Fall 2025 enrollment was higher than Wichita State administration expected. The reasons for the unexpected rise were due to international student enrollment not being as low as university administrators were planning for, and a focus on retention.
Wichita State’s headcount was at 18,458, which is up from last fall’s 17,700. The 4.3% increase marked another year of breaking the highest headcount enrollment since WSU’s start.
While full-time Equivalency at WSU was down by about 200 in fall 2024 from the previous year, this year it was up 342. Last fall’s FTE enrollment was 14,585 and this fall’s was 14,927.
WSU and the Kansas Board of Regents, the body that oversees the state’s public higher education institutions, calculate FTE enrollment differently. KBOR’s FTE enrollment this fall was 11,798, which was up from last year’s 11,728.
WSU Tech’s headcount and FTE — by KBOR’s calculations — went up from last fall. Headcount was 6,689 and FTE was 4,014 for WSU Tech.
Graduate student enrollment – an ongoing challenge
According to WSU’s student enrollment factbook, undergraduate international enrollment went down by 11.7% — 496 students last fall to 438 this fall. Graduate international students went from 860 last year to 687 this year — a 20.1% drop.
WSU President Richard Muma said that the university has been focusing on recruiting in countries that tend to have less problems with
TALIYAH WINN editor@thesunflower.com
Sarah Beth Estes joined Wichita State as Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences dean in June, but that wasn’t the first time she had considered working for the university.
Before joining Wichita State in July, Estes worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock as the dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education.
“When I was finishing my PhD in either 1999 or 2000… I had a campus visit here in the sociology department,” Estes said. “So I really loved that department, and I loved Wichita State. It ended up not being the right choice for me at the time, but that’s how I got familiar with Wichita State.”
Estes worked at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for 19 years, making this one of the first new environments she’s had to adjust to.
“I’ve started a million new positions, but I have not started at
student visas. He mentioned the university being in talks with universities in Mexico to set up exchange programs.
Muma said that the decline of international students wasn’t as drastic as the university
HOW IS ENROLLMENT CALCULATED?
Headcount
Headcount is the total number of students enrolled in at least one course, whether they are full-time students or not, and full-time equivalency is based on credit hours.
Full-time equivilancy
WSU considers an undergraduate student to be full-time if they are taking 12 or more credit hours and a graduate student to be full-time if they are taking 9 or more credit hours.
To determine full-time equivilancy, the total number of undergraduate credit hours in a semester is divided by 12 and total graduate credit hours are divided by 9. This shows a representation of how many students would be enrolled at WSU if each student was full time.
The Kansas Board of Regents, the body that oversees the state’s public higher education institutions, considers full-time undergraduate students as those taking 15 or more hours and full-time graduate students as those taking 12 or more hours. This creates a difference in the two institutions’ calculations.
a different institution for 19 years,” Estes said. “So, you know, it’s been — I mean — fascinating, really, to sort of — to see what that feels like.”
Despite the novelty of moving to a new university, Estes said the campus matched her expectations.
“It’s been going great. Wichita State is what I thought it was,” Estes said. “It’s been very confirming for me.”
Her first few months on campus were spent visiting different departments, participating in start of the year events and greeting students on a Wuber for the first days of the semester. Estes also saw LAS win both Clash of the Colleges and Faculty and Staff Olympics.
“We won Clash, and then the week before that, we also won the faculty staff Olympics. So faculty, staff, students, we cleared the board,” Estes said. “I’m very happy about it… I’m a good sport, like I don’t have to win, but winning is more fun. It just is.”
Cheryl Miller, the assistant dean of LAS, works closely with
had expected. Tuition rates were increased over the summer partially due to a shortfall last year and because of expected international student enrollment.
“We did have a decline in international enrollment, but not as much as we were thinking,” Muma said. “Given the changes in policy in Washington, we were thinking that we’d have much more dramatic declines.”
Wichita State is focusing on student retention
Muma said the smaller decline in international enrollment along with high retention rates were prominent reasons for the enrollment increase from last year to this year.
“We spent this last year really focusing on returning students — retention — and persistence,” Muma said. “And that’s where we received the most of our gains.”
6,070 of the 18,458 were new students, with 12,388 students — 67% of students — returning.
WSU is aiming to become a Hispanic Serving Institution, a federal designation which requires an institution having a 25% Hispanic population. This fall, 18.7% of students are Hispanic, which is up from 18.1% last year.
While U.S. President Donald Trump’s Department of Education cut funding for grants related to Hispanic Serving Institutions, Muma said WSU is “going to continue to work toward” the Hispanic serving status
Muma specified that because WSU hadn’t yet reached Hispanic Serving status, the university won’t lose any money from the federal cuts – it just won’t receive federal grants if it does hit the 25% mark.
Beth
Estes and is in charge of strategic communications and staff concerns in the office. In their time together, Miller said that Estes’s foundation serving as a dean at a previous university gives her an advantage
in her role.
“She knows already what a dean does,” Miller said. “So when she came here the names and the position titles might have been different, but she knew who to
go to for support or to be able to answer a specific question. She just needed to find out who that person was.”
Sarah
Estes, dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, rides on the back of a golf cart in the Shocktoberfest parade on Oct. 4 holding up the Shocker hand sign. Photo by Ainsley Smyth / The Sunflower
Voter registration deadline approaching, here’s what you need to know before Election Day
TALIYAH WINN editor@thesunflower.com
The Nov. 4 general election is approaching, less than a month out. Though state and federal offices are not on the ballot, this election will decide local races for City Council, school boards and one local ballot measure in Sedgwick County.
If you are a voter in the Wichita area, or an out-of-state student wondering how to approach voting season, here is the information you need to know to prepare for election day.
How to register
The deadline to register to vote in Kansas is Oct. 14.
To be eligible to vote in the state of Kansas, you must be:
l A United States citizen
l 18 years of age or older at the time of the election
l A Kansas resident
l Not in prison, on probation or parole for a felony Kansas has an online voter registration application which can be completed with a valid driver’s license or non-driver’s identification card. If you do not have a valid Kansas ID you must register via a paper form.
To check voter registration, register to vote and request a vote by mail visit vote.org.
