The Sunflower v. 123 i. 46

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019 • VOL. 123, ISS. 46

THESUNFLOWER.COM

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

Student fees already paying operating costs of YMCA not yet operating

BY MATTHEW KELLY

The Steve Clark YMCA and WSU Student Wellness Center is no more than a construction site on Innovation Campus, but Wichita State paid the YMCA $2.5 million of student fees money in 2018.

No fee money is going towards the construction of the building itself, which is expected to open in January 2020, but WSU will pay the YMCA $2.5 million annually, according to a contract signed by the two parties that appears on the WSU open records request log.

For a fourth semester, students are paying the tiered Health and Wellness fee that was instated after the Kansas Board of Regents approved a partnership in 2017 to bring the YMCA to campus. A student receiving in-state tuition and taking 15 credit hours a semester now pays $190 a year for the Health and Wellness Fee. “The annual student fees paid to the Y, subject to inflationary increases, will cover operating and use costs,” a university FAQ on the YMCA partnership states.

WSU made two payments of $1.25 million in “Other Professional Fees” to the YMCA in 2018, according to KanView, a government transparency website run by the Kansas Department of Administration.

Vice President for Finance and Administration Werner Golling, who signed the YMCA contract on behalf of WSU, did not respond to The Sunflower’s questions about fee money paid out to the YMCA. SEE YMCA PAGE 5

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

The Wichita State campus YMCA facility is expected to open in January 2020.

Shockers topple top-seeded Indiana to punch ticket to NIT semifinals

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State coaches Devon Smith (left), Gregg Marshall (center), and Isaac Brown (right) react during the team’s NIT quarterfinals game against Indiana Tuesday in Assembly Hall.

Bank of America donates $250,000 to new business school, will not count towards remaining $20 million needed for construction

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

Bank of America has donated $250,000 towards Wichita State’s new business building, the university and Bank of America announced Monday.

The $250,000 grant will not be part of the additional $20 million the university says is needed to fund the new building, Business Dean Anand Desai said Monday at the announcement at Bank of America’s Hillside location. Private donors have already raised $30 million towards the project.

The grant will be used for technology and other improvements within the building, Desai said.

“There’s so many things that need to go into a new building, including technology, which is always going up in price,” Desai said. “Having these funds available for enhancing technology and the learning experience for our students — that’s what the building’s about.”

A university talking point before a campus-wide referendum vote on a student fee increase to fund the additional $20 million needed to reach the $50 million goal was that WSU’s “donor base is exhausted.”

New WSU sorority ‘deeply rooted in the Islamic faith’

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Business Dean Ananda Desai and WSU Foundation President Elizabeth King pose for a photo during the announcement of a $250,000 grant from Bank of America Monday.

Acting President Rick Muma said Monday that the Bank of America donation was already in the works before the referendum vote.

“We’re going to continue to look for ways to raise funds,” Muma said. “I do think we have exhausted the donors we’re going to get.”

Dean Desai said that a plan for how to generate the additional $20 million is still in the works. There will not be a second referendum for business students, Desai said.

The plan may include reallocations of university funds, but “I don’t want to speculate,” Desai said.

“There’s nothing fixed.”

A new plan for the additional $20 million will be unveiled by the end of the spring semester, Desai said.

“The question is, how do we strategically reallocate funds without hurting Wichita State and what the business school is?”

Desai said.

Mu Delta Alpha is now officially affiliated with WSU’s Multicultural Greek Council, putting them one step closer to being an official Mu Delta Alpha chapter.

The sorority is “deeply rooted in the Islamic faith,” and is open to all women, said public health science sophomore Saniya Ahmed.

Ahmed is president of Muslimahs 4 Change and has spearheaded the effort to bring Mu Delta Alpha to campus since her freshman year.

“Fun fact, Islam is the religion, Muslims are the followers,” Ahmed said. “We’re Islamically-based, so the members do not have to be Muslim. All women are welcome.”

Ahmed became interested in starting a campus chapter after attending a MGC informational where all fraternities and sororities had booths.

“I was like, ‘I’m a first-gen college student, and you’re talking about all these networking opportunities?’ I need that. But I just didn’t fit in.”

So she did some research.

That’s when she decided to start her own Mu Delta Alpha chapter.

Faith is a cornerstone of the sorority, but its goals reach beyond

that, Ahmed said.

“Professional development is one of our main focuses,” Ahmed said. “Making sure we pass the baton. Making sure the torch is lit, you carry it, and you pass it on.”

