is scary’ ‘Change Anthropology department plans for future without Neff Hall
that,” Dozier said.
BY AINSLEY SMYTH news@thesunflower.com
Neff Hall, the current home of Wichita State’s anthropology department, is home to some of the oldest and most valuable relics on campus. From Asmat tribal art to animal bones, the building has served not only as the university’s anthropological hub, but as an invaluable storage space for an assortment of artifacts collected over decades.
But Neff Hall is now in its last years, and the future home of these artifacts is uncertain. The Kansas Board of Regents recently approved the demolition of the building, which is slated for 2027.
As a result of the planned demolition, the anthropology department is expected to merge spaces with the geology department, causing both to plan for changes.
While discussions about the demolition of Neff have been ongoing for at least three years, according to William Parcell, chair of the geology department, many details have yet to be decided. While the departments didn’t have a choice about the move, Parcell said they’ve been involved in planning their new space and meeting with architects hired by the university.
Some anthropology faculty and students said they feel sad, frustrated, and uncertain, but the change may also bring opportunities for collaboration between the two departments and more exposure for the Holmes Museum of Anthropology.
ISSUES WITH NEFF HALL AND DEFERRED MAINTENANCE
Crystal Dozier, acting chair of Wichita State’s anthropology department, said she understands the need for change; Neff Hall has been in use for more than 70 years, and its condition has deteriorated over that time.
“I think I have never had too high of an emotional connection to Neff Hall because I’m seeing it at the end of its days, and there’s a recognition that this building is (just) a building, and it has issues,” she said. “What’s more important is keeping our anthropology community supported and finding a space where our people and our materials are best supported.”
The issues with the building, Dozier said, include problems with temperature regulation and concerns about water seepage and mold. They affect not only the people in the building but also the many artifacts it houses.
“They really need to be in a controlled humidity environment, and this building can no longer do
Hans Schrader, an anthropology graduate student, said while he understands the building may not be able to serve the department anymore, he said it’s sad that the hall he’s spent years studying in will be no more.
“The anthropology department isn’t funded very well, which I sort of understand because we’re not the money makers for the university,” Schrader said. “But I do think this could have been prevented if preventative maintenance would have been done.”
Deferred maintenance has been an ongoing concern for the state’s public universities for at least two decades, since the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) studied the issue in 2002.
“KBOR told the universities they can’t hold as much deferred maintenance, and so in order to get rid of that — basically they’re going to be fined, I guess, if they keep buildings that need to be maintained,”Parcell said. “So they’ve decided it’s more cost-effective to destroy buildings, tear them down and squeeze the departments into other buildings.”
MOVING AND RENOVATIONS
Dozier acknowledged that the upcoming move is making some in the department uneasy.
“Change is scary, and we will probably be downsizing a little bit, and that’s never a fun reality,” she said. “Archaeology doesn’t work unless you have the artifact, and the museum doesn’t work unless you have the artifacts, and students need this physical space as well in order to do their studies … so I think that’s where the apprehension comes in, that fear that we’ll lose some of the space that … we’ve been really using.”
Neff houses many artifacts, from soil and rock samples to art and other objects from cultures around the world. Although the building’s current state may endanger these artifacts, there is also a challenge in terms of moving them into the new locations. Some anthropology students said that while they will graduate before the move, they feel for the faculty and future students who will tackle this challenge.
“The whole idea of moving things is…” graduate assistant Georgia Zavala said, trailing off with a grimace.
The change also presents challenges for the geology department, which will share its current building with anthropology, according to the university’s current plans.
The Geology Building is expected to undergo renovations before the move. Parcell said the exact details have not been determined, but will
of some classrooms; and the addition of a sprinkler system.
To prepare for the renovations, Parcell said the geology department expects to vacate the building temporarily in the summer of 2026, including moving all of its own materials out.
Parcell said the move might come at the expense of space for the department, but he anticipates enough space for students and faculty.
“We’re going to lose our library,” he said. “That’s going to be lost, but we may coordinate that by moving collections that we need to keep into each of the faculty offices, so we don’t have a dedicated library.”