What’s on the ballot?
In November, Sedgwick County voters will decide on a variety of offices including Wichita City Council members in Districts 1, 3 and 6 along with school board members in Wichita, Maize, Haysville and Goddard. There are no statewide races in this election.
To see your sample ballot, which shows the elections you’re eligible to vote in, go to the Sedgwick County website.
How to vote
The state of Kansas requires voters
to bring a valid photo ID to the polls.
Valid forms of ID include:
l Driver’s license or state ID card
l U.S. Passport or military ID
l ID card issued by a Native American tribe
l Employee badge or ID issued by a government office
l Student ID card from an accredited higher education institution in Kansas
l Concealed carry license issued by Kansas or another state
l Public assistance ID card issued by a government office
Early in-person voting opens Monday, Oct. 20, at the Sedgwick County Election Office, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More early voting locations open Friday, Oct. 31, with satellite locations around the county. Early voters can go to any of these locations.
To find your election day polling location go to the Sedgwick County website. Polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on election day and you must vote at your assigned location.
Out-of-state students and alternative voting options
Out-of-state students can decide whether to vote at their college or home address.
Though registering to vote in more than one state is illegal, it is possible to change your voter registration to the state you reside in if you have moved.
If you live far away from your polling place, most states offer either absentee voting or vote-by-mail options, but deadlines and rules vary.
In Kansas, the deadline to request an advanced ballot by mail is Tuesday, Oct. 28. All Sedgwick County voters are eligible to vote by mail. To request an advance voting ballot, you must fill out an application and submit it to Sedgwick County through email, mail or fax.
To be counted, the ballot must be returned to a valid Sedgwick County drop-off location by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or postmarked by Election Day.
To check your state’s deadlines and rules on absentee voting or mail-in voting, visit vote.org.
1,200% voter turnout increase in SGA midterm elections
KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com
Results of the midterm elections for the Student Government Association were announced on Wednesday evening, excluding write-in candidates. Of the 27 seats that were up for election, 8 were filled.
This is the second year SGA has held midterm elections, and this year’s voter turnout was 937, about 6.5% of 14,326 eligible students. This is about a 1,216% increase compared to last year’s turnout of 77 students.
SGA contacted those elected via write-in; they had until Friday at noon to accept their seat.
Adán Parker was elected as a business senator with 75 votes. There are four remaining business seats that will be certified from the write-in section.
For underserved senator seats, Vincent Farwell was voted in with 280 votes.
The single Engineering seat that was up for election will go to Alex Le with 192 votes.
Health professions had two empty seats and elected Eiden Hinojosa with 55 votes and Aidan Thibodeau with 53 votes.
One seat was open for an international senator, and Anestacia Marston was elected with 78 votes.
Liberal Arts and Sciences elected Trinity McCarroll as a senator with 232 votes.
Erin Tims was elected to the open Honors senator seat with 91 votes.
The remaining seats – two freshman senators, one adult learner senator, two graduate senators, one fine arts senator and six applied studies senators – were either left uncontested or had a successful write-in candidate.
Write-in winners
Write-in candidates for its midterm elections were announced Friday.
After the initial results of the election were announced on Wednesday, 19 seats were left to be decided by write-ins. Three of those 19 were successfully filled, and the rest will remain empty because some of the students that were elected via write-ins either declined the seat or did not accept before the deadline.
Out of four remaining seats for business senators, Mason Fouquet was the only successful write-in candidate with four votes. Fouquet is also the vice president of the Turning Point USA chapter at WSU and a business administration major.
Fine arts had one seat open, and it will be filled by Arianna Martinez with nine votes.
Applied studies also had one successful write-in candidate, Tiffany Sowa, receiving one vote and taking one of the six open seats.
The seats that will continue to be uncontested include two freshman senator seats, three underserved, one adult learner, two graduate, three business and five applied studies seats.
Shockers Vote Coalition hosted the National Voter Registration day in the north patio of Rhatigan Student Center on Sept. 17, 2024. Food and games were provided to encourage students to register. File photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Map courtesy of Sedgwick County
Purple Mile walk memorializes those lost to domestic violence for 10th year
KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com
Three hundred forty people walked along a path of purple shoes on Saturday morning in remembrance of those lost to domestic violence. Wichita State hosted the 10th annual Purple Mile on Saturday joined by its largest crowd since it began.
Taronza Bronson walked for her daughter, Zaiylah Bronson, who was a student at WSU in 2022 and died as a result of domestic violence in 2023. Bronson was joined by family and friends.
“It warms my heart with joy to see so many people are still excited and supportive,” Bronson said.
Keri McGregor, program director of Harbor House, a shelter for domestic violence survivors and the organization behind The Purple Mile, said the walk is intended to “memorialize the lives that have been lost and affected by domestic violence.”
“In turn, it then does help us raise awareness and things of that nature and resource sharing,” McGregor said.
McGregor, who has helped organize the event since its start, said it is exciting to see so many people show up for an event like The Purple Mile. Harbor House created the event as a way for
Dean Estes / FROM PAGE 1
This is Miller’s 31st year at WSU, and her 28th year in the dean’s office. Estes is the sixth academic dean Miller has worked with. Miller said one of the biggest strengths Estes brings is her ability to collaborate.
“She’s genuine. She’s approachable. She listens very well,” Miller said. “She has the ability to connect with people individually.”
Estes said she thinks WSU is a leader in its search process for leadership positions and noted that as one of the largest drawing factors for her.
“It was really informative. It was very robust,” Estes said. “I got to meet with lots of groups of people, and then they do a thing of bringing you back again when you get to say who you want to meet with.”
Estes visited WSU as part of the interview process. During the visit, Miller noticed Estes’ collaborative nature and ability to connect with people.
“I saw that during her interview when she had an open forum, and rather than have a PowerPoint presentation, she spoke to people,” Miller said. “And the eye contact,
“
My favorite part of this event is — year after year — seeing the people who continue to return. They sort of become familiar faces.”
ATTICUS DISNEY Sedgwick County District Attorney
families of domestic violence victims to memorialize their loved ones.
