The Sunflower v. 124 i. 9

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

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 2019

@sunflowernews

VOL. 124 • ISSUE 9

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@thesunflowernews THESUNFLOWER.COM

DOWNTOWN DEBATE Mayoral candidates court voters at first general election debate

BY DANIEL CAUDILL

C

andidates for mayor of Wichita made their cases to voters Tuesday at the first debate of the general election.

Mayor Jeff Longwell and State Rep. Brandon Whipple, District 96, took the stage at Roxy’s Downtown for the debate, which was hosted by KMUW as part of the radio station’s “Engage ICT: Democracy on Tap.” Longwell and Whipple were given three minutes for introductory statements before answering a series of questions largely submitted by the public.

Candidates did not see the questions ahead of time.

“We’re at a pivotal moment, and because of that, I’m offering myself as a change,” Whipple said in his introduction. “I’m offering a new voice to city hall — one that has legislative experience but also has a change of vision.”

Whipple’s opening statement reflected his broader strategy throughout the debate to present himself as a fresh face with progressive ideas about running City Hall.

As the incumbent on stage, Longwell leaned heavily on his track record of spurring development in Wichita, lauding the city’s new baseball-stadium project and the $70 million Cargill headquarters — among other projects.

“Four years ago, Wichita needed to focus on jobs, and we did. Today we have more jobs than people in the city,” Longwell said in his introduction.

“Today we need to focus on filling some of these opportunities in Wichita.”

SEE DEBATE PAGE 3

BRANDON WHIPPLE

JEFF LONGWELL

PHOTOS BY DANIEL CAUDILL/THESUNFLOWER

Faculty Senate hears proposal to drop gen ed credit hour minimum from 42 to 33

BY MATTHEW KELLY

PHOTOS BY EDUARDO CASTILLO/THESUNFLOWER

Quinn scouts the lake by Braeburn Square for geese. Quinn, with Goose Troopers, was hired by the university to chase off geese on campus.

Man and his best friend will help keep geese off campus

BY EDUARDO CASTILLO

A man and his dog will help keep Canada geese — and their unsightly droppings — off campus.

Chris Stoneberger and his five-year-old border collie, Quinn, were hired by Wichita State earlier this month. Together, they make up a business called Goose Troopers, which Stoneberger brought to Wichita about six weeks ago.

In keeping geese off campus, the two use a PETA-approved, no-touch strategy. They are set to be on campus five to six times per day, six days per week.

A typical day on the job,

Stoneberger said, includes waking up early in the morning, checking in on properties, and conducting meetings with clients.

Stoneberger said goose hunting is not a hobby or part-time job that you can do a couple times of the week. Properties are checked throughout the day, and properties that have a high number of geese receive more attention than others.

“I work about 40-45 hours a week, seven days out of the week,” he said. “I only take a day off when I really need to.”

SEE GOOSE DOG PAGE 3

The Wichita State Faculty Senate heard a proposal during their first meeting of the semester Monday to reduce the general education credit hour minimum from 42 to 33 hours.

The Kansas Board of Regents requested in 2017 that universities cap degree programs at 120 total credit hours to promote on-time degree completion.

"Several majors at the university had to cut requirements in their major — change their degrees — in order to get close to . . . the 120 that KBOR wants us to get to,” Faculty Senate President Jeff Jarman said.

Some of those majors include biomedical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering; music education; music composition; and jazz performance, Jarman said.

Reducing gen ed requirements would give majors more flexibility in designing degrees.

The Higher Learning Commission only requires gen ed programs of at least 30 hours.

Sen. Aleks Sternfeld-Dunn, director of the School of Music, said majors in his school have seen such drastic credit reductions

over the last 15 years that their degree programs no longer include electives.

“We are giving our students the best education we can under the structure that we have now, but it’s not the best education that they could get,” Sternfeld-Dunn said.

“We have bled our stone dry. I mean, I have nothing left to give.”

The Gen Ed Committee’s proposal would preserve basic skills classes while reducing additional humanities, social sciences, and math/natural sciences course requirements from two classes to one.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Andrew Hippisley voiced his concerns that the proposal could compromise a robust liberal arts education.

“Are we underselling students in terms of a well-rounded education?” Hippisley asked.

“Take a student from engineering. On the one hand, you want that student to graduate and suddenly, engineering has had to reduce to 120 credit hours and they’re scrambling. On the other hand, the engineer is in a university — not a training college — a university with a liberal arts and

sciences college with people who teach literature, history, people who teach music and performance.”

Engineering Sen. Roy Myose said WSU’s College of Engineering can’t keep up with Kansas State and the University of Kansas when it has to keep slashing credit hour requirements for majors.

“KU and K-State have 9-12 credit hours more of (engineering) major content than us, and we are limited

by KBOR to reduce our credit hours,” Myose said. “I’d like to ask if there is any other program here on campus who is willing to have their major coursework be 9-12 hours less than similar programs at KU and K-State. That’s the problem that we’re facing.”

The Gen Ed Committee conducted a survey asking faculty members what the gen ed credit hour minimum should be. The survey had 312 responses, roughly 60% of the faculty by Jarman’s estimation.

The survey found that 40.1% of respondents supported dropping the minimum to as low as 30 credit hours. The second most popular response was 36 hours at 28.4%, while 33 and 39 hours garnered 8.6% and 4.8%, respectively.

