The Sunflower v.122 i.14

MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2017 • VOL. 122, ISS. 14

THESUNFLOWER.COM

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

SPEAKING OUT

WSU paid KC law firm to investigate Shepard Joseph Shepard, who completed his second term as student body president in the spring, isn’t known for holding his tongue. In fact, he’s probably best known for always speaking his mind.

But there are things about his time as student body president that he has kept quiet, that he hasn’t shared, until now. “It’s time to break my silence,” Shepard said. “So much happened and continues to happen behind closed doors.” Those things include an investigation of Shepard by an out-of-state law firm in the spring, which found no evidence of a conduct violation, and mistakes made by the university with regard to his residency status that have ended up costing him thousands of dollars.

SHEPARD

By CHANCE SWAIM

L

ast spring, Wichita State paid more than $33,000 to a private law firm that investigated whether or not Shepard should be investigated by the university for bullying.

According to documents obtained through the Kansas Open Records Act, WSU paid Husch Blackwell, a Kansas City, Missouri-based law firm, two separate payments in late spring for services

rendered, document production, and travel expenses between Feb. 1 and March 24.

Those dates are important because Shepard was investigated for bullying another member of WSU’s student government by an attorney from Husch Blackwell during the same time period, according to student conduct documents provided to The Sunflower by Shepard.

The law firm investigated a complaint

“I believe that this administration is very intimidated by anyone who is willing to stand up to their actions — against their unethical practices,” ­— Joseph Shepard

SEE SHEPARD PAGE 3

Housing increase proposed for next year, shortage addressed

By JENNA FARHAT

Last week, the university proposed increased housing rates for next school year. Scott Jensen, director of housing and residence life, spoke to the Student Senate Wednesday, addressing the proposed housing rates and the university’s progress on the housing shortage that resulted from the decision to close Fairmount Towers in July.

About 300 students were moved from Fairmount Towers, a university dorm, to The Flats, an apartment complex on Innovation Campus owned by MWCB, LLC. Students who were moved from Fairmount Towers to The Flats paid the Fairmount rate for this school year — $2,190 a semester for a double room or $2,950 for a

single room.

The proposed rates for The Flats next year are $4,150 a semester for a two-bedroom apartment and $4,500 for a one-bedroom apartment.

The proposal also states that students living at The Flats will be required to purchase a meal plan next year. Currently, only Shocker Hall residents are required to purchase a meal plan.

“IT’S NOT ABOUT MAKING MONEY OFF OF THIS.”

­—SCOTT JENSEN, DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, RESIDENCE LIFE

An unlimited access meal plan currently costs $2,030 a semester.

The proposed cost for the same meal plan next year is $2,165 — a

6.65 percent increase from this year.

Shocker Hall rates would also rise with the new proposal.

Currently, a single one-bedroom suite costs $4,325 a semester. Next semester, the same room would cost $4,455, a 3.01 percent increase.

The proposed housing rates have not yet been approved by the Kansas Board Regents.

Jensen also addressed the fate of Fairmount Towers, which the university has said will eventually be demolished.

“Our current plan is to continue to maintain it so that it does not become an eyesore,” Jensen said.

“We will continue to try and make it look good until a decision is made by the university.”

SEE HOUSING PAGE 4

MATT CROW/THE SUNFLOWER

About 300 students were moved from Fairmount Towers, a university dorm, to The Flats, an apartment complex on Innovation Campus this summer.

INSIDE

KILLER KOREAN EATS

SOCCER DREAMS

VBALL DOMINATES

The university is silent, but numbers don’t change.

Korean-Japanese fusion hits the spot.

Shocker soccer club dreams big.

Shockers remain undefeated.

