The Sunflower v. 123 i.47

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019 • VOL. 123, ISS. 47

THESUNFLOWER.COM

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

S T U D E N T

G O V E R N M E N T

E L E C T I O N S

voting open TIME

CANDIDATES

TURNOUT

Voting for this week’s Student Government Association election runs from 8 a.m. Monday through 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Four executive tickets are running — Perpetual, All Voices Heard, Together We Can, and Unity Through Diversity.

A meager 12.3% of students voted in last year’s SGA election — down from 19.7% in 2017, when two tickets ran.

Ballot links will be sent to students’ myWSU email accounts Monday morning.

There will also be on-campus polling locations.

In addition to voting for student body president and vice president, students will select college-specific, at-large, and special constituency senators to represent them in SGA.

Election results will be announced at 5:30 p.m. on the first floor of the RSC.

TOGETHER WE CAN

KITRINA MILLER President

ALL VOICES HEARD

MICHAEL BEARTH

REID LINOT

Vice President

President

BLAKE CHRISTOPHERSON Vice President

Part of last year’s low turnout can can be attributed to a lack of competitiveness, as Kenon Brinkley and Shelby Rowell’s Revival ticket won unopposed.

March’s Shock the Future referendum turned out 28.4% of fee-paying students.

UNITY THROUGH DIVERSITY

PERPETUAL

ISAAC RIVERA President

ANISIA BRUMLEY Vice President

JULIAN CORNEJO President

WILL SCHINDLER Vice President

‘Together We Can’ shares dedication to student advocacy, resolute leadership

‘All Voices Heard’ prioritizes mental health, student success, inclusion

‘Perpetual’ leans on experience, expertise in crowded field

‘Unity Through Diversity’ strives to unify WSU, make SGA more equitable

BY AUDREY KORTE

BY DRAKE ROBINSON

BY DANIEL CAUDILL

BY EDUARDO CASTILLO

W

W

hen campaigning for student government positions, advocating for students is often mentioned as a top priority, but rarely defined.

Kitrina Miller and Michael Bearth advocate for students on a daily basis, and say they intend to keep doing so if they win next week’s election.

Miller and Bearth are the Together We Can presidential and vice presidential candidates, running against three opposing tickets.

Their platform focuses on increasing the availability of student services, expanding incentive programs and benefits, and ensuring clear, concise and transparent communication.

Miller, a junior majoring in social work, currently serves as the WSU student advocate.

She said the non-partisan executive position has provided her with a valuable template for leadership.

Bearth, her running mate, is a junior majoring in mechanical engineering and physics.

ichita natives Reid Linot and Blake Christopherson are running for student body president and vice president, respectively.

The two juniors — Linot, an integrated marketing communication major, and Christopherson, a computer science major — make up the All Voices Heard ticket.

Their top priority if elected?

“Student mental health,” Linot said.

“One in five students are currently affected by mental illness, so we want to break down the stigmas about that and make Wichita State a more comfortable place for people struggling with that, and help in any way we can,” he said.

Another major priority for the ticket is student success — raising Wichita State’s graduation rate, which is currently 42%.

Linot also said he wants to emphasize campus innovation and inclusion for students.

He said he would like to work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to help make WSU more open to everyone.

SEE TOGETHER PAGE 2

S

tudent Senators Isaac Rivera and Anisia Brumley of the Perpetual ticket hope their hands-on experience in the Student Government Association will give them the edge.

“We have the experience,” said Rivera, Perpetual’s student body president hopeful. “We’ve been doing our jobs for two years.”

Both sophomores, Rivera and Brumley currently chair the Applied Studies and Diversity Task Force committees, respectively.

As committee chairs this year, Rivera said he and Brumley have led “tough” conversations in the Student Senate — including those related to student fees and accusations of sexual assault against former Student Body President Kenon Brinkley.

“We’d like to continue having those tough conversations, and we’d like to take on those bigger responsibilities,” Rivera said.

Last semester, Rivera served on the temporary Student Fees Revision Committee, which created legislation that brought major changes to the student fees process — including increasing the total number of student representatives on the fees committee to 13.

SEE ALL VOICES PAGE 5

J

ulian Cornejo was inspired to run for student body president by the words of Aaron Austin, Wichita State’s associate vice president for student affairs.

Cornejo, a junior theatre performance major, attended the LeaderShape Institute, a six-day experience that challenges participants to lead with integrity. There, he met Austin, who spoke during the conference about taking active roles as a leader.

“Attending LeaderShape gave me a new perspective and showed me how one individual can make a difference or have their voice heard,” Cornejo said. “Hearing Dr. Austin’s story and how he became to be at the position he is today proved that.”

Julian chose his fraternity brother, Will Schindler, a junior majoring in health management and minoring in marketing, to join him on the Unity through Diversity ticket — one of four competing in next week’s election.

“I chose Will because I’ve witnessed the analytical side of him,” Cornejo said. “He is someone who would know the logistics of the whole operation.”

SEE PERPETUAL PAGE 5

SEE UNITY PAGE 2

INSIDE

GENDER AND SEXUALITY

WSU WOMEN LANDMARK

NIT PREVIEW

Davontae Harris gives back to Wichita through the Wichita Kid Foundation.