Muslim women are “incredibly marginalized in our society,” Ahmed said.

“Sometimes, we don’t have the resources to be as professionally successful as we want. This organization is set to change that.

“Let’s practice speaking to people. Let’s practice a sales pitch.”

One of Ahmed’s biggest goals for the sorority beyond professional success is personal success, she said.

“What are your spiritual goals?

Your emotional goals? Your academic goals? I want to be able to address that freely in my organization,” Ahmed said. “Let’s talk about it.”

Student Involvement Assistant Director Gabriel Fonseca said the sorority will remain at affiliated status until it brings in its first line of members. At that point, the sorority is “pre-chartered,” and a year later, will be “chartered” and official.

INSIDE

SUCCULENTS & SANGRIA

CATS DECLAWED

NYC-BOUND

This month’s Final Friday will spotlight Wichita State women.

Chicken N Pickles hosted a Succulents and Sangria event Wednesday evening.

Shocker baseball dispatched of K-state 8-5 Wednesday.

Next up, Wichita State will play Lipscomb at Madison Square Garden.

CULTURE • PAGE 3

CULTURE/NEWS • PAGE 4

NEWS/SPORTS• PAGE 5

SPORTS • PAGE 6

FINAL FRIDAY

OPINION

2 | THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

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THE STAFF EDITORIAL

Editor in Chief Matthew Kelly Digital Managing Editor Andrew Linnabary Visual Managing Editor Madeline Deabler Culture Editor John Darr

www.thesunflower.com

Free Speech Trump’s executive order protects free speech on campus

Executive order a government overreach, stunt

shocker

street speak

Do you plan to vote in the SGA election?

Opinion Editor Austin May Sports Editor Evan Pflugradt Photo Editor Selena Favela Sports Photo Editor Joseph Barringhaus

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DRAKE ROBINSON COLUMNIST

L

ast week, President Donald Trump issued an executive order aimed at protecting free speech on college campuses.

The executive order threatens to pull federal research grant funding to universities who censor or do not allow free and open dialogue on campus. This has largely been in response to instances of conservative students and activists being attacked for expressing their views.

Earlier this month, a male student at UC Berkeley had his phone slapped out of his hand and was punched in the face for tabling with conservative group, Turning Point USA. On another occasion at the University of Texas last year, the Young Conservatives of Texas, student group set out signs in support of then Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. A mob of around 200 students clashed with that group, surrounded them, tearingapart their signs, and yelling explicit language at the group until police showed up.

Even at home in Kansas, just last year, the student body vice president at Emporia State University was harassed for a Facebook post she wrote that supported Kris Kobach for governor in the 2018 elections.

After her post, she was threatened by officials in the ESU Office of Diversity and Inclusion and members of SGA to be impeached from her position.

Eventually, both groups backed down on their threats.

Wichita State, along with all other colleges in the country, are places where all sides of an argument and every perspective should be open to discussion.

Unfortunately, colleges have not done a great job in recent years of preserving this debate.

In 2016, a Gallup/Knight Foundation survey found that 54 percent of college students believed that campus climate prevents them from speaking freely, and the same poll rose to 61 percent in 2018. If one side of an argument is shut out, then academia does itself a disservice, and the value of a degree will be degraded.

WSU leaders say they are confident that the university’s grant money will not be affected by the president’s executive order.

WSU has not had a major incident of free speech suppression recentlty and should continue to do what it can to keep it that way in the future. The president’s actions aimed at protecting the First Amendment on campus should be applauded.

KYLIE CAMERON AD MANAGER

L

ast week’s executive order “protecting” free speech on college campuses by withholding federal research grants from campuses that don’t protect free speech is nothing but a political stunt.

President Trump’s order simply affirms already existing laws, but it doesn’t define how campus policies will be reviewed or what standards will be applied and how. In response to the executive order, the Student Press Law Center, an organization that promotes the First Amendment for student journalists since 1974, issued a statement raising concerns about these shortcomings.

While they applauded the administration for protecting free speech, they expressed concern that this executive order advances only certain political agendas and can hurt free speech for everyone else.

This is true.

Without a means of implementation — concrete standards that universities will be audited on by a specific agency — this is nothing but a stunt to protect certain agendas.

You can’t protect free speech by focusing on one side. Free speech must be protected, but not like this. Not with two pieces of paper with the president’s signature.

Historically, executive orders aren’t effective — especially compared to congressional law.