“We’ve had a lot more vendors and resource sharing over the years,” McGregor said. “... It’s a lot of entities that a survivor would typically utilize.”
There were 18 vendors at the location, which was also the highest number of vendors since the event’s beginning.
Bronson said she hopes that people suffering from domestic violence can see there is help for them at events like The Purple Mile. She also hopes that people can learn to recognize early signs of abuse through these types of awareness events.
“A lot of people miss those beginning steps,” Bronson said.
“Hopefully, they can learn the steps of awareness before it gets that far.”
A speaker at the event, Alexis Smith, was last year’s Miss Kansas, and she spoke about
the listening, I mean, it was almost a case study in interpersonal communication. It was very obvious that she has that ability.”
Another draw for Estes was LAS’s adoption of core competencies. The college began using competencies in fall 2024 under former dean Andrew Hippisley. The change reduced and shifted the college’s general education requirements to classify courses into nine core competencies — an attempt to clarify to students what skills they would learn in each class.
“The theory is, you know, it’s not what’s on your transcript; it’s what you can articulate and do,” Estes said. And so it’s not the grades and it’s not the name of the class, it is the skills.”
Estes said that already having these competencies in place, especially in a “large, diverse unit” like LAS, was significant to her.
“I’m very impressed with what the faculty in this college accomplished by developing those,” Estes said. “And I think those are essential in the future of higher education, that we need to move into that competency space.”
Estes said that it took years after college for her to reflect on
her experiences with domestic abuse. She said she grew up in a generational cycle of domestic violence, and she wanted to break it as well as help others break theirs.
Talking about her experience with domestic violence in her family, Smith said, “Some of the things I saw, I should have never seen, and my little brother should have never seen. And a big part of breaking that cycle not only was for me and my family, but for my little brother. I wanted to have that leadership for him.”
Smith went viral after winning Miss Kansas after videos of her calling out her alleged abuser, who was in the crowd, were shared on social media.
Atticus Disney, a Sedgwick County District Attorney, said that seeing all the people is his favorite part of the event.
“My favorite part of this event
the deeper meaning of her classes, something she thinks students may be able to gain from the implementation of competencies.
“For me, I went to a small liberal arts college, and I learned so much,” Estes said. “But it wasn’t until really years and years later, after being in the world and in a career that I could reflect on, ‘Oh, that was something I took from there’, or ‘That was really the foundation of that.’ And so it’s really to make those things more plain at the time that it’s happening.”
Some of Estes’ favorite moments on campus come from interactions with students and faculty from different parts of the university, giving her opportunities to see the creativity and application of education on campus.
“I’m very glad that school is in session. It’s been great to see students, and obviously adds a vibrancy,” Estes said. “That’s why we’re here, and it can be pretty quiet over the summer, so doing more of that.”
Dean of the Cohen Honors College, Kimberly Ember, said that in her work with Estes she has noticed her authenticity and ability to connect with others.
is — year after year — seeing the people who continue to return,” Disney said. “They sort of become familiar faces.” Disney said that in his four years
“She asked really good questions,” Ember said. “She listened. She was really open and authentic and pretty much immediately engaged. It was easy to just start a conversation.”
Ember also noticed that Estes has a good sense of the mission of the university and the balance of a dean’s role, to advocate for and present the strengths of their college.
“She really seems to have a good sense of what the mission is of this university. That’s about the history,” Ember said. “I think we have a deep sense of history, but you can’t always tell that when you first come.”
Fairmount College, now commonly referred to as LAS, has played an important role in the history of WSU, carrying on the institution’s original name, and it’s still the largest college on campus.
“Wichita State would not be where it is today without Fairmount College, because we were the founding college that eventually became Wichita State,” Miller said.
of attending the event, he’s seen it grow in scale and number of attendees.
“That has been another amazing thing to watch,” Disney said.
“Liberal arts and sciences is core to American education. It is core to developing students with durable skills, and also helping students understand a broader perspective of the world.”
In addition to looking back at WSU’s history, Ember said being a dean is also about looking to the future.
“For me, it’s always a blend,” Ember said. “I just have a sense that she (Estes) understands that balance.”
Something that drives Estes forward is knowing that in a year from now “things will be a lot more straightforward,” allowing her to focus less on adjustment.
“I’m also a learner,” Estes said. “And you know, I’ve learned so much in this short time, and I’m looking forward to all the other things that I’ll get to learn this year because of what they (students) give to us.”
While she’s still adjusting to aspects of campus, like using Outlook or navigating myWSU, Estes said she’s been finding comfort and validation in her new role from those around her.
“(It’s) a big change,” Estes said. “But every day this institution, and you know in particular, individuals in this college, (have been) just validating of that decision. The strengths are strengths. People are strong. The programs are excellent.”
A crowd of 340 attends the 10th annual Purple Mile event on
walk is
memorial for victims of domestic violence. Photos by Kass Lewis / The Sunflower
Alexis Smith, Miss Kansas 2024, speaks on her experiences in domestic violence at the 2025 Purple Mile Walk held on Saturday, Oct. 4. As a Miss Kansas contestant, she advocated for DV victims.
FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COLLEAGUES
Memorial ‘70 honors lost lives 55 years later
BY EVAN TONG evantong3@gmail.com
Friends, family and colleagues gathered for the annual remembrance at the Memorial ‘70 service Thursday morning.
Held every year, the service honors the victims of the Oct. 2, 1970, plane crash. On that day, the Wichita State football team was traveling in two planes, one designated “Black,” the other “Gold.” They were on a road trip to play against Utah State University.
Thirty-one football players, university staff, boosters and air crew members died after the “Gold” plane crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado. Eight players survived the crash, along with the co-pilot.
Tony Newry was friends with Randy Jackson, a survivor of the crash.
“As a scholarship student athlete in 1976,” Newry said. “I was part of the football program. After playing football here at WSU, I became friends with one of the plane survivors, Mr. Randy Jackson.
“We became good friends, and we played basketball with him over at Robinson Junior High, and became a good friend of mine. We became neighbors, and that’s how I got identified with this memorial that they have. So I started coming because of him.”