HOLMES MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
The Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology is not expected to be housed with the rest of the anthropology department, as it currently is. Its future is uncertain, but Dozier said one option that’s been presented is moving the museum into Ablah Library.
“Dean (of University Libraries Brent) Mai has some big ideas for transforming the space and these ideas, I think, are really exciting,” Dozier said. “Having the museum in a more centralized location would allow more students to access it, and that is something that I think would be really great.”
Schrader, who works in the museum, said being in the library would mean more exposure to the campus community.
“We don’t get a lot of people (visitors) in here,” he said. “I mean, we get a couple a week but a lot of people go to the library all the time.”
Dozier said funding the museum’s move may be a challenge, but it could be an opportunity for alumni to help out.
Schrader, meanwhile, said he’s working on a grant proposal to help with the cost.
“(It would be) just as kind of a ‘thank you’ to the director of the museum (Rachelle Meinecke) because this program has done a lot for me, and I mainly just don’t want to see the program slip away. I want the anthropology department to continue, and I want the museum studies program to continue and that’s really important to me as a soon-to-be grad.”
Regardless, Schrader said that whatever happens to Neff Hall and the museum, he’ll make a point to come back and see the changes.
“It’d be interesting to come back in a few years and see what happened because I’ll be — who knows where I’ll be?” he said.
Axes with a long, flared blade are primarily used for ceremonial purposes by Lugbara chiefs in central Africa. The Lugbara people are an enthic group that live in the West Nile region of Uganda as well as the Congo and South Sudan. Historically, the Lugbara lived in chiefdoms as opposed to kingdoms like other Ugandan ethnic groups. Tribes formed alliances with other Lugbara tribes to protect against threats from other ethnic groups. Instead of designating soldiers, every Lugbara man was expected to protect his village.
Many Hopi, Hopi-Tewa or Tewa potters are on display in the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology in Neff Hall. Hopi-Tewa pottery, ranging in color
The “keffiyeh” or “kufiyeh” is a headdress traditionally worn by men in the Middle East. Now a unisex article of clothing, the pattern on the “keffiyeh” is said to derive from symbols for wheat and fishing nets in ancient Mesopotamia. The “keffiyeh” is now a mark of Palestinian liberation.
by the placement of the keys over a small gourd or wooden resonator board. The keys can be tuned in various ways to suit different moods. Sourced from Ghana, the Kisanji on display at Neff Hall has tin sourced from a sardines can.
Corn husk dolls are present in the history of northeast Native Americans, enslaved African American and American pioneer children. Corn husk dolls like the ones in the Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology varied in purpose from child’s play to being connected to religious purposes,
Provost Shirley Lefever is putting ‘one foot in front of the other’ in preparation for retirement
BY ALLISON CAMPBELL editor@thesunflower.com
When Provost Shirley Lefever feels overwhelmed or stressed, she does what most Wichita State students do — she asks her mother for advice. Lefever said her mother, a widow who raised seven children, would often give her the same suggestion; “Shirley, all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other.”
“(She would say) ‘Stop thinking about two years from now; you just wake up every day, and you put one foot in front of the other. Take one step at a time,’” Lefever said. “So that’s always been my thing.” Lefever has taken that advice to heart throughout her career at Wichita State; she even has a wooded plaque in her office in Morrison Hall inscribed with the phrase. But Lefever is now preparing to apply the adage differently as she approaches the start of a new chapter in her life: retirement.
MOVING THE NEEDLE
Lefever began serving as the university’s executive vice president and provost in an interim capacity in 2020. During that time, now-University President Richard Muma was also the interim president. He’s known Lefever since before he was provost in 2018, when she was an associate dean in the College of Education, now the College of Applied Studies. He said early on he found her “very responsive and just really insightful.”
“Shirley was always looking at
life glass-half-full … and just really had an overall positive outlook on students, faculty, higher education in general,” Muma said. “(She’s) a very easy person to work with in all matters concerning higher education.”