OPINION • PAGE 2

CULTURE • PAGE 3

SPORTS • PAGE 4

SPORTS • PAGE 4

TRUTH-TELLING

OPINION

2 | MONDAY, OCT. 9, 2017

www.thesunflower.com

THE STAFF EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief Chance Swaim Managing Editor Jenna Farhat Culture Editor Marissa Campbell Sports Editor Matt Crow Opinion Editor Evan Pflugradt Copy Chief Matthew Kelly Design Editor Madeline Deabler Photo Editor Brian Hayes Digital Editor Nicole Byrne

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ADVISING

Faculty Adviser Amy DeVault

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The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learnig experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

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The Sunflower (published for use by WSU students, faculty and staff) is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. One copy may be taken for free. Additional copies must be purchased for $1 each. The Sunflower is also partially funded by the Student Government Association at WSU. The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or university. The Sunflower reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. We also reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

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THE SUNFLOWER­ a fact-finding, truth-telling news source STAFF

EDITORIAL

T

hose who know us at The Sunflower know us as a fact-finding, truth-telling news source.

This week, WSU Today, a university-published newsletter managed by Strategic Communications, featured a headline reading, “Sunflower enrollment article inaccurate, misleading.” Underneath the headline was the same letter that appeared in Thursday’s Sunflower issue, authored by Rick Muma, senior associate vice president for academic affairs and strategic enrollment management.

In the letter, he condemned The Sunflower for discussing padded enrollment numbers. Misinformation, false beliefs, and lacking integrity were all themes prevalent in his message.

Had The Sunflower requested interview with Muma, he would have willingly provided accurate context, he suggested.

The Sunflower should have reached out to Muma for its article on enrollment padding. However, the primary findings of our article: that the reason Wichita State was about to report the largest enrollment increase in the state is because 668 non-degree-seeking students enrolled in free, half-credit-hour badge courses offered in the two weeks leading up to the day of the official count, and, overall, degree-seeking students at WSU are at a seven-year low.

In communications since the article was published, Muma has not explained the reason these courses were only offered for free in the two-weeks leading up to the official count. He also has not addressed the decrease in degree-seeking students at WSU. Requests made to other administrators before deadline for Thursday’s paper were passed along to Muma, who offered only a letter, turning down requests for interview.

Muma could have clarified any information he wished in a five-minute-or-less interview.

Attempts for comment from WSU were made and will continue to be made.

The Sunflower holds a high standard of journalistic integrity and will always try to provide every side of a story.

At times, the university has deferred to being reactive instead of proactive.

Communications have drawn to a close, and requests for comments and open records are being offered after notably inconvenient delays.

BRIAN HAYES/THE SUNFLOWER

WSU Today, a university-published newsletter, published a leading headline calling The Sunflower inaccurate and misleading.

Reporters are to request comment from the university when they are closely connected to a story. Strategic Communications is in charge of handling these requests when they have not been met, placing contacts between the correct parties. This process is struggling.

The Sunflower has deadlines. When the university defers or postpones comment, they only disservice themselves.

Without the university’s willingness to offer a clear line of communication, there’s no guarantee WSU can have their comments reflected in print.

Muma challenged real, degree-seeking WSU students by claiming the numbers

printed were misinformation.

“As the leader of WSU’s enrollment efforts and one who believes integrity is so important as a professional, it sickens me to think that somehow The Sunflower believed that we were leading the university down a path that lacked integrity,” Muma wrote in the letter.

The Sunflower showed the facts — dates and numbers. These numbers cannot be changed or refuted.

Sunflower reporters and editors strive to show the facts and offer clarity in the best way they can.

Limit the silence, step out of the darkness, and offer the student body what they need: transparency.

People should be skeptical about what politicians say of the media I learned to fake when I played sports as a kid. I learned about news when I became a newspaper reporter as an adult.

I never thought the two words would be combined and develop into the national vernacular and get debated during the past couple of years with no end in sight.

Politicians’ reference to fake news is their effort to discredit the news media and what they report about and an attempt to persuade the public the only accurate information is what they say.