The effectiveness of this executive order is made clear by Wichita State’s response to the signing of this order. WSU, which receives a yellow-light rating from The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and also receives millions in federal grants for research, doesn’t have to do anything to comply with the new “standards.”

FIRE is a group that advocates for free speech on college campuses around the country and has written multiple letters to WSU for violating free speech rights for student’s, most famously when the Student Government Association voted not recognize WSU’s chapter of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). The decision was later overturned.

If this executive order actually had any substance, WSU would have to make some changes.

For instance, WSU has specified areas on campus for “First Amendment activities” that also have to be approved ahead of time.

This is the university trying to directly control the speech that is occurring on campus.

This executive order should require the university to change that — it doesn’t.

“Yes, my boyfriend is actually helping set up the debate on Friday. He’s part of the marketing committee, so I hear a lot of stuff that goes on in SGA from him. I may go to the debate to listen to the different candidates and what they think about different topics and how they answer questions.”

— ARIEL LANGENBERGER, biology, sophomore

“Yes, I have seen the big banner with the voting date when coming onto campus. I plan to vote on Monday. I think that it’s important to keep the university involved.”

— ALEXIS GLASPIE, sociology and psychology, freshman

“Yes. Usually, they stream SGA online. So, if they do that, I might try and watch that, even if it’s five or ten minutes, just to see what the candidates and their stances are.”

— GUSTAVO OCAMPO, economics, junior

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First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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“Yeah, I plan to vote. I think I will see the debate on Friday and learn about the candidates that way.”

— DONOVAN DUGGINS, pre-medicine, junior

CULTURE

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

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Final Friday to spotlight WSU women

BY JOHN DARR

The women of Wichita State lead the charge for a special edition of Wichita’s Final Friday tomorrow. With March being National Women’s History Month, exhibits will focus on the art of women in the city.

There’s never been a better time to go downtown and take in the wonderful work of local artists.

WSU Studio Art major Lily Guillen will be showcasing her photography at Positive Directions while cellist and alumnus Roni Lowry Worchester performs at Little Lion Café.

One of the most ambitious and exciting events comes courtesy of WSU’s chapter of Sigma Psi Zeta. The sorority has organized a show featuring Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American artists at the Garvey Center.

“We wanted to fill the gap of current Final Friday exhibits and focus on the experiences of womxn of color through art,” wrote Sigma member and Web Designer Sarah Myose in an email interview.

Myose said she views both the exhibit and Wichita’s Final Fridays as a vital experience for students.

“Final Friday is especially important for students — especially students at Wichita State University, because it is an opportunity to engage in discourse with the local community and issues that impact ICT,” Myose wrote.

CELEBRATING WOMXN IN ASIAN CULTURES

Collated Art by Sigma Psi Zeta Garvey Center 250 W. Douglas Ave

Thursday SPACE EXPLORATION LECTURE: ‘LOOKING INTO THE HEART OF THE SUN’ Time: 3:30 – 5 p.m.

Location: Rhatigan Student Center, Room 233 Cost: Free!

SENIOR RECITAL: TAYLOR BRADLEY, SOPRANO & SARAH KELLY, SOPRANO

FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: JULIE BEES, LEONID SHUKAEV, AND EVGENY ZVONNIKOV

Support your fellow Shockers in their voice recital. Sopranosinging seniors Tayler Bradley and Sarah Kelly will be performing.

Music by Roni Lowry Worchester Little Lion Café 2721 E. Central Avenue

S P R I N G

Cost: $5 in advance, $7 at the door

Sunday

FINAL FRIDAY WITH RONI LOWRY

Photography by Lily Guillen Positive Directions, Inc. 416 S. Commerce Street #108

Location: Sigma Alpha Epsilon (1714 N Fairmount St)

Saturday

Cost: Free!

A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN

Time: 5:00 – 11 p.m.

If you’ve never been to a fratio (fraternity + patio) concert, here’s your chance.

Join the men of Sigma Alpha Epsilon for their spring concert benefiting Children’s Miracle Network.

Performances by local artists include Tommy Newport, Maxx James, Super40, and more.

Location: Wiedemann Hall

“The Two-Faced and the Reasons” by Giao Tang is one of many pieces that Sigma Psi Zeta will feature in its Final Friday Exhibit.

PADDYPALOOZA

The Wichita Space Initiative is hosting physics graduate student Caleb Gimar for an interactive, interstellar lecture. Gimar will present his research on neutrino detection and solar physics.