WHAT’S INSIDE REMEMBERING

FOOD TRUCKS

FANTASY

HOME OPENER

Wichita State commemorated the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

One WSU food truck vendor sees hope on the horizon for the Plaza.

Fantasy football is basically Pokemon, columnist Brogan Gillmore writes.

WSU will face three tough opponents in the Shocker Volleyball classic.

SEE NEWS • PAGE 2

SEE A&E • PAGE 3

SEE ARTS • PAGE 4

SEE SPORTS • PAGE 6

NEWS

2 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 2019

Sunflower Archives — Monday, Sept. 17, 2001

Vigil unifies WSU community A crowd of nearly 1,000 gathers Friday night to honor those who died in the attacks Sept. 11.

BY ALEXIS BROWN

Amidst national tragedy, the Wichita State community stood united and proud at the candlelight vigil Friday evening north of the RSC. The 30-minute ceremony started at 9 p.m. and was a comfort for the nearly 1,000 students and faculty who wanted to show their respect for the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Some came to start the healing process, and others, such as junior Nate Crow, came “to release what had been built up the past week.”

“For me, it’s been a real surreal week, and the realness finally hit,” senior Tom Angelo said.

“There’s a lot of emotions and no outlet for them. But this [vigil] is a very good outlet.”

The evening brought tears and braceful hugs as speakers, such as SGA President Jason Bennett and WSU President Don Beggs, spoke of the acts that brought so much grief and mourning throughout the week, but also brought out the strength of the American people.

“Little can comfort a grieving heart, but we hope that the collective voice of an entire nation will bring a measure of comfort to those who are suffering so directly,” Beggs said during his choked-up remarks.

Rows and rows of students, faculty and friends stood between the RSC and Grace Memorial Chapel with lighted candles in one hands — some with flags in the other — and all with a look of sorrow on their faces. As the candle flames flickered in the crowd, the united

DEBATE FROM PAGE 1 Whipple made frequent jabs at Longwell and his administration, questioning their transparency and casting doubt on their commitment to the common people of Wichita.

“While we want to bring privatesector development, we have to do our part in Wichita . . . [to work] on infrastructure not just in the rich areas, but in south Wichita and other areas as well,” Whipple said. “If we’re going to go above and beyond that, we need to get the input from the people.

“Good leaders don’t tell you what they’re getting; they ask you what you need,” he said.

Longwell quipped back.

“The nice thing is, I have a track record, and one that shows we are listening to the people,” he said.

“After listening to the people, we came up with a plan to save the Starlite Drive-In. For those of you who don’t know, the Starlite DriveIn sits in south Wichita.”

Another private development that Longwell praised is Wichita State’s Innovation Campus, which he described as a unique asset in drawing people to the region.

and diverse WSU family looked more like an ocean of peace and hope for the unforeseen future.

“I think it shows we’re all fighting for one cause,” said Bruce Erickson, executive director of WSU Communications and Relations. “No matter what, we’re all together. Race, ethnicity, religion — all of that doesn’t matter: When you come down it, we’re all Americans.”

Ron Kopita, vice president for student affairs, said the event was put together and organized Thursday in a matter of hours by SGA, Student Activities Council and the residence hall staff.

It was a success.

“It was more than we expected,” Bennett said. “We felt we would comfortably have 100 in attendance.”

Organizers passed out hundreds of candles. Some students brought their own candles, and several others brought candles by the bagful for those who did not have one. The luminous glow created a healing atmosphere for those at the vigil.

“It really made me feel good,” said Brianne Zienkewicz. “I saw some people linked by candles. It really made me feel like we’re united and nothing can break us down.”

Through a symbolic act, the crowd banded together.

“We didn’t expect people to put their candles on the steps [of the chapel] but it started and everyone followed,” said Susan Ratz, director of housing.

“It was intangible,” Angelo said.

“Just the feelings you got of people coming together and being there.

That’s what it’s all about.”

“The Innovation Campus at WSU is certainly changing our opportunities, also,” he said.

“Because it’s targeting young people that can come to Wichita State and not only get a degree and a great education, but have a unique learning opportunity with internships that you can’t do in other parts of the country.”

Other topics in the debate ranged from crime and public transit to education and economic development.

Longwell and Whipple advanced to the general election in August after finishing as the top votegetters in the primary. Longwell earned about 32% of the vote, while Whipple received about 26%.

Longwell was elected mayor in 2015 after representing District 5 on the Wichita City Council for eight years. He is not officially associated with a party, but his official Facebook page lists him as a precinct committeeman for the Republican Party.

A career Democrat, Whipple was elected to represent District 96 in the Kansas House of Representatives after defeating Republican Rick Lindsey in 2012. He is a ranking minority member on the Higher

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.

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18 years later, Wichita State remembers victims of 9/11

BY AUDREY KORTE

Wichita State hosted a 9/11 memorial ceremony Wednesday at the CAC Theater.

The event was coordinated by retired Lt. Col. Larry Burks, director of Military and Veteran Services.

"We have a whole generation of students who don't remember 2001," Burks said. "We have freshman and sophomore students who were born in 2001, and they have lived their entire life affected by the impact of 9/11."

Other speakers included Mayor Jeff Longwell, Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow, Wichita Police Deputy Chief Anna Hatter, and Student Body President Kitrina Miller.

On the morning of September

PHOTOS BY KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THESUNFLOWER

Wichita State University hosted a 9 /11 Memorial Observance at the CAC Theater Wednesday.