BY EVAN LONG evan.long.soccer@gmail.com
With carefully manicured greens and fairways, nicely dressed players and the emphasis on proper etiquette, the golf course wouldn’t seem like the ideal place for a “dawg,” someone who’s gritty and is determined to win.
Even so, Wichita State men’s golf coach Judd Easterling used that word when describing standout senior Jose Miguel Ramirez.
“He’s ready to go at all times,” Easterling said. “I know he’s never going to give up, he’s going to fight till the end, and he’s going to give us everything he’s got every time he tees it up.”
A native Venezuelan, Ramirez made an immediate impact in his first year at WSU, finishing runner-up in the 2025 American Championship, tying the best finish ever by a Shocker since Wichita State joined the conference in 2017. Standing near the putting green at Willowbend Golf Club on Thursday afternoon, Ramirez laughed when asked about Easterling’s “dawg” comment.
“That’s actually pretty funny,” he said. “I guess it’s the way I play. Sometimes people get scared or
I came here to play football for Wichita State University. I’ve never left. I’ve raised my family, I’ve operated a business, and my whole life has been because of the courage of those people who survived.”
TONY NEWRY Former Wichita State Football Player, 1976-1980
James Rhatigan was the Dean of Students at the time. Rhatigan died in October 2024, and his widow, Beverly, and daughter Becky were in attendance at Thursday’s 55th memorial.
James was at a meeting in St. Louis when he got a call from Clark Ahlberg, WSU’s president at the time of the crash. Ahlberg told James to come home immediately after the crash happened.
“It was very difficult,” Beverly said. “Jim never got over it. They had a fundraiser, and they raised money so they could pay the tuition of all the players, and then they helped the children of the players.”
No survivors of the crash appeared at Thursday’s memorial, but a few of their children made an appearance that day.
Bill Glasco was a member of the football team on the “Black” plane and said that it gets more special
every year.
“It’s just a great group of guys, and they’re a lot of fun to be around, and yet, everyone knows why we’re here,” Glasco said. “So that’s always in our minds, but we’re able to accommodate it pretty well. (It) used to be even worse when we (would) come back, because some of the players who died, their family members, their parents would be here. That was about the worst.”
Glasco’s wife, Kathy, attended Northwest Missouri State when the crash happened.
“We were dating long distance,” Kathy said. “He was supposed to come home that weekend. And then they put him on the plane, and so nobody knew what plane he was on or if he was even coming home.”
Newry gave a reason why the memorial should be important to the public.
“It’s because of the courage of the survivors to continue the program is the reason why I’ve been given a life here in Wichita,” Newry said. “I came here to play football for Wichita State University. I’ve never left. I’ve raised my family, I’ve operated a business, and my whole life has been because of the courage of those people who survived.”
As the years pass on, those remaining who were there when the crash happened are not always able to be there.
“It’s because we don’t live forever,” Newry said.
nervous. I still get nervous, but I think I can control it really well. I enjoy those pressure moments.”
Ramirez has proven that he can come through when the pressure is on.
Playing for Iowa’s Indian Hills Community College, he won the 2023 National Junior College Athletic Association Division I men’s championship at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton. Easterling, who is entering his seventh year as head coach, was ecstatic after Ramirez committed to the Shockers.
“He’s been a game changer for our program,” Easterling said. “He hasn’t missed an event in a year and a half, and I don’t foresee him missing an event. He’s kind of a quiet leader, leads by example, does the right thing on and off the golf course, and he’s just been a pleasure to have here at Wichita State.”
Easterling said Ramirez has a strong overall game, which helped him post a 71.7 stroke average and finish in the top five twice last season.
“He drives it very far, is great around the greens, he competes at a high level and never gives up,” Easterling said. “He’s just kind of
I guess it’s the way I play. Sometimes people get scared or nervous. I still get nervous, but I think I can control it really well. I enjoy those pressure moments.”
JOSE MIGUEL RAMIREZ Senior, Wichita State Men’s Golf
the total package.”
Furthermore, Ramirez noted that staying upbeat throughout the round is a strength of his.
“My long irons and irons are really good overall, and my driving is really good as well,” Ramirez said. Ramirez is off to a solid start this season through WSU’s first three tournaments. He tied for 14th with a score of 213 in Colorado State’s Ram Masters Invitational. At the Git-R-Done Invitational, Ramirez tied for eighth, shooting 211 to go two under par.
Most recently, he tied for 23rd at the SIUE Dolenc Invitational, ending a five-tournament streak of top 20 finishes dating back to last season.
“This is probably the deepest team we’ve ever had,” Easterling said. “From one to nine, there’s not a whole lot of gap there.”
and why not the championship?”
While Ramirez led WSU at the Ram Masters Invitational, newcomer Emilio Arellano Llamas was the highest Shocker finisher at the two most-recent events, finishing in the top 10 in both. Llamas is also a product of Indian Hills Community College.
The Shockers’ Grier Jones Invitational wraps up Tuesday at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kansas. At the end of round two, WSU sat in second place, two strokes behind St. Thomas in first.
“I feel we have a lot of talent,” Ramirez said. “I have really high expectations for all of us at the end of the season (to) make it to the regionals
Family and friends stand in silence at the Memorial ‘70 service on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Wichita, Kansas. The service honored the Wichita State football team that crashed near Silver Plume, Colorado in 1970 on the way to a game. Photos by Airianna Sallaz / The Sunflower
sunflower wreath stands next to the memorial featuring the names of the lives lost in the 1970 Wichita State football team plane crash. WSU has held an annual service on Oct. 2 for 55 years in Wichita to commemorate the crash.
Senior Jose Miguel Ramirez lines up for his putt on the first hole at Sand Creek Station on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Newton, Kansas. File photo by Zachary Ruth / The Sunflower
Volleyball drops back-to-back games to Tulsa for first time in 40 years
BY OWEN PROTHRO & MACK SMITH
sports@thesunflower.com
mackred22@gmail.com
vs. Tulsa
In 2023, Wichita State volleyball played back-to-back matches against SMU in the same week. The Shockers were swept in the first game but rallied to win the second.
A similar scenario emerged after Friday night against Tulsa. WSU lost to the Golden Hurricane at home for the first time since 1980 and simultaneously snapped a 13-game winning streak against them in four sets, 3-1.
