THE WWW.THESUNFLOWER.COM
SUNFLOWER WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT-RUN NEWS SOURCE
MONDay • SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
VOLUME 119, ISSUE 24
News: SGA hears resolution Page 3 | Sports: Volleyball plays first home matches Page 4
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
An attendee makes a glow-in-the-dark mask during the Equinox Light Party Saturday night, which showcased the work of artist Bruce Conner outside the Ulrich Museum. The event was sponsored by the Ulrich Museum of Art.
Equinox Light Party summons art lovers T
By Paulo Lazo STAFF REPORTER @Paulo_JLazo
he Ulrich Museum of Art witnessed a celebration Friday night. Students from different colleges around the Wichita area attended the Equinox Light Party in order to participate in the event, which featured work from artist Bruce Conner. Carolyn Copple, the museum’s membership and special events manager, said the party will serve as a reminder that the
museum remains open to students whenever they need it, and emphasized the importance of similar upcoming events that will take place across campus. “We hope it’s a student event that will become an annual event, and that it will tie in with our shows and just different programs that are going on at the museum,” she said. “We want to start having two events a year that are organized just for students, just kind of letting them know that the museum is here for them as a source for inspiration, a place of solace, a place of comfort. “We just want to have more of a focus
on the campus community.” Chandler Bolen, a WSU student in attendance Friday night, said that although he was unaware of the party before a friend informed him about it, the bash was enjoyable. “I thought it would be a fun thing to do Friday night,” he said. “It’s just a lot of fun — I’ve just been hula-hooping a lot, and the hand painting’s fun, too.” Bolen’s friend Teresa Wolf, a sophomore at WSU, also noted the entertaining activities taking place at the museum. “I thought it sounded interesting,” she said. “The poster said there would be art,
music and science. It’s been pretty neat — I just wish there were more people here.” Graduate student Andrew Bernhard said he also stressed the relevance of art-related events like the Equinox Light Party — he consequently encouraged the museum to keep planning related activities on campus. “I like art,” he said. “Wichita State has a fantastic art school, or museum, anyways. [The event] has been fun, engaging. I got my hand painted — I thought it looked like Native American art.”
Pet assists student at Shocker Hall Annual chili feed raises
money for philanthropy
By Reece Burns STAFF REPORTER @Reeceburns14
Every day, Shannon Scott wakes up in Shocker Hall and copes with constant feelings of anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. All of the despair is cast aside when Scott sees her cat, Aztec the Wolfslayer, lying beside her. Aztec is Scott’s assistive pet. One of only two people allowed to have pets in Shocker Hall, Scott, a freshman studying computer science engineering, said she could not imagine being an on-campus resident without her beloved cat. Scott said Aztec helps her cope with clinically-diagnosed, severe anxiety and depression. “She’s there — I have to get up and take care of her,” Scott said. “She’s a responsibility, which is good for people who have severe depression. She gets you up and gets you motivated to do something. “She’s a cuddler, a lover and always attached to me at the hip.” Scott said she has dealt with mental disability all her life. Her junior year of high school, Scott decided to try what few even know about: an assistive pet. Service pets, while rare, are still more common than assistive pets. A service pet is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) as “any guide dog, signal dog or other
By Madison Johnson STAFF REPORTER @mad_hatter27
Photo by Marcus Wright
Wichita State freshman Shannon Scott and her assistive pet Aztec the Wolfslayer enjoy their afternoon in Shocker Hall.
animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability.” These animals can commonly be seen leading the blind or deaf in public. Scott said assistive pets are much more behind-the-scenes. In Scott’s case, Aztec is not allowed in many places on campus. This is because Aztec is not a trained service animal. Assistive animals are much more broad, she said. “Service animals help their owners with everyday tasks, such as walking, dressing and even as far as knowing when a diabetic’s blood sugar is too
high or too low,” Scott said. “Service dogs are more in-tune and know when things are wrong. Aztec … doesn’t know that, but she’s there when I need her.” Scott’s cat helps her escape from everyday problems that bog people down — problems that can make her only feel worse. “Aztec gives me an excuse to leave or walk away from a stressful situation,” Scott said. “I’ll even get separation anxiety when I’m without her.” See PET on page 4
As the days start to get cooler and football is constantly aired on television, the fall season is in the front of almost everyone’s minds. With fall comes food, specifically, chili. Last weekend, Greeks from Sigma Phi Epsilon and Delta Gamma served mounds of chili at the Zach Mesch Chili Feed to raise money for Zach’s Wishes for Miracles, a nonprofit organization. The chili feed was hosted at the SigEp house on 17th street, and those who arrived were treated with homemade chili, desserts and more, which was provided by various donors. “All of our chili was donated by our parents, members or businesses, that way all the money raised would go directly to Zach’s Wishes for Miracles,” said Wyatt Clark, member of SigEp and this year’s director of the chili feed. The chili feed, which is normally held in November, was moved to September so there would be coordination with another philanthropic event. “We did it earlier than usual this year to pair it up with Zach’s 5K on campus, which was Saturday morning,” Clark said. Zach Mesch was a Wichita State student and SigEp member who died of leukemia. Hannah Garcia, a WSU
student and one of Mesch’s friends, said she has helped run the chili feed and the philanthropy in the past. “Zach’s Wishes provides ‘miracles’ to young adults ages 18 to 23 who have or have had cancer,” Garcia said. “Basically, we are committed to honoring Zach Mesch’s legacy, primarily through the granting of ‘miracles’ for young adults battling cancer or those who were diagnosed after their 18th birthday.” Zach’s Wishes for Miracles focuses on young adults, Garcia said, because Mesch died at the age of 20. “It was Zach’s belief that young adults ages 18 to 23 were still far too young to have to fight such a difficult battle, so we try and give them a piece of their youth back,” she said. The money raised at the chili feed goes to the organization and is then distributed through scholarships awarded to WSU students, as well as to organizations that helped make a difference in Mesch’s life. “We had a ton of help from all the SigEps and DGs,” Clark said. “It was a lot of fun working it and socializing with all of our guests.” The money the feed raised is also given to individuals who “embody the same drive and spirit that Zach exemplified each day of his life,” Garcia said, through Zach’s Wishes for Miracles.