The Sunflower v. 124 i. 8

/The Sunflower WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896

MONDAY, SEPT. 9, 2019

@sunflowernews

VOL. 124 • ISSUE 8

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MORGAN ANDERSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Senior tight end Eman McNea runs the ball for McPherson to the end zone while Langston’s senior linebacker James Cox and junior defensive back Quante Hayden move to tackle him Saturday at the first annual Heartland Classic at Cessna Stadium. Langston won 21-20.

Cessna sees first college football in 33 years Former WSU Head Coach Willie Jeffries honored at halftime

BY OLIVIA BABIN

MORGAN ANDERSON/ THE SUNFLOWER

Willie Jeffries waves to the crowd during the award ceremony.

Jeffries was inducted into the Black Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame for being the first African American head football coach in the NCAA while he coached for WSU from 1979-1984.

Langston University played McPherson College at Cessna Stadium for the inaugural Heartland Classic Saturday. It was the first time a collegiate-level football game has been played on the Wichita State campus in 33 years.

After a rough first half for McPherson, the Bulldogs were able to come back in the second half, giving them a chance to tie the game. In the end, they missed a two-point conversion and Langston won 21-20.

While the game was exciting, the Heartland Classic is more about bringing together the communities and showing them Wichita.

Hosted by the Heartland Wichita Black Chamber of Commerce and WSU Diversity and Community Engagement, the event’s motto was “unity for the community.”

“Us not having a football team, we kind of miss moments like this — to have tailgating,

Green pool cleaned at The Flats; basketball hoop still in the works

BY BROGAN GILLMORE

A resident at The Flats tweeted a picture of a murky, green pool at the residence hall Wednesday.

“Who trying to go swimming at The Flats?” read the tweet, which tagged Wichita State’s official Twitter account.

The next day, the pool had already undergone an extensive cleaning, returning the water to its typical blue hue.

Katie Austin, marketing coordinator for Housing and Residence Life, said it was the first time this season the pool has had issues.

“I think we always have trouble getting the chemicals right,” Austin said. “Pools are tricky things, any rain that comes in, weather conditions can all of a sudden have an affect on the pH levels, chlorine — all of that good stuff.”

The residence hall is leased from The Flats of Kansas, LLC, but WSU operates the apartments in the same way as university-owned Shocker Hall.

“[The Flats of Kansas, LLC] are not involved in the day-today,” Austin told The Sunflower in January. “They’re just like a property manager — or, not even a property manager, because we do all the facilities work.”

Austin said Campus Recreation’s aquatic staff assists The Flats’ maintenance staff in taking care of the pool.

Becca Johnson, residence life coordinator for The Flats, said they noticed on Tuesday that the pool had turned green and alerted their maintenance staff and Campus Recreation.

“Since I live in the building, it’s really easy to notice when that happens,” Johnson said. “I think with the long weekend, we didn’t have anybody to deal with it.”

Austin said there are staff on call if facilities issues pop up over the weekend, but they are usually only called in for emergencies. A non-emergency issue, like the pool needing cleaned, can usually wait until Monday.

SEE POOL PAGE 5

bands, presidential luncheons,” said Marche Fleming-Randle, vice president of diversity and community engagement. “The part of diversity that we really need to touch upon is bringing people onto Wichita State University campus to see what we have to offer.”

Ticket sales from the event went to a scholarship fund provided by the Wichita Black Chamber of Commerce.

“We want people in this community to be concerned about all their students going to college and advancing in their education,” said Gregory Cole, president of the Heartland Wichita Black Chamber of Commerce. “We want to give more scholarships or raise the [amount].”

At halftime, before a performance from the Langston University Marching Pride, former WSU Head Football Coach Willie Jeffries was inducted into the Wichita Black Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame. Jeffries was the first African American head

football coach in the NCAA. He coached for WSU from 1979-1984.

“Because it is the first classic and he was the first African American head football coach, we thought it would be appropriate to have him here today to kick off our first annual classic,” Fleming-Randle said.

The Heartland Classic will return to Cessna Stadium next year.

In 1982, Jeffries coached WSU’s last winning season with an 8-3 record. He left WSU in 1984 to coach for Howard University. He coached at Howard for five seasons and closed out his coaching career at South Carolina State University.

WSU was the only predominantly white school Jeffries coached for.

Wichita State hasn’t had a football team since the university discontinued the program after the 1986 season.

The program struggled to rebound after a plane carrying members of the team crashed into the Colorado mountainside in 1970, killing 31 passengers.

First-generation and legacy student share differing views on the college experience

BY LINDSAY SMITH

The “college experience” is a common blanket term, but in practice, students’ college experieces sound different depending on who’s explaining them.

Take senior Zane Storlie, for example, who says his college experience is mostly about controlling the education he receives.

“It’s taking the reigns of education into your own hands,” Storlie said.

“Up to this point, you’re mostly just following a track. And you’re still following a track [in college], but you get to choose the track now.”

For senior Payton Morgan, the college experience is more about the sleepless nights, fun times, and friendships made.

“So long days, long nights, but a lot of fun and a lot of growing,” Morgan said.

Morgan and Storlie’s perspectives on the college experience are shaped by their differing backgrounds.

Storlie is a first-generation student, while Morgan is a legacy student. By definition, a

STORLIE

MORGAN

first-generation student is someone whose parents did not earn a four-year college degree. A legacy student is someone whose parents attended the same university.

In fall 2018, about 45% of undergraduate students at Wichita State were first-generation shockers.

While Storlie now has plans to attend graduate school after earning his undergrad degree, he said that when he was younger, college was a foreign topic.

“My parents always constantly reminded me I was working towards something,” Storlie said. “But part of the issue was they didn’t know how to talk to me about it because they didn’t understand it all.”

This contrasts with Morgan, a legacy student, who said he never

had a doubt in his mind that college was his next destination after high school.

“I always felt like I didn’t have necessarily a choice . . . like I wanted to go, but in my family, it’s either you’re going to college or — you’re getting some sort of education,” Morgan said. “You need to get educated.”

Morgan’s parents both graduated from WSU, and his mother, Kaye Monk-Morgan, is assistant vice president of academic affairs. She ran an Upward Bound program at WSU while Morgan was growing up.

“Her job was getting low-income first-generation high school students into college,” he said.

“Watching her bring kids into college made me like, ‘Okay, college is really cool. I should go.’”

No matter what a student’s background is, there are always trials in transitioning into college life. While Morgan said having parents with a college background made it easier, he still faced his own challenges.

WHAT’S INSIDE MARCHING ON

ICT FEST

GET SERIOUS

RUNNING AWAY

The Shocker Sound Machine marching band enters year two with high hopes.

