The Sunflower v. 123 i. 51

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019 • VOL. 123, ISS. 51

THESUNFLOWER.COM

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

BURST OF SPRING

Poli Sci major relishes his semester in Washington

BY AUSTIN MAY

Imagine walking past monuments commemorating those that built this country on your way to work, only to stand shoulder-toshoulder with those who are ARIAS continuing the legacy today.

For six Wichita State students participating in the political science department’s Washington D.C. internship program, this dream is a reality, if only for the semester.

Among these students, Alejandro Arias Esparza works as a research intern with an emphasis on law and policy at FairVote, a non-profit, nonpartisan group focused on reforming voting structures.

On top of the obvious work experience gained from the opportunity, however, Arias said he’s getting much more from his semester in the nation’s capital.

“It is such a unique experience to say that you’ve lived in the epicenter of American politics and world affairs and more than that — worked there,” Arias said.

“I got to mingle and shake hands with the few people that run this country. How cool is that?

“Being able to surround myself with people that share similar interests as I, and just being able to basically live alongside history.”

Though the internship does keep Arias busy, he said he still has plenty of time to explore the D.C. area.

“My favorite thing so far has been being able to go to all the amazing free museums and just being able to meet representatives and senators that otherwise, I would’ve never been able to,” Arias said. “It’s a really unique experience.”

It’s not all fun and games, however, Arias explained. In fact, this particular internship has been more intense than most, in his opinion.

“It is more hands on — busier,” Arias said. “I work alongside people who know and have mastered my field, so pressure is on when it comes to performing well in my job.”

Though it’s not always the easiest experience, Arias said his internship will almost definitely pay off in the long run.

“Besides the newly learned professional skills, definitely the memories and the learning experiences that the program offered through the different seminars and the opportunity to meet other students from KU, who I would call friends today,” Arias said.

The internship program is put on in conjunction with the University of Kansas’s political science department, and funded through donations. Students from all majors can apply to the program.

“This great opportunity is not only for poli sci majors, and I strongly believe that everyone should apply and take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Arias said.

Students interested in joining the program, either in the nation’s capital or in Topeka, can look into applying during the fall semester.

Association of Hindu Students In America hosts colorful Holi event on campus EASTON THOMPSON/ THE SUNFLOWER

Above, Misaki Imada smiles and reels from being hit with a cloud of powder at the AHINSA event, hosted by Holi on Saturday. Holi, also known as the festival of color, signifies the beginning of spring. Holi is celebrated in the middle of March, but, due to cold weather, AHINSA rescheduled their event for April 13. Right, Event-goers smile as they are hit by the festival colors.

KHÁNH NGUYỄN// THE SUNFLOWER

On Nov. 12, 2014, Letitia Davis was raped and set on fire in Fairmount Park. She died of her injuries eight days later. Fairmount resident Dreena Reed says the park hasn’t been the same since. In response to the Davis murder, Wichita State launched the Enough is Enough campaign.

Five years later October will mark five years since the Leticia Davis murder and the establishment of the Enough is Enough campaign

BY AUDREY KORTE

Standing on the porch of Dreena Reed's house, you see a row of small houses surrounding Fairmount Park — a place to gather and the focal point of the northeast Wichita community.

Reed looks out at her neighborhood, pointing to homes and describing the people who live in them.

Across the street is a yellow house with wind chimes on its porch and a well-kept yard. That's where her father lives. Her mother lived there too before she died last year.

Her parents were married for over 70 years. They married young. Reed’s father was 16, and her mother 14.

Together, they had 14 children.

Reed was born in San Antonio, Texas, but grew up in Wichita, near

25th and Hillside. She’s lived in her home on Vassar Street since 1992.

Reed likes to take her 2-year-old grandson to play in the park when the weather is decent. But she said she worries about her and her family's safety there — especially in recent years.

In November 2014, the Fairmount neighborhood was traumatized by a horrific event in the park — the rape and murder of Letitia Davis.

Reed remembers the night well.

She said her son was coming home on the evening of Nov. 12. He parked in front of the house and heard a disturbance coming from the park. Screaming, he said.

Reed said her son told her he thought it was Wichita State students “having a bonfire or something.”

As he got out of his car, he saw a man running from the park up the street.

He went inside, and within minutes, the block was packed with law enforcement and first responders.

Police knocked on Reed’s door. She didn't answer.

“They had it so lit up over here with the police and all of that,” she said. “Today, you just can't trust folks — not even the police anymore. I didn't even open the door.”