Wichita State hosted the Gender and Sexuality in Kansas Conference last week.

Shocker athletics is celebrating 50 years of women’s sports at WSU.

Lipscomb’s dynamic offense averages 83 points per game.

NEWS • PAGE 2

CULTURE • PAGE 4

SPORTS• PAGE 6

SPORTS • PAGE 6

WICHITA TO THE NFL

NEWS

2 | MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

www.thesunflower.com

THE STAFF EDITORIAL

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Bengals cornerback Davontae Harris traces success to Wichita roots

C

BY EDUARDO CASTILLO

incinnati Bengals cornerback and Wichita native Davontae Harris spoke at a Wichita State Black Student Union meeting Thursday — addressing the hardships he had to endure from his youth through his college years.

Davontae attended Wichita South High School and went on to Illinois State University, where he earned All-American honors. Harris was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft with the 151st overall pick.

Shortly after signing his rookie contract, Harris announces the creation of the Wichita Kid Foundation. The foundation aids the Wichita Children’s home.

“I wanted to change the perception,” Harris said. “I wanted to change how people saw Wichita, so I created the foundation.”

Harris grew up in a trailer park in Wichita with his mother and two older brothers.

“That was the good part of my early life,” Harris said.

Going into fourth grade, both of Harris’s older brothers were incarcerated for sexual assault. His mother, unable to cope with the

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situation, turned to drug use.

“My mom doesn’t really know how to take it, so she falls into drugs and starts smoking crack,” Harris said. “We’re moving all over the place — don’t know where we’re going to sleep. We’re sleeping in a van, sleeping at my grandma’s house — basically anywhere we could sleep.”

Four years later, Harris’s two older brothers were released from prison and the family moved into a studio apartment.

“My bed was in the kitchen,” Harris said. “Sometimes, I would make a joke that my alarm clock was bacon, because when you opened the fridge, it would hit my bed. At the time, that was my reality. We didn’t have much of nothing.”

Harris’s older cousin moved the young high school sophomore into his home after seeing his living situation.

“My journey started with a Wal-Mart bag and an X-box that didn’t work,” Harris said. “It was a more stable environment for me, so living with them, I started to grow more.”

Harris played football for the very first time in his sophomore year of high school. He also participated in basketball and track at South High. Despite suffering

EDUARDO CASTILLO/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita native Davontae Harris speaks during a Black Student Union meeting Thursday. Harris was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.

an injury in a freak accident that nearly killed him, Harris landed a spot on the Illinois State football squad after graduation.

“That was my testimony of pushing through adversity and making a way for myself,” Harris said.

During his college career, Harris progressed as an athlete — ultimately becoming an All-American.

“I go to Illinois State at a low level. I started out as a bottom feeder and I left All-American,” Harris said. “That’s my story

— that’s my testimony.”

Harris said his goal with the Wichita Kid Foundation is to change the perception of what Wichita is for the people living here.

“The vision is that I want to love.

Love is not just loving other people or showing love. It’s loving where you come from and loving what you represent,” Harris said.

“I always want to be an inspiration to somebody, because I know in order for me to get to where I am now, someone had to inspire me.”

Andy Tompkins named Wichita State’s interim president to Wichita State University,” KBOR Chair Dennis Mullin said in The Kansas Board of a press release. “We are conRegents named Andy fident that he will continue Tompkins interim president the good work being done of Wichita State Thursday. at WSU and successfully Tompkins, who retired as oversee the University.”

KBOR president and CEO Tompkins, a 2001 in 2015, most recently served inductee into the Kansas as Fort Hays State’s interim Teachers Hall of Fame, was TOMPKINS a high school English teacher president from 2016-2017.

“The Regents are pleased who became a principal and that Dr. Tompkins will bring his eventually district superintendent. expertise and wealth of experience Tompkins was honored as Kansas

BY MATTHEW KELLY

Superintendent of the Year in 1992.

He served as commissioner of education for the Kansas Department of Education from 1996-2005 before going on to teach at the University of Kansas. Tompkins served two stints as Pittsburg State dean for the College of Education from 1995-1996 and 2007-2010.

WSU Provost Rick Muma has been serving as acting president since January. He will continue on in the role until April 8, when Tompkins officially takes over as interim president.

“I would like to thank Provost Rick Muma for his leadership as Acting President these past several months,” Mullin said. “He has done an outstanding job shouldering the responsibilities of two very important positions, and I’m happy he’ll be able to focus on the extensive duties of the Provost moving forward.”

WSU President John Bardo died in March from a chronic lung condition. KBOR is responsible for forming a search committee to name Bardo’s successor.

First business dean candidate emphasizes public, private school experience

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

criticize WSU’s website, saying the The first Barton School of website’s design is good but the ease Business dean candidate, of navigation is not.

Steven McClung, presented “The school of business and took questions for has a great story,” McClung over an hour Thursday in said. “That’s not evident on Clinton Hall.

[WSU’s website].

McClung — who “One of the keys to serves as professor, senior getting people to Wichita associate dean of business State is letting them see and economics, and vice Wichita State.”