Time: 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.

COURTESY OF GIAO TANG

Friday

Time: 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Location: Wiedemann Hall Cost: Free!

Join this classical trio for a Sunday afternoon delight. Julier Bees will be on piano, Leonid Shulaev will be on cello, and Evgeny Zvonnikov will be performing on violin.

COMPILED BY ELLA DOMINGUEZ

E S S E N T I A L S

The culture section’s spring starter pack

JOHN DARR

CULTURE EDITOR With the arrival of spring, college students hatch from their cocoons of fleece and misery into smiling, Frisbee-throwing creatures. They will no longer skip class because the weather is too horrible to walk through.

They will instead skip class because the weather is too beautiful to miss. Grab your laptop, a beach towel, and this list, and head to campus to enjoy spring in true college-student style. We’ve picked a selection of warm-weather favorites that delight the soul and go perfectly with a day in the sun.

TV SERIES: ‘MUSHISHI’

Perfect for: Post-yoga enlightenment As an avid watcher of several trashy reality shows, I’ve learned that when you’re watching TV, you usually have to compromise something.

What entertains me the most often teaches me the least. If a show resonates with me intensely on an emotional level, it’s going to be a bit draining and hard to watch. With animated feature films, studios such as Pixar and Studio Ghibli have managed time and time again to nail the smart-entertaining-touching balance, but animated shows that do the same require notorious amounts of time and attention.

That’s why “Mushishi,” a show with 20-minute episodes that work independently of one another, is such a treasure.

With gorgeous hand-drawn art and masterfully-written stories, “Mushishi” perfectly captures the feeling of wandering through an enchanted forest with a trusted guide. The spirits at the heart of each episode are gorgeously rendered, and instead of simply being cast as good or evil forces, act in morally neutral ways that complicate the human lives around them.

Mushishi offers no straightforward morals, yet it is neither pretentious nor confusing. Its stories wrap up in 20 minutes, yet the show moves at a patient pace

COURTESY There are a lot of farming simulators out there, but there’s nothing that quite reaches the emotional warmth of “Stardew Valley.”

that allows viewers to soak up its beautiful animation.

Its setting and cast of characters change constantly, yet each new place and situation is established so quickly and richly that the viewer feels immersed within minutes of each episode.

It’s the perfect series to soak in as the world around you blossoms.

VIDEOGAME: “STARDEW VALLEY”

Perfect for: mental health days As a camp counselor, I would often play music for a small group of campers while we played cards during gorgeous summer afternoons.

One anxious camper would always be shifting around, scratching his head, and saying “hmm” to himself during these games. Once, I played the “Stardew Valley” soundtrack, and he slowed down a bit and started to listen to the music. I told him what it was, and a couple days later, he came to me and told me that when he got really anxious, he’d listen to the soundtrack and it would help him calm down.

The magic of “Stardew Valley” is that its incredible, calming soundtrack is just one perfect piece of its puzzle. There are a lot of farming simulators out there, but there’s nothing that quite reaches the emotional warmth of “Stardew Valley.” With nostalgic, delightful pixel animation and a cast of characters that are both wholesome and memorable, “Stardew Valley” offers a little slice of heaven among the chaos of student life.

It’s easy to imagine such a cute game settling for shallow

gameplay, but “Stardew Valley” offers an incredible number of things to do. You can spend your days exploring caverns infested with cute creatures and valuable gems, or you can flirt and gift your way into marriage with one of many eligible partners in town.

Even farming offers delightfully deep opportunities — you can choose to focus on livestock and maintaining pastures, developing beehives and breweries, or crafting a technologically-efficient farm that basically runs itself.

All along the way, you’ll be enchanted by wonderful music and color animation that makes the entire game feel like a dreamy

safe-haven. It’s the perfect way to add a little digital paradise to your season.

ALBUM: “SPIRIT OF EDEN”

BY TALK TALK

Perfect for: Garden meditation Jazz and classical music bear a complex beauty that makes for wonderful listening, but the genres lack the familiar verse-chorus structures that many modern listeners know and love. There’s just something very special about the way a final chorus can lift a listener’s soul.

The oddly-titled “post-rock” genre essentially developed out of the idea that the two could

coexist. The improvisational spirit of jazz and the stunning arrangements of classical music were fused with pop song structures to give us some of the loveliest albums of the last 50 years, and “Spirit of Eden” remains a crown jewel among them.