They soon found out what had happened at Fairmount Park.

Davis, 36, was beaten, raped, and set on fire. She suffered burns on more than 50% of her body and died eight days later from complications.

SEE FAIRMOUNT PAGE 5

INSIDE

TIGER TRIUMPHS

STREAK DRAGS ON

HOMETOWN RIDER

Community college transfers are a big part of Wichita State’s identity.

Tiger Woods’s redemption arc is worth celebrating, even if you’re not a golf fan.

WSU has lost six straight games after a weekend sweep at the hands of Houston.

Wichitan Garfield Wilson had a strong showing at Saturday’s PBR event.

OPINION • PAGE 2

SPORTS/CULTURE • PAGE 4

SPORTS • PAGE 5

SPORTS • PAGE 6

EDITORIAL

OPINION

2 | MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019

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THE STAFF EDITORIAL

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COURTESY OF WICHITA STATE

Wichita State and Butler Community College officials announce the signing of 17 articulation agreements to ease the transfer process for Butler students hoping to earn a bachelor's degree at WSU.

Community college transfers represent what’s right about Wichita State

F

or the eighth straight year, Wichita State is the top destination for students transferring from Kansas community colleges to public state universities, according to data from the board of regents.

Last month, WSU and Butler Community College signed 17 articulation agreements that will ease the transfer process for Butler students hoping to earn a bachelor’s degree at WSU. The agreements set curriculum paths that count credits from a Butler associate’s degree towards WSU degree programs in four different colleges.

Kansas community college transfers come to WSU with an average GPA higher than 3.15 and more than 45 hours of transfer credit, according to a university release.

These are the kind of students that belong at Wichita State — hard-working, resourceful students who know what they want in a college education. Community college transfers are a big part of WSU’s identity, and that’s a fact that should be celebrated.

Wichita State is a place for students who value higher education

STAFF

EDITORIAL because it hasn’t been handed to them. It’s a place for commuter students paying their way through college — for returning adults balancing jobs and families to get a second chance at earning a degree.

Currently, just 12% of WSU students live on campus. That’s compared to 24% of students at Kansas State and 26% of students at the University of Kansas. At a January board of trustees meeting, WSU Vice President for Technology Transfer John Tomblin said the goal is 25%.

WSU has two shiny, new private housing facilities on campus and a plan for aggressively marketing itself to potential students along the I-35 Corridor with generous in-state tuition offerings.

This is an effort not only to “artificially grow” the state of Kansas, as Tomblin put it, but to bring in students who will live on campus for four years.

Wichita State isn’t a traditional

college and Wichita isn’t a traditional college town. We should embrace that.

Wichita will never be Lawrence.

Wichita will never be Manhattan.

We shouldn’t try to fit in that box.

That’s not to say that WSU should stop marketing itself to out-of-state students or give up on creating a strong sense of community for students living on campus.

But we shouldn’t lose sight of what makes our student body unique — a high volume of transfers and nontraditional students putting in the work to earn a degree as efficiently as possible.

Wichita State isn’t a cheap version of KU and K-State. WSU lends itself to a different breed of students, and we should be proud of that.

That kind of college student deserves to be invested in, and last month’s articulation agreements with Butler prove that WSU is capable of making that investment.

That’s what we need more of.

Shockers are proud, resourceful, and resilient, and community college transfers represent exactly what’s right about this university.

The Cavves wash ashore with ‘Venture Out’ Leave your map and compass at home, we’re venturing out. “Venture Out,” the second album by Wichita natives The Cavves, is a coming-ofage record with a tropical touch.

“Venture Out” captures the freewheeling journey that is early adulthood. The album touches on youthful exploration, experimentation, and the tough lessons learned along the way.

Both reminiscing on the moments that got the band to this point and approaching the future with unrestricted curiosity, “Venture Out” is more than an average DIY album.

It bears the spirit of the Wichita four-pack that has been strumming their way through the Midwest and sharing their surf tunes with listeners from state to state.

ELLA DOMINGUEZ MUSIC CRITIC

The album does not sit idly in the background, but rather calls attention to everyone listening.

Sophie Emerson’s vocals act as a siren luring her audience out to sea. Her sweet harmonies course steadily throughout the album, reinforcing its tropical feeling.

Emerson’s vocals are complimented

by Troy Toon on bass, Jackson Relph on drums, and Matt Bennett on guitar. Together, the group forms a sonic tidal wave.