Lefever has acted as the executive vice president and provost since 2022. According to Muma, Lefever is in charge of “about 70% of the university,” including all things concerning academics, enrollment management, student success and “all the student support that’s necessary to make sure students are on track.”
Most of Lefever’s work at Wichita State has been focused on improving the access and affordability of higher education through projects like establishing Wichita State Connect, developing the talents and skillsets of students and working to create economic prosperity for the Wichita area. And according to Muma, Lefever has excelled in doing so.
“She has moved the needle in her work in terms of students’ success, persistence, (and) graduation rates,” Muma said. “All those have improved under her leadership.”
A ‘KANSAS GIRL’
Before Wichita State University, Lefever was a fifthgrade classroom teacher who “never, never aspired to be in higher ed.” But when one of her students wasn’t reading at the appropriate level, she turned to those in higher education for help.
“I just kept thinking, ‘Okay
well I have to take responsibility. I can’t let this student go one more year (reading below grade level),’ but I was also kind of panic-stricken,” Lefever said. “So I called my professor (from Kansas State University, Lefever’s alma mater) … and I was like, ‘I’m not sure what to do.’ But she was like, ‘Yes, you do, Shirley, just relax, just think,’ and she goes ‘We’d also love to have you come back and pursue graduate school.’”
Taking her former professor’s advice, Lefever returned to Kansas State and quickly found herself “really immersed” in literacy acquisition. She graduated with her master’s and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction and a passion to continue “learning about learning” to enhance literacy education.
That interest took her to the University of Arkansas, which was recreating its teacher preparation programs and professional development models. But after 14 years at Arkansas, Lefever — a “Kansas girl” at heart — was invited to serve as the department chair for curriculum and instruction at Wichita State. In that capacity, she helped redesign the teacher preparation program at Wichita State and “developed some really strong partnerships” with Wichita and surrounding district schools.
After climbing the ranks at Wichita State, Lefever assumed the role of provost, an “amazing experience” for her since.
“People can go through their entire careers and never have an opportunity to be part of something that is bigger than them. And so I feel like I’ve been
very fortunate,” she said. “So that’s going to be hard to leave.” Her departure, however, comes with one of the university’s most illustrious awards, the Laura Cross Distinguished Service Award, for her contributions to Wichita State.
LOOKING FORWARD
Lefever’s educational background is present now as she prepares for retirement; she’s even reading a book about it. But, unlike carefully assembled grade school lesson plans, Lefever says she plans to give herself some time to “see what happens.”
So far, that’s included adopting a bernedoodle — a cross between a Bernese Mountain dog and a
poodle. The puppy, named Luca, is expected to “fill some of those hours” of newfound retirement. Lefever also hopes to spend time with her mother.
While leaving Wichita State is “the hardest decision” she’s ever made, Lefever said she’s leaving without any regrets.
“(I’m fortunate to have been a part of and to) be proud of an institution that was really trying to do something,” Lefever said. Lefever still plans to visit and remain a part of campus, though, whether in the stands at sporting games or other university events.
“I’m gonna miss our students. I really am. I’m gonna miss our faculty … It’s the people (that I’ll miss most),” Lefever said. “But … (I’ll) always (be) a Shocker.”
‘Competitive landscape’: Wichita State breaks top 10 for engineering research and development nationwide
BY MYA SCOTT mds.200624@gmail.com
Wichita State has worked on improving its research center and Innovation Campus for several years, and as of late last month, the campus’s hard work has paid off.
The university was ranked eighth in engineering research and development (R&D) expenditures by the National Science Foundation, moving up from its previous spot of 13th in last year’s rankings.
WSU also ranked first overall in aerospace engineering research and development, which was an improvement from its rank of third in 2023.
Tracee Friess does public relations work for the National Institute for Aviation Research. She said ranking nationally has been a long-time goal.
“We have been tracking where we are at on that ranking for as long as I can remember,” Friess said.