MCCLUNG president of the Mercer McClung said he’d like to Innovation Center at Mercer add more statistics and data University — talked about his backabout the school, testimonials from ground, complimented and critiqued staff and students, and more-refined Wichita State, and gave some ideas faculty profiles. for the direction he’d take the school “Developing faculty profiles is of business if selected dean. very important because you’re going One of the first things McClung to spend some time with these did with his presentation was people,” McClung said.

UNITY

FROM PAGE 1 Schindler was more than happy to join Cornejo.

“Julian has the vision to make this campus more unified. He came to me with all of these great ideas on how to do that,” Schindler said.

Cornejo and Schindler might not have prior experience within the Student Government Association, but they said they’re confident they have what it takes to be effective leaders.

“There isn’t necessarily any pre-requisites or requirements to run for SGA positions other than being a student,” Schindler said.

TOGETHER

CORRECTIONS

www.thesunflower.com

FROM PAGE 1 A former Marine Corps battalion maintenance management chief, Bearth serves as WSU’s student involvement ambassador, Student Government Association veteran’s senator, PAVE advisor (peer advisors for veterans education), and president of WSU’s National Society of Scholars.

Miller said her role as student advocate has given her valuable insight that her opponents might not have.

“I was able to, you know, get a different perspective of student issues and concerns that maybe the other

Another point McClung emphasized is his background in both public and private schools, which he says gives him an edge over other candidates.

“I spent my time in a public school,” McClung said. “I was educated at Marshall and at the University of Tennessee. I understand how [public schools] run, and I understand how private schools run. I’m wrapping up my 10th year at Mercer. There are some things that private schools do that public schools could benefit from.

“I think I bring that [public and private school experience] to the school of business that maybe no other dean would.”

McClung didn’t have many

thoughts on the new $50 million business building, but did say it’s “a world class facility” and is “just going to make the job easier.”

“I think it’s going to be an important part of the business school going forward,” McClung said.

He was also asked about his personal background: McClung has been married for 15 months. He met his wife at a 10K race. Over the last 15 years, he has owned four Mustangs — he currently owns a ‘66 Mustang.

His wife owns the sixth-fastest Boston Terrier in the country.

“I pick up the dog poop,” McClung said.

If chosen as dean, McClung will replace retiring dean Anand Desai, who came to WSU in 2015.

Cornejo and Schindler, Delta Upsilon brothers, have been involved in a number of groups and organizations they believe have prepared them for leadership roles.

Cornejo held multiple executive positions in high school acting clubs, including president of Crusaders of the Stage, public relations chair for Act One, and student director for a production of “Steel Magnolias.”

Schindler has filled multiple executive positions in his fraternity — serving as philanthropy chair, vice president of internal affairs, and alumni relations chair. Outside of Delta Upsilon, he served as the New Member Greek Council vice

president of administration.

“In my experience while serving in these positions, I have gained the necessary skills to accommodate to the needs of everyone, instead of focusing on certain groups” Schindler said.

Their priorities as leaders include helping to create a more unified campus for all students, making SGA more equitable, and making WSU more transfer friendly.

A Cowley County Community College transfer himself, Cornejo agreed with Schindler that providing an accommodating environment is imperative.

“To be an effective leader, you need to be able to discern and

make sure everyone’s needs are being met,” Cornejo said. “You have to lead with equity and not just equality.

“Even if I don’t win the election, I want to make sure the message is clear that SGA is open to anyone who wants to make a difference or have their voice heard.”

Both Cornejo and Schindler supported the Shock the Future referendum.

“We have to view the university as a business,” Cornejo said.

“Sometimes you have to spend money to make money. The business school will be built regardless, but what about the other smaller renovation projects in the other colleges?”

senators or other cabinet members might not have,” Miller said.

She said that if she’s elected, supporting student services will be a priority.

Miller liked the proposal in the recently-voted-down student fee referendum to turn Clinton Hall into a student services building. She said that’s why she voted to support the fee increase.

Though she would still love to see Clinton Hall transformed, Miller said she respects that students exercised their rights by voting ‘no’.

“I think students were heard, and they voted ‘no’ — that’s what they wanted,” Miller said. “And therefore, it’s not going to happen.

And I don’t necessarily disagree with that either.”

Bearth did not vote for the fee increase, but said he struggled with the decision.

“I ended up being on the fence for a while, and I ended up falling on the other side,” Bearth said. “Cost versus gain ended up being just a little skewed in the wrong direction.”

Bearth and Miller said they’ll support each other’s passions and plans as president and VP. Together We Can is all about collaboration, representation and resolute leadership, they said.

“The difference between a leader and a resolute leader is being resolute does not

necessarily mean winning every time,” Bearth said. “But it does mean not giving up the fight.”

The ticket agreed that the student body president and vice president have a responsibility to listen to what the students want, and act on that — even when students want something they do not.

“If students tell us that this needs to happen, regardless of whether we get shot down again and again and again, we will continue to fight for what they have expressed,” Bearth said.

“That’s the whole point of this position,” Miller agreed. “So, I plan on listening to what students want and try my hardest to act on what they want.”

NEWS

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

|3

SGA candidates field questions at debate

BY DANIEL CAUDILL

Candidates for student body president and vice president took the CAC Theater stage to field questions about on-campus issues and themselves during Friday’s debate.

Moderated by Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson, the debate covered 11 questions — a mix of predetermined questions and those submitted anonymously through an online polling service.