The eight-track album dives into everything from hometown pride to feminist musings. Whether you’re looking for something a little more laid back or a headbanging anthem, “Venture Out” has what you need.

“Keep Up” kicks off the album with a bouncy disposition.

“Wichita,” a favorite at their live shows, radiates the sound of our city. The similarly direct “Noise Will Be Noise” acts a direct commentary on problematic male ego and entitlement and hits hard with its lyrical astringency. Lines such as, “It takes some time oh just to

find and kill your ego,” and “I’ll be your blacked-out baby cause boys will just be boys,” make this song a girl power manifesto. “Walking Home” completes the album with a lyricless instrumental, tying up all the loose strings.

With good vibes and high tides, The Cavves bring coastal crushes to the Midwest. Through their music, this group captures the essence of a fun and irresponsible bummer summer.

The Cavves are a testament to the amount of talent and spirit bursting through Wichita’s music scene. This album acts as a reminder to follow the path of your creation and trust your gut. Even as it explores new sounds, “Venture Out” stands as a beacon lighting the way home.

Proposed disability surveillance is short-sighted The Trump Administration has proposed a policy that would implement new surveillance of disabled people’s social media accounts. The goal is to see if people are disabled “enough” to warrant their disability payments.

As part of an effort to cut down on the number of fraudulent disability claims, disability examiners could be allowed to flag cases based on photos they dig up from social media.

As someone who spent much of my adult life trying to prove I was disabled, I recognize this proposed policy to be nothing short of discriminatory.

The administration’s basic argument goes something like this: if someone is receiving disability for a crippling back injury but is posting photos of themselves on Instagram doing back flips on the slopes in Vail, Colorado, then those photos should be able to serve as evidence against the person’s disability status.

I suffered from chronic Lyme disease, which brings with it hundreds of possible symptoms.

Here’s why. The Lyme bacteria goes wherever blood goes in the body. If the disease is caught early and you get the proper antibiotics, it can be eradicated.

In my case, the disease wasn’t caught early. So it became chronic and crippling.

Between my diagnosis in 2005

AUDREY KORTE COLUMNIST

and 2015, when I was finally able to start rebuilding my life, I was hospitalized dozens of times. My disease was misdiagnosed and mistreated more times than I can count.

At times, I used a wheelchair, or a cane, or two canes, or a walker.

There were a lot of neurological effects that caused me to twitch, lose my balance, and forget how to do routine activities such as making coffee or driving home.

My social media presence was decidedly limited for many years. I was embarrassed by my symptoms.

I was ashamed that I hadn’t finished school and gotten married and become a success. That’s all I saw when I got on Facebook — my gorgeous, smiling friends, with their gorgeous partners and smiling new babies. The few times I did post pictures on Facebook, it was of me having fun.

There’s a photo of me at Easton’s Beach in Newport, Rhode Island

from six years ago. I’m on top of a lifeguard stand in the middle of winter, looking like I’m about to jump off it. It was the first time I’d made it not just to the beach, but out onto the sand and up a lifeguard stand ladder in about five years, though I lived less than a mile from that beach.

So this was a momentous occasion. It was celebratory. It was worth posting. What you don’t see is my cane, which my brother was holding. Or the fact that I spent days recovering from this great adventure.

The proposed policy is willfully ignorant of my triumphant trip to the beach. It doesn’t care about the narrative. Disability examiners would be able to look at those photos, which mean so much, and judge me to be a con.

Disability cases are difficult to navigate and difficult to prove.

Invisible disabilities are that much harder.

The process can be demeaning and disheartening. I remember every raised eyebrow if I showed up to appointments in makeup and real clothes instead of sweats. It seemed like wanting to feel normal was reason enough to deny my claim. And it was. I was denied repeatedly.

Unfortunately, being denied did not make me better. It didn’t pay my medical bills or take away my pain.

Looking at the Trump Administration’s proposal brings back a lot of that pain and uncertainty. If I had been judged by my social media profiles, it’s likely that I would have refrained from using those platforms altogether.

Though it’s not a certainty that I would’ve missed out on learning some very important medical information from other Lyme patients in Facebook groups, it seems pretty likely. I’d hate to see that happen to anyone with a chronic illness, injury, or disability.

The proposed policy dictates that disabled people shouldn’t be caught having fun or being successful. But more than that, it encourages them to become the very thing they’re being judged as — fakers.

This policy encourages people to fake the effects of their disability to make it look worse than it is.

Because reality isn't cruel enough. It has to look cruel.