I have not worked with or known a reporter to intentionally report and write inaccurate information. All try to be accurate, get both sides of the story, and get it right. We understand that news informs the public about what our elected officials do, tells us about businesses that operate in our communities, introduce us to someone they might never meet, and keeps up about our favorite

ROBERT HITE COLUMNIST

sports teams. In short, the media informs the public about ideas, issues, people and governmental policies that affect them, and active citizens often make decisions and act on that information.

If anything, reporters are frustrated that we cannot get enough news with a deeper understanding about current events than time allows.

When w get it wrong, we print corrections it make it right as best

as we can.

No one likes to have negative critical information about them published for many people to read but when politicians or important people make decisions to do it, it is the media’s responsibility to report it, just as it is when they do something good.

Mart Baron, executive editor the Washington Post, talked about it on Reliable Sources, a CNN Sunday morning program.

We’re not stenographers. We’re supposed to find out what’s going on. It’s our obligation to find out what the truth is,” he said.

Baron added that what politicians do is more important than what they say. He wants reporters to look beneath the surface and be careful.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.”

Anyone who believes politicians when they refer to accurate news as fakes news is contributing to the possibility of losing a free press.

People should be skeptical about what politicians say of the media — we accept that as a part of the democratic process.

Consider what this country would be without a free press.

Think about North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, or other authoritarian countries that do not have one.

Those governments tell their citizens what to think and how to act by not allowing them access to accurate information about what the government is saying and, more importantly, doing.

Reporters understand the importance of their role in our free society. I have heard about this saying on the wall of the New York Times regarding accuracy: “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out.”

CULTURE

www.thesunflower.com

MONDAY, OCT. 9, 2017

|3

OH SO SPICY Grace Market offers killer Korean-Japanese spread

MATT COOPER FOOD CRITIC

A

s I sat down to a plate of turquoise-tinged spicy octopus with a side of sweet Kimchi, pickled radishes, and cucumber with a mound of steamed rice, my stomach couldn’t help but overturn with giddiness at what I was about to eat.

Sunny Choi, head chef at Parklane Plaza’s Grace Market Korean Grocery and restaurant, delivered a side of crisp Japanese-style shrimp tempura and a bowl of beef bulgogi with broccoli and chives. My hunger was about to be most-illustriously satisfied. I raised my chopsticks in anticipation.

The intriguing polychromatic palette of culinary options is a sweet jumping off point for Grace Market, but, before diving into the savory goods that awaited me, it’s important to understand the work that goes into each day at Grace Market’s 1030 S. Oliver location.

Grace Market is home to not only a Korean and Japanese restaurant, but an Asian grocery store offering a wide array of products ranging from oriental sweets and bulk rice to fried gluten with peanuts and Inarizushi no Moto — that’s fried soy bean curds to you and me. Wichitan Timothy Hsu has owned and operated Grace Market since June 2015.

Hsu said frequenting Grace Market is a good two-in-one deal for customers.

“One stone, two birds,” Hsu said. “We have

SHEPARD

FROM PAGE 1

made by a student government member against Shepard that alleged he “engaged in bullying conduct” and determined there was “no evidence to support that the respondent’s communications and interactions related to this conflict rose to the level of bullying as contemplated by the Student Code of Conduct,” according to a memo by Husch Blackwell.

The two payments were for $22,861.04, made in April, and $10,790.00, made in May, according to university documents. That’s $33,651.04.

WSU General Counsel David Moses said federal law and university policy prohibit him from discussing the specifics of any student’s “situation,” but confirmed that WSU hired Husch Blackwell to conduct an investigation in the spring.

“I AM CONFIDENT THAT RETAINING HUSCH BLACKWELL WAS A PRUDENT DECISION AND AN APPROPRIATE USE OF STATE RESOURCES,”

­—DAVID MOSES WSU GENERAL COUNSEL

“I am confident that retaining Husch Blackwell was a prudent decision and an appropriate use of state resources,” Moses said.

According to Husch Blackwell’s summary of its investigation of Shepard, there was “dysfunction” in SGA last fall, and people interviewed about the case “described the overall climate in SGA as toxic and stressful.”

