’re running a drill,” aquatics coordinator Vanessa Stoner said, “making sure our guards know what they’re doing in case of an emergency.” The two lifeguards, now joined by a third, Kelsey Buller, proceeded to backboard their victim, a fellow employee at the Heskett Center. “I was not expecting that today,” Zerener said. But that’s kind of the point. “Sometimes we need to perform things that we don’t expect, so it’s kind of good training,” Min said. After the incident, the lifeguards debriefed with Stoner and other aquatics supervisors. They evaluated how they acted in the situation and what they could do to improve.
“Once we knew what was going on, I think we handled it pretty well,” Zerener said in the meeting. Lifeguards help keep patrons safe in one of the Heskett Center’s lesser-known features: the pool, located on the north end of the building. Zerener said he thinks students oftentimes forget about the pool when trying to stay in shape. “A lot of people like to lift, run or whatever,” he said. “But honestly, dude, swimming’s got a lot of benefits. If you’re a runner, and you get injured, the doctors do send you to the pool.” The lifeguards are all students at Wichita State and have many reasons for working there. See LIFEGUARD on page 3
Photo by Kevin Brown
Student lifeguards Garrett Zerener, left, Kelsey Buller, center and Ru Min, right, complete training excercises by the pool Tuesday afternoon at the Heskett Center. The training includes emergency drills for injury and possible drowning.
Robot technology brought to WSU By Brittany Ponds STAFF REPORTER @brittany_forev
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Guest Saxophonist Joseph Lulloff performs Monday night inside Wiedemann Hall. Lulloff has performed throughout the United States and has won international music awards
Saxophonist Joseph Lulloff comes to WSU By Brittany Ponds STAFF REPORTER @brittany_forev
Yamaha Performing Artist Joseph Lulloff performed a solo saxophone concert Monday night at Weidmann Hall. Lulloff, whose performances range from classical concerts to jam sessions, delivered a powerful, lively show alongside pianist Yu-Lien The. The Milwaukee native, who is one of today’s most sought out saxophone musicians and clinicians, said he knew he wanted to pursue music at the early age of seven after being diagnosed with asthma. After his mother’s uncle suggested he play an instrument,
he picked up his uncle’s old soprano saxophone and began taking lessons. Lulloff said he came from a musical background and his parents were quite supportive. One tune that stuck out when Lulloff first began his interest in music was Rudy Wiedoeft’s “Saxophobia.” Lulloff said the title intrigued him more than the actual music. “I think it’s important to become a complete saxophonist,” Lulloff said, “to learn to play in all different idioms.” Lulloff said his son is a classical/jazz saxophonist, and two of his favorite types of music are rap and funk. He said he’s exploring different types of music. See LULLOFF on page 3
Wichita State’s fourth annual Technology Fair brought the latest gadgets and gizmos to campus Tuesday afternoon. Booths hosted by WSU faculty and staff displayed the ways technology is used in the classroom. Wu Bot was one of them. The College of Health Professions paired up with Double Robotics to bring Chip Wu Bot to WSU. Wu Bot is a robot similar to Skype and FaceTime, and is being used in the CHP clinic for children. The bot can be driven anywhere, said CHP Professor and department chair Kathy Coufal. A user’s face appears on the screen while their voice can be heard through a speaker. Coufal said autistic children, specifically, have found Wu Bot to be a helpful bridge. “They tried to talk more because they were talking to [Wu Bot],” she said while telling a story of children interacting with the robot. The Wu Bot is introduced to the children as a person, and is seen as a novelty and motivation factor. It seems to be less intimidating for the children, Coufal said. The robot can be used for practice — the children can introduce themselves or learn how to order food from restaurants. The app-controlled robot
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
A student plays ping pong against a robot during the Technology Fair Tuesday afternoon on the second floor of the RSC. The Technology Fair is an opportunity for students and staff to showcase their latest gadgets that can benefit the production of humans.
can also benefit students. Adults who have iPads at home can download the app for free and can participate in class if unable to make it to campus. The product has been around for a couple of years and is owned by a group in Hutchinson. The first uses for the device was for students who
could not be in classrooms due to illnesses or disabilities. WSU was initially going to use the bot for international tours of the campus for recruitment purposes. Although Wu Bot has not yet been used for campus tours, it’s making leaps for the children in the CHP program, Coufal said.