SEE NEWS • PAGE 2

The Wichita music festival graced the city for its 15th year.

Walk-A-Mile is a slap in the face to survivors, A&E Editor Ella Dominguez writes.

WSU men, women swept team and individual championships this weekend.

SEE ARTS • PAGE 3

SEE OPINION • PAGE 6

SEE SPORTS • PAGE 8

SEE COLLEGE PAGE 5

NEWS

2 | THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019

THIS WEEK’S NEWS IN BRIEF

BY DANIEL CAUDILL AND MATTHEW KELLY

FACULTY SENATE MEETING The Wichita State Faculty Senate will hold their first meeting of the school year Monday from 3:30-5 p.m. in Clinton Hall 126.

New business on the agenda includes reviewing a proposal from the General Education Revision Committee that would reduce gen ed requirements from 42 credit hours to 33 as a response to the Kansas Board of Regents’ request to cap degree programs at a total of 120 credit hours.

The senate will also hear a

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WSUPD: No foul play suspected in student death at The Flats

BY DANIEL CAUDILL

A female student died Friday at The Flats, said Rodney Clark, chief of the Wichita State University Police Department.

The student was unresponsive when emergency crews arrived around noon. EMS attempted

life-saving measures, Clark said, but the student could not be revived.

She was pronounced dead at 1:04 p.m.

WSUPD, Sedgwick County EMS and the Wichita Fire Department responded to the scene.

Clark said the cause of her death is under investigation, but it appears

to be due to medical causes. He said there appears to be no foul play, and there is no reason for residents of The Flats to be alarmed.

The student’s identity is not being released at this time.

“Today we learned of the on-campus death of one of our students from a medical emergency,” Vice

President of Student Affairs Teri Hall said in an email to The Sunflower.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s family and friends.”

Hall recommended anyone struggling with the grieving process to contact Counseling and Prevention Services at (316) 978-3440.

‘Brand new season, brand new groove’

policy recommendation on faculty workload.

This year’s Faculty Senate president is Jeff Jarman, director of the Elliott School of Communication.

MAYORAL CANDIDATES TO DEBATE DOWNTOWN Mayoral candidates Brandon Whipple and incumbent Jeff Longwell will debate Tuesday.

The debate will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Roxy’s Downtown. Appetizers will be provided once doors open at 5:30. It will be aired live on 89.1 FM, as well as KMUW’s official Facebook page. To submit a question, email info@kmuw.org.

The debate is being held as part of KMUW’s monthly “Engage ICT: Democracy on Tap” event, which was created in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election as a way to promote civic discussion.

LT. GOVERNOR TO SPEAK ON CAMPUS Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers will speak on campus Friday at the upcoming Engage WSU event.

The event runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon Friday at the Marcus Welcome Center. An event listing in WSU Today says Engage WSU aims to “bring together university, public, nonprofit and community leaders for current research and knowledge exchange in public service.”

Rogers will present his keynote address at 8:30 a.m. about economic development and the “connections between rural and urban success.”

Registration is required to attend and costs $50 — which includes the cost of breakfast.

The event is organized by Wichita State’s Public Policy and Management Center and Division of Diversity and Community Engagement.

Other speakers at the event include former Sedgwick County undersheriff Brenda Dietzman and Leavenworth Mayor Jermaine Wilson. Breakout sessions will run from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m.

To learn more about the event or register, visit www.wichita.edu/ engagewsu.

EDUARDO CASTILLO/THE SUNFLOWER

Sean Matson (left) and Katelyn Koch (right) try on Shocker Sound Machine uniforms. Though she’s not a music major, Koch says it’s nice to continue playing her instrument, the tenor sax, after high school.

Shocker Sound Machine making changes as it enters second year

BY BROGAN GILLMORE

It’s been almost a year since the Shocker Sound Machine’s first public performance, and the marching band is looking to improve and expand in its second year.

The Sound Machine played four basketball games in its debut season, along with several pep rallies and special events. This year Lucas Hulett, assistant director of bands, said they hope to keep up that pace.

“My hope is to do two separate shows this year, or two completely different shows,” Hulett said.

He said Shocker Sound Machine tries to maintain a public face on campus, filling university requests to play pep rallies and special events.

“I think one thing that put us in good light last year was being able to fill pep rallies,” Hulett said.

But Hulett said he doesn’t want to limit Shocker Sound Machine to performing only on campus.

“We are looking to expand into the high school competition space as an exhibition unit — using it as a recruitment tool,” Hulett said.

“We're open to all performance opportunities. If we can work it in there, and it works in our style, I'm looking to fill as many of those as possible.”

The Sunflower, founded in 1896, is the student-run newspaper covering Wichita State University. The print edition is published Monday and Thursday during the fall and spring semesters and twice over the summer. The staff publishes daily online at www.thesunflower.com.

MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learnig experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

... We had some growing pains, but it’s a brand-new season –– brand-new groove.

We hope to really show our stuff this year.”

part of one of the hurdles.”

The class was one of several ideas aimed at increasing band enrollment.

“At first, we wanted enrollment to grow,” Shade said. “The way to do that was to incentivize it financially, but when we didn’t get any more money, we couldn’t incentivize it financially.”

He said adding the class means members of Shocker Sound Machine can now receive compensation for their time — even if they’re not a part of Shocker Sound.

“The students now have that class to enroll in, and if they are good enough, we are going to use them in the basketball band, plus they get that stipend,” Shade said.

­— Sophomore Katelyn Koch, Shocker Sound Machine member

THE MAKE-UP OF THE MACHINE

Timothy Shade, director of bands, said the School of Music was losing students before introducing Shocker Sound Machine. There’s been growth recently, Shade said, but he doesn’t believe it’s directly tied to the addition of the marching band.

Before Shocker Sound Machine, the only athletics band was Shocker Sound, which plays at all home basketball games. Shocker Sound was primarily run by graduate students, but Hulett now oversees both bands.

Another change that came with the marching band was the addition of a mandatory one-credit hour course, which was implemented this fall.

“In the past, they just sort of participated — it was extracurricular,” Shade said. “Now we're making it cocurricular, so that’s sort of been

Meet the Staff EDITOR IN CHIEF Kylie Cameron

OPINION EDITOR Kevin Benavides

MANAGING EDITOR Matthew Kelly

PHOTO EDITOR Easton Thompson

NEWS EDITOR Daniel Caudill

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Eduardo Castillo

SPORTS EDITOR Marshall Sunner

ADVERTISING MANAGER Madeline Deabler

A & E EDITOR Ella Dominguez

FACULTY ADVISER Amy DeVault

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association.

The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or the university.

Also coming with the new semester is a shift in the type of students that make up Shocker Sound Machine.