Shepard and several members of his cabinet discussed the SGA climate in October of last year, when they sent letters to the Kansas Board of Regents diagnosing a “culture of fear” at WSU. The letters included a list of concerns they felt weren’t being addressed

by WSU’s administration.

Among those concerns were students, faculty, and staff “afraid to speak up” out of fear of retaliation by WSU President John Bardo; student government adviser, Christine SchneikartLuebbe being put on leave without explanation; a lack of transparency in decisions being made by university administrators; and concerns about outside influence on university decisions.

“I think it is important for you

MATT COOPER/THE SUNFLOWER

Fresh-steamed spicy octopus from Grace Market.

many varieties of groceries. The food is a good price and it’s a homemade style.”

Hsu confidently added that customers who visit Grace Market will be floored with the Korean and Japanese cuisine.

“You will really feel you’re in Korea or Japan,” Hsu said.

He was true in his word.

As I dug into my four-course meal, delighting first in the spicy octopus which immediately lit my mouth asunder with a tangy Korean red spice, I really felt transported to another country.

My mouth wasn’t quite ready, or perhaps sophisticated enough, to understand the cuisine. By the second bite of octopus with a bit of Kimchi added to the mix, I began to sweat. This meal was off to a fantastic and delicious start.

The shrimp tempura, battered and dipped in

to know that we are living in a culture of fear here at Wichita State University,” Shepard wrote. “There are students, faculty and staff afraid to speak up because they’re fearful that they will be fired, alienated or unjustly stripped of an opportunity to continue their education.

“It is evident to us, as students, that anyone who speaks out against President Bardo will be let go from their position, or their position will be dissolved for reasons unknown,” Shepard wrote.

That was before Eric Maki, Christine Schneikart-Luebbe, or Lyston Skerritt resigned from the university in the spring. Maki and Schneikart-Luebbe’s resignations in the middle of the spring have been questioned repeatedly by students and faculty, but both signed non-disparagement and non-disclosure agreements.

Skerritt, who served as SGA adviser in his final months at WSU, said of last year: “The last year has been interesting and difficult for me personally and professionally resulting in great reflection,” Skerritt said in an email sent out to students when he resigned. “The root of my decision lies in a need to preserve my morals and affirm my ethics amidst an influx of operational culture and decisions made within the department and division.”

About a month after sending letters to the Regents raising concerns about a culture of fear, Shepard said rumors began to circulate among students that he was being privately investigated.

Before winter break, Shepard said he was alerted by WSU that there had been a conduct complaint filed against him.

Shepard said he wasn’t told what the complaint was or who had filed it, but was left with the thought of an investigation going into finals week.

Counseling and testing center became a common stop for Shepard, he said. Anxiety attacks, panic attacks, depression — this combination of stresses, Shepard said, led to hospital visits.

“There were days I wasn’t able to show up to work because I was having panic attacks or having anxiety attacks or in the hospital,” Shepard said. “It was very difficult to go through that situation without any answers but then keep doing my job while also dealing with the internal things that were going on in my own life.”

Shepard spent his winter break with family, he said, and didn’t

hear back from the university about the status of the investigation until February.

That’s when Shepard said he got a phone call telling him he needed to “come in and meet with an attorney.”

“At that point, I was like, ‘Attorney — what is going on here?’” Shepard said.

WSU’s attorney, David Moses, said in an email, “as a general matter, factors that could lead a university to retain an outside investigator for a given case include the complexities of a case (both legal and factual) and the unavailability of university investigators because of actual or perceived conflicts of interest.”

Shepard said he thinks an outside investigator was chosen because of a perceived conflict of interest and a perceived positive relationship he had with an official in the student conduct office, but that there were other employees in that office who could have conducted the investigation if that was a concern.

In short, Shepard said the investigation should have been handled internally, like any other student conduct case. Instead, it was handled by Elizabeth Samples of Husch Blackwell.

