September 24, 2015

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the

SUN FLOWER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2015

VOLUME 120, ISSUE 15

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion hangs a mural to start conversation about violence | PAGE 4

THESUNFLOWER.COM

STAYING TRUE TO THEMSELVES

Photo by Celeste Thompson

The cast of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” rehearses Tuesday before the premiere of the musical Thursday. Performances will last until Sunday.

‘Smokey Joe’s Café’ showcases actors’ real identities MARISSA CAMPBELL

REPORTER

@soupitup13

“Smokey Joe’s Café” is not the typical musical. It is a revue, which is a performance of short skits and songs that does not have an overarching theme. Since the musical has no plot line, actors and actresses in the musical are playing themselves through the 39 rock-and-roll songs. The performers sing and have no dialogue. The musical takes place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday in Wilner Auditorium. Tickets are free for WSU students with Shocker ID and $7 for the public. “I love playing as myself in this musical,” junior Dylan Harris said.

“Instead of studying a character and finding the meaning behind it, there is leeway to play and find our own meaning within all of the songs. The tough part has been not imitating the stars of the time, like Elvis, and trying to stay true to ourselves.” The actors rehearsed the music and learned the staging in two weeks, five days a week, for about four hours a day. “Preparations were different than a typical musical,” junior Da’Merius Ford said. “It took extra time since we had more choreographing to do than a normal musical.” The musical features classics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The show pays homage to some of the most recognizable musical legends such as The Drifters, The Coasters and Elvis Presley.

Petition for Muslim handheld bidets clogged by questions it is a cultural thing. Mosharraf’s Wednesday includes directing water from the sink to near the toilet in Ayesha Mosharraf presented smaller, family restrooms Wednesday her petition for around campus that would handheld bidets to Eric Sexton, seemingly solve the issue of vice president of Wichita State’s going into the walls to access a Student Affairs and executive water supply. director of Athletics. Wichita State would be the first “He didn’t say ‘yes,’ but he university in the United States to didn’t say ‘no,’ either,” Mosharraf install handheld bidets on its said of her meeting with Sexton campus, Mosharraf said. on Wednesday. “He said we “We’re just still trying to figure needed to do more research and that we would meet at a later time out what is possible,” Sexton said. “Because there are to discuss it further.” “I’m still hopeful really no implementaIn the last month, tions in public Mosharraf — who because Wichita takes six graduate State talks about buildings in the entire country. It might be a courses and works as a diversity. They great opportunity to be graduate research teach students first, but let’s make assistant — has to fight for their sure we know exactly gathered more than rights, and now how we can do it in a 600 signatures, I am fighting for respectful, first-class including signatures my rights.” way and a way that’s from 35 faculty cost-effective. We don’t members, in favor of Ayesha Mosharraf WSU GRADUATE STUDENT even know all of the installing handheld information, so we’re bidets in the recontinuing to investigate.” strooms of the Rhatigan Student Mosharraf said Sexton told Center, Heskett Center and Ablah her the university would look Library at WSU. into adding them in Innovation The petition started earlier Campus buildings, but he can’t this month to add the showermake any promises. heads to be used by Muslim “I’m still hopeful,” she said, students to wash themselves “because Wichita State talks about after doing the needful. Curdiversity. They teach students to rently, students have to rely on fight for their rights, and now I water and squirt bottles. For am fighting for my rights.” Muslims, it is a religious thing, Mosharraf said. For others, like students from Asian and India, SEE BIDETs • PAGE 5 CHANCE SWAIN

REPORTER

@chanceswain

“I’m hoping that this musical will bring memories back to the wiser people in the crowd,” Harris said. “I hope it takes them back to their younger years, that it’s fun and that they find the deeper meaning that is within some of the songs.” Although making sure all of the actors are prepared, checking the lighting, sound and scenery are just as important. David Neville, associate professor of set and lighting design, said this musical allows the set designers to be creative. Although he deemed the set as simple, it consists of four moving panels that form a picture, moving lights, staircases and platforms that the actors will dance on.

SEE MUSICAL • PAGE 5

« ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’ IF YOU GO:

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday Where: Wilner Auditorium Tickets are free for WSU students with Shocker ID and $7 for the public

Ulrich Museum awarded final grant for mural restoration ALEX PERRY

REPORTER

@sunlowerap

Famed Spanish artist Joan Miró’s most unique work of art adorned the Ulrich Museum’s outer wall until exposure to weather forced its removal in 2011. Now, after receiving a $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the funds needed for the mural’s restoration are complete. Its reinstallation is scheduled for November 2016. Jennifer Lane, spokeswoman for the Ulrich Museum, said the piece’s uniqueness is part of what makes it important. “It’s an amazing piece,” Lane said. “It really doesn’t compare to anything in the world, not even his own work.” “Personnages Oiseaux” is just one of 11 murals of its type Miró created in his lifetime. It is the largest of the four that reside in the United States, and is Miró’s only mural made mostly of glass. Lane said when the museum heard news about the grant, it was a relief. “The mural is iconic and it’s so important to our community,” she said. “Being able to share that with the community is very important to the museum.” Miró’s iconic marble and glass mural was removed before most

Photo Courtesy of Russel-Marti Conservation Services, Inc.

An art conservationist removes particleboard from a panel in Miro’s “Personagges Oiseaux” in the first stage of restoration. The painting has been in restoration since 2011 and will return to campus in 2016.

current WSU students had enrolled for their first semester. Lane stressed the importance of having great works of art on campus. “Art inspires everything around us,” Lane said. “Studies have shown a strong correlation

between our cognitive functioning and looking at art.” Since the mural will be housed outdoors, it will be visible to anyone whether they go into the museum, or not. “You just can’t put a price on that,” Lane said.


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