Education Budget Committee.

Wichita’s mayoral office is nonpartisan.

A SPECTATOR’S PERSPECTIVE

Russell Arben Fox, political science professor at Friends University, attended the debate.

He said he thought its structure was conducive to productive conversation.

“It allowed for the possibility of some actual disagreement — some actual conflict to emerge,” he said.

Fox’s said his overall impression of the debate was that Whipple had Longwell on the defensive by coming at him on several angles.

Still, he felt each candidate missed some opportunities to get a point in on their opponent.

“There were places where there could have been some very productive disagreements, and they didn’t do it,” Fox said.

For example, he said there could have been a broader discussion of Innovation Campus if the right questions had been brought up by the candidates.

“There’s a lot of really serious questions that could be asked about the cost, effectiveness — even the

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.

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

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

overall mission of the Innovation Campus,” Fox said. “But because it’s got the buzzwords and because it has money behind it, no one’s really challenging it.”

Three local journalists made up the media panel that asked questions: Carla Eckels of KMUW, Suzanne Perez-Tobias of The Wichita Eagle, and Molly McMillin of the Kansas Society of Professional Journalists. Tom Shine, KMUW director of news and public affairs, moderated the debate.

This installment of Engage ICT was broadcast live on 89.1 FM and on KMUW’s official Facebook page.

Established in 2016, the event is held monthly by KMUW to promote civic discussion.

QUICK FACTS Brandon Whipple, 37 26% of primary vote $25,087.96 from Jan. 1 to July 25* State legislator since 2012 Jeff Longwell, 60 32% of primary vote $88,901.63 from Jan. 1 to July 25* Mayor since 2015 *According to campaign finance reports from the Sedgwick County Election office

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.

11, 2001, 19 men hijacked four U.S. commercial airplanes in Boston.

Two of the planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City.

Another crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed just outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The 9/11 attacks were the single deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history. Victims of the attacks are memorialized annually at ceremonies across the nation.

The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured about 6,000 more.

That included 264 people on the four passenger planes, 2,606 at the World Trade Center, and 125 at the Pentagon. Most of those who perished were civilians, except for 343 firefighters and 72 law enforcement officers, said Burks.

Snow said Wichita sent

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 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.

Corrections and clarifications will be printed in this space.

firefighters to New York in the aftermath of 9/11. But many of the new hires and recruits don’t understand the context fully, she said, because they’re too young.

"We can actually hire people who weren't even born that day. I think one of the biggest things is actually remembering — telling history," Snow said.

"The sacrifices that first responders and firefighters made that day — it's in their blood," she said. "Others are running out, and they're running in to sacrifice their own lives to try to be of help."

Beyond the death toll from that day, many went on to fight — and die — in one of the longest military conflicts in U.S. history.

First responders continue to pay a heavy price. Many first responders who survived after working the scene faced long-term illness from the toxins in the rubble at Ground Zero.

Brown University's Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs reported in 2018 that between 480,000 and 507,000 people have been killed in the United States' post-9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

That number includes U.S. military personnel, contractors, and journalists, as well as military, police, and civilians from those three countries.

Sam Jones, military and veteran benefits coordinator at WSU, said it's important to remember that this nation is the United States of America.

"We gather in unity and dignity to honor the freedoms that we have fought for in the past — the freedoms our loved ones have died for and those freedoms that we continue to fight for today," Jones said. "Remembering that day is not a choice, but our solemn obligation."

GOOSE DOG FROM PAGE 1 Stoneberger and Quinn service both residential and commercial properties in the greater Wichita area.

Besides goose control, Goose Troopers also offer custom property plans based on individual needs, nest removal, egg addling, and rooftop clearing.

Stoneberger and Quinn have formed a close bond from working together for hours each day.

The pair are fully-licensed and have city permits to conduct all the services that they provide.

“We are fully insured and licensed. A lot of my clients require us to have liability insurance in order to service their property,” Stoneberger said.

Prior to relocating to Wichita, Stoneberger operated his business for a few years in Kansas City.

Aside from scaring students, geese are sometimes known to cause extensive damage, including destroying property, leaving behind droppings, and posing a risk to the health and safety of humans and other animals.

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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A&E

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

How to buy cruelty-free on a budget As ethical consumption continues to gain popularity, it’s really easy to feel lost in a mess of price tags, symbols, and obscure vocabulary. “Cruelty-free” products are simply any product that was not tested on animals.

Just because something is crueltyfree, however, doesn’t mean it’s vegan. Cruelty-free products can still contain trace amounts of animal by-products. Learning the difference is the first step in bringing ethical consumption into every aspect of your life — including your hygiene routine.

ELLA DOMINGUEZ A&E EDITOR

SKINCARE

Bliss Skincare is one of the most affordable cruelty-free skincare brands out there. Available at Ulta, Target and online, Bliss’ line averages from $10-$20 for full size products. Bliss ditches the chemical compounds and fills their products with fruity and organic ingredients including witch hazel, chamomile, and jojoba oil. They have a comprehensive line including everything from moisturizers to lip scrubs. Most of their products are vegan, making this brand good for the wallet, soul, and planet.

HAIR CARE

When it comes to cruelty-free living, hair care is often forgotten about. OGX is the one-stop shop for ethical hair miracles. With their short and stubby packaging, OGX is easily recognizable. They specialize in organic remedies to give your hair a natural glow.