Moses confirmed that, in general, “the university’s default is to conduct investigations using internal investigators.”

“Whether the university retains outside investigators in future cases will depend on the circumstances of the cases we might face,” Moses said.

Shepard said the investigation was overly intrusive and included showing Samples his emails and letting her look through his cell phone.

“She saw things that, in my opinion, she should have never seen,” Shepard said.

“This wasn’t some minimal investigation. This was hardcore, extensive — they wanted to know everything. And to me it was just an invasion of my privacy of my personal life and an invasion of my professional life as well. All because of, in my opinion, false allegations and claims.”

The Sunflower reached out, through a Saturday email, to WSU President Bardo, Assistant Vice President for Student Advocacy, Intervention and Accountability Mandy Hambleton, Director of News and Media Relations Joe Kleinsasser, Vice President for Strategic Communications Lou Heldman,

a cocktail sauce of peppered soy, vinegar, and plum juice, was nothing less than a revelation to the taste buds. The sauce, while a tad bitter, did seem fresh and went over with the taste palette better than a simple horseradish sauce would have. It was originality that counted here.

The beef bulgogi, a late addition to the meal, was the defining piece of an already delightful meal. The finely-sliced beef chunks were peppered and topped with fresh broccoli, tangy red sauce, and a sesame spice that made the dish pop in the best possible way. Just one bite of the bulgogi mixed with a small helping of the octopus was enough to send me into culinary shock.

The verdict here is one of overwhelming affirmation. This Korean-Japanese fusion will leave you happy and opulently full.

Vice President for Student Affairs Teri Hall, Student Body President Paige Hungate, Student Body Vice President Breck Towner, Student Advocate Rheanna Pierce, Title IX Coordinator Natasha Stephens, Faculty Senate President Carolyn Shaw, and Moses, alerting them of The Sunflower’s findings and asking, among other things, whether the investigation was morally right.

Only Moses responded.

PAYMENTS

Shepard is from California, but he has been in Wichita for six years. During his four years of undergraduate studies, he paid out-of-state tuition. But last year, when he was admitted to graduate school at WSU, his acceptance letter said he was “classified as a resident of the State of Kansas for tuition purposes.” So, he paid in-state tuition.

March 30, he received an email from WSU financial operations telling him there had been a “fee assessment error,” on top of an error in his residency status, that resulted in him owing $12,156.50 for back payment on retroactively-assessed out-of-state tuition for his first year of graduate school and out-of-state tuition for the fall.

Shepard said he thinks these mistakes weren’t accidental, that they were a way to deter him from returning to WSU after a year where he questioned the WSU administration.

“I believe that this administration is very intimidated by anyone who is willing to stand up to their actions — against their unethical practices,” Shepard said.

“And so, long story short, unfortunately, I think that this administration sees me as a threat.

Anyone who is willing to say ‘I’m not going to allow this to happen and I’m going to continue to fight against this’ — they want you out of here,” Shepard said.

But Shepard said he is determined to finish out at WSU, to set an example for those students who may feel the same way as him and may wish to follow in his footsteps.

“If I don’t speak up, then this same thing could happen to someone else and I don’t want anyone to ever deal with this nightmare. It’s discouraging, disheartening and hurtful. Luckily, my resilience and faith in God won’t allow me to let these things or them get in the way of fulfilling my purpose in life.”

Interfest will be part of Diversity Showcase Week

By MATT MADDEN

This Thursday, students from various multicultural groups will come together to celebrate Interfest, an annual tradition at the university. This year’s Interfest is part of Diversity Showcase Week put on by the President’s Diversity Council.

Danielle Johnson, assistant director at the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, describes Interfest as a festival of international culture and food.

“Students take the time to cook their traditional foods and give attendees the opportunity to taste the flavors of the world,” Johnson said.

She said the celebration gives students a chance to share their culture with others while raising funds for their organizations.

Afra Haque, member of the Bangladesh Student Association, said Interfest is one of the best ways to interact with the multicultural community.