The administration contends that it could authorize the surveying of social media by regulation, without action by Congress. Social Security has drafted a timeline, which proposes the publication of a final rule in spring 2020.

It’s decidedly unfair to tell people on disability that they aren’t allowed to be active or do cool things and document them the way other people do. This policy needs to be called what it is — discriminatory.

NEWS

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019

|3

SUNFLOWER ARCHIVES — APRIL 17, 1978

‘Red-lines’ breed Wichita slums

BY MICHAEL KNAPP

For the last six months Jerry Gibson has been trying to sell his house in the mid-town area. Even though he has a qualified buyer, he has not been able to close the deal because no savings and loan institutions have been willing to loan to his buyer.

“These delays have cost me $1,500 in the last six months,” Gibson said. “The appraised value of the house is $24,000 and the sale price is the same. Our buyer had a $6,000 down payment, but the savings and loan still refused to make the loan.” Instead, Gibson continued, the lender insisted that Gibson start a $5,000 savings account with its institution.

According to Gibson, the property is a very large older home on north Topeka which has been divided into apartments like many of the homes in the mid-town area.

The buyers had hoped to restore the house to its original condition.

“The appraiser indicated,” Gibson said, “that the house, once restored, would be worth $40,000 to $60,000.”

Gibson is a possible victim of “red-lining.” “Red-lining” is an alleged practice by loan institutions in which they refuse to grant loans for property located in depressed or blighted areas. The term “red-lining” refers to the practice of outlining such areas in red on real estate maps.

Val Jackson of Jackson Realty, 1336 Ohio, said he thought the people of the northeast side were treated like step-children whenever they try to get a mortgage or home improvement loan.

“They will take your money for a savings account,” Jackson said, “but just try to buy a home.

People come down into this area and say ‘Why don’t these people put a coat of paint on these houses and fix them up?’ Well, it’s just not possible to get a loan.”

A 1973 report for the Department of Community Development made by the Center for Urban Studies at Wichita State University states, “neighborhoods which are declining in value were considered to be poor investments.” The report goes on to say this reluctance to

grant loans probably results in even more rapid declines, fewer mortgages being granted, and so on in a downward spiral.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Department (MAPD) lists in its “701 Housing Element” draft report 13 areas designated as deteriorating tracts. John Fornash, of the planning department, said MAPD’s definition of a deteriorating tract is based on the number of sub-standard units in a given census tract.

“What we have done is to determine the percentage of sub-standard units in an area for the purpose of determining an area’s potential for public housing units,” Fornash said. MAPD defines a sub-standard unit as a structure which receives a rating of six to 10 on an inspection. A deteriorating tract is defined as an area which has over 30 percent of its units defined as sub-standard. Areas with 10 to 30 percent of the units defined as sub-standard are classified as transitional tracts, while those areas with fewer than 10 percent are classified as sound tracts.

Bobby McQuade, of the Community Action Agency, said he is convinced red-lining is becoming more prevalent in the Wichita area.

“After awhile,” McQuade said, “Neighborhood residents find that all conventional financing has been cut off from the area.

‘Fast-buck’ operators with read cash begin to buy up homes, absentee landlords predominate, code violations increase and the neighborhood declines.”

McQuade said the Housing Section of the Community Action Agency, in conjunction with northeast-area citizens groups, would present to area lenders a pledge for consideration at a housing conference later this week. The text of the pledge is as follows: “We pledge not to arbitrarily reject mortgage loans for residential property within any specific part of Wichita served by us because of the location of the property. We also pledge to make loans available on low and middle income residential property throughout Wichita within the limits of our legal restrictions.”

The predominantly low income, minority occupied areas of Wichita’s northeast side (census tracts 5, 6,

7, 8, 12, and 78) are among those tracts which have been determined deteriorating or transitional tracts.

These tracts occupy an area following the canal route from Central to 35th Street North and spread out nearly one mile on either side of the route. (See map.)

A Sunflower survey of six savings and loans institution and four area banks reveal that these six tracts received an average of $113,300 in mortgage loans granted in 1977.

Census tract six received the highest dollar amount in the area with $195,000, tract 12 received the least at $17,500. This compares with the $432,650 in mortgage granted in tract 15, an area to the southwest with approximately the same median income as the other tracts, but which is predominantly white and is not a deteriorating tract. This is nearly 2 ½ times the amount granted census tract six and 20 the amount for tract 12.