Brought to life with a lush orchestra anchored by a jazzy rhythm section, “Spirit of Eden” manages to bring the best of all worlds together. Opening track and undeniable masterpiece “The Rainbow” immediately shows what “Spirit of Eden” has to offer.

A downright seductive groove capped off by a sensual guitar riff carries the song’s verse to a transcendent chorus where everything falls away. Strings then swelter around lead singer Mark Hollis’s trembling voice — reaching up through a series of stunning major chords. The effect is at once intensely spiritual and undeniably sexy.

The rest of the album lives up to the promise of its opener. Both clearly structured and bearing improvisational strokes of genius, “Spirit of Eden” emulates nature through the cathartic structures of Western music. Pulling from the strengths of every ambitious genre, it’s an album that’s likely to spur rock, jazz, and classical listeners to explore new territory.

“Spirit of Eden” is a document of undeniable beauty that masterfully complements the natural lightness of spring. Take it on a walk and you’ll find a bit of extra magic in the season.

CULTURE/NEWS

4 | THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

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EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State graphic design student Madison Zorn waits the tables during the “Succulents & Sangria” event at Chicken N Pickle on Wednesday.

Chicken N Pickle’s Succulents and Sangria event is as delectable as it sounds

BY BECCA YENSER

P EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Leslie Rodriguez and Alix Petri begin the process of potting their succulents by exposing some of the plants’ roots.

romoted as “a unique, indoor/outdoor entertainment complex,” Wichita’s Chicken N Pickle sprawls a full two acres on the corner of 13th Avenue and Greenwich Road. The large space, new to Wichita, allows for multiple areas dedicated for specific aims. Indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, corporate event spaces, an indoor game room, and smaller rooms for more intimate gatherings, are just some of the possibilities.

Bill Crooks, design developer and partner, stated the flagship location is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and a third location will soon open in San Antonio. He was quick to mention that “Wichita will have the biggest one in the country.” It is an ambitious concept that seems to already be paying off.

On Tuesday night, a sold-out crowd gathered into a sunny

Faculty Senate hears proposal to make First Year Seminars mandatory

BY MATTHEW KELLY

Faculty Senate heard a proposal Monday to require incoming freshmen to take a First Year Seminar course during one of their first two semesters at Wichita State. Provost and acting President Rick Muma said retention is the motivating factor behind the proposed requirement, which, if approved, will go into effect for the 2021-22 academic year.

According to the Gen Ed Committee, retaining just 30 more students would counteract the cost of implementing such a program.

First Year Seminars, which could be proposed and developed by all six of WSU’s academic colleges, would count towards a tier-two general education requirement in the arts, humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences — as determined by the Gen Ed Committee.

WSU’s gen ed policy states that “Courses within a student’s major department shall not count toward fulfilling general education requirements.”

“If [a course] exists in the College of Engineering and engineering students are taking it, it shouldn’t count as general education for them — even if it’s classified as a social science or a humanity,” Music Sen. Aleksander Sternfeld-Dunn said. “Am I wrong?”

Muma assured Sternfeld-Dunn that the Gen Ed Committee would have the ultimate say in how First Year Seminars are categorized, but that each seminar would be coded as a general education course.

The committee provided a rubric for teaching such seminars. Phrasing on the proposal left some senators questioning whether it was a suggestion or a requirement that professors teach and grade by the rubric.

Jeffrey Hershfield, chair of the Philosophy Department and former chair of the Gen Ed Committee, said mandating a breakdown of the course grade is a violation of academic freedom.

“I understand that these gen ed

courses are supposed to achieve certain outcomes, but that’s clearly a violation of academic freedom,” Hershfield said. “Now, if it’s a recommendation, that’s a different issue.”

Neal Allen, chair of the Political Science Department, has taught multiple First Year Seminars through the Honors College, where they are already a requirement. Allen said professors teaching seminars enjoy broad academic freedom.

“What this [rubric] tells me is that you can’t teach a class where you don’t take any attendance, you don’t pay attention to where they participate, and have one giant project at the end, which would not follow the kind of goals that we have,” Allen said. “I think any class that any one of us would teach in First Year Seminar could easily fit in here.”

After the meeting, Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean Andrew Hippisley said he is fully supportive of interdisciplinary First Year Seminars.

“If they were to do a course like that where it brings in the humanities side of engineering from their perspective, that’s just wonderful,” Hippisley said. “They’re buying into the fact that the human factors are important in everything that we do.”