Whether you prefer silky coconut milk or tingly teatree mint, your scalp and your hairline will thank you for this one.

MAKEUP

Colourpop is the hidden gem of the makeup industry. Their products are only available online, but this brand is totally worth the cost of shipping. Their makeup is drugstore cheap with

luxurious quality. True to their name, Colourpop isn’t afraid to embrace color. Their foundation is inclusive for all skin tones, and the rest of their makeup features shades ranging from lowkey to neon. With hundreds of different products for every kind of makeup lover, their online store is a rainbow rabbit hole.

BODY CARE

At first glance, seeing tomatoes and carrots as ingredients in beauty products can be unsettling, but trust me on this one. Yes To is devoted to showing you exactly what’s in their products, and in this case, it’s fruit and veggies fresh from the soil. These awardwinning products harness the power of the Earth for simple and diverse remedies for any body or skin type. You’ll go coco-nuts for their $5 coconut body wash and lotion.

TOOTH CARE

Crest and Colgate, we’re breaking up with you. Not only are these mega-brands not vegan, these glittery chemical pastes are also not cruelty-free. Hello offers a comprehensive line of tooth care at the same price point. Bonus, their products are vegan and free of dyes, artificial sweeteners, and sulfate. Sourced from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, Hello is as authentic as something you’d find in a local farmer’s market — with the convenience of buying it at Target.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN WICHITA

FRIDAY Horror Movie Night — Triple Feature

7:30 p.m. - 2 a.m. at Starlite Drive-In The Wichita community banded together in a rare display of solidarity to save this beloved venue. How do they repay us? By screening the majority of a famed horror franchise except for, get this, the best and first movie. That’s right, folks. On Friday the 13th, Mrs. Vorhees will not make an appearance. Instead, Starlite will screen the “Jason Vorhees Trilogy,” meaning “Friday the 13th” parts 2-4. At least they’re sparing us Jason vs. Freddy. All jokes aside, this event is actually awesome and you should absolutely support this iconic local venue as well as one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time.

FRIDAY - SUNDAY Autumn and Art

6-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Bradley Fair Isn’t it amazing how climate change erodes our quality of life? I remember my first Autumn and Art, — lightly bundled, sipping a warm beverage, perusing the maze of wooden fountain pens, blown glass tchotchkes, and oddly shaped ceramic dishes. Now, all of that can be yours as long as you’re willing to endure the high of 91 degrees.

Autumn in 2019, brought to you by the fossil fuel industry.

SATURDAY Second Annual Prairieland Beer and Music Festival

3 p.m. - midnight at Wave Beer. People love beer. Maybe it’s the gut-busting calorie content or the barely-there alcohol content. I’m not really sure, but if you’re into gaining weight quickly and getting drunk slowly, Prairieland is featuring over 40 breweries this year. Don’t miss out!

Floating on the Water: Sunset Tour

7:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. at the Arkansas River If you enjoy kayaking down polluted rivers, boy have I got something for you! Here’s your chance to experience a Kansas sunset on the water — water you can’t eat fish from. But water nonetheless. On the upside, the $30 fee covers all equipment rental as well as dinner and entertainment afterwards. Just hope they don’t feed you fish.

SUNDAY Fiesta Hispana

1-5 p.m. at Exploration Place If you want to experience latinx culture but are too scared to venture north of 17th Street, Exploration Place has you covered — how generous. For the cost of regular admission, you can enjoy the museum as well as a Mariachi band and tacos. Apparently, when they say “Hispana,” they mean Mexican. Apologies to any readers from the literal 32 other countries in Latin America.

COMPILED BY JEROMIAH TAYLOR

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Arturo Ray adds finishing touches to a soft taco in the U-Hungry Truck at the Wichita State Food Truck Plaza. The U-Hungry Truck has many options to choose from, including a catfish dinner.

Inside the truck Arturo Ray expects future food truck success at WSU

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

During a normal day on the Wichita State campus, Arturo Ray is cooking up new concoctions in his U-Hungry food truck. Business is hot or cold for any food truck on campus, and Ray’s is no exception.

According to the owner, “90%” of the time is dead time when he’s parked at WSU. On Monday, another normal, slow day, Ray spent his spare time creating a new chicken alfredo recipe he could add to the menu.

“I’ve been in business for years, about 10 years,” Ray said. “I’ve had the same menu. I want to keep some of the items on my menu and give some a new look. On slow days like [Monday], creating new menu items helps pass the time.”

Ray doesn’t complain about the slow service on campus though, as

he sees the “bigger picture.”

The Food Truck Plaza lies in WSU’s Braeburn Square, and just east of the John Bardo Center. Ray is focused on the future.

“I’m looking down the road.

I’m not looking in the now,” he said. “There was nothing up here.

I’ve been watching all of this stuff — the lake, YMCA — come into the future, and with everything coming up, it’ll help business in the long run.”

The U-Hungry truck owner said he also sees his down time on campus as time to prepare for bigger days when he takes his business downtown. He’ll dice, chop, and get stuff ready for the days to come.

As for Ray’s food, his catfish is what makes him city-known. He said his truck is the only one in the greater Wichita area with catfish

on the menu. It’s so popular that people from surrounding cities often make the trek out to Wichita just for Ray’s catfish.

“We sell more catfish on this food truck than anything,” Ray said. “We are the only food truck out of 30 to 40 food trucks, plus the 70-ish illegal trucks, that sell this fish.