Dave Brasted of Mid-Kansas Federal Savings and Loan Association said it was their policy to loan to an individual but if a house had a sale price of less than $20,000, a full appraisal was not always made. “We just have the appraiser make what we call a drive-through appraisal,” Brasted said. “These appraisals cost $125.”

At the Fourth National Band, R.W. Zinn, who is in charge of compiling the Fourth’s home mortgage disclosure information, said there is not an easy solution to the problem of declining neighborhoods.

Zinn cited problems with FHA and with VA approval in granting loans. He said, “Some people just do not have an adequate level of income.”

In an effort to head off the problems of declining neighborhoods, the MAPD, in its “701 Housing Element” draft report recommends that local governments enact legislation designed “to encourage affirmative marketing practices and programs.”

The MAPD report also stated that “local governments should encourage and cooperate with lending institutions to assure the availability of funds for both mortgages and home improvements through the community on a nondiscriminatory basis.”

#FILMISNOTDEAD

MENTORING MONDAYS

Time: All day

Time: 4 – 6 p.m.

Location: RSC Cadman Art Gallery

Location: Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas, 2400 N. Opportunity Drive

Cost: Free Don’t miss an awesome exhibit at the Cadman featuring analog photography pieces during the display of #filmisnotdead. The gallery will be displaying a vast array of pieces along with the cameras used to capture them, allowing viewers to take in both the art and its creation process at the same time. Don’t miss this unique fusion of art and history.

Poke your head in during your next stroll through the RSC.

Cost: Free!

Do you love working with children and giving back to the community?

Mentoring Monday gives you the opportunity to do both. The Boys and Girls Club has partnered with the Community Service Board to create a weekly tutoring program.

Mentoring Mondays are designed to bring Wichita State students to an environment where their skills can best be put to use. Make sure to register at www.wichita.edu/ CSBvolunteer so you can take part.

ENGAGE ICT: DEMOCRACY ON TAP

KMUW’S LITERARY FEAST

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Time: Noon – 1 p.m.

Location: Roxy’s Downtown

Location: KMUW

Cost: Free!

Cost: $10

Jump into in the Wichita conversation about climate change at a historic venue this Tuesday with KMUW’s Democracy on Tap. At Roxy’s Downtown, you’ll be bombarded with awesome free appetizers while you dive into discussion. A panel of experts will be providing insight and direction along the way.

Are you a media nerd who loves literature and radio? Then KMUW’s Literary Feast is for you! The event is an open-book discussion led by KMUW that features both food for the mind and food for the stomach.

Discussion is lead by KMUW book nerds Lu Anne Stephens, Beth Golay, and Sarah Jane Crespo, while food is provided by Public at the Brickyard. Get in the literary groove with “Lost Children Archive”

by Valeria Luiselli, this month’s focus of discussion, then grab your tickets at http://www.kmuw.org/ kmuw-literary-feast.

COMPILED BY JOHN DARR

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SPORTS/CULTURE

4 | MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019

www.thesunflower.com

The Tiger Woods redemption arc represents the best of sports

T

iger Woods has recaptured his glory at Augusta National by winning the most storied and iconic tournament in golf. It was his first major victory since 2008.

Many people thought he’d never be here again, after spending the last decade toiling in injury and scandal. He experienced his highest of highs in the early 2000s, winning an unprecedented number of tournaments, before crashing to his lowest of lows with infidelity and prescription drug scandals.

His career should’ve been over several years ago, after a series of major back surgeries left him unable to swing a club, let alone compete professionally. Despite all this, he returned in 2018 and competed at an incredibly high level, securing several high finishes and ultimately winning the season-ending Tour Championship. And on Sunday, Woods finished his storybook comeback to win the Masters.

Sports are about so much more than a simple game. These athletes have dedicated their lives — their heart and soul — to competing, giving back to their communities, and inspiring the next generation of Earth’s youth.

Tiger represents the best of this, whether it be through his foundation (which provides a vast number

JUSTIN GORDON COLUMNIST

of educational opportunities to underserved communities), or through creating an inspirational image of hard work and determination for posterity. Even if you’re not a golf fan, we can all cheer for philanthropy and greater minority representation in American culture.

Furthermore, we all love an underdog achieving their ultimate redemption. Whether it be the “Miracle on Ice,” “Linsainity,” or Tiger Woods, humans are programmed to empathize with those who’ve fallen on hard times, as it makes their success so much sweeter.

Regardless of how you feel about his previous infidelity, Woods has shown himself to be a reformed man — one who’s recovered from the extreme fame of his youth to

become the ultimate family man.

