The Sunflower v. 123 i. 2 (August 23, 2018)

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THESUNFLOWER.COM

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018 • VOL. 123, ISS. 2

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.

Former WSU English instructor passes away after release of his first book BY MATT COOPER

Poet and former Wichita State English instructor Michael Cissell died last Thursday of a heart attack at the age of 45. Cissell was an English instructor at Butler Community College at the time of his death. Butler Associate Dean of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences Troy Nordman commented on the department’s loss. “Thursday morning, I got a call from his family saying that he had passed,” Nordman said. “As one of his administrators and former colleagues, the hard part was having to tell his friends and former English instructors. It was a

Wichita State receives $2.5 million from U.S. Department of Defense

real shock to everyone.” Before his hiring at Butler, Cissell was a full-time member of the WSU English faculty from 2002-2008. His untimely death comes following the release of his first published book of poems, “The Cutting Songs of the Butcher Son,” earlier this month. “I’m glad his book was published,” Nordman said. “There is a legacy in those poems.” Nordman noted the poignancy of the initial success of Cissell’s book. “I called Watermark Books Friday,” Nordman said. “They had already sold out of the book, and I think that is a testament to his passion as a poet.” The book, dedicated to Cissell’s wife, Monica and two sons, Guthrie

and Rohan, was released just two weeks ago through Spartan Press. Days before his death, The Sunflower sat down with Cissell to discuss his book The scene was Phil Uhlik Music, downtown Wichita. Under dim lights and surrounded by amplifiers, JCM Marshalls, and vintage Fenders, Cissell jammed blues scales on a jet-black Gibson Les Paul Standard. He spoke of his book, “The Cutting Songs of the Butcher Son.” The poetry collection is an exercise in the cycles of life — a unique medium for the sordidness of fathers long gone and forever misunderstood. SEE CISSELL • PAGE 6

MATT COOPER/THE SUNFLOWER

Former Wichita State English instructor Michael Cissell sits with his guitar inside Phil Uhlik Music. Cissell passed last week.

bouncing back

BY JENNA FARHAT

Wichita State has received a $2.5 million research grant to fund programs at the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), which is located on WSU’s Innovation Campus. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Defense. Tracee Friess, director of communication and special programs at NIAR, said students working at NIAR will have the opportunity to be involved in the research. Friess wrote in an email that the research is “an applied learning opportunity focused on the most advanced manufacturing technology.” The grant will fund research for technology that will specifically aid the U.S. Department of Defense, but will also apply to the manufacturing industry, Friess wrote. “Wichita State University has a strong reputation for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) in aerospace material certification, structures, and simulation,” Friess wrote in part. SEE DEFENSE • PAGE 6

JOSEPH BARRINGHAUS/THE SUNFLOWER

Courteney Castle (left) and Gabe Robertson (right) compete on an inflatable at the Back to School Bash on August 18, 2018. A variety of back to school activities kept students entertained before and during syllabus week.

Special election will fill open SGA positions Papa John’s order mishap

results in accusations of cultural insensitivity from Muslim student

BY DANIEL CAUDILL

At the first Student Government Association meeting of the semester, the Student Senate passed a resolution calling for a special election that would fill certain vacant positions in the senate. The resolution, authored by Business Senator Anisia Brumley, calls for a special election to fill vacant freshman senator seats and newly introduced underserved populaces senator seats. The senate previously passed a constitutional amendment to add underserved student populaces seats to the Student Senate, but Brumley said there was debate about whether the legislative journal would allow the appointment of new seats. “There’s been a question rising as to whether [the new seats] should be appointed or not because they have never been filled before this semester,” Brumley said. “To avoid that conflict, we’d rather go through the longer

The pair picked up their order in-store at the 3236 N. Wichita State gradRock location and took it uate student Mariem home. It didn’t take long to Berrada considered realize something was off with herself a loyal Papa the pizza toppings. John’s customer before “By the time we get the an order mixup that second bite, my friend tells BERRADA she said culminated in a me, ‘Oh, this is not chicken,’” store manager hanging up Berrada said. on her when she told him she was Upon examining the box, they Muslim and couldn’t eat the sausage discovered the meat was sausage. pizza they mistakenly gave her. Practicing Muslims don’t eat pork PJ Ops Kansas Director of due to religious guidelines. Operations Chris Duryee said Papa “The first thing that we do is that John’s does not record calls for we call Papa John’s and we make quality assurance, so there is no sure to tell them that there was a recording of the incident. mess-up in our order,” Berrada said. After a long day out last Tuesday, She said the manager who Berrada and a friend called in their picked up told them they could get order to Papa John’s — a large pizza the pizza replaced — they just had with mushrooms, olives, jalapeños, to pick it up in-store. and chicken. Berrada said she went to sleep hungry after a hostile interaction with a shift manager. SEE BERRADA • PAGE 6

BY MATTHEW KELLY

SELENA FAVELA/THE SUNFLOWER

The SGA cabinet gives their officer reports during the first session Wednesday, Aug. 22.

process of electing them.” People who belong to an “underserved” population, as defined by the university’s Strategic Enrollment Plan, will be eligible to run for the underserved student populaces seats. Freshman senators have traditionally been appointed by the student body president, subject to senate approval. “We added freshmen to [the

resolution] because they’re going to be getting appointed at the same time, so it gives them an opportunity to go through an election process,” Brumley said. “Also, the freshmen who step up and say ‘I’m willing to go through an election’ are the students who are little bit more dedicated and willing to put more work into SGA.” SEE SGA • PAGE 5

INSIDE

SUGAR HIGH

POETRY Q&A

SERVES UP

Check out the latest clue in The Sunflower’s medallion hunt.

Sugarland brought country twang to INTRUST Bank Arena.

The Sunflower sat down with Michael Cissell five days before his death.

Volleyball kicks off season Friday.

CULTURE • PAGE 3

CULTURE • PAGE 3

CULTURE • PAGE 4

SPORTS • PAGE 6

THE HUNT IS ON


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