Topics ranged from transparency in SGA and the credibility of The Sunflower to candidates’ methods of dealing with opposition in their personal lives.

At no point were candidates asked about what qualities the next Wichita State president should posess. Student leaders historically have a say in the presidential selection process.

Many questions were vague and open-ended — not requiring candidatesto take hardline stances on major issues that impact WSU students.

In contrast to the one-ticket election held in 2018, four tickets are vying for Student Government Association’s top seats this year: All Voices Heard: Reid Linot (sbp) and Blake Christopherson (vp) Perpetual: Isaac Rivera (sbp) and Anisia Brumley (vp) Together We Can: Kitrina Miller

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Isaac Rivera, pictured next to his running mate, Anisia Brumley, responds to a question during the presidential and vice presidential debate Friday.

Kitrina Miller and Michael Bearth smile at the crowd after answering a question during the debate, which was held in the CAC Theater.

(sbp) and Michael Bearth (vp) Unity Through Diversity: Julian Cornejo (sbp) and Will Schindler (vp) In response to the first question about making SGA more transparent, the Perpetual ticket suggested a State of the Union address between the student body president and the Student Senate.

Other tickets agreed that presidential livestreams — wherein the student body president fields questions from students on Facebook — were beneficial to transparency in the association.

shrouded themselves in a mystery of ‘what we do behind closed doors is our business, and then we’ll let the student body know from there,’” presidential hopeful Julian Cornejo said.

Candidates were asked to evaluate what they feel SGA is currently doing right and wrong.

SGA Sen. Issac Rivera, presidential candidate for Perpetual, noted recent changes to the student fees process as a positive, including the increase of student representatives on the fees committee. “[The senate] just passed the

SGA Student Advocate Kitrina Miller, presidential candidate for Together We Can, suggested that the livestreams be held more frequently and in student-populated areas such as the Rhatigan Student Center.

“Making sure that you’re going to students and seeing what they know and informing what [SGA has] been doing, instead of waiting for them to come to you,” Miller said.

Promising more openness if elected, Unity Through Diversity said that SGA has recently taken missteps in terms of transparency.

“Where SGA has fallen is they’ve

student fees budget, and the whole Student Fees Committee was revised,” Rivera said. “The budget actually passed unanimously. Last year, when we voted, it was contentious.”

Reid Linot, presidential candidate for All Voices Heard, said he agreed that the new student fees process and resulting budget were positives for SGA. He noted that the environment for senate meetings should be more open.

“Maybe meeting somewhere other than upstairs in the RSC on a Wednesday night,” Linot said.

The HIVE builds supportive community

BY GLADIS PALENCIA

The HIVE encourages women entrepreneurs and professionals as a women-focused co-working and community space in downtown Wichita.

The HIVE, Healthy Inspired Valued Empowered, is a space that allows all community members, though primarily women, to professionally work, network, and grow in a supportive environment.

The space is open 24/7 for members, by appointment for non-members, and located at 200 N. Broadway Ave Ste. 110.

“Wichita women need the HIVE, because we need a collective space where we can be creative and we can work on our ideas — either together with other women or

on our own,” member Carmen Tamerius said.

The HIVE encourages both creative and technical work, so all careers and businesses can join.

The business offers community, 24/7 co-working, and student memberships. A corporate membership program is also available. This allows corporations to pay for female employees to be members. Wichita State is a part of this program.

All members can attend weekly lunch-and-learns and monthly social events where they can network and connect with other leaders.

Andrea Stang, HIVE founder and CEO, said she knew she wanted to make a creative space for businesswomen after visiting a co-working space for her freelance work.

“I didn’t like it. It was predominantly male and very dark and enclosed,” Stang said.

Stang started planning her own co-working business in November 2017, and officially opened the space within five months. The HIVE will celebrate their one-year anniversary Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Her enthusiasm is contagious, and if she’s enthusiastic about this process, then I can be enthusiastic about my work, too,” Tamerius said of Stang.

The HIVE continues to grow in numbers and partnerships.

“This is the community that makes people feel like their authentic selves,” Stang said. “It opens doors so they can catapult themselves in successful careers.”

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

The HIve is a co-working space for women located in the Orpheum Office Building. It was founded by Andrea Stang in 2018.

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CULTURE

4 | MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

www.thesunflower.com

‘Education is Freedom Work’: Dr. Monique Morris anchors gender and sexuality conference in education equality

BY BECCA YENSER

Monique Morris — educator, scholar, author, and founder of the National Black Women’s Justice Institute — spoke to an attentive crowd on the Wichita State campus Friday. Morris was the highly anticipated keynote speaker for the sixth annual Gender and Sexuality in Kansas Conference.

Hosted by the WSU Sociology Department along with co-sponsors, the event showcased statewide scholarly and creative work within gender and sexuality studies. The full day affair kicked off in the Rhatigan Student Center, offering multiple lectures — many of which focused on the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality, and class.

Researchers hailed not only from WSU, but also from Kansas State, the University of Kansas, Fort Hays State, and Iowa State.