“We’ve even had people from as far as Hutchinson come down to eat here.”

The U-Hungry truck makes regular appearances at the Food Truck Plaza. Ray continues to express his hopes for an increase in business in the near future, but stands by his commitment to the truck on its worst days.

“It’s a good job,” Ray said. “Yeah, it can be slow, but it’s fun. I believe with the growth of this campus, our business will grow too.

“It’s just all about looking ahead.”

4 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 2019

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Opinion

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

Media literacy classes should be mandatory In our ever-expanding news environment, it’s abundantly clear that we need media literacy classes to be mandatory.

Need any more explanation?

Look in our comments section.

Any time an opinion piece is posted that some deem controversial, the comment section pops off.

“Journalism,” one reader comments with a GIF of Doctor Evil from “Austin Powers” using air quotes. It’s clear they disagree with our columnist’s piece, but really, people think this was an actual news article?

Opinion pieces are just that: the writer’s opinion. Just like right now, I’m writing an opinion on how media literacy classes should be required. Sure, a writer can interview sources for their piece — opinion pieces need to be rooted in some sort of fact. But ultimately, it comes down to proving that writer’s point.

Now, The Sunflower has to actively take steps to make sure

KYLIE CAMERON EDITOR IN CHIEF

readers know that what they’re reading is opinion by clearly labeling pieces as “OPINION:” before the title.

A news article, or “journalism,” is objective. We interview multiple sources, dig through documents, and sit in on hours of meetings that no one wants to go to. The end product is the blatant truth. This is journalism.

Not being able to tell opinion pieces from actual, fact-based articles is just the start of why we need media literacy classes.

Not being able to differentiate news articles from advertisements and sponsored content is an even bigger issue. Not understanding the difference between these accelerates the spread of –actual – fake news, undermining our democracy by making citizens ill-informed about what is actually going on in the world. Dying media literacy results in dying journalism.

Some states have already passed legislation that requires that media literacy be taught in its public schools or incorporated into pre-existing curriculum.

Kansas is not one of these.

Personally, I believe that teaching media literacy should start at a young age. Basically, as soon as a child can comprehend what they’re watching, we should be teaching them what to look out for and what messages their programs are trying to spread.

If some students are anything like me and were reading the news

Putting the fantasy back into fantasy football

Fun fact: a tenth-level half-elf bard is not an appropriate pick when drafting a fantasy football team. As it turns out, the fantasy part in fantasy football is a total misdirection.

As a self-proclaimed nerd who can name all the original 151 Pokémon I find it extremely difficult to name a single football player.

So, imagine my disappointment when I found out that Josh “The Flash” Gordon was not the savior of the universe, but instead the wide receiver for the New England Patriots.

By the way, I couldn’t tell you what a wide receiver does; my assumption is receiving the ball in a wide area.

If by now, you haven’t gotten on board this dork-train full of references, buckle up, because this nerd is tackling football — the fantasy kind.

For me, football has never been as exciting as sitting at a table with four other dudes in wizard hats and capes, rolling dice and trying to cast spells like prestidigitation.

We preferred the mystical over the mundane, because to us guys, hitting each other over a ball was boring.

That means playing fantasy football has never been on the agenda. Why play a game consisting of characters I don’t know, with mechanics that are less forgiving than “Dark Souls?”

BROGAN GILMORE COLUMNIST

However, there’s still something appealing about building camaraderie and competition through fake sportsball.

Sci-fi nerds, fantasy geeks, and Potter-heads — just because you lack that general football knowledge doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the fantasy action. Just don’t get your hopes up on drafting for Gryffindor.

The one thing you should keep in mind is that you won’t win unless you roll a natural 20, but there’s still a lot of fun to be had in the game.

Don’t know which players to choose? That’s fine, auto drafting is a thing and is basically like selecting “random” in “Super Smash Bros.” You could get an Ike, or you could get a Luigi, or worse, a Bowser that just retired.

Auto drafting is also great for those chaotic evil types who just

want to revel in chaos, because they can completely mess up veteran players’ game plans.

Or you could be that doofus in the league with a roster of only kickers and name your team The Kickers Supreme. Actually, that’s a really good band name. Don’t steal it, I’ve already called dibs.

Furthermore, if you do want to win, there’s a simple solution for that: ask another member of your league what to do.

Football fans are essentially nerds, and they want to share that nerdiness with you — just like you probably want to share yours with anyone who’s interested. Let them share with you. Ask them how to fix your lineup with that Luigi of a quarterback you have.

You’ll eventually learn the real secret to playing fantasy football — other than sneaking a wizard into your roster. It’s a card game with similar mechanics to Pokemon or Yugi-oh, and just a sprinkle of realism.

Every player has stats and status conditions, some are better than others in certain scenarios, and if you fall for your opponent’s trap card, you could lose a valuable player.

Give fantasy football a chance, and maybe if you’re lucky, you can send your league to the shadow realm.

almost religiously by the end of elementary school, they should be taught what differentiates a reliable source from a biased source.

Media literacy classes should be mandatory starting in high school.

It could be just a semester-long class analyzing all forms of media and their messages. A section could focus on the news, what an actual news article consists of, and how to weed out fake news.

I personally believe that media literacy classes should be mandatory in college, as well. But first, Kansas needs to figure out where we’re going with general education requirements before we add that into the mix.

