MONDAY, MAY 6, 2019 • VOL. 123, ISS. 57
THESUNFLOWER.COM
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.
Student Senate sees steep decline in membership after election rule change
HISTORIC HOME
BY RUBY MUNGUIA
Thirty-eight student senators were sworn in after the 2017 Student Government Association election. That number dropped off significantly to 29 in 2018, but this year, only 19 senators took office after the election. New members are settling into their roles as senators after being sworn in for the 62nd Session of SGA last week. Every elected senator ran on their own ticket, thanks to a rule passed by the 60th Session that no longer allows senators to run on tickets with presidential and vice presidential candidates. SEE STUDENT SENATE PAGE 5
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Aaron Austin, associate vice president of student affairs, came to Wichita State in 2017. He’s a huge fan of WWE legend Ric Flair and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Originally dedicated in June 1906 as Fairmount College’s men’s residence hall, Fiske Hall has served as a home to many campus deartments and organizations over the years, including the music department, ROTC, The Sunflower, and the departments of philosophy and history.
Fiske Hall rededicated with memories, special meanings
After wakeup call, Aaron Austin resolved to show students he had their backs
BY KYLIE CAMERON
M
embers of the Wichita State philosophy and history departments shared their memories of Fiske Hall alongside Provost Rick Muma and Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Andrew Hippisley Friday afternoon — speaking about what the building means to them at its redediction. Fiske Hall, the oldest surviving building on WSU’s campus, reopened in January after undergoing renovations for the past two-and-a-half years. The building was
BY ANDREW LINNABARY
Aaron Austin grew up without a father, ate free and reduced lunches, lived in government-subsidized housing, was in the Head Start program, and always needed loans to pay for school. But all that was easy compared to what he faced as a 40-year-old at Bethel College, he said. Austin is Wichita State’s dean of students and associate vice president of student affairs. He was also dean of students at Bethel, the job he held before coming to WSU. He’s a black man working in higher education administration — the only black man in WSU’s current administration.
originally slated to undergo renovations to become ADA compliant, but when those renovations began, the need for other renovations, such as a new air conditioning system, became obvious. Fiske Hall houses WSU’s philosophy and history departments. While renovations were taking place, both departments were temporarily relocated to Brennan Hall, across 17th Street from the main campus. For Jeff Hershfield, chair of the philosophy department, Fiske Hall meant a second chance, he said. SEE FISKE PAGE 3
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History Department Chair Jay Price and Philosophy Department Chair Jeff Hershfield read the original dedicatory poem of Fiske Hall that was published in the Wichita Eagle in 1906.
SEE AARON AUSTIN PAGE 5
Graduate student discusses Neurodiversity, life with an Autism Spectrum Disorder BY AUDREY KORTE
Meghan Schmitt is a Wichita State graduate student currently working on her second Master’s degree in the Communication Sciences and Disorders, SpeechLanguage Pathology program. As part of the program, Schmitt works at WSU’s Speech-Language Pathology clinic as a student clinician. She’s working with people with a variety of communication disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and a Master’s degree from Colorado State University, both in chemistry, Schmitt began another Master’s at WSU. While enrolled, she was diagnosed with autism. According to Autism Speaks, autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to, “a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills,
“I LIKE MY BRAIN, SO I’M NOT GOING TO HATE SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF ME.” —Meghan Schmitt, graduate student, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Speech-Language Pathology program
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Meghan Schmitt speaks at a brown bag panel discussion in April during WSU’s Neurodiversity Awareness Week.
repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.” The CDC says autism affects an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States. Because autism is a spectrum
disorder, each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. For Schmitt, it wasn’t until adulthood that she learned she’s officially on the spectrum,
but she’d suspected it for years, she said. “When I came here, I hadn’t actually even been officially diagnosed,” Schmitt said. “That’s a pretty common problem with
women — especially women with average or above average intelligence. “Every one of the tests were all normed on boys and a specific type of boy. And so it’s very common to miss it in girls growing up and even into adulthood, or to not notice it at all because they’re just like the quiet girl in class who does okay in school,” Schmitt said. “So why would we pay any attention to the fact that she has these other traits? “The kid who just talks endlessly about trains is probably going to get noticed,” she said. SEE AUTISM PAGE 5
INSIDE
TRANSPARENCY, PLEASE
UP AND RUNNING
TURNING HEADS
Open Streets ICT shut down a mile of 21st Street for community enjoyment.
The Regents must let Wichita State meet its presidential finalists.
Last year, a house fire threatened to end WSU runner Josh Cable’s career and life.
Shocker softball took two of three against No. 25 USF and will be the AAC’s 4 seed.
CULTURE • PAGE 4
OPINION• PAGE 5
SPORTS• PAGE 6
SPORTS • PAGE 6
CINCO DE MAYO FUN