Hulett said the rate of non-music majors in the band is between 65 and 70%, which he said is much higher than last year.

Increasing non-major involvement was one goal the School of Music set for Shocker Sound Machine.

“I'm a huge proponent for non-majors, just because there is a lot of passion involved in wanting to continue their instrument,” Hulett said.

FIRST AMENDMENT Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

STAFF Morgan Anderson John Darr Selena Favela Karen Galindo Brogan Gillmore Ben Jacobson Audrey Korte Dalton Langham Sean Marty Austin May Ruby Munguia Khanh Nguyen Gladis Palencia Drake Robinson Nathan Schale Austin Shaw Lindsay Smith Maddie Spurlock Jeromiah Taylor Rhiannon Taylor Becca Yenser

Corrections

The Sunflower is a member of Kansas Collegiate Media, the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association.

In the Sept. 5, 2019 print issue, the story “SGA recognizes pro-life student organization” incorrectly identifies Underserved Sen. Eli Flores as “Marie” Flores, and incorrectly uses “she/her” pronouns. The online version of this story has been updated to reflect Flores’ proper pronouns.

Copyright © 2019 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

The Sunflower is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in any of its publications, please email the editor at editor@thesunflower.com immediately.

Katelyn Koch, a sophomore theater major and tenor sax player, is an example of that sentiment.

“I was a four-year letterman in my band,” Koch said. “I did color guard, but I’ve always played an instrument. Really, I just wanted to keep playing.”

As Shocker Sound Machine continues to grow and mature, Shade said he expects to see more and more from the group each year.

“We had our testing phase last year, and things kind of got off the ground,” he said. “We got all of our new equipment and sort of tested out how our relationship with athletics was going to go.”

Shade and Hulett agreed that athletics has been supportive and happy with Shocker Sound Machine’s work so far.

“I think it sets a lot of the administration at ease to have a recurring face as a part of this program,” Hulett said. “Moving this entire thing from a primarily grad student-run organization to having faculty oversight makes athletics very comfortable.”

Koch said she also expects great things this year.

“Come out and support us,” Koch said. “Definitely last year, we know we had some growing pains, but it’s a brand-new season — brand-new groove. We hope to really show our stuff this year.”

Contact Us 019 Elliott Hall 1845 N. Fairmount Ave. Campus Box 134 Wichita, KS 67260-0134 ADVERTISING Madeline Deabler: 316-978-6906 admanager@thesunflower.com

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THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019 | 3

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A&E

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s arts & entertainment Editor, Ella Dominguez arts@thesunflower.com

ICT Fest

BROGAN GILLMORE/THE SUNFLOWER

PRND mimes the use of a violin as he creates soundscapes for the audience during ICT Fest on Friday.

Festival rallies for 15th year

BY BROGAN GILMORE

BROGAN GILMORE/THE SUNFLOWER

Teresa Nguyen, who organized ICT Fest along with her fiance, performs with their band, Concubine.

“Free event yo,” read the sign outside downtown’s ICT Pop-Up Park. The entrance funneled artists, festivalgoers and the odd curious local into the park as band after band played into the night.

ICT Fest, a local music festival, took place from Thursday to Saturday. The festival boasted an eclectic lineup of bands — from musicians who screamed out their souls into the microphone, to soundscapes that brought listeners to another dimension.

The bands consisted of a mix of local artists and touring bands from the Midwest.

Not only do you want to give the local bands a stage, but you also want to give young bands a chance to play in front of each other and veteran bands, said Matt Clagg, who co-owns Rajidae Productions with his fiancé, Teresa Nguyen.

It’s also important to get the touring bands from other cities.

“With art, everything develops regionally, but when you take that influence and that way of making into another place, it’s completely

Ecologically conscious Green Group hopes for a brighter, greener future at WSU

BY KAREN GALINDO

Members of the recently revitalized Green Group student org dedicate their free time to preserving and protecting the environment.

Madison Laughlin, Green Group president, decided to run for the position her freshman year.

“So I went to the first meeting, and at that meeting we voted on [leadership] positions,” Laughlin said. “They were like, ‘Hey, we really need some leadership in this area,’ and I was like, ‘I live a zero-waste lifestyle. This is all I’ve dreamed of.’”

Although Laughlin was passionate about conservation of the environment and sustainable living, she said leading a new organization proved to be more of a challenge than she expected.

“I always tried to arrange [group meetings], but I was a teeny-tiny freshman Madi, so I didn’t know how to do that,” Laughlin said.

“At the first meeting, we discussed different projects we would like to take on and we just really had different ideas on what direction we wanted the group to go, and so not a lot got done.”

That year, Laughlin faced many obstacles ranging from difference of opinions to being unable to spark interest among the student body. Nonetheless, she continued to dedicate her time and attention to Green Group.

“I decided that I was going to start small and do something that I had already done,” Laughlin said. “Do some more research in the community and figure out what areas of the community I could reach out to that are environmentally focused.”

We are just here to better ourselves, to better the Earth around us, and to better each other.” ­— Meredith Moxley, Green Group member

Now a junior, Laughlin has gained new members and started on bigger projects. Last month, Laughlin met with Provost Rick Muma to discuss the possibility of starting a community garden on campus.

“The community garden is something that I really want Green Group to rally around,” Laughlin said. “I’ve had several students reach out to me and say, ‘I’m interested in working on the garden. How can I be involved?’”

Senior Meredith Moxley is one of Green Group’s newest members.

Moxley said she hopes the community garden will connect Green Group with the Shocker Support Locker, a student-focused food pantry located in Grace

Wilkie Hall 103.

“At the support locker, it is difficult to provide fresh fruit and fresh veggies just because they’re perishable,” Moxley said. “With the community garden, we can provide those kinds of resources to people who really need it — people who don’t have the time to drive and to go get fresh produce, or the means to afford fresh produce.

“It’ll show that WSU does care about its students and that we can get the healthy food that we need.”

Similar to Laughlin, Moxley decided to join Green Group due to her environmental beliefs.“It’s the Earth. We have one. We should take care of it,” Moxley said. “It’s very important to me because we should take care of the things that give back to us well.”

Green Group holds meetings at 1 p.m. every Tuesday on the second floor of the Rhatigan Student Center. Laughlin and Moxley said they both hope Green Group will gain new members who are willing to educate themselves on sustainable living, and who are willing to implement those teachings in their daily lives.

“We are all very open people.

It’s a very friendly group,” Moxley said. “We are just here to better ourselves, to better the Earth around us, and to better each other.”

fresh and it broadens your perspective that much more,” Clagg said. “That basically leads to better music being made.”