“This game and this feeling reminds me a lot of my sophomore year,” libero Gabi Maas said, referring to the SMU games in 2023. “We played SMU, and we played them back-to-back, and we lost that first game on a Friday — we were brutal. I mean, we did not play well.
“The team had some words for each other after the game, and we were like, ‘We have to do better.’ We came out (and) beat SMU. This really reminds me of that, and the conversation we just had in the locker room.”
WSU won the first set by a score of 25-16, but faltered for three-straight frames to take the loss. After the first set, the Shockers’ energy drained as Tulsa piled it on.
The stats after the openingset win speak for themselves. The Golden Hurricane led in multiple categories across the board.
Tulsa out-hit WSU .261-.203. Tulsa recorded 12 more assists at 60-48. It made 15 more digs at 69-54. It made 13 more kills than the Shockers, at 64-51.
“Honestly, we felt a little dead tonight, and just not really ourselves,” Maas said.
A key turning point was when Tulsa switched to a 5-1 rotation at the beginning of the second set. The switch helped it win the next three sets by scores of 25-19, 32-30 and 25-14.
“This is the best Tulsa team I’ve seen,” WSU coach Chris Lamb said. “I don’t know how they were selling it to their players, but when they got the lead and they won that second set, they saw it like the Super Bowl and kept on going.”
The Golden Hurricane went on two 5-0 runs to take the second set, including one that ended it. WSU pushed set three into overtime, and the teams tied for the lead 13 times throughout it before Tulsa managed to pull away. Tulsa’s freshman Maegan Mills smacked three-straight kills in the final frame to end the match.
The switch to a 5-1 was unexpected for the Shockers, something Lamb said he hadn’t seen yet on film.
“They also were searching for something after the first set,” he said. “I’m sure they’ve been training for it, but this was the first time they’re like, ‘Let’s give this one a whirl.’ And look, it won three straight sets against us.”
It may have been the Golden Hurricane’s Super Bowl, but Maas believes it came down to WSU not looking like itself after the strong start. The team hit a combined .089 after it and made
A GLIMPSE AHEAD
18 of its 20 errors.
“I think that we just didn’t play up to our potential,” Maas said. “We know that Sunday, coming out, we just have to play our brand of volleyball, and continue to work at the things we know we need to get better at, and not take this loss as, ‘Our season’s over,’ but as this is the beginning of what we can really get to work on.”
There were bright spots, however. The Shockers did hit .429 with 17 kills and two errors in the first set, and it felt like the game was going to be short-lived.
WSU used multiple runs of 5-0 or greater to keep its advantage. McKenzie Jones, a freshman outside hitter, provided sparks off the bench. She rattled off four kills in the first frame alone.
Jones ended the night with seven kills on a .385 hitting percentage. Lamb said she’s been developing swiftly over the past couple of weeks in practice.
“I couldn’t be more proud of how she’s just going out there, and she just seems unbreakable,” Lamb said.
at Tulsa
After falling to Tulsa at home on Friday, WSU wanted to get back on track Sunday by beating the Golden Hurricane on the road. The Shockers were swept, 3-0.
WSU (10-6, 2-2 American) dropped its second-straight game to Tulsa (13-3, 3-1 American) for the first time since 1985. It’s also the first time the Shockers were swept against the Golden Hurricane since 1988.
The Shockers rolled out their usual starting lineup of outside hitters Brooklyn Leggett and Sydney Dunning, defensive specialist Katie Galligan, Maas and middle blocker Maddie Wilson. The only change was that freshman middle blocker Janaya Weitkemper made her first collegiate start.
The teams traded the first ten points of the first set, with both teams trading 3-0 runs. Tulsa eventually took a five-point lead, 12-7, but WSU battled back to tie the set at 12.
A kill by Leggett sent the frame into the media timeout, with the Shockers leading, 15-14. After the timeout, the Shockers led up to set point, 24-22, but a Tulsa 3-0 run gave it set point in overtime.
WSU fought off multiple Golden Hurricane points, but Tulsa managed to pull away, 28-26.
In the second set, Tulsa came out hot, winning six of the first eight points and forcing a Shockers timeout. Tulsa held the lead the entire set, which included runs of 5-1 and 4-1 for the Golden Hurricane, 25-18.
Tulsa again was able to build a large lead to start the final set, leading by as much as six. WSU was able to tie the frame at 14, but a massive Tulsa run put the game out of reach.
The Shockers eventually lost the set and match, 25-20.
WSU volleyball will travel home for its next match against Memphis. First serve against the Tigers is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.
Takeaways from Shocker Madness
BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com
Shocker Madness, Wichita State’s annual basketball kickoff event, was held Saturday evening and gave fans a sneak peek at the men’s and women’s teams for the upcoming seasons.
The night featured team introductions, scrimmages and 3-point contests. It also featured performances from the Shocker Sound Machine and Spirit Squads, the announcement of Shocktoberfest Homecoming winners, and culminated with a performance by Grammy award-winning artist Lupe Fiasco.
The men’s scrimmage was played with two six-minute halves, while the women’s scrimmage was one 10-minute period with a running clock.
The “White” team won the men’s scrimmage, beating the “Black” team, 15-14. Junior Jaret Valencia drained a buzzer beating three off the glass to help his team to victory. In the women’s scrimmage, the “Black” team won, 17-13.
Senior Kenyon Giles on the men’s team displayed the best range in the 3-point contest, advancing to the final round and beating the women’s team’s graduate student Jaila Harding, 12-11.
Though the scrimmages were just a glimpse of the teams, a few things stood out:
Jaila Harding is an outside shooter
Wichita native Jaila Harding shot an even 50% (25-of-50) during the 3-point contest portion of the basketball events. While 3-point
contests are essentially target practice with a little competition mixed in, it’s still a good sign.
Even during the scrimmage, Harding found space on a dribble move near the right elbow and drained one of her two attempts from deep. At the Division I level, she’s a career 35.7% 3-point shooter, which would’ve been second on last year’s roster.
For a team that shot just 27.5% from deep last season, anything helps, and the graduate student showed flashes of providing much needed shooting on the perimeter.