Presentations dove into a variety of intriguing issues under the umbrella of gender and sexuality. Titles ranged from “Understanding Community Climate among Transgender Youth in the Midwest” (Megan Paceley of University of Kansas) to “Sexual Consent in the Age of Grindr” (Nicolette Zangai and Charlene Muehlenhard). Short, animated discussions took place after the talks, as participants asked the presenters questions and engaged with the rest of the audience.

Morris’s talk was titled “Education is Freedom Work (and Other Critical Reflections About

Dichotomy of youth, young manhood define Kill Vargas’s ‘Laugh It Off’

Responses to School Pushout for Black Girls).” She shared her research with a perceptive audience, pulling from her recent book, “Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools.”

“Black girls are overrepresented along the entire continuum of discipline,” Morris said. “Why are we seeing this pattern?”

The rest of her talk dug into that question. Through a series of slides, narratives, data, and stories, Morris made a case for obliterating school policies that perpetuate the adultification of black girls. She pushed for a school system that would not play a role in the “the tapestry of hurt,” but instead provide safe spaces for all students.

SEE MORRIS PAGE 5

COURTESY OF THE WICHITA STATE SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Monique Morris, who founded the National Black Women’s Justice Institute, was the keynote speaker at the sixth annual Gender and Sexuality in Kansas Conference, which was held at Wichita State last Friday.

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RYAN CREWS MUSIC CRITIC

As their live sets indefinitely prove, Kill Vargas’s “boy howdy, let’s get rowdy” punk aesthetic works to high success.

It has proven to be a formula that they can ride to midwestern musical acclaim.

Their new album, “Laugh It Off,” begins with an expected bang through punk opener “Midnight Fools,” but surprisingly, the rest of the record subverts expectations.

An exploration of growing pains, “Laugh it Off” is just as cohesive as it is reckless and youthful.

With a medley of acoustic guitars, textured synths, and the occasional string arrangement mixed into their garage-rock anthems, Kill Vargas has decided to ever-so-slightly grow up.

One thing that remains from the band’s sound is the often-incomprehensible vocal delivery

by Griffin Bush, which recalls the Ramones or early Green Day. It occasionally undercuts the lyrical themes that the album provides, but it’s a trademark of their sound — topped off instrumentally in pure, adrenaline-fused angst.

EDIBLE BOOK FESTIVAL PUBLIC RECEPTION Time: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: Ablah Library Cost: Free!

It doesn’t get much better than snuggling up with a great book and a delicious snack. Things get a little more complicated when your great book is your delicious snack! This culinary contest will feature literary-inspired creations by students, staff and community members alike. You’re not likely to find something this quirky, fun and tasty all year, so come by for the public reception at 11:30.

COURTESY

“Laugh it Off” is Wichita band Kill Vargas’ sophomore album.

Each track is textured with galloping drums by Logan Bush, grooving base lines by Austin Engler, and dual guitars by Trent Gaddie and Griffin Bush. On “Laugh It Off,” the band has traded their instrumental doses of fury for a nostalgic gaze and pop-rock fusion. Each track is peppered with a medley of memorable melodies and highly effective song structure.

“We’re just two kids falling in love — fake IDs and 20 bucks.

I wonder if it’s all worth letting go,” Bush contemplates on the easygoing, sun-drenched anthem, “Don’t Remind Me.” It’s the type of laidback jam that fans may never have expected from Kill Vargas.

Album standout “Overdramatic” is a couch-locked lullaby, reminiscent of a postBeach Boy’s sound. “Cold” stands as their best musical excursion to date, with its bashful keys and SEE KILL VARGAS PAGE 5

SAC TRIVIA NIGHT Time: 7 p.m.

Location: RSC Starbucks Cost: Free!

Are you a trivia champ? Are you looking to hone your trivia skills in a convenient on-campus location? Come on down to the RSC Starbucks to participate in this monthly night of trivia and fun! A range of prizes, specials on food and drink, and a fun theme make each night a delight. You can pre-register as a team or solo at the SAC website, sac@wichita.edu.

MGC HUMP DAY

HEALTH PROFESSIONS CAREER FAIR

Time: 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Location: RSC East Courtyard

Location: RSC Beggs Ballroom

Cost: Free!

Cost: Free!

Launch the last month of the semester off with a ton of fun, brought to you by the Multicultural Greek Council. There will be loads of food and music — not to mention a whole bunch of fellow Shockers.

We all know that it’s who you know that lands you that sweet job after college, so don’t miss your opportunity to network with recruiters in the Health Professions field. You don’t have to be a Health Professions major to attend this event, either — business administration, management, human resources, marketing, computer science, and social work majors are essential to the health industry, and if you’re curious about jobs in the field, you’re sure to find employers who are looking for your skills.

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Spring Sculpture Dedication

Randy Regier The Celestial Mechanic

Tuesday, April 2 3:30 P.M. Reveal and Remarks 4:00 P.M. Reception North Lawn of Ahlberg Hall 5:30 P.M. Artist Talk Ulrich Museum of Art Established in 1972, the Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection, part of the holdings of the Ulrich Museum of Art, is a WSU treasure recognized nationally and internationally as one of the finest collections of its kind. An integral part of the daily life on campus, it has shaped WSU’s sense of place for nearly fifty years, offering moments of contemplation, learning, empathy, and joy to countless students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The collection is a source of immense and justified pride for the university, the city of Wichita, the state of Kansas, and the Great Plains region. It is, therefore, deeply exciting that following ten years of research, fundraising, and planning, the collection will expand to 80 pieces this year, with new works continuing to broaden our understanding of what contemporary public sculpture can offer.