“One of the biggest philosophies of DIY music is when a touring band or artist comes through, you treat them well and you do them the favor,” Nguyen said. “Therefore, it’s a circle of friendship, camaraderie and goodwill.”

The festival kicked off at DIYMCA on Thursday, with bands bringing festivalgoers out to the small home gallery hidden in a residential neighborhood off West 21st Street.

Clagg said that having a kickoff at DIYMCA was a great way to showcase more bands and expose the community to the gallery space.

“Every single show they do there is a benefit show — it’s all-ages, it’s a sober space, just a very positive environment,” Clagg said. “Something the city absolutely has to have.”

ICT Fest was started in 2004

by Dan Davis. Festival organizers changed periodically until 2012, when Clagg took over.

For the past seven years, Rajidae

Productions has been hosting ICT Fest at different venues.

After losing both their original and back-up venue, Nguyen said she was offered the ICT Pop-Up Park as this year’s venue before being put in contact with Downtown Wichita.

“We all collectively just made it happen within a month and a half,” Nguyen said. “And they were so generous in offering to sponsor us not only the space, but they helped us get the insurance, the port-o-potties, the stage.”

Nguyen said she was worried that working with the pop-up park and Downtown Wichita would make ICT Fest too corporate, but those worries proved to be a nonissue, as their new sponsors wanted it to remain the same.

Not only were the logistics taken care of, but Nguyen said they received so many sponsors this year that they could make the whole event free and still pay the bands.

“It’s been very exciting, because of all the things we’ve been able to do,” Clagg added. “Basically, turn the whole event into a way to channel funding directly to all the local and regional acts.”

‘13 Reasons Why’ not *CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS*

“Thirteen Reasons Why” goes in a brand new direction in its third season.

The controversial Netflix series about teen suicide and other mature content focuses season three on the death of one of its main antagonists, Bryce Walker.

This shifts the plot away from the first two seasons, which revolved around the story of Hannah Baker’s suicide.

When we learn of Walker’s death, there seems to be foul play.

What transpired on the night Walker died is unknown. Every character at Liberty High School and throughout the show has had run-ins with Walker prior to his death — and seem to have their own reasons for wanting him dead.

The mystery of Walker’s death lingers around the high school students as they try to find out who killed him, and make up their own theories about what happened that night.

Throughout the season, we learn of Walker’s struggle to change his past abusive behavior. Despite his efforts, Bryce still has moments that resemble his past villainous nature.

Clay Jensen is someone who doesn’t believe that Walker can change — and wants him to suffer for the horrible things that he has done. Jensen’s friend group has been severely traumatized at the hands of Walker, and they don’t want him around. Even when Walker tries to apologize to those he hurt in the

DRAKE ROBINSON TV CRITIC

past, they are unreceptive.

After many twists and turns in the investigation to find out who killed Bryce Walker, his killer is finally revealed. The killer doesn’t seem to be built up until the finale.

The finale leaves the audience on a cliffhanger, as the police make a case against the wrong person.

Without the full story of what happened to Bryce, and Jensen’s friend group with the answers, season three rolls the credits.

This season as a whole is driven on individual characters more than previous seasons, which is great if you enjoyed the characters in the past. However, it loses the original magic of the concept of the first season and dismisses Hannah Baker’s story almost completely.

Focusing on intense drama and over-the-top teen cruelty is something the show specializes in.

However, this season fumbles on storytelling, as the new elements added to it don’t always hit the mark. Overall, the mystery of Walker’s murder is still enjoyable and engaging.

4 | THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019

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Ulrich Museum of Art Fall Exhibition Opening Party

Hallie Linnebur, Dodging Lamps and Vegetables, 2019. Paper, cloth, found objects. Image courtesy of the artist.

Thursday, September 12 5:00-8:00 P.M. The Ulrich Museum of Art encourages the community, WSU students, faculty, and staff to come together in shared discovery of our newest suite of exhibitions.

Opening parties feature art, music, refreshments, and fun!

The Fall 2019 Exhibitions:

Teachabe Moments: The XXII Faculty Biennial Clay Currents: The Wichita National Ceramics Invitational

Solving for X = Accessibility | GuideBeacon

Free Admission | Public Welcome

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Shocker Studios’ proximity to campus putting some students in a time crunch Getting to class on time is a hassle. Having to switch between two different campuses every day makes it even harder.

Shocker Studios sits right between Hillside and Oliver on Harry Street. With quality film equipment, collaboration areas, and more, Shocker Studios is a great resource for Wichita State’s fine arts students, especially those in film and animation. Its sizeable distance from the main campus is its only downfall.

In an attempt to understand exactly how far away it is, I drove it. I left right as one of my classes got out at 12:15 — a busy time on campus. It took me about five minutes to walk to my car and another five to get off campus. It took me 14 minutes to drive to Shocker Studios once I got off campus — a total commute of 24 minutes.

I decided to ride the free bus to see how long that would take — the university created a bus route that goes directly to Shocker Studios in attempt to alleviate the potential burden on students. I did a little research beforehand and found the length of the commute depends on what time of day you catch the bus. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour.

I rode took the bus at around 10:40 a.m. on a Thursday. It took 16 minutes.

Dylan Legleiter, a senior media arts student, has class at Shocker Studios and on the main campus

OLIVIA BABIN COLUMNIST

every day. Once a week, Legleiter has 15 minutes to travel between Shocker Studios and the main campus in order to arrive to class on time.

“I almost couldn’t do [one of my Shocker Studios courses] because it is 10 minutes before my [class on campus]” Legleiter said. “[My professor] is letting me leave 10 minutes early to help me get to class on time . . . but if teachers weren’t as helpful, it could be really stressful.”

Legleiter said the services provided by Shocker Studios are well worth the drive and the hassle of having to travel between different campuses. He said having access to use equipment that would normally cost around $50,000 makes it all worth it.

Having access to the resources Shocker Studios provides can give students hands-on experience with the equipment they will use in their future careers. It can also put an extra burden on students who are struggling to travel to and from classes on time.

COLLEGE FROM PAGE 1 “There are just some things that just no matter what people tell you or teach you that you have to experience yourself, and I feel like college is one of those things,” Morgan said.

Storlie too has had his fair share of difficulties, and like Morgan, he fought through them.

“I had other issues just come up from being an adult,” Storlie said. “But it wasn’t so bad because of my experience with the TRIO programs.

“When I started the TRIO program, that was a little bit of a bigger shock — introducing

POOL FROM PAGE 1 “I think we have a good system in place — it was just an anomaly this weekend,” Austin said.

Another amenity in The Flats’ outdoor recreation area has been out-of-commission for some time now — the basketball hoop. Some residents say it’s been down since at least last year.