Many sportswriters talk about the tens of thousands of people who tune in to watch Tiger on Sundays, but they also note that it seems he’s only playing for an “audience of two.” That audience is his two kids, Sam and Charlie, who had never seen his success, never seen his championships, never seen his domination of golf. They had only seen scandal and injury.

Now, as Woods approaches age 44, he’s playing to shape their image of their father.

That made the embrace at the end of his masterful victory that much sweeter.

Tiger Woods represents everything that makes sports compelling — a tragic hero fallen from grace, but clawing his way back to the top through grit, goodwill, and determination. Tiger has reached the top once again, for his children, for his charities, for everyone who goes through hardship. Tiger is back, and if you can’t cheer for that, then I don’t know what you can cheer for.

It’s Been A While...

It’s the return of glory.

For the first time since 2008, Tiger Woods has won a major tournament.

Here’s are some indicators of just how long it’s been.

The last time Tiger Woods won a major …

— The first generation iPhone was still in production.

— The New York Giants had just won the Super Bowl.

— George W. Bush was President.

— The Seattle Supersonics’ Kevin Durant won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

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COURTESY

“Our Planet” is an eight-episode nature documentary series on Netflix.

‘Our Planet’ weaponizes natural beauty against natural destruction On the most beautiful days, we step outside and are taken aback by the world. The flowering trees and blue skies renew themselves somehow, and the grasses we’ve seen so many times before glow as if they burst forth yesterday.

There’s nothing quite like this natural ecstasy. Miraculously, the “Planet” nature documentary series manages to capture this ecstasy over and over again.

The newest entry in the series, the eight-episode “Our Planet,” has the core hallmarks of the shows that came before — breathtaking shots of wild animals in action and exquisite narration by David Attenborough. Yet, “Our Planet” manages to take the breathtaking photography of previous seasons and ratchet it up even further.

We witness dolphins chase mackerel into the range of diving birds, creating a pincer-like feeding frenzy taking place from both air and sea. We watch a wildebeest mother successfully defend her young from hunting dogs through flanking maneuvers in a high-speed chase. The show bears an overabundance of these shots that are sure to make viewers gasp.

While these wow-moments are nothing new to the “Planet” series, “Our Planet” tends to load them with a new sense of urgency. As implied by its title, “Our Planet” aims to make its viewers take ownership of the human destruction of these animals’ environment.

Mostly gone is the humor that punctuated “Planet Earth.”

In its place are alternating shots of animals frolicking and then struggling through

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Online Campus Online Campus human-changed landscapes. Like previous Attenborough-narrated documentaries, “Our Planet” still revels in the wonders of the world. It simply refuses to let the viewer forget that those wonders are disappearing every year.

Thankfully, “Our Planet” has a few tricks up its sleeve that makes its doomsday approach worth navigating. The series continues to push its storytelling beyond prey-predator interactions, allowing each episode to feel fresh despite tackling similar topics.

The show’s peaceful scenes are treated to more delightful music than ever before in order to contrast with the darker scenes that surround them. With these elements, “Our Planet” brings a freshness not only in its tone but in its style.

With “Planet” running now for nearly two decades, it’s quite shocking how each new series manages to make something new of a few excellent ingredients. “Our Planet” bears a refreshing urgency in its approach that separates it from an increasingly crowded pack. It’s a delight to behold.

Hopefully, its viewers will finish the nature documentary with a drive to save what they’ve seen.

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www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019

|5

Houston pummels Wichita State baseball

BY EVAN PFLUGRADT

SCORES

Wichita State baseball owns a six-game losing streak.

Houston, with superior hitting, pummeled Wichita State in three outings. The Shockers scored 12 runs to Houston’s 27 in the threegame home series this weekend at Eck Stadium.

WSU’s Jordan Boyer had a triple and Paxton Wallace had a double for the only two multibase hits the Shockers posted in Sunday’s series finale.

Todd Butler’s Shockers will next host Central Florida in a threegame series starting Thursday.

Friday: 5-13, Houston Saturday: 3-7, Houston Sunday: 4-7, Houston

Central Florida has a 4-8 record in the American Athletic Conference, good for one spot ahead of the Shockers in the standings.

WSU (18-18; 3-5 AAC) is ahead of only South Florida, 2-9 in AAC play, in the latest standings. In the next 30 days, the Shockers will play three of the top four teams in the conference.

JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Rod Brown walks onto the team plane headed to New York City for the NIT semifinals on March 31.