Sternfeld-Dunn said his only concern would be making sure such a program embraces expertise instead of sacrificing it.

“I have no problem with an engineering course being focused around the humanities, but it should bring in experts from the humanities,” Sternfeld-Dunn said.

“I’m not worried about the diluting of a liberal arts education. I’m more worried about the diluting of our expertise.”

Hippisley said he doesn’t believe that would be an issue.

“At a level of generality, I think anyone can teach humanities, so I don’t think that’s encroachment,” Hippisley said.

Faculty Senate will vote on the Gen Ed Committee’s proposal at their next meeting on April 8.

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Leslie Rodriguez watches Alix Petri pot her succulents ay Wednesday’s event.

upstairs room of Chicken N Pickle to mingle, drink sangria, and create their own pots of succulents. The event was hosted by Andover plant expert Kelsey Kuecker (of Sweet Stems and Succulents) to guide participants in their arrangements.

The mood was upbeat and casual

as people sit at communal tables chatting, sipping, and potting plants. This hybrid of bar-meetscraft night might be unusual for Wichita, but it’s par for the course for Chicken N Pickle.

SEE SUCCULENTS PAGE 5

Spring Sculpture Dedication

Randy Regier The Celestial Mechanic

Tuesday, April 2 3:30 P.M. Reveal and Remarks 4:00 P.M. Reception North Lawn of Ahlberg Hall 5:30 P.M. Artist Talk Ulrich Museum of Art Randy Regier proposed to create a public sculpture entitled The Celestial Mechanic “that is resonant with the culture and aesthetic of sky and flight and dreams of space – yet rooted and connected to the earth and to community history and the passage of time. These are very Kansas things to me, and a large part of why I choose to live and work here.” Regier has a BFA in sculpture from Kansas State University and an MFA in studio arts from Maine College of Art. He is represented in numerous museums and private collections nationwide including the Emprise Bank Collection, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, and the Spencer Museum of Art. Public commissions include Salina Arts Commission, the Wichita Public Library Foundation and most recently Open Spaces, an international sculpture biennial installed in parks and urban spaces throughout Kansas City, Missouri.

NEWS/SPORTS

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Cats declawed

SUCCULENTS FROM PAGE 4

“This concept is so different than anything else (in the area),” Events Manager Michelle West said. “We don’t have this kind of thing in the Midwest.”

“We sold out in less than 24 hours,” added Events Coordinator Maddy Irvine.

Due to the high volume of interest, the two are already organizing another Succulents & Sangria, scheduled for April 27th.

The experience seems to be filling a gap for Wichitans.

“It’s all about getting people connected. We like to say we’re low tech and high touch,” West said.

Irvine agreed. “We don’t want people plugged in. These events are hands-on. You literally can’t look at your phone.”

A glance around the room proved their point, as people converse and busily arrange their plants, soil spilling onto tables.

What drew people to this particular event? For some, it’s quite simple.

“I love succulents,” participant Bonnie Hull said.

“Yeah, and supposedly I can’t kill these,” added her sister-in-law Stephanie Stewart.

“I guess we’ll find out!”

West and Irvine spoke passionately about future crafty events at Chicken N Pickle, mentioning an upcoming master gardening class in April as well as a Ladies Night Out Workshop for handcrafting wooden signs — which has already sold out.

West was exuberant about the possibilities ahead.

“This is easy for us. As event planners, we get to do everything we want do,” West said.

“We love our community — whatever we can do to help.”

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

Shockers’ offense stays hot in 8-5 victory over K-State

BY SEAN MARTY

W

ichita State beat in-state rival Kansas State Wednesday night at Eck Stadium.

The Shockers won the first game of a home-and-away series with the Wildcats 8-5.

After a 12-run burst over Omaha the day before, WSU’s offense picked up where it left off. Luke Ritter put the Shockers on the board with an RBI double. On the next at-bat, Mason O’Brien blooped a double into right to send Ritter home to score the second run of the inning.

Ryan Stuempfig gave up one run in five innings of work.

K-State cut the deficit to one, and the Shockers responded right back in the bottom of the second as Garret Kocis hit a home run to opposite field to regain a two-run lead. Kocis has now homered in two straight games.

“I haven’t gotten many chances, so I’ve just been working while I waited to play,” Kocis said.

Wichita State extended its lead to four with some help from the Wildcat defense. After Hunter Gibson lead off the inning with a double a throwing error by the K-State second baseman caused Gibson come around to score. With the error, Luke Ritter advanced to second and later came around to score Paxton Wallace sacrifice fly.