“We’re in a place where developers are technically responsible for that space, and the basketball hoop they gave us is their one and done,” Johnson said.

She said staff are currently looking into alternative solutions, and the hoop is being rewelded.

But the hoop remains a side project while they prepare rooms for the semester, she said.

“I’ve been told it should be done by October, so we’ll see,” Johnson said.

AUSTIN SHAW/THE SUNFLOWER

Student builds ‘Human Carwash’ to showcase interactive performance art Mary Alexis Wirths likes to get her hands dirty — artistically speaking. Wirths wants her artwork to be interactive and hands-on.

Her iconic project, “The Human Carwash,” provides all of the above.

The interactive installation allowed participants to walk through a carwash tent she built. It gave participants the opportunity to go through a carwash — without a car.

Wirths, a senior majoring in art and minoring in anthropology, said she drew from her childhood memories and artistic background when developing the idea.

“I was thinking about this video I watched when I was little, where a guy strapped a lawn chair to a pickup truck and then rode through a carwash,” Wirths said.

She said the video stuck with her because she was so young when she saw it.

This looks really stupid, obviously, but also fun, Wirths said. “I wanted to kind of like recreate that,” she said.

The idea behind “The Human Carwash” was something Wirths had been playing with for some time, she said. Once the concept was in place, the project needed three things to move forward: money for materials, an audience, and time. Eventually, she found all three and the carwash came to life.

Wirths presented the carwash for the first time at ICT Soup — an art-based crowd-funding event.

“You all eat soup, and people can ask you questions, and then at

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me to the college concepts and everything.”

Morgan said that for him, the college experience is about more than just earning a four-year degree.

“Of course, [what I want to get out of college is] the degree and hopefully a job, but I think the personal growth is the biggest part for me,” Morgan said.

Storlie said he hopes to set an example as a college graduate and bring hope to his family members.

“A big part is kind of breaking the mold of my family — kind of showing them that they can do more things,” Storlie said.

As an older brother, he takes that responsibility seriously.

“I’ve got three younger siblings, so that’s an important thing,” he said.

Differences aside, Morgan and Storlie have advice for college students of all walks of life.

Morgan said motivation is the key.

“Stay motivated. I think that’s the hardest thing, but the only way you can make it through is if you show up to class every day and you continue to pay attention,” Morgan said. “Put in that extra time, put in that extra effort, because it’s going to help you at the end.”

Storlie said college is about setting goals.

“I think that having some kind of ambition and striving towards it . . . always taking baby steps at a time, is really crucial,” he said.

Austin expressed gratitude for residents speaking up about issues at The Flats.

“This is everyone’s community; if you see something, say something,” she said. “We

appreciate everybody pitching in and being a part of either taking care of the thing that we have, so that they do stay nice, as well as reporting when there’s issues.”

COURTESY

The pool at The Flats before it was cleaned on Thursday afternoon.

‘It’ isn’t that scary

“The Human Carwash” is an interactive performance art piece by Wichita State art student Mary Wirths.

BY AUDREY KORTE

THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019

the end, everyone votes for their favorite one, and that determines the winner,” she said.

The winner takes home the money that was raised from the event’s cover charge.

Wirths presented the carwash at ICT Soup twice but didn’t win either time.

After ICT Soup, Wirths went on to incorporate “The Human Carwash” into her independent study. She was also invited to display it at Wichita Riverfest and Final Fest.

Though people liked the carwash, they may have liked it too much. Wirths said that by the end of the festival, many of the pieces of the carwash were broken. During Riverfest, the river flooded — creating problems for the exhibition.

The carwash remained standing at the end of the nine-day festival, but it was in rough shape.

“It will never be in its full form again,” Wirths said.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause. Wirths is looking to repurpose the materials, she said. Now, the carwash sits in her apartment.

She says she thinks about it often, and what she could make it into next.

“I’m probably going to build it into a performance art piece and make a costume out of it,” she said.

“I talked to a couple of different artists about it.”

The costume would continue in the vein of performance art.

“It would be cool to build it as a suit and like, run out in public, in

the street basically, and spin-off my car,” Wirths said. “It’d be some sort of cleaning, just like rubbing the sides of their cars.”

In the meantime, Wirths has her hands full. She’s finishing up her last year of undergraduate coursework. She works at the ShiftSpace gallery. She’s the treasurer for ShiftSpace Student Group. She’s heavily involved with DIYMCA — a new Do-It-Yourself art and music venue downtown she co-founded with Doug Horacio Holguin Lynn and Levi Morgan.

“I think it was a success,” Wirths said of her “Human Carwash” pet project. “I’ve never done anything that big on my own.”

The boys and Beverley are back in town — but a murderous clown with eyes that move independently isn’t nearly as scary as adulthood.

If you were looking forward to “It: Chapter Two” being scarier now that the kids are all grown up, well, keep looking. Chapter two digs deeper into action than chapter one did.

Besides the jumpscares that are the hallmark of modern horror movies, REVIEW very little about the “It: Chapter Two” film was Released Sept. 6 truly scary.

3/5 creepy clowns Even the jumpscares seemed to be telegraphed to the audience — like a bad magician being too obvious with his misdirection.

There are occasional scenes with CGI that can make your skin crawl, but only a scene or two are truly nerve-wracking. In the end, those scenes still didn’t have the same payoff that most horror films have.

The “horror” scenes felt more like action set pieces — with little time being given to palm-sweating scariness. More time was given to running and screaming from a clown with too big of a head.

The scariest part of the film was its honesty about the horrors of adulthood. “It,” originally written by Stephen King, is a story about growing up. Chapter two accomplishes that. For those

BROGAN GILMORE MOVIE CRITIC

old enough to understand, the reality of growing up and losing touch with old friends can be an existential nightmare.

What the film lost in horror, it made up for in its bizarre action scenes and, strangely enough, humor.

Casting Bill Hader in the role of Richie Tozier supplies excellent jokes that keep the movie from being too heavy.

Hader himself steals the show — and not just because of his wit.

As an actor, his dramatic scenes draw the audience further into his internal agony.

“It: Chapter Two” isn’t really a horror movie. It’s an action movie wearing the skin of a horror movie. It blends the two genres well — creating a complete piece that anybody can enjoy.

Overall, “It: Chapter Two” is excellent. It rounds out the character arcs for the Losers Club — and keeps you entertained for the whole two-and-a-half-hour ride.

I give it three creepy clowns out of five.

6 | THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019

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Opinion

HAVE AN OPINION? contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Kevin Benavides opinion@thesunflower.com

Babin: Worst gamer ever recommends a video game

BY OLIVIA BABIN

FILE PHOTO BY JOESPH BERRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER Men wear high-heele shoes during the 2017 Walk-A-Mile event on the Wichita State campus.