Rod Brown will not return to WSU

BY EVAN PFLUGRADT

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Luke Ritter hits a double during the game held on April 13, 2019 at Eck Stadium.

Rod Brown is entering the NCAA transfer pool.

The redshirt freshman forward will not return to Wichita State next season, he announced via Twitter Thursday evening.

His absence, coupled with junior Ricky Torres, who announced his transfer Wednesday night, opens two spots for Head Coach Gregg Marshall to fill.

Brown would have likely struggled to find playing time behind Teddy Allen — who will become eligible next season — Dexter Dennis, and newcomer DeAntoni Gordon.

Marshall said earlier this

week that Gordon will commend playing time at the power-forward position.

“We’re going to need him (Gordon) to be a four next year . . . We’ll play Teddy (Allen) at the four, Dexter (Dennis) at the four some. And we’ve got Rod Brown, too,” Marshall said, almost hinting at Brown’s pending departure.

Brown scored 41 points and had 48 rebounds in 36 games this season. He played reserve minutes behind senior Markis McDuffie.

Brown, a freshman from Cordova, Tennessee, reclassified to join the Shockers a year early. He ended up taking a redshirt season his first year, and never locked down

sufficient playing time in the team’s stacked rotation.

His WSU career is accentuated by a career-best nine rebounds against East Carolina late in the Shockers’ season. His six-point scoring best came against conference-leader Houston.

WSU hosted Grant Sherfield, a four-star recruit who was granted release from his letter of intent from UCLA, on an official visit Friday. According to reports, WSU is still in play for the highly-sought-after recruit who played this season at Sunrise Christian Academy.

Softball sweeps Memphis

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Liam Eddy, sophomore, pitches during the game held on April 13, 2019 at Eck Stadium.

PUT ME IN, COACH

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State redshirt sophomore Kaylee Huecker swings at pitch during the game against Uconn on March 30.

Huecker hit a grand slam in the top of the first Sunday as WSU scored in every inning of a 15-3, five-inning run rule.

FAIRMOUNT

FROM PAGE 1 “I asked my son, did he see anything? Did you hear anything?

And he said, 'Mom, I did,'” Reed said.

“He was in front of his car. He raised up enough just to see the guy running across here up the street.

Reed was aware of the position her son was in.

“The way things is today, you can't say too much because you have folks knocking at your door with death threats and all this kind of stuff, you know, but right is right, and wrong is wrong,” Reed said.

She encouraged her son to speak with police.

“I got him in touch with the detectives and they talked to my son,” Reed said. “And at the time, you know, my son, he was on paper and everything, and he had to report that to his probation officer and all of that stuff. But he gave a description of the guy.”

It fit the description of Cornell McNeal, the man who was later arrested for Davis's murder.

McNeal has pled not guilty and is currently awaiting a second competency trial for the capital murder and rape of Davis.

“The park hasn't been the same since,” Reed said.

‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’

EVAN PFLUGRADT/THE SUNFLOWER

Former Head Baseball Coach Gene Stehpenson throws out the ceremonial first pitch before Saturday’s game at Eck Stadium. Stephenson, who coached for 36 years, was inducted into the Wichita State Hall of Fame last year.

In response to the Davis murder, Wichita State launched the Enough is Enough campaign.

The title came out of a conversation between late WSU President John Bardo and Ted Ayres, then WSU vice-president and general counsel emeritus.

“The president's executive team was meeting with the president shortly after the incident, and our conversation morphed into discussing [Davis’ death],” Ayres said. “I made the comment that it was so unfortunate — certainly for her, her family, her children, and the neighborhood, and in a sense, Wichita State University.

“At a certain point in time, enough is enough, and President Bardo said, 'You know, I really like that. I think we can do something with that.'”

“THE PARK HASN’T BEEN THE SAME SINCE.” ­—DREENA REED, FAIRMOUNT RESIDENT

A week later, Ayres got a call from Vice President for Strategic Communications Lou Heldman, saying Bardo had selected Ayres to head up a new initiative called "Enough is Enough.”

In December 2014, Bardo announced the formation of the "Enough is Enough" Task Force.

Enough is Enough took on other names during Ayres’ time.

“As I got into it, we used a number of different names, and developed a Shocker Neighborhood Coalition to implement Enough is Enough,” Ayres said.

In February 2015, the Shocker Neighborhood Coalition (SNC) was formed.