“You get an opportunity to indulge in diverse cultures by trying their traditional food,” Haque said.

Interfest will be held in the courtyard between the RSC and Neff Hall. Haque said the event’s location provides some of the appeal, since it allows students to try different cuisines without needing to seek out restaurants that serve them.

Carleigh Camacho, member of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, said Interfest showcases diversity on campus.

“Our diversity on this campus is showcased through food from around the world,” Camacho said. “It’s what makes this campus unique and amazing.”

While the registration deadline has passed for students wishing to sell food, it’s not too late to get involved at Interfest.

“The most important way to participate is [to] buy tickets and eat some amazing food,” Johnson said.

But food isn’t the only way students can celebrate their culture at Interfest.

“You can always be innovative about how you want to represent your culture,” Haque said. She said singing, dancing, reciting poetry, and even dressing in traditional clothing can all be a part of the celebration.

Tickets are a dollar each, and act as a currency for buying food during the event. Tickets can either be bought online or at the event.

SPORTS

4 | MONDAY, OCT. 9, 2017

www.thesunflower.com

Men’s basketball student ticket pickup dates announced

HOUSING

FROM PAGE 1

By ALIYAH FUNSCHELLE

Student ticket pickup dates have been announced for the 2017-2018 men’s basketball season.

Tickets can be picked up at the University Bookstore, the Heskett Center, and the Shocker Ticket Office at Charles Koch Arena.

Tickets for the INTRUST Bank Arena game, however, can only be picked up at the ticket office.

Any tickets that have not been picked up 48 hours before the game will be sold to the public.

Students can get one free ticket with their Shocker ID. Students can purchase up to two more tickets — the second at a discount and the third at full price.

Students showing multiple IDs will no longer be permitted.

PICKUP DATES MON., OCT. 30: Henderson State (EXH.) (Nov. 4)

FRI., NOV. 3: UMKC (Nov. 11) TUES., NOV. 7: College of

MATT CROW/THE SUNFLOWER

The Wichita State volleyball team huddles after a point during their match against UCF.

NO. 23 SHOCKERS REMAIN UNDEFEATED IN AAC

Charleston (Nov. 13)

FRI., NOV. 17: Savannah State (Nov. 28)

THURS., NOV. 30: South Dakota State (Dec. 5)

MON., DEC. 11: Oklahoma INTRUST Bank Arena (Dec. 16) Tickets only available at Shocker Ticket Office

WSU

THURS., DEC. 14: Arkansas State (Dec. 19)

MON., DEC. 18: Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 22)

FRI., DEC. 22: Houston (Jan.4) TUES., JAN. 2: USF (Jan.7) THURS., JAN. 11: SMU (Jan. 14)

THURS., JAN. 18: UCF (Jan. 25)

MON., JAN. 22: Tulsa (Jan. 28) MON., FEB. 5: UConn (Feb. 10)

THURS., FEB. 8: Temple (Feb. 15)

THURS., FEB. 15: Tulane (Feb. 21)

MON., FEB. 26: Cincinnati For use on a light color background, on (March 4)

TULANE

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ERRORS

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8

HITTING %

.351

HITTING %

.396

POINTS

53.0

POINTS

57.0

ACES

2

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BLOCKS

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TA

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ASSISTS

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uncoated materials.

The Housing and Residence Life Office is moving from its current location in Fairmount Towers to The Flats in about two weeks, Jensen said.

Jensen said the university is still dealing with excess occupancy that resulted from a decision made in July to move about 300 students from Fairmount Towers to The Flats.

As of August, 80 students were living in “temporary arrangements” in Shocker Hall, a process known as tripling.

These arrangements consisted of adding an extra bed to the common area of a suite or a private bedroom.

Jensen said the university allowed students to move from Shocker Hall into Greek houses earlier than usual and waived the cancellation fee to deal with the housing shortage.