K-State added a run in the top of the seventh as Thomas Hughes doubled on home Rainer Ausmus to make it a 7-2 ballgame.

Then in the top of the eight the Shocker returned the favor on the

AUSTIN SHAW/THE SUNFLOWER

defensive end as they committed two errors including a Jordan Boyer error which could have limited the damage. The Wildcats had three runs come across in the eighth innings as they made things interesting.

K-State offered Wichita State some breathing room. Ross Cadena reached on a walk to start the inning and then came all the way around to score after three wild pitches ensued.

Mitchell Walters pitched a scoreless ninth inning, for his fourth save of the season. Stuempfig got his first win of his collegiate career.

“It’s been a long road since I got hurt in high school,” Stuempfig said. “It’s good to be back.”

With the win, the Shockers improve to 13-12 on the season. Next up, the Shockers host BethuneCookman on a three-game weekend series.

AUSTIN SHAW/THE SUNFLOWER

Top, Wichita State’s Ryan Stempfig struck out Kansas State’s first two batters during Wendesday night’s game at Eck Stadium. Above, Wichita State’s Ross Cadena hits a double.

Student fees budget passes unanimously

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Business Dean Anand Desai attends a grant announcement at Bank of America Monday.

Desai: There will be no business referendum to pay for the new building

BY ANDREW LINNABARY

There is no plan for a second referendum for just business students, Business Dean Anand Desai said Monday at an announcement ceremony for a $250,000 grant for the new business school.

Wichita State administrators had said previously that if a campus-wide referendum were to fail — which it did — a second, business-student-only referendum with a larger per-credit-hour fee

YMCA

FROM PAGE 1 Vice President for Student Affairs Teri Hall said it made sense for WSU to start collecting the Health and Wellness Fee before the facility’s completion.

“The fee collection began before the building was finished so that students could immediately begin enjoying Y memberships throughout the metro area, and nationally, and to generate enough revenue for opening and operating costs of the university Y and WSU Student Wellness Center in 2020 and beyond,” Hall wrote in an email.

Thanks to the partnership, WSU students receive an automatic YMCA membership and have full access to all nine facilities in Sedgwick, Butler, and Harvey counties. Students who were already YMCA members when the partnership was approved were able to cancel their preexisting memberships in favor of the complementary student membership.

Hall said part of the initial $2.5 million the university paid the YMCA in 2018 went towards compensating for that loss.

“More than 4,000 students who

increase was the likely next step.

Private donors have already raised $30 million for the project.

Desai said a plan for how to generate the additional $20 million needed to reach the $50 million goal is still in the works.

The plan may include reallocations of university funds, but “I don’t want to speculate,” Desai said.

“There’s nothing fixed.”

A new plan for the additional $20 million will be unveiled by the end of the spring semester, Desai said. were already dues-paying members of the Y before the agreement were able to stop paying those dues, so part of this commitment is to offset the Y’s losses from those memberships,” Hall wrote.

An adult membership through the Greater Wichita YMCA costs $465.60 a year. For 4,000 students, that adds up to nearly $1.9 million.

However, many students were likely on family memberships that cost $646.80 a year and were not cancelled when the students’ names were removed.

The campus facility will be open to the public. As a part of the contract, the YMCA will build a parking lot for visitors.

A year-long capital campaign co-chaired by Steve Clark, the new facility’s namesake, raised $13.5 million for the construction project — exceeding the original goal of $13.5 million. The WSU Board of Trustees has also committed $5 million to this project as part of its support for Innovation Campus, according to the university website.

Last May, the City of Wichita issued the YMCA $25 million in industrial revenue bonds — $17.5 million of which was allocated to the construction of the WSU facility.

The Fiscal Year 2020 student fees budget passed 23-0 at the Student Government Association meeting Wednesday without a single debate against the budget.

There were debates in favor of the budget, though — plenty.

“It was refreshing this year,” Sen. Anisia Brumley said. “More representation led to a budget that wasn’t as debated on as in the past.”

The Student Fees Committee featured twice the student representation as years past.

Sen. Xan Mattek said she thought “the students who worked on [the budget] did it in a personal and caring way.”

And there were no angry students or representatives of organizations scowling in the gallery — The Sunflower reporter was the only visitor in attendance.

“It’s oddly refreshing to see a gallery that isn’t overflowing,” Sen. Carolyn Fugit said. “I have in years past spoken here on the needs for increases and not cutting our student fees budget.”