Walk-A-Mile is a slap in the face to survivors Every year, fraternity men from every chapter gather together, pop on some cherry-red heels, and take a lap around campus to raise awareness for sexual assault and rape on college campuses.

As I witnessed the university, Greeks, faculty, and even The Sunflower blast images of the event all over social media, I realized that no one seemed to see the flaws in this annual parade.

At first, I didn’t take issue with Walk-A-Mile either.

I applauded the fraternities on campus for taking a stand against sexual assault. I even participated in the event my first two years in Greek life. At face value, Walk-AMile is agreeable, commendable, and a little bit funny — grown men defying gender roles by wearing heels for an hour? How inspirational — how brave.

If we can’t give them a trophy for doing the bare minimum, I guess a photo spread will have to do.

Ignoring the hypocrisy I see in Walk-A-Mile would be a great disservice to a community I love and respect.

Walk-A-Mile is tone-deaf. You do not stop sexual assault on campus by parading around campus for an hour — making sure to smile for all the cameras.

If you want to stop sexual assault

ELLA DOMINGUEZ A&E EDITOR on campus, stop letting your members get away with “harmless” predatory behavior.

If you want to stop sexual assault on campus, stop ignoring the red flags.

If you want to stop sexual assault on campus, stop coercing your members to drink excessive, dangerous amounts of alcohol because “you’re a p*ssy if you don’t.”

If you want to stop sexual assault on campus, educate your members about consent — over and over again.

If you want to stop sexual assault on campus, hold your members accountable for the dangerous behavior you see but refuse to speak out about.

Walk-A-Mile is an extravagant PR stunt meant to make Greek life look glossy. It’s a performance — it’s not real.

Paired with informational

workshops and trainings, WalkA-Mile has upside as a fun event where Greek members and others can get together and volunteer their time for a cause. Except here’s the thing — it’s not a fundraiser. The “informational” posters along the route are sparse and unnoticeable.

When all is said and done, participants get to take their heels off and go back to their normal lives.

Survivors of assault do not get that luxury.

Insinuating that Walk-A-Mile is all this campus needs to address sexual assault is a slap in the face to survivors everywhere.

When college women are three times more susceptible to being raped than other women, one flashy event per year is not adequate — it’s an insult.

Walk-A-Mile makes a mockery out of trauma. It belittles the rampant rate of sexual assault on college campuses down to the click clack of heels on the sidewalk and a free T-shirt.

Not to mention that having red pumps as the symbol for a movement meant to raise awareness of sexual assault is sexist and objectifying in and of itself.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I walk to my car in the dark, gripping my keys like a claw until my knuckles turn white.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I get objectified by a male professor in front of the entire class.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I am manipulated and intimidated in the Title IX office.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I wipe the tears off my friend’s face while she tells me the story of her assault.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I send my location to my friends — if I get murdered on this first date, they’ll know where to find my body.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I live in a country where the president is accused of rape — and I am told I should still respect him.

Walk a mile in my shoes in the dead of winter, still getting catcalled as I’m wearing a coat down to my ankles.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I pump my gas in the summer heat, still getting catcalled as I seek refuge in my car — windows up, doors locked.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I get harassed downtown by men twice my age.

Walk a mile in my shoes as I look over my shoulder, making sure no one is following me home.

Walk a mile as I get blamed for my own assault.

Walk a mile in my shoes. I dare you.

Benavides: I kind of get sports now In one day, I managed to follow and watch more sporting events than I have in the last several years put together.

Over the weekend, I tasked myself with photographing a Wichita State cross country race and attending the Heartland American Classic football game between McPherson College and Langston University.

As my first sentence implies, I don’t watch sports much — if at all.

If I were to get caught in a group conversation about the latest sports news, I would probably be the person messing with the label of a water bottle.

My family generally enjoys sports, but none more than soccer.

I remember how excited my dad and younger brother would get over the FIFA World Cup. They would watch as many games as possible of the teams that interested them even slightly, discussing players and scores at length. I just liked watching the last game if anything It’s never been something that completely grasped my attention.

I never had much of a competitive spirit when it came to sports.

To me, playing sports is hardly

KEVIN BENAVIDES OPINION EDITOR ever about deciding a winner or determining who’s the strongest or most skilled. It’s about enjoying the game with the people around you.

Not many people see it that way, so you see all this commentary and debate around sports as if the 2016 election was during the first Super Bowl. Some of the fans themselves put me off. I couldn’t understand how they could follow a sports team so strongly.

A Gallup poll published in 2018 shows that more than a third of American still see football as their favorite sport. I don’t think it can be written off how popular football is in this country, even though it’s been losing popularity over the years.

For the longest time, I couldn’t understand football. Coming from

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soccer, I thought the constant breaks in action were jarring and unnecessary. I want my sports to be an ongoing, exhausting, constant battle that pushes the players to their limits. I didn’t see that in football so much.

But while watching the Heartland American Classic in its entirety, my opinion started to shift.

I cared not for either school, but I could still get hyped for a great pass or a gnarly tackle.

I found myself getting invested in the strategies of the teams, especially since it ended up being a close game with Langston beating McPherson by only one point. I had never seen a full football game before this weekend, but I’m glad I sat through this one.

At the cross country event, I saw the runners, their coaches, and their parents all cheering on their dedication and passion. Running four to six kilometers in one go probably seems impossible for most people, but they pulled it off with such determination that I was actually caught off guard by how quickly they finished.

Being a former long-distance runner myself, I know at least

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some of the great efforts that these athletes go to to break their personal records.

I garnered a lot of respect this weekend — not for the players so much, because I always had a lot of respect for those who constantly push themselves to their limits, but for those who watch sports, and even the sports themselves. There is definitely something that almost anyone can enjoy, whether it’s the drama, the action, or the half-time shows.

I would recommend everyone going to a live game when they have the chance. Home Shocker games are free for students, and while we may not always have the best teams, I believe we have teams that are always going to try. As long as we get that, we get to see the true meaning of sport.

I know, too, that these two events are only scratching the surface of sports events. There is a whole world of athletes, teams, tournaments, and world cups, with people from all backgrounds trying to get the number-one spot. I now have some more respect for them, and will be keeping an eye out for the next exciting match.

I suck at video games. There, I said it. It’s out there. Now everyone knows before getting into this recommendation.

That doesn’t stop me from playing games every chance I get. I remember trying to play them with my brother and him getting so frustrated he would kick me out and refuse to let me play with him ever again until my parents inevitably forced him to let me.

It’s the controls. I am really good at video games when you do not have to control the camera. Having to control where I am looking as well as where I have to move is just too much for me. I know that it just takes getting used to it or whatever, but I just can’t do it.