Despite the university’s efforts, there are still about 40 too many students living in Shocker Hall, Jensen said.

“Un-tripling rooms is tricky for us because we would like to un-triple them, but to make space, it means someone leaves the university, which we don’t want, or we have some folks who move off campus.”

Students affected by the housing shortage in Shocker Hall were originally given a 20 percent discount on their rent.

Jensen said the university plans to increase the discount to students who still live in over-occupied rooms.

“The folks who have had people longer will get a higher percent off. They may get 25 percent off,” Jensen said. “We anticipated that, by this point, we would have no one left.”

Teri Hall, vice president for student affairs, said in August that rooms would be de-tripled as soon as possible.

“Sadly, it means someone will have to leave to make a space.

By the end of the semester, if not by October, we should have all rooms de-tripled,” Hall said in August.

Jensen said the university is trying to make amends for the inconveniences.

“It’s not about making money off of this,” Jensen said.

“It’s about what we do when it wasn’t the experience people thought they would have when they began.”

For use on a dark color background, on uncoated materials.

Artist Talk: Diedrick Brackens

NO BACKGROUND, on uncoated materials.

<--THERE IS A WHITE ONE

you will look back on this and smile SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Umair Zoumy, Wichita State’s club soccer president, plays soccer at the Metroplex against K-State.

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Club soccer team finishes fall season, focuses on growing For use on coated materials.

By RAY STRUNK

The Wichita State Soccer Club finished its fall season Friday with a home loss to Kansas State, but club president Umair Zoumy said the team is used to being the underdog.

“Our team is the smallest team out here,” Zoumy said. “The amount of equipment and everything that other teams have, we can’t even compare.”

Zoumy said that what the team lacks in size and equipment, they make up for in commitment.

“We still pose a threat with the amount of commitment,” Zoumy said. “I feel like commitment is way better than any other thing.”

Despite the difficulties that come with being a small club team, Zoumy said he has high hopes for the future.

“If I do come back to the university — maybe three, four, or five years from now — I want to see that the club has reached a rank that I have only imagined. I would be really proud.”

The club currently competes in fall matches against K-State, Kansas, Creighton, and Missouri Western, along with a spring tournament hosted by K-State.

“That tournament is pretty big,” Zoumy said. “We have teams from all states come there. It’s pretty nice to compete with them.”

Zoumy said he hopes to add more matches and tournaments to the schedule in the future.

“I want to get up to a higher tier so that we

Image (Left to Right): Diedrick Brackens, always look away, 2017. Hand woven cotton, mirrored acrylic.

Diedrick Brackens, never look away, 2017. Hand woven cotton, mirrored acrylic. Courtesy of the artist

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

Mamdouh Albalawi, a member of Wichita State’s soccer club, pushes past a Kansas State defender during a match.

can get enough funding to go to tournaments during the fall and spring,” Zoumy said.

“Hopefully we can come out with a home tournament and bring all sorts of teams over here.”

He said advertising is the key to improving the club.

“It’s all about getting the word out there,” Zoumy said.

“There are plenty of students that like soccer but they do not know that there is a club here. I want every student on campus to know that there is a soccer club.”

Based in Los Angeles, artist Diedrick Brackens explores issues of race, sexuality, and healing through the ways in which textiles communicate and bodily engage viewers. Brackens earned his MFA from California College of the Arts and BFA from the University of North Texas. His work has been exhibited at the Berkeley Art Museum, the 3rd Ghetto Biennale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and has recently been acquired by the Oakland Museum, California. He is currently Assistant Professor of Fiber at California State University, Long Beach.

Presented in support of the Ulrich Underground exhibition Diedrick Brackens: a slow reckoning, on view September 9 – December 10, 2017

Thursday, October 12 5:30 p.m. Reception | 6 p.m. Program Free Admission | Public Welcome Location: Ulrich Museum

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity of Inclusion

@ulrichmuseum | ulrich.wichita.edu | Free Admission | 316.978.3664 | 1845 Fairmount