OPINION/CULTURE

www.thesunflower.com

Korine’s ‘The Beach Bum’ isn’t a good comedy, which is why you should see it

JOHN DARR

CULTURE EDITOR There’s a rare type of confused laughter where your brain can’t decide if what you’re looking at is too sad and weird to be funny.

“The Beach Bum” might be the first comedy to traffic almost exclusively in invoking this confused laughter from the audience.

At the heart of “The Beach Bum” is a drugged-up poet named Moondog who blows his wife’s cash living a hedonistic gutter lifestyle in a kaleidoscopic vision of the Florida Keys.

If it were jokier, “The Beach Bum” would be a straightforward comedy about this zany protagonist and the cast of oddballs he encounters throughout his life. If it condemned the asshole actions of its rich characters, “The Beach Bum” would be a straightforward political satire. Perplexingly — perhaps daringly — “The Beach Bum” does neither.

Instead, it seems content to let the moral wrongness of its central character’s hedonistic lifestyle bubble very softly under the surface. Moondog embarrasses his loved ones during important moments, becomes complicit in the injury of those close to him,

and wastes unbelievable amounts of money while others in his circle struggle to meet basic ends.

The victims of Moondog’s degeneracy either forgive him, disappear from the movie’s sight, or do both. As “The Beach Bum” meanders its way to a happily-ever-after conclusion, it’s almost impossible to tell whether the movie wants us to forget or obsess over the wreckage caused along the way.

Every time I laughed at “The Beach Bum,” I legitimately didn’t know whether I was supposed to laugh or not. Every time I nodded my head in agreement with some sort of political message within the film, the film detoured rapidly.

It’s worth watching “The Beach Bum” to witness a masterful rendition of this rare middle ground.

It’s not a comfortable place to be, but it’s certainly somewhere new.

Don’t believe the myth of the activist judiciary

JUSTIN GORDON COLUMNIST

As a Texas court ruled the entirety of the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional last week, I was reminded of what conservative pundits constantly complain about when court rulings go against their favor — the “activist judiciary.”

From appellate court rulings against President Donald Trump’s travel ban to anti-abortion laws to SCOTUS rulings legalizing samesex marriage, America’s right loves to blast the “activist judiciary” for placing ideological policy positions over the Constitution.

Although this has been an effective strategy for rallying the conservative political base, there is absolutely no truth to it. Activist judges do not exist in the United States. Judges hold genuine interpretative differences of opinion on questions of constitutionality on both sides of the aisle — just as it’s meant to be.

For example, take the case that legalized same-sex marriage, Obergefell v. Hodges. Conservative politicians spent months blasting the justices that declared gay marriage legal nationwide as activists who desired to push a radical social agenda on the American people.

MORRIS

FROM PAGE 4 “When girls feel safe, they can learn,” Morris said.

After her presentation, Morris took questions from the audience.

One participant asked what she could do as a member of the general public.

“Live this out in your personal spaces,” Morris answered.

She expounded that we can all enter this conversation at the community level. Not only do policies in schools need to change — we have a collective responsibility to do “deep internal work to address personal biases,” Morris said.

Another audience member asked what we can do as instructors to create safe spaces for black girls.

Morris encouraged teachers to

In reality, they ruled that the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause guaranteed that the government could not make some marriages legal and other illegal.

Legal scholars can and do disagree on this interpretation of the 14th Amendment, but it is absolutely idiotic to claim that those five justices were radical activists pushing unpopular social policies on the nation.

I anticipate that no conservatives will call these Texas judges that ruled against ObamaCare activists.

This is simply because right-wing politicians harbor the same kind of hypocrisy as everyone else when it comes to America’s court system.

No one in politics likes it when the federal bench rules against their belief system. However, the Republican party is far more effective at mobilizing voters when it comes to the courts. When Republican voters hear the word “activist,” it conjures up images of hippies, counter-culture, and young people being “disrespectful” to America. This idea of an activist judiciary is nothing more than a political ploy to energize voters during election cycles.

When we discuss the courts and the judiciary in public discourse, we should never dismiss a judge’s legitimate constitutional opinions based on our own political ideology.

Ultimately, the legal consensus of the time is the opinion that should triumph, as history shows this keeps us on a steady path forward.

The independent judiciary still reigns supreme in American governance, and don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.

learn how to code switch and to bring other voices into their curriculum.

“Disrupt the canon,” Morris said. “Include other voices in your syllabus and also other forms of expression. There are multiple ‘ways of knowing.’”

Morris also warned against seeing oneself as a savior.

“Nobody’s a savior for black girls,” she said. “Not even me.”

As the keynote address wrapped up, a few more lectures were offered to the community, concluding a day of rich academic work for both presenters and attendees.

Although the conference may be over, the scholarly work continues.

Research inspired by this 2019’s Gender and Sexuality in Kansas Conference will likely be showcased in the years to come.

MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

|5

The Mueller report only confirms our confirmation bias “While this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime [obstruction of justice], it also does not exonerate him.”