Ultimately, incorporating media literacy into existing curriculum or creating a brand-new class would go a long way towards helping media consumers become better-informed citizens — or at least helping commenters who are woefully confused.

A beginner’s guide to the Ablah Library study rooms One of the best things about Wichita State’s Ablah Library is the study rooms. If you need a dedicated study space, there are tons of places you can find around campus.

The library has the largest selection, with 20 study rooms throughout the building. Most AILEEN RUEDA-DACOSTA of them are by reservation only, COLUMNIST but there are a handful in the basement and on the second floor that are first come, first serve. increments, and it’s never fun for In order to reserve a study the next person to have to knock room at the library, all you need on the door and ask you to leave. is your Shocker I.D. Simply go to If you need a room for more your myWSU homepage, hit the time, you can simply ask your Libraries tab, and go to “Book a study buddy to reserve a different Study Room.” room with their Shocker I.D. Do this to reserve ahead of Also, you should keep the time for group study. Or simply room how you found it, so the walk inside to the circulation next student can study in peace desk and ask if they have any without the distraction of halfavailability for your time frame. empty iced coffees and sandwich It’s really that easy. crumbs.

I’ve had my share of awkward But the biggest thing to keep encounters myself, so a couple in mind is making sure you keep ground rules to keep in mind those good study habits in place when you use a room will be a and utilize your time to its fullest. great help to fellow students and Midterms are creeping around library staff. the corner, and the library is the Don’t overstay your welcome — best place to strike inspiration for rooms can be booked in four-hour finishing your to-do list.

Hot Take: Fake houseplants pose a real issue We are so far gone as a society that apparently, people are physically incapable of keeping houseplants alive. To keep up with the demand of the rising houseplant design aesthetics, American capitalism did what it does best — manufacture a plastic replica that creates unnecessary pollution.

Fake plants are pollution — plain and simple. They are wasteful and a by-product of American irresponsibility and laziness. I fear for the health and safety of any citizen who struggles to water a plant once a week

ELLA DOMINGUEZ A&E EDITOR

and place it in front of a window.

Plastic plants are wasteful — and they have none of the benefits

Opinion

that living plants do. Living plants produce oxygen and can be used for natural remedies. Aloe vera can relieve sunburns, mint can reduce fevers, and basil makes an excellent pizza topping. Plastic plants collect dust and will inevitably end up in a landfill where they will take hundreds of years to decompose.

The negative environmental impact is never worth the aesthetic.

Taking care of a plant can be extremely rewarding — it’s like having a pet without the commitment. You get the benefits of

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caring for another creature and watching them grow without the financial burden and time commitment animals require. You’ll save hundreds of dollars on pet supplies because literally the only thing plants need are sunlight, tap water, and a little tender loving care. With a little research, you can adopt the plant that’s perfect for you. Just like other pets, plants have diverse needs. Some are high-maintenance and some will thrive with little to no care at all.

As environmentalism becomes

the forefront of current social issues, ethical consumption is something we all have to take responsibility for. Boycotting plastic plants might seem like a cheap cause, but small changes like this will have a large impact in the long run. Reducing our plastic consumption is simple — and can be done a lot of different ways. Swapping out plastic products with more environmentally friendly, sustainable options is the first step to ensuring the safety and prosperity of our environment — and it starts at home.

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Sports

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QUIZ THE SUNFLOWER SPORTS QUIZ WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WSU VOLLEYBALL BEAT A RANKED OPPONENT?

a. 2018 b. 2015 c. 2017 d. 2014 WHO’S RECORD DID WINNY KOSKEI BEAT DURING LAST YEAR’S 3000M RACE?

a. Kathryn Evans b. Rebekah Topham c. Megan Gayer d. Laura Burke WHAT YEAR DID NEWLY HIRED BASEBALL COACH ERIC WEDGE WIN THE MLB’S AL MANAGER OF THE YEAR?

a. 2011 b. 2008 c. 2010 d. 2007 WHO IS THE HIGHEST-RATED RECRUIT THAT GREGG MARSHALL HAS SIGNED?

a. Markis McDuffie b. Landry Shamet c. Tyson Etienne d. Fred VanVleet WHEN WAS THE LAST YEAR WSU HAD A FOOTBALL PROGRAM?

a. 1985 b. 1982 c. 1986 d. 1970

Potential Prize: The first student to return this test with the correct answers to The Sunflower newsroom will recieve a free Sunflower sticker.

FILE PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State's Winny Koskei runs the 3000-meter race at Cessna Stadium on March 22, 2019. Koskei, now a junior, broke Kathryn Evan's 31-year-old school record during the race.

Koskei strives to build off of last year’s successes

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

Winny Koskei says that when first came to Wichita State, she didn’t expect to find as much success as she has for the women’s cross country and track teams.

In 2016, her first year with the Shockers, Koskei redshirted.

She knew she had to work. And that’s exactly what she did.

After training and working on her craft all summer, Koskei was ready to compete in 2017. In the team’s first cross country race of the year — and the first of her career — she placed seventh. By the end of the year, the Kenyan native was raising eyebrows with her times, even placing 18th at the American Athletic Conference Championship.

“When I first got here, I wasn’t that good,” Koskei said. “But after practicing, I continue to get better.”

Koskei did continue to get better.

As a sophomore in 2018, she won the AAC Women’s Runner of the Year award after recording three top-three finishes and leading the Shockers to an AAC conference title. Koskei won the individual title at the meet, advancing to place 35th at the NCAA Championships and earning All-American honors. And that was all in the fall.