There is one video game I am a pro at though — “LEGO Star Wars.” The game is simple, easy to control, and a damn-good time. It has humor, recognizable characters, guns, explosions — everything you could want in a video game without the struggle of constantly having to control where you are looking.

Plus, you can play with friends and argue about who really collected the most coins to get the True Jedi.

Don’t like “Star Wars”? No problem, play “LEGO Harry Potter,” “LEGO Batman,” “LEGO Marvel,” “LEGO Indiana Jones,” AND MORE. There is a LEGO game out there for everyone, and they are 100% endorsed by this absolute garbage video game player.

Benavides: Video games that might help relieve stress

BY KEVIN BENAVIDES

It’s been a stressful semester already. For some, it’s hard to believe that adding a certain kind of stress can be helpful. But some video games to do just that.

There are so many ways to relieve the stress from class, homework, and tests, but here are a couple games that I would highly recommend for stress relief.

For new or admittedly amateur players, I highly recommend “Celeste,” available on PC and all modern consoles.

Imagine if you were stopped in the middle of a “Mario” game to see Mario stress about his emotional issues, or have a panic attack about fighting Bowser. While this may sound off-putting, the way it’s presented in “Celeste” is nothing short of cathartic.

For those who are looking for a challenge that many would avoid entirely, I recommenced “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.”

Sekiro places you in feudal Japan during an unknown time period, and gives you a samurai character with all kinds of mobility options that separate it wildly from the game style that “Dark Souls” is famous for, but it’s a welcome change of pace.

I’m not advocating for students to quit school and take up video games exclusively, but I think there’s something to enjoy in them that is more gratifying than either music or movies. I think there are elements that most people can enjoy in one or both of these games.

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Sports

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HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Marshall Sunner sports@thesunflower.com

UPCOMING SPORTING EVENTS THURSDAY, SEPT. 12 Volleyball: WSU vs. BYU (7 p.m.)

Charles Koch Arena FRIDAY, SEPT. 13 Volleyball: BYU vs. Texas (4:30 p.m.)

Charles Koch Arena Volleyball: WSU vs. VCU (7:00 p.m.)

Charles Koch Arena

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Transgender swimmer, Schuyler Bailar, ‘19 came to Harvard recruited for the women’s team and became a member of the men’s team.

Schuyler Bailar, first transgender D1 men’s athlete, to speak at WSU

BY KYLIE CAMERON

Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender athlete on an NCAA Division-I men’s team, will speak Tuesday at Wichita State about LGBTQ issues, mascuilinity, mental health, and eating disorders. The event is a part of WSU’s Diversity Lecture series.

Bailar originally committed to compete for the women’s swim team at Harvard, but after he took a gap year due to mental health issues and realized he was transgender while receiving mental-health treatment, the men’s coach extended an invitation for him to join the team.

“It actually terrified me at first.

I said no at first,” Bailar told The Sunflower in a phone interview.

“I obviously decided to end up swimming for the men’s team, and that decision was mainly hinged on the fact that I knew that that was going to make me the happiest and was what was right for me.”

Bailar, a Washington D.C. native, has given over 100 talks at universities, corporations, and conferences.

He has also appeared on the Ellen Show and 60 Minutes.

The talk at WSU is a part of his fall speaking tour that also includes stops at the University of Kansas and Kansas. Bailar said Kansas

wasn’t purposefully his first stop, but it was a place he had on his mind.

“We expected [Kansas] didn’t have as many trans/LGBTQ inclusion resources … and we heard from the requests feeling like it would be a really good thing to bring that sort of exposure,” Bailar said.

Talking about gender identity to people when they’re younger helps them form their own identity and what they perceive as “normal,” he said.

“Talking to students in general is sort of the main focus of my public speaking and the reason for that,’

Bailar said.

“First of all, students are in a mode of learning because they’re at a school. That’s the point of what they’re doing … I also think … kids are more ready to learn — not only because they’re at a place to learn, but where they’re at in their lives.”

Bailar graduated this year from Harvard with a degree in cognitive neuroscience and evolutionary psychology, and will begin his job in October in Seattle teaching emotional intelligence skills, according to his event page on Facebook.

Bailar’s talk will be held in RSC 265 at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Wichita baseball’s marketing campaign is a dumpster fire

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita baseball’s stadium being constructed on Saturday. The team is slated to play games in the summer of 2020.

Wichita baseball slow-plays team name reveal

BY SEAN MARTY

In early August, the new Wichita minor league team introduced the first of seven potential names for the team, causing much confusion in the city.

So far, the team has thrown around the names Wichita River Riders, Wichita 29ers, COURTSEY: WICHITA BASEBALL 2020 and Wichita Linemen. The The Wichita “Linemen” logo that team will continue to introwas mocked up by the team as duce names every other week part of their marketing campaign. until finally introducing the official team name and colors competed in the Pacific Coast in November, according to the League last season and finished team’s Facebook page. with a record of 73-65.

After receiving over 3,000 The Miami Marlins have the name ideas, the team will No.-4 ranked farm system in the announce the final name after MLB, according to the league’s gauging the responses from the website MLB.com. The Marlins fan base based on each name top prospect, Sixto Sanchez is given. The final logo will be dethe No.-23 prospect overall in the signed by prolific designer Todd league.

Radom, who has designed logos The team is set to begin play for the Big 3, World Baseball against the Memphis Redbirds, Classic, and MLB all-star games. on April 14, 2020. The game will The team that is moving to mark the first time an affiliated Wichita was formerly known minor league baseball will play as the New Orleans Baby Cakes in Wichita since the Wichita and is the AAA-affiliate of the Wranglers played for the city Miami Marlins. The Baby Cakes from 1987-2007.

Wichita’s new Triple-A affiliate will soon get its permanent name, but not until the team’s awful marketing campaign is over.

The team, whose “fake name” at the moment is the Wichita Linemen, have started a community engagement campaign that reveals a new team name every two weeks until the official team name is ultimately given. So far, the Wichita team has revealed two other team names, the River Riders and the 29ers.

The whole campaign that the team thought was a good idea, is in fact a dumpster fire. This whole ordeal has media outlets scrambling for answers because no one knows for sure what is actually going on.

When the first name was released back in August, the immediate reaction was that “River Riders” was going to be the official team name, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t until the team posted to their Facebook page that some clarification was given.

Miss Kansas Annika Wooton announced that the River Riders was one of the 3,000-plus name submissions from the general public. She also stated that it was one of the team’s “potential names.”

The logos that the team is releasing every couple of weeks aren’t going to be the team’s actual logo, even if that name is ultimately chosen. Confusing, right?