This statement was released

by Attorney General William Barr as part of the “principle conclusions” of Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation.

If you watch cable news or get most of your news from partisan pundits on social media, you may feel like you’ve known what will be in the report since the day it began, as these commentators generally ignore fact and air on the side of ideology.

In contrast, most traditional print journalists and legal analysts have warned for months of an inconclusive report that brings nothing but further entrenchment into preconceived partisan notions.

I’ve believed, for a long time, that the report would do just this. President Donald Trump’s supporters will focus solely on the

JUSTIN GORDON COLUMNIST

first twelve words of the quote, while his detractors will do the same with the last six.

This report confirms one thing — the chronic level of confirmation bias in the American population. We collectively dismiss fact that conflicts with our worldview or, even worse, take facts out of context to support our beliefs.

Hopefully, the entirety or most the special counsel’s investigation will be made available to the general public, as this increases the chances of quieting wild speculation by editorial pundits at

Fox News and MSNBC. However, along with many moderate observers acting in what I perceive to be good fait, do not believe there will be any legal bombshell dropped on the president as a result of this investigation.

Nothing has changed in America. We know that the president acts in questionable ways.

We know his administration has been left open to many instances of corruption and wrongdoing.

We know his background is in shady real estate development.

Although we know these things to be true, they don’t come close to providing evidence that he or his administration has intentionally committed a crime while in office.

I strongly hope that more Americans will slow down and consider what can be definitively proven before calling for impeachment, indictment, or whatever other legal or political action that can be taken by the left.

Irresponsibly early Royals predictions Well, we’ve made it through the first weekend of Major League Baseball. After stellar starts and adequate finishes to the first two games of the year, the Royals simply didn’t have enough left in the tank to come back on the White Sox for the series sweep.

I was poised to write a column on the Royals being on pace for 162 wins when back to back home runs in the fourth put the game out of reach. After all, when was the last time that a team came back from a two-run lead?

Even though the Royals still possess a winning record, we all know that, as in college football 10 years ago, it’s nearly impossible to win a World Series with a regular-season loss. With no undefeated teams left in the American League, it’s looking like the Phillies, led by the economically priced Bryce Harper,

KILL VARGAS FROM PAGE 4

As these tracks prove, the album reaches high and often grasps its ambitions, but it occasionally plateaus, as with track “Control,” which doesn’t quite live up to the hype.

Overall, Kill Vargas’s

PERPETUAL

FROM PAGE 1 The legislation also designated all non-student members of the fees committee “ex-officio” — or non-voting — members.

“The point of that was to add more students to get greater representation for different groups on campus, and also less representation for people who don’t pay student fees,” Rivera said. “I think the process worked really well.”

Vice presidential candidate Brumley said the ticket’s connections to other on-campus organizations provide an edge.

“I think our ticket is the most dynamic,” Brumley said.

“And I think we cover the most representation between the two of us.”

Outside of SGA, Rivera is a part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and previously worked for the

ALL VOICES

FROM PAGE 1 Neither Linot nor Christopherson have served in student government before, but when addressing their qualifications for the roles, both cited their experiences working for non-profits.

Christopherson has worked with Young Life, a Christian organization that works with high school youth. He said the experience was about “building relationships with high school students who come from many different walks of life,” and “leadership training that you get with experience and interacting with people.”

Linot currently works with Young Professionals of Wichita, an organization with a mission of

are the only team eligible for the World Series.

With this in mind, the Royals’ current pace, which will put them at 108-54, will set a franchise record for most wins.

Unbelievable, for a team who’s entire budget from 1986 through 2012 was a single pack of gum.

There are some definite statistical downsides to the Royals’ current pace, however. Kansas City is on pace to shatter the 1908 Chicago White Sox record for

home runs in a season. Fewest home runs, that is. In a much less power-driven era of baseball, the White Sox hit three dingers over the course of the season.

Currently, the Royals have zero.

On a more positive note, the current average of zero errors per game, for a full season projection of zero (obviously), would shatter the Major League record. The next-best in MLB history belongs to the 2003 Seattle Mariners, whose 65 errors in a 162-game season put their average at 0.401 a game.

Being only three games into the 2019 season, there is little that is set in stone, unfortunately. One thing is for sure, though. The Royals are hands down, certain beyond a shadow of a doubt, going to set numerous Major League records, and definitely going to win the pennant. You can quote me on that.

sophomore album is a solid examination on early adulthood and the pressure the world exerts on us to grow older.

There are no answers provided on “Laugh It Off ” — just hard-toface observations.

“Laugh It Off ” highlights a fascinating dichotomy of never

wanting to grow up and the helpless feeling of doing it anyways. Bush’s resistance to this inevitability seems to be tearing into him — sinking him deeper into his thematic helplessness.

Faced with this growing pain, Kill Vargas gives the listeners the best advice in a bad situation: to laugh it off.

WSU Office of the President.

Brumley is a member of both the Black Student Union and Barton International Group.

If elected, Rivera said he would like to see an improved relationship form between SGA and the student body. He said the association should field concerns from students, such as advising and parking, and bring those concerns to the administration.

A 2017 graduate of Valley Center High School, Rivera said he decided to major in education after an internship his senior year with Cory Gibson, superintendent of Valley Center schools.