WSU’s Hugo Wall School of Public Affairs joined with several partners, including the Fairmount Neighborhood Association, to submit a grant application to The Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) on behalf of SNC.

In May 2015, the KHF awarded a Community Engagement Initiative grant of $250,000 to the Hugo Wall School and the WSU Foundation.

The funds would help WSU implement a three-year community engagement project to address topics such as safety and quality of life in the neighborhoods surrounding campus, starting with Fairmount.

Although Ayres had intended to retire, “The president asked me to stay aboard in a part-time role as director of the Office of Community Engagement and Opportunity,” he said.

Ayres retired from the full-time general counsel position on June 30, 2015. The next day, he began his new position as director.

“My phased retirement appointment was for three years, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018, and then just coincidentally, that Kansas Health Foundation grant was for three years and pretty much covered me there,” Ayres said.

Born out of the Enough is Enough initiative, Community Engagement and Opportunity’s mission was to join with surrounding communities, neighborhood representatives, and local government to help create safe, economically vibrant neighborhoods near campus.

This article is part of an ongoing series about Fairmount. The next article, also by Audrey Korte, will focus on the achievements of the Enough is Enough initiative and the continued relationship between Fairmount and WSU. Finally, Matthew Kelly will explore the implications of continued commercial development around the community.

SPORTS

6 | MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2019

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour went down the Old Town Road JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

PHOTOS BY JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Garfield Wilson holds onto Something Magical for 2.37 seconds during the second round of the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Saturday at INTRUST Bank Arena.

INTRUST Bank Arena hosted the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Saturday. Fans of bull riding filled the arena for a night at the rodeo.

While the Velocity tour isn’t the top PBR event, some highly ranked riders, including Paulo Ferreira Lima, participated in the event.

Wichita native takes center stage in bull riding competition

BY SEAN MARTY

Wichita native Garfield Wilson wasn’t sure what would happen Saturday night.

Wilson and others took center stage as INTRUST Bank Arena hosted Professional Bull Riders as part of their Velocity Tour.

At the beginning of the night, Wilson stood unsure whether he would even be participating in the event.

Wilson is one of the select few in the sport who are referred to as alternates. He would wait for an opportunity in the case of either travel or injury-related issues. Saturday sprung opportunity.

Wilson, who has spent the past five years as an alternate in the sport, posted up a time of 7.37 seconds. This time clinched a spot for Wilson in the final round.

“I waited and waited on a big opportunity, and I couldn’t miss it this time,” Wilson said. “It was a great experience just to ride in my hometown.”

The competition is recognized

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Left, Paulo Ferreira Lima rides Little Tucker for 8 seconds during the first round of the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour. Below, Cody Rodeo Tyler is bucked off Sniper at 4.20 seconds during the first round.

mostly for bull riders seeking to make a name for themselves or pursue a comeback. A packed house cheered on the hometown rider as he finished with the third-best first-round score out of all competitors.

“I WAITED AND WAITED ON A BIG OPPURTUNITY, AND I COULDN’T MISS IT THIS TIME. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE JUST TO RIDE IN MY HOMETOWN.” ­—GARFIELD WILSON

“It was nice to hear them cheer for the hometown cowboy,” Wilson said.

Wilson came up short, only lasting 2.37 seconds on the bull in the final round.

Although Wilson’s story was one that Wichita PBR fans got behind, Daylon Swearingen took home the title after edging out Paulo Limo in the finals.

TRACK AND FIELD COMPETES AT K.T. WOODMAN CLASSIC

Spring Sculpture Dedication

Elyn Zimmerman Font

Tuesday, April 23 3:30 P.M. Reveal and Remarks 4:00 P.M. Reception Shocker Hall Plaza 5:30 P.M. Artist Talk Ulrich Museum of Art

Zimmerman’s Font comes out of the artist’s decades-long fascination with stone as a material and the forms of ancient structures familiar to us through the work of archaeologists. Font evokes ancient sacred forms from a number of cultures around the world and was most directly inspired by an ancient Egyptian altar that featured a round stone sunk into a table. In Zimmerman’s interpretation, the round stone of the original altar is replaced by a polished black granite disk over whose edge water flows hypnotically. At WSU, the piece is sited so as to encourage interaction with passersby and will provide a meditative oasis in the midst of a bustling campus.

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER

Top, Wichita State redshirt sophomore Sydney Wilson high jumps during the K.T. Woodman Classic Saturday at Cessna Stadium. Bottom, WSU sprinter Nerea Quirós competes in the 4 × 400 meters race.