It’s especially confusing that the team would use this strategy considering the logos they’re releasing look like a third-grader drew them in their spare time. Wooton stated that the actual logo will be created

by Todd Radom, who has created a multitude of logos for the NBA, NFL, and the Big 3.

So why release these terrible logos? For myself, the fake logos take away from the names that are being released.

The way the team is navigating

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14 Volleyball: VCU vs. BYU (12 p.m.)

Charles Koch Arena Volleyball: WSU vs. Texas (7 p.m.)

Charles Koch Arena SATURDAY, SEPT. 21 Softball: WSU vs. S. Naz. (1 p.m.)

Wilkins Stadium Baseball: WSU vs.

Nebraska (2 p.m.)

Eck Stadium SUNDAY, SEPT. 22 Softball: WSU vs.

Arkansas Tech (1 p.m.)

Wilkins Stadium DID YOU KNOW? All students get into Wichita State-sanctioned sporting events with a valid student ID.

Heskett Center climbing wall unlikely to return to campus

BY EDUARDO CASTILLO

MARSHALL SUNNER SPORTS EDITOR

the situation also leads me to believe that none of these names are actually in contention, and that the community may not actually have a say in the official name.

What if this is actually much ado about nothing and the team is just going to surprise all of us with a name that won’t even be mentioned? At this point, it’s very possible in my opinion.

So far, “River Riders” has been the name with the most backlash.

The logo shows a boater rowing down the Arkansas river, which is is humorous considering that at many points, the river is only ankle deep, and pretty much nobody boats in the river in the first place.

The team got a little better with the second release, the “29ers.”

The name was historical, since the World War II 29er bombers were built in Wichita, but the three-yearold who drew the logo did the name no justice.

The third name released has given “River Riders” a run for its money as worst yet.

On Wednesday, the team released a new name, the “Linemen.”

The logo shows three upside-down baseball bats as telephone poles, with whatever “Linemen” are climbing them. Basically, it looks like three strippers working their poles in a “Magic Mike”-like setting.

In conclusion, this marketing campaign needs to stop, and I feel like I can speak for all of the Wichita community. Just stop while you’re ahead.

The Heskett Center once housed a climbing wall in their second-floor gymnasium.

Originally installed in 1993, the wall was later removed in 2017 because it was outdated.

The building was one of the first few places in the city to have a climbing wall, which made it popular for students at the time.

“We were one of the few places that actually had climbing — this was of course before the modern-looking walls that are now in YMCAs,” said John Lee, the director of operations at the Heskett Center.

Over time, students gained access to more sophisticated facilities around Wichita, causing it’s downfall.

In addition, the Wichita State track team held practice in the same area, and the lack of air conditioning caused students to steer away from the activity.

“It was just getting old,” Lee said. “It was very useful and a good thing to have at the time. We didn’t have the funds, nor do we still have the funds to replace it currently.”

Lee said he doesn’t see the wall making a return in the future.

“Climbing is a niche thing that only certain individuals participate consistently,” he said.

Cost of installation, liability insurance and programming were all factors that would come into consideration if a wall were to be installed.

“For the amount of people that we think would use it, it is not something feasible,” Lee said.

Lee said the wall could cost up to a $100,000 to be installed again.

Master plans for the new YMCA on campus also don’t include a climbing wall.

SPORTS

8 | THURSDAY, AUG. 22, 2019

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SHOCKERS SWEEP

Wichita State Cross Country team’s sweep men’s and women’s races at J.K. Gold Classic

BY SEAN MARTY

Both the Wichita State men’s and women’s cross country teams swept the individual and team titles at the J.K. Gold Classic in Augusta on Saturday.

The WSU men and women have each won the meet four of the last five years.

WOMEN

The WSU women had the top four finishers in the 4K. Winny Koskei took home the individual title with a time of 13:48.5.

Rebekah Topham finished in second place, trailing Koskei by just 5.2 seconds.

Yazmine Wright and Rita Schanker rounded out the top four.

MEN

On the men’s side, Wichita State was also victorious.

Ben Flowers took home the individual title with a time of 18:38.2. Ethan Kossover, who ran unattached, finished second, trailing his teammate by just 5.2 seconds.

Shocker runners Jed Helker, Cory Landon, and Adam Moore rounded out the top five.

Next up, the Shockers travel to Emporia for the Emporia State Invitational on Sept. 27, followed by the Bellinger Invitational on Sept.

28 in Eugene, Oregon.

KEVIN BENAVIDES/THE SUNFLOWER

Top, members of the Wichita State men’s cross country team warm up for their race during the J.K. Gold Classic that was held on Saturday at the R.A.F.T Course in Augusta, Kansas. Top Left, members of the Shocker women’s cross country team gather ahead of their race.

Bottom Left, Wichita State Cross Country Coach Kirk Hunter gives instruction to runners Erin Topham and Destini Eskridge during the race. Topham took 33rd while Eskride placed 37th. Immediate left, Wichita State junior Alex Moen charges forward during the men’s race. Moen finished the race in 46th place.

Volleyball brings record to .500 after Mustang Challenge

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

The Wichita State volleyball team returns home with a 3-3 record after winning just one game over the weekend in the Mustang Challenge in San Luis Obispo, California.

The Shockers dropped their first two games of the tournament 3-1 to San Jose State and 3-2 to Cal Poly before defeating North Texas on Saturday 3-1.

Throughout the course of the tournament, the Shockers hit .246 as a team and outhit their opponents 165-164. However, the team racked up 50 total hitting errors.

Indiana State transfer Damadj Johnson got injured in the tournament’s opening match against the Spartans. Early in the second set, Johnson went to the ground in the middle of a point, grabbing her leg. By the end of the set, she could be seen on crutches with ice

on her ankle.

No further information is known at this time.

Chinelo Ogogor played in her first collegiate matches after Johnson’s injury. In her debut against San Jose State, the redshirt freshman recorded three kills on six attempts, and also tallied four block assists.

Redshirt sophomore Megan Taflinger led the team with 41 kills during the tournament, bringing her total to 66 kills on the year.

Up next, WSU will participate in the Shocker Volleyball Classic that runs from Thursday to Saturday.

Nationally ranked teams including No. 3 Texas and No. 13 BYU will be making appearances in the tournament. The Shockers’ first home match of the season will be Thursday against BYU at 7 p.m. inside Charles Koch Arena.

You Belong here

Thursday Nights | beginning Sept. 5 6:30 p.m. | in the Student Center

explore faith, discover meaning and find community at this just-as-you-are worship gathering

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Brooke Smith (25) and Damadj Johnson (17) go up for a block during the team’s lone exhibition match against Kansas on Aug. 17 at Charles Koch Arena.