After winter passed by, Koskei was ready to tackle the spring track season.

She came out determined.

To open the season, she broke the 31-year-old 3000-meter school record that was originally set by Kathryn Evans in 1987. She also repeated as champion in the 10,000-meter race during the AAC Championships.

Even after a successful 2018, Koskei, now a junior, is striving for more.

“I still have goals I want to accomplish,” Koskei said. “I want to earn All-American honors again. I also want

to continue cutting my times. I can still keep getting better.”

She said she believes her work ethic is contagious to the other runners. She said she sees great potential and work ethic in many of the team’s newcomers, she said.

“The younger kids are kind of in the same boat as I was,” Koskei said. “I feel like they can look up to me – I wasn’t that good when I got here, but I worked at it.

“I think they know that.”

Overall, Koskei said she’s happy with where the team stands today. The Shockers won their opening meet of the year, the J.K. Gold Classic, by sweeping the top-four positions.

“We have a good team this year,” Koskei said. “I’m happy with where we are, and we are continuing to get better.

It’s only going to be up from here.”

The top Shocker runners continue their season on Sept. 28 for the Bill Dellinger Invitational.

Heartland Classic proves WSU isn't ready for football In years past, football fans from across Wichita have pleaded their cases for a Shocker football team to make a triumphant return to campus. Even late Wichita State President John Bardo posted a cryptic tweet in 2016 with a mockup football helmet that created buzz across the city.

This past weekend, a college football game between four-year universities was played for the first time inside Cessna Stadium in about 15 years. The Heartland Classic was played between historic Langston University and McPherson College, and even had a Hall of Fame enshrinement for Willie Jeffries, a former Shocker football coach.

In a sense, I believe this was a failed test for the Wichita community. Let me explain.

It’s not that often that football comes to Wichita State, and the

MARSHALL SUNNER SPORTS EDITOR

community turnout, other than the respective schools’ fanbases, was a disappointment. There simply weren’t many outsider fans in the stadium on Saturday.

It shouldn’t matter who is playing for people to turn out. Do you really expect every person at a Division-I or NFL football game is a fan of one of the teams? No, not even close. I know many people who don’t even like the sport that will travel to make a game, so why

couldn’t the Wichita community do that on Saturday?

The next item of discussion that was disappointing during the game was Jeffries’s ceremony during halftime. Part of being a fan is accepting the past, and praising it for what it’s worth.

Jeffries was more than a coach for the Shockers — he was a national icon. Not only did he help coach WSU to winning seasons, but he was also the first African-American football coach in NCAA history.

And you “football” fans couldn’t even show up for that?

Now, I’m not calling anyone out per se, but logic has to come into play. The turnout by the Wichita community for the first Heartland Classic was embarrassing. It also proved that this school isn’t ready to take on a fanbase that may not even show up to its own games.

On top of that, the cost of bringing a football team back is a tremendous financial commitment.

Back in 2016, Bardo spoke with The Sunflower on the costs and other hurdles the school would have to clear in order to make a team a reality. Those hurdles?

Money from the outside.

According to a 69-page feasibility report in 2016, a $40 million price tag would be set on a startup facility and an estimated $6 million annual budget would be needed for an FBS program. But that was three years ago, so logically, the price tag has likely gone up. The overall price would also include at least $30 million for a practice facility, and updates to Cessna Stadium to make it ADA-certified.

More money would have to emerge if the school wanted to scrap the old football stadium and build a new one. But let’s not even

go into those details.

“What it boiled down to was everybody wants it, nobody wants to pay for it,” Bardo said in 2016. “[Football] is not something we’re going to spend a lot of time on unless the external situation changes where people change and decide to put money into it.”

Bardo brought up a good point.

And what’s changed? Anyone out there want to pay for it?

In conclusion, this whole ordeal proves that this school, and city, are not ready for the commitment of a football team.

If you want to change my mind, start attending games on campus.

Families, bring your kids to them — it’s a great learning experience. But unless something changes, Wichita State won’t be bringing football back any time soon.

Former Shocker Luke Ritter finishes rookie season with championship

BY SEAN MARTY

FILE PHOTO BY JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Former Shocker Luke Ritter swings at a pitch during a game last season at Eck Stadium.

Former Shocker baseball player Luke Ritter and the Brooklyn Cyclones took home the New York-Penn League championship on Tuesday after winning a decisive game three over the Lowell Spinners.

Ritter's team, the Cyclones, are the Class-A short-season affiliate in the New York Mets’ organization.

The Spinners are an affilate of the Boston Red Sox. In the championship-clinching game, Ritter went 1-4 with two strikeouts. His one hit was a single.

Throughout the postseason,

Ritter hit .364 with 2 RBI in six games played.

In his first full season as a professional, Ritter’s batting average was .250. The former Shocker also launched four home runs along with 36 RBI in 68 total games played.

Ritter, a four year player for the Shockers from 2016-2019, had a successful senior season at Wichita State, where he hit .333 while tallying nine home runs. He also had 40 RBI in 59 games played.

Ritter was drafted in the seventh round with the No. 208 overall pick in the MLB draft back in June by the Mets.