If she shoots anywhere near her mark from three at Shocker Madness during the season, this will open up a wide array of options for WSU’s offense.
Physicality is key for men’s team
While players were cautious to avoid injuring each other a month before the first game, neither team was able to gain a clear edge. The “White” team trapped the “Black” team in the corner a few times and caused some disruption.
Men’s basketball head coach Paul Mills said this year’s team has come a long way from where they were at this point last season. The team started jamming in transition — a technique used to crowd a rebounder to create steals — which they haven’t done before under Mills.
Redshirt freshman TJ Williams took advantage of that for the “White” team. After his team missed, he jammed the rebounder for an easy bucket down low.
“Some of them (the players) are
wired defensively,” Mills said after the scrimmage. “(Karon Boyd) is one of those guys, you saw Dre (Kindell) out there. I think his impact on the ball, some of its schematic.”
Tempo, tempo, tempo
Unofficial stats recorded by The Sunflower had both teams attempting a combined 31 shots in the men’s team’s scrimmage. They played 12 minutes of game time, which is over 2.5 attempts per minute.
While playing up tempo can keep opponents on their toes, it can be an Achilles’ heel at times. A few moments it looked like the teams were jittery, which is natural as this was the Shockers’ first chance to play in front of a crowd.
“I think I counted three air balls that, you know, usually don’t happen in the course of a practice,” Mills said. “It’s good to get out under lights, even though you don’t take too much away from that.”
WSU will need to find a balance of up-tempo and a slower pace of play before the season starts.
Wichita State men’s basketball team will compete in a charity scrimmage against Drake on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Wichita Children’s Home and UJUMP, which was founded by former Shocker Lynbert “Cheese” Johnson.
Women’s basketball plays a scrimmage against cross-town Newman University Wednesday, Oct. 29 at Koch Arena. Tipoff time is still to be determined.
Cross country season spices up
BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ-MEDINA 65nthony@gmail.com
Seven members of the Wichita State cross country team made their way to Fayetteville, Ark., to compete in the Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival on Saturday. Four runners on the women’s team ran the Harter’s Habanero 5-kilometer race and three men’s team runners raced in the McDonnell Memorial 8-kilometer. Because the teams didn’t send five or more runners per race, the Shockers forfeited points toward the team standings. Freshman Mercy Jepkoech ran into the top-10 with a 5-kilometer time of 16:54.2. Sophomores Emily See (19:23.1) and Kalyn Willingham (19:26.9), and freshman Jasmine Stiede (19:34.2) placed 178th, 183rd and 188th, respectively. In the men’s race, sophomore Landon O’Neil (25:51.5) led the Shockers in the 8-kilometer race in 109th place overall. Seniors Ian Hunter (26:12.4) and Riley Vandaveer (26:26.9) placed 137th and 152nd overall, respectively.
Wichita State cross country is set to have its final regular season race in Columbia, Mo. at the Pre-National Invitational hosted by Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 18.
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
Men’s runners: 109. Landen O’Neill: 25:51.5
137. Ian Hunter: 26:12.4
152. Riley Vandaveer: 26:26.9
Women’s runners: 10. Mercy Jepkoech: 16:54.2
178. Emily See: 19:23.1
183. Kaylyn Willingham: 19:26.9
188. Jasmine Stiede: 19:34.2
Saturday, Oct. 4:
Pre-National Invitational Columbia, Mo.
Gans Creek Cross Country Course
Saturday, Nov. 1: Conference Championships Concord, N.C. Frank Liske Park
Friday, Nov. 14:
NCAA Midwest Regional Stillwater, Okla.
OSU Cross Country Course
Friday, Nov. 14: NCAA Championships Columbia, Mo.
Gans Creek Cross Country Course
Wichita State junior Jaret Valencia (2) celebrates a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of men’s basketball’s team scrimmage during Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. The “White” team beat the “Black” team, 1514.
Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Redshirt freshman Sarah Musial (5) saves the ball from hitting the floor on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Musial made four digs in the 3-1 loss against Tulsa. Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
It’s about time we start being nice to pigeons
Wichita State’s parking garage, built in 2017, provides additional parking on a campus where lots are often full. Pigeon spikes, also known as bird spikes, were added to the building. They are used to deter birds from nesting and roosting on ledges or other structures, like parking garages. Obviously, the university doesn’t want birds, specifically pigeons,
in the parking garages. But my question is, why not?
Pigeons, in the grand scheme, are relatively harmless. All they really do is poop on the occasional car and eat our trash off the ground. Pigeons can’t even make nests properly because, for years, humans used them as messengers. Humans have domesticated pigeons for so long that they don’t know how to make their own nests anymore. In the past, they relied on us so much, they evolved to always want to be near us. That’s why pigeons don’t head south for the winter; it’s literally in their nature to stick near humans.
Once humans advanced in technology and found better ways to send messages, we just abandoned pigeons and decided they were pests. For years, pigeons were our loyal companions, akin to horses or dogs, and in a flash, we just left them behind because we didn’t need to use them anymore. We’re constantly treating them like trash when all they’re doing is what we programmed them to do through years and years of labor. And now we complain that they’re in our cities, and we buy spikes to keep them out of our parking garages. It just seems a little messed up to me.
It’s like if we started cutting down trees on campus to get squirrels to go away because there was too much roadkill. The issue wouldn’t be the squirrels; it would be us. It raises a bigger issue in this whole discussion: how is it fair that we invade the space of wildlife –like pigeons – and then, when they evolve to live alongside us, we hurt them for it? The way humanity has treated pigeons as a whole could be seen as a larger metaphor for how we use and abuse resources and never properly address the fallout from our actions.
Maybe I’m getting too worked up over the university wanting to
‘The Life of a Showgirl’: great or gimmick? LETTER TO
As a long time Taylor Swift music fan and attendee of the Eras Tour, I, like many others, waited with bated breath for the drop of her newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” which was released on Friday.
I imagined the dramatics, the bridges, the parallels between Swift’s life and that of a showgirl. A showgirl is loosely defined as an “actress who sings and dances in musicals, variety acts, and similar shows,” the title being largely associated with feathers, camp, and the theater.
Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. The album is not nearly as showtune influenced as you would expect — save the title track — and did not feature a whirlwind of references to the life of any known showgirl.
The musical composition is the closest thing to cohesion the album achieves; it’s very pop heavy, and dips into Sabrina Carpenter’s current niche. Sabrina Carpenter is known more for her disco-pop, raunchy tongue-and-cheek music, and it seems Swift takes inspiration from that on this album. Which is not to say that the pop girls can’t take a dip in the same pool, but coming from Swift, the same woman who wrote “1989”, “Red” and “Evermore” – one starts to expect more.
The album has plenty of signature Taylor moves: references to her personal life, famous actresses and women of literature. However, she fails to fulfill them in the previous way she had done with tracks like “Peter” from “The Tortured Poets Department,” and “Tolerate it” from “Evermore.” Swift also makes references to popular phrases like “savage” and
“cancelled,” but she again fails to bring levity to the topics she sings about with the inclusion of the phrases. This is particularly devastating to me, as on her previous album “The Tortured Poets Department,” she reworked modern phrases like “Down Bad” and “I hate it here” into certified hits with her classic lyricism and subversions.
I also found the track “Cancelled” to be self-aware and woefully tasteless at the same time. In the song she writes, “Good thing I like my friends cancelled. I like ‘em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal.” Swift has a myriad of friends and colleagues who are “canceled” for serious accusations ranging from illegal to lack of decorum.
In the song, she makes the point essentially that they may not be good people, especially in the view of fans, but they’re good to me, so I will keep them as friends. I can respect someone who knows their friends may be bad people. I can’t
respect someone who continues the friendship only because their friends are only good to them, but not good people.
Some consumers will exclaim it’s not that deep! I ask them to engage critically and ask, “What if it was?”
Standouts on the album are “The Fate of Ophelia,” “Opalite” and the title track – the unifying aspect being that they sound good, and have catchy one liners.
“The Life of a Showgirl” is neither a gimmick nor great, but middling at best in Swift’s discography. There’s nothing wrong with a fun pop album, but I know she can do this kind of album better like she has previously with tracks including “Miss Americana,” “Me” and “Style.”
If you’re looking for Swift’s lyrical prowess, skip this one. If you’re looking for pop akin to Sabrina Carpenter and Tate McRae, this is definitely an album for you.
As the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) intensifies its operations to round up undocumented residents, I find myself increasingly disturbed on multiple levels. As a professor who collaborates closely with international students, I can perceive their unease regarding the chaotic ICE raids. On the television news, we see ICE agents rounding up undocumented residents, clad in military tactical gear, heavily armed, with no name identifiers and with their faces obscured by masks. ICE officials claim that covering their faces is intended to protect the identities of their agents. It seems that people protesting the mass roundups are taking pictures of the ICE agents and sharing them on social media.
I find it pertinent to compare this situation to that of local police officers. Local police officers head to work each day without knowing what to expect. They might investigate a car accident, file a report on a burglary or theft, or respond to a large gathering of unruly individuals. In response to such gatherings, they neither conceal their faces nor remove their name tags, as doing so would deviate from sound operational procedures and raise community suspicion towards the police. It is excessive and unnecessary for ICE agents to conceal their identities while making arrests for non-violent immigration violations. Their approach has heightened tensions during mass arrests. As a start, ICE should
eliminate a pest problem. Or maybe there is a deeper conversation to be had. The next time you see a pigeon, I encourage you to not look at them as pests, but as creatures just trying to survive the only way they know how to. Wichita State shouldn’t be trying to keep them out; they should be letting the pigeons roam free. So the next time you see a pigeon, stop and give it some food; they’re not just birds, they’re our friends too.
remove the word “Police” from their tactical vests, replacing it with “Federal ICE Agent” to help citizens differentiate between local first responders (police) and federal authorities.
The presence of ICE in communities of color raises concern about diminishing trust between these communities and local police. For many years, local law enforcement has been making significant efforts to rebuild trust in these communities.
Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, has delivered a stern message to numerous law enforcement officials and city leaders nationwide who have chosen not to cooperate with ICE in conducting large-scale roundups. Is Holman unaware that police departments nationwide are facing a significant shortage of personnel? Local police officers lack both the time and resources to take on more duties. Additionally, there is a debate. I also emphasize that, contrary to a narrative frequently advanced by politicians, mostly those on the right, there is no evidence suggesting that undocumented immigrants commit crimes at higher rates. In fact, research has generally shown no connection between undocumented immigrants and crime.
I am writing this letter as someone who has spent 26 years as a professor and police researcher. My perspective is also shaped by my practical experience. Prior to entering academia, I served a successful career in local policing, where I rose up the ranks to supervisory and command positions. In my opinion, there is an urgent need for effective leadership in ICE.
Illustration by Savanna Nichols / The Sunflower
Photo courtesy of Republic
Micael Birzer Criminal Justice Professor LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ARTS & CULTURE
SHOCKTOBERFEST
Shocktoberfest, Wichita State’s fall celebration, has been running since 1991. The multi-day event features several activities hosted by various student organizations and departments. The celebration closes with the Shocktoberfest parade and Shocker Madness, and events leading up ranged from a corn festival to a brew garden with food trucks, brewery pop-ups and family activities.
Ulrich Museum participates in art project to ‘unify America’
FATIMA TOUFFAHA
fatimatouffaha7@gmail.com
Participants at the Ulrich Museum of Art got a chance to contribute to a nationwide artwork meant to celebrate America. Brothers and collaborators, Steven and William Ladd, brought their artistic community collaboration project, the Scrollathon, to Wichita State. In the Scrollathon, each participant creates two fabric scrolls: one to keep as a personal memento and another to go towards the collaborative work.
“This scroll contains a story,” William said. “The scrolls that we make in the class each person attaches their own personal story to.”
The Scrollathon was held last year at the Ulrich by the brothers, but this year is meant to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. The program will take place in all 50 states and the five inhabited U.S. territories, and will be put on display at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., from Memorial Day to Labor Day in 2026.
“Our goal is to bring Americans together to unify America,” Steven said.
The creation process involves rolling fabric trimmings together, titling, signing and dating the scroll.