“I really enjoyed what he did, and then I just had some great teachers, so I just followed in their footsteps,” Rivera said.

Brumley, a 2017 graduate of Northeast Magnet High School, started as a human resources major, but said she switched to

economics after an adviser suggested it would better prepare her for a career in budgeting or economic development.

“I told her about my desire to advocate for underserved communities,” Brumley said.

“Money is the base of things sometimes, and I wanted to have an influence on that in our community.”

The student body vice president is also the president of the Student Senate, playing the role of speaker during SGA meetings. If elected, Brumley said she would embrace this role by educating and advocating for senators to promote retention.

She said senators should be encouraged to follow through on ideas mentioned in their interviews.

“If we’re appointing them for their awesome platform ideas, and then they don’t do them, that’s not holding them accountable,” Brumley said.

making Wichita a destination for young intellectual capital.

“Every day, I’m trying to figure out how we can help connect and develop young people,” Linot said.

Christopherson said that although his ticket may not know all of the technical skills of how the Student Government Association works, they “value people above everything else,” and will learn the technical work as they go along.

When asked about the Shock the Future student fees referendum, Linot said that “the students spoke, and their voice was heard.”

The referendum narrowly failed. Linot said there’s a lesson to be learned about more student input generating more student support.

“Moving forward, I think that [WSU] should gear their plan

more towards the students’ visions and requests and get more student input, so they can be confident in their plan moving forward that whatever they come up with will pass,” Linot said.

In terms of student involvement, Linot is a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity on campus, and Christopherson is involved in the engineering school.

When asked about their favorite parts of WSU, Christopherson praised the university’s internship and co-op programs with surrounding industries as providing significant applied learning opportunities for students.

Linot emphasized the unique people who make up the university community.

“Wichita State’s greatest strength is the people here.”

AUSTIN MAY

OPINION EDITOR

SPORTS

6 | MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2019

50 years of women’s sports

www.thesunflower.com

WSU splits with UConn

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State Athletics recognized a half century of WSU women’s sports before Saturday’s game Current Wichita State softball players clap as the 2014 MVC Championship team and 1989 team were honored before Saturday’s game against UConn at Wilkins Stadium.

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State softball won the second game of their doubleheader on Sunday, but lost the series overall to UConn. UConn entered the weekend without a conference win. WSU ended a five-game losing streak on Sunday with its comeback victory, winning 8-6.

The two teams were recognized as part of the 50 year anniversary of women’s athletics at WSU.

Madison Perrigan hit her seventh home run of the season in Sunday’s victory.

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

WSU will play a doubleheader on Wednesday against Missouri, finishing out a 10game homestead. Next weekend, the team will hit the road to face Central Florida.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK

Wichita State set for NIT semifinals with Lipscomb

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

NEW YORK CITY — Hello, New York City.

The Shockers are in the Big Apple.

Despite missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven seasons, Wichita State has advanced to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament in Madison Square Garden.

In 2011, WSU won it all in the historic arena.

Gregg Marshall and his inexperienced group of Shockers — the fifth-least experienced team in Division-I basketball — became the first team to advance to the tournament semifinals by way of beating the No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds. WSU punched its ticket to the semifinals after beating top-seed Indiana in Bloomington last Tuesday.

Now, the Shockers will face the Lipscomb Bisons (which is grammatically incorrect, as Bison is already plural). The Bisons of the Atlantic Suns Conference clinched an automatic bid to the NIT after sharing the regular-season conference title with Liberty.

After sitting on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, Lipscomb fell short of an automatic bid, losing to Liberty in the conference tournament title game.

IF YOU GO Who: No. 6 Wichita State versus No. 5 Lipscomb

What: NIT Semifinals Where: Madison Square Garden

When: 6 p.m. CT Tuesday

Lipscomb (28-7) defeated twoseed North Carolina State in a 94-93 thriller in the quarterfinals last Wednesday.

Lipscomb, a tournament fiveseed, beat No. 4 Davidson, and No. 1 UNC-Greensboro before knocking off NC State. Standing in WSU’s way is Lipscomb's Garrison Matthews, the Bisons' leading scorer. He dropped 44 of Lipscomb's 94 points to carry his team to the semifinals.

Matthews, a 6-foot-5 guard, shoots 45 percent from the floor and is a fan of the 3-pointer.

He's hit 110 from deep this season. Outside of the sharp-shooting senior, no one on the Bisons has hit more than 50 threes this season.

Lipscomb scores a lot — an average of 83 points per game.

JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Markis McDuffie walks off the plan in New York Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s NIT semifinal game.

That's good for seventh in the country.

The Bisons' high-powered offense shoots 48 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range. It's the 42nd best in the country in terms of offense. That said, Lipscomb gives up plenty of

points, too.

WSU will rely on the high-scoring efficiency of Markis McDuffie, who leads the team in scoring. Freshman Dexter Dennis has shown flashes of offensive firepower in NIT games, as have Asbjørn Midtgaard and Jaime

Echenique. WSU will look to use a noticeable size advantage against the Bisons, who bring no player taller than 6-foot-9.

The first game of the semifinals will tip at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday with Texas and TCU following at 8.

ESPN will broadcast both games.