SPORTS

6 | THURSDAY, SEPT. 12, 2019

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SHOCKER HOMECOMING Wichita State volleyball set to make home debut in the Shocker Voleyball Classic starting on Thursday

KHANH NGUYEN/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Kara Bown serves a volleyball during the Shockers’ home exhibition match against Kansas on Aug. 17 inside of Charles Koch Arena.

The Jayhawks ended up winning the match 3-2.

Know the opponents: Ranked teams set to play in Koch Arena

Kara Bown, Shockers prepare for Shocker Volleyball Classic

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

Wichita State makes its home debut Thursday to kick off the Shocker Volleyball Classic at Charles Koch Arena.

The Shockers enter the tournament with a 3-3 record after going 1-2 last weekend during the Mustang Challenge. The team dropped its first two matches of the tournament before beating North Texas in four sets.

Last season, the Shockers did not participate in a home tournament on campus. This year, nationally ranked teams No. 3 Texas and No. 13 BYU travel to Wichita along with Virginia Commonwealth.

Here’s what’s to know about the teams participating in the tournament: THURSDAY: NO. 13 BYU, 7 P.M.

The Cougars enter the weekend with a 5-1 record as the No. 13 team in the country. In their most recent tournament, BYU went 3-0 in the Doterra Classic.

As a team, BYU is averaging 13.6 kills, 12.2 assists, 1.9 aces, 11.6 digs, and 2.2 blocks per set. Individually, the Cougars are led on offense by senior McKenna Miller, who has recorded 71 kills while hitting .295 percent this year. Libero Mary Lake has recorded a team-high 73 digs and freshman setter Whitney Bower has a team-high 194 assists.

At the start of the year, BYU was projected to win the West Coast Conference.

FRIDAY: VCU, 7 P.M.

Virginia Commonwealth comes into the Shocker Classic with a 5-3 record after defeating Virginia Tech Tuesday.

As a whole, the Rams are averaging 11.1 kills, 10.7 assists, 1.4 aces, 13.8 digs, and 3.1 blocks per set. Individually, the VCU offense is led by Vicky Giommarini, who has recorded a team-high 69 kills so far this year while hitting .175. Setter Dajah Ard has a team-high 135 assists through eight matches, and senior libero Madalon Simpson has a team-high 101 digs.

The Rams were voted to place second in the Atlantic 10 conference.

SATURDAY: NO. 3 TEXAS, 7 P.M.

The No. 3 Longhorns come into the weekend with a 3-1 record after losing to No. 1 Stanford in five sets Sunday.

As a team, the Longhorns average 14.2 kills, 13.4 assists, 1.4 aces, 13.4 digs, and 2.1 blocks per set.

The team is led on offense by Big 12 Conference Preseason Player of the Year Micaya White, who has tallied 65 kills on a .230 hitting percentage so far this season. She was also an NCAA All-American in 2018.

Sophomore setter Jhenna Gabriel has recorded a team-high 171 assists, and libero Sydney Petersen has tallied 58 digs this season.

To start the year, Texas was voted as the favorite to win the Big 12 title.

Wichita State senior Kara Bown is optimistic for this weekend’s Shocker Volleyball Classic.

The team is coming off a 1-2 weekend in California at the Mustang Challenge, but Bown said she’s looking at the positives.

“We played some of our best volleyball of the season last weekend,” Bown said. “We did have some down moments, but offensively, we did pretty well. We learned from our mistakes, and that’s what we are working on ahead of this weekend.”

Bown said she even sees the close loss to Cal Poly as a key stepping stone for moving forward.

The Mustangs were ranked in the top-25 to start the season before losing three straight matches before the tournament last weekend. But the Shockers knew Cal Poly was still a tough matchup.

“We learned a lot from the Cal Poly match — that was a good team,” Bown said. “On offense, we were hitting well. Our defense kind of slipped at times, and we had too many errors.

“Those are both things we are preparing for this weekend, and feel like that experience from last weekend will help us moving forward.”

WSU’s opponents in this weekend’s tournament won’t get any easier. Two top-25 teams, No. 3 Texas and No.13 Brigham Young, will make the trip to Wichita, and another top-65 RPI team, Virginia Commonwealth, is also

in the tournament.

“We’re really excited. I mean, we have some crazy teams coming in here,” Bown said. “We have nothing to lose either. We are coming here expecting to get even more competitive and see what we can do.”

The Shocker Classic also marks the first time this season that volleyball will officially be played in Charles Koch Arena.

“I think we are going to have a really big crowd,” Brown said.

“We’re just super excited to have the energy on our side this time.”

Bown said the Shockers are preparing for these marquee matchups as they would any other match. She said the team goes through their normal routine.

“The preparation for teams like this is very similar,” Bown said.

“The only thing different is that we have a little more room to be ‘satisfied’ with how we play, even if there is a loss.”

Bown said these ranked matches before conference play could factor into the team’s success down the road.

“These games are preparing us for conference for sure,” Bown said.

“No matter the results, we are going to get better because of these games — that’s for sure.”

The Shockers open the tournament on Thursday against BYU. The team follows up with games on Friday against VCU and Saturday against Texas. All games that WSU plays in this weekend are slated to start at 7 p.m.

Staff predictions for the Shocker Volleyball Classic Who’s picking?

Kylie Cameron Editor in Chief,

former sports reporter

Marshall Sunner Sports Editor

Sean Marty

Sports Reporter

Wichita State vs.

No. 13 BYU

Wichita State vs.

VCU

Wichita State vs.

No. 3 Texas