“Scrolls are ancient and universal, and the scroll has been a mechanism for communicating story and text and stories throughout history,” Steven said.
The Ladd brothers reached out to over 2,500 institutions nationwide for the Scrollathon, according to Steven, and were excited to collaborate with the Ulrich due to their history working with contemporary artists.
“A lot of people that come into museums don’t really necessarily understand that artists are living and doing contemporary work,” William said. “Engaging with artists that are doing contemporary work is a way to see yourself as an artist.”
The Ladd brothers have been working together for 25 years and running the Scrollathon program for 19 years. Part of their mission is to make art more accessible and
participatory for all ages.
“Everyone deserves to have their story be heard and to be able to work in community and in communion with other people,” William said.
“We like this idea that everybody’s working together to make something, and then when you see that you’re working with people of different ages all to make a large work of art, you feel like you’re connected to them.”
William said that he and his brother plan on coming back to the Ulrich annually to host this event.
“We like the idea that those people then go back into the community and talk about the place that we worked with here,” he said.
Scrollathon has reached over 10,000 people worldwide with the goal of continuing for many years to come, according to William.
“Art is not just about creating; it’s about connecting people, sharing stories, and helping everyone see themselves as an artist,” William said.
‘Amadeus’ opera potrays rivalry between two composers in dramatic retelling
MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com
See the Wichita State opera students and local company, ICTRep perform the dramatic retelling of the famous rivalry between composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antiono Salieri.
“Amadeus,” composed by Peter Shaffer, will run a showing on weekends through Oct. 10-19.
“It talks about (Mozart), maybe the greatest genius of music of all time, but it’s almost more about the composer Antonio Salieri, who was, for the sake of the purposes of the play, a rival,” Alan Held, WSU Director of Opera Studies, said. “But Mozart’s fame was so great that it overshadowed Salieri, and there’s a lot about Salieri’s feelings of inferiority compared to his rival … there are rumors that it was possibly Salieri who poisoned and killed Mozart, there’s a lot of intrigue. We don’t have any proof of that, but it makes for great legends and great stories and great operas.”
ICTRep, a local semiprofessional production company, is primarily overseeing the project. It works with actors at all levels in Wichita, giving them opportunities to grow and network and put on performances regularly.
Held said that the organization approached him last spring to see if he and the department would be interested in doing a collaborative project.
“I like to do this with our students because they’re getting applied learning, applied working by actually singing and doing things in the workforce,” Held said. “Our students are providing
the music for it, and a lot of background ambiance, and real character for the show.” The rehearsals for “Amadeus” are taking place at the same time as rehearsals for “Opera Scenes,” an annual show in the Opera department.
“Opera Scenes” is composed of several vignette scenes from different operas that are put together into a new story. Vignettes are short and descriptive passages that capture a moment in time.
Often used to provide insight, they are focused more on imagery rather than plot. Held said it’s a semi-staged concert type event that takes place in Wiedemann Hall, rather than a full production.
He also said that it’s been an interesting challenge for the students to take on both projects, as it is a different schedule from how they usually operate.
“It just takes a lot of organizing, a lot of concentration from students,” he said.
Held said that the production of “Amadeus” will be fully staged and costumed, more in line with the department’s typical spring production.
“This is something that is taking them out of their normal way of doing things, and creating a greater challenge for the students … and (they) are doing an extraordinary job,” Held said.
“Amadeus” will be performed on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. from Oct. 10-19
Members of the Golden Heat, Wichita State’s majorette team, dance down the street in the Shocktoberfest parade. The team made several stops to dance for onlookers lining the parade route. Photo by Ainsley Smyth / The Sunflower
Students attempt to guess the number of candy corn or corn kernels in two jars during the Shocker Corn Roast. The event was organized by Student Engagement and Belonging. Photo by Peyton Eck / The Sunflower
A pair of Wichita State University chefs prepare fresh corn for the Shocker Corn Roast. Students dined on the lawn north of the RSC on Oct. 2. Photo by Peyton Eck / The Sunflower
Students dish up at the annual Shocker Corn Roast in front of the Rhatigan Student Center. The roast is a staple of Wichita State University’s Shocktoberfest. Photo by Peyton Eck / The Sunflower
Shocker cheerleaders walk in the Shocktoberfest parade on Oct. 4. An annual tradition, the parade kicks off Shocker Madness. Photo by Ainsley Smyth / The Sunflower
Roasted corn fresh off the grill was served with optional seasonings, popcorn and Shocker-themed cookies on Oct. 2. Photo by Peyton Eck / The Sunflower
William Ladd, creator of Scrollathon, stirs up excitement for the project. Ladd began the Scrollathon project with his brother, Steven Ladd. Photo by Peyton Eck / The Sunflower
MADNESS IN THE ARENA
Learn
art, entertainment, gaming, creative writing and more industries.
BASEBALL
HERITAGE GALA
Thursday, Oct. 9
5:30 p.m.
Rhatigan Student Center
Celebrate those who inspire the past, present and future generations of Shockers with the WSU Foundation and Alumni Engagement team.
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Artist Lupe Fiasco
Luke Bumm (left) and Folarin Olaobaju (right) pose for a photo after being
crowned Shocktoberfest Royalty during Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. The candidates were nominated and voted on by students, staff, faculty and advisors. Photo by Zachary Ruth / The Sunflower
Wichita State senior Michael Gray Jr. (9) dribbles past a defender during a men’s basketball scrimmage at Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. The “White” team beat the “Black” team, 15-14. Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Wichita State graduate student Taya Davis (14) dribbles past a defender during a women’s basketball team scrimmage at Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. Davis led Fordham in assists last season, with 135. Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Wichita State cheerleaders strike a pose at the end of their performance at Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. Wichita State won the 2025 National Cheerleaders Association Championship in the Division I Intermediate Large Coed competition. Photo by Zachary Ruth / The Sunflower
Wichita State’s dance team performs a routine at Shocker Madness on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at Koch Arena. The event featured performances from the Spirit Squads and Shocker Sound Machine, basketball team scrimmages and culminated with a concert by Lupe Fiasco, among other festivities. Photo by Zachary Ruth / The Sunflower