EASTON THOMPSON/THE SUNFLOWER

Student Body President Shelby Rowell and Student Body Vice President Matthew Madden listen to senators speak during the Student Government Association meeting Wednesday.

Sen. Walter Wright, a member of the Student Fees Committee, said the proposed budget wasn’t the one he would have made himself — which was a good thing to him.

“I think this is a real collective budget,” Wright said. “It’s the best budget for student fees.”

The student fees budget will now presented for approval by acting President Rick Muma, and

then will go the Kansas Board of Regents.

The student fees budget went up by 2.5 percent, meaning a $9.92-per-semester fee increase for full-time students.

The committee settled on a 2.5 percent increase to Wichita State’s student fees budget. With that increase, the committee was able to provide nearly full funding to all organizations’ requests.

SPORTS

6 | THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

www.thesunflower.com

Wichita State earns spot in NIT semifinals by defeating Indiana in historic Assembly Hall

BY MARSHALL SUNNER

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Gregg Marshall needed Markis McDuffie to trust him.

Marshall wanted to recruit him to Wichita — far from McDuffie’s home in Patterson, New Jersey.

Bringing him to Wichita was a big discussion between McDuffie and his parents. But Marshall promised he would make McDuffie and his parents happy when he returned their then-17-year-old, lanky son back home.

Four years later, McDuffie is headed back.

Wichita State defeated top-seeded Indiana in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals to advance to Madison Square Garden, a short 18-mile drive from McDuffie’s hometown, for the semifinals. The Shockers stunned the Hoosiers in historic Assembly Hall, 73-63 Tuesday.

"This just means a lot to go back to somewhere I grew up at," McDuffie said.

“It was one of our goals to get McDuffie home,” fellow senior Samajae Haynes-Jones said. “We did that, and now he can bring his whole family in to watch.”

“We accomplished one goal — now it’s time to go check another one off,” freshman Erik Stevenson said.

WSU is the first team in NIT history to have advanced to the semifinals by way of knocking off No. 1, 2, and 3 seeds.

"It's just something special that's going on right now," HaynesJones said.

Indiana played without star guard Romeo Langford, who missed the tournament with a sore back.

The Shockers led 36-29 at the half, and Indiana junior Devonte Green had unlimited ammo — perhaps thanks to his recently discovered tattoo that references a cheat code for unlimited ammunition in the popularized video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Green hit probably the biggest shot of his college career with an NBA-range 3-pointer, on which he was also fouled. He got the Hoosiers within a point with 8:26 left, and Assembly Hall was rocking.

Dexter Dennis stepped in for WSU. After a shy three points in the first half, Dennis exploded with 14 points on 5-6 shooting in the second half. He responded to Green’s deep three with a back-breaking, crowd-silencing 3-pointer of his own.

“Dexter has been growing up this whole year,” Haynes-Jones said. “To have that composure just shows how much he has grown.”

WSU never backed down, winning by 10 points and expanding the lead in the final stretch with Dennis’ stellar performance.

“I was just hooping,” Dennis said. “I was just out there playing my game, and was doing everything I could to help my team win.”

Dennis had six blocks all in the first half. That was not only a personal-best, but also the most any Shocker has had in a game this season.

“I didn’t even know I had that many,” Dennis said. “I was told at halftime, and I only remembered like three of them.

“That was crazy.”

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Markis McDuffie celebrates after winning against Indiana in quarterfinals of the NIT Tuesday in Assembly Hall.

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Erik Stevenson passes the ball against Indiana.

ROAD TO NYC 76-70 win over 3-seed Furman 63-55 win over 2-seed Clemson 73-63 win over 1-seed Indiana

UP NEXT

Who: 5-seed Lipscomb Where: Madison Square Garden, New York City When: 6:00 p.m. Tuesday

Dennis has come up big in the second half for the Shockers before. His 17 second-half points in the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament helped the Shockers topple Temple.

“Our goal is to win this whole thing,” Dennis said. “We want to keep playing with each other.”

WSU DROPS THIRD STRAIGHT TO OKLAHOMA STATE

KHÁNH NGUYỄN/THE SUNFLOWER Wichita State redshirt sophomore Kaylee Huecker runs home during their game against Oklahoma State at Wilkins Stadium Wednesday.

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State’s Asbjørn Midtgaard fights Indiana players for a loose ball during Tuesday’s game.