“And it has always been our goal to be number one in aerospace R&D … We were really looking forward to being number one in overall aerospace R&D funding and this was the year that we made it to the top of that list … The number eight ranking in overall engineering R&D was just icing on the cake.”
Anthony Muscat, the dean of the College of Engineering, said
MISSION
the survey takes into account a lot of aspects but, at its core, is an assessment of research activity on campus.
“(The survey) allows different institutions to really compare against each other,” Muscat said.
“So to be ranked this highly really does mean something because we’re being ranked with other universities that also have a very, very active research profile. So it’s a big deal, and it really brings a lot of recognition and prestige to Wichita State to be ranked this highly.”
Wichita State was ranked among many prestigious engineering schools such as Johns Hopkins University, the University of Notre Dame and Stanford University.
Muscat said he was surprised when the rating was released but was excited about the possibility of the grants and recognition that this accomplishment will offer.
“It really brings us recognition, and what that means to me on the academic side is really just to attract students to come here and … attract faculty as well as keep our current faculty,” Muscat said. “Because it’s a very competitive landscape right now for engineering talent.”
Muscat said this ranking has the potential to support research activity for everyone in the college
“It impacts students and positions that they have,”
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 learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.
Collegiate
Muscat said. “A lot of these large grants (allow us to) hire both undergraduate as well as graduate students, so it allows them to not only learn something about a particular research area but also they have a job.”
Muscat said while the National Institute for Aviation Research helps the industry with a huge program
for engineering, the ranking is due to all of the programs centered around research.
“I don’t think it’s any one particular program or any one thing,” Muscat said. “It’s indicative of all the research activity at the university which you really don’t see.”
The dean said he hopes students
Sunflower is a member of the
College Media Association and the Wichita
Collaborative.
see the strong programs and take advantage of what the university has to offer.
“Wichita State (students) can be proud and can really run with other universities that when you first hear their names are maybe more associated with research and development,” Muscat said.
The John Bardo Center on May 4, 2023. | File photo by Shelby Parscale / The Sunflower
Wichita State Executive Vice President and Provost Shirley Lefever smiles for a photo. Lefever is set to retire from her role after nearly 20 years at the university at the end of 2024. | Photo by Allison Campbell / The Sunflower
Biology student and professor discover rare squirrel breed on Wichita State campus SPOTTED ON CAMPUS WHAT
ARE PIEBALD SQUIRRELS?
Piebalds squirrels have irregular patches of hair, with some capable of being white, gray, or brown. They typically have poor eyesight because their eyes do not reflect glare from the sun as well as other squirrels.
These animals tend to live for a shorter amount of time as a result of their eyesight. Wichita State’s piebald squirrel, nicknamed Snowball for its unique pattern, might be luckier than other squirrels with the same condition, though.
YOU’RE INVITED!
Associate professor James Beck predicts the animal could live longer because he resides in an urban environment.
Piebaldism is relatively uncommon but has been noticed among a plethora of other animals, such as deer, cats, and more.
BY CHEYANNE TULL earth2chey@gmail.com
A unique male piebald fox squirrel has made a surprising appearance perched in the oak trees on campus near the northeast corner of Morrison Hall and near Jabara Hall.
Biology graduate student Jessica Baughman was having a picnic with her mother on campus by Hubbard Hall when she made the surprising discovery.
“I looked over and, in between the steel horse statue and one of the giant oaks, the squirrel is just running and I was like, ‘Oh, that is the piebald squirrel,’” Baughman said.
In simple terms, piebaldism means there is a lack of pigment in certain areas of fur on an animal, resulting in white or lighter colors. This condition is most commonly seen in mammals and often creates shorter life spans for the animals as they are a higher target for predators. However, according to associate professor James Beck, the squirrel may live longer because he’s in an urban environment.
Beck is an associate professor of biological sciences with the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Baughman approached him after the sighting, and while scholarly squirrel research isn’t his forte, he said he scoured the few scientific sources available to find additional information on the rarity of piebald squirrels.
“Just based on the amount of relative lack of discussion of piebald squirrels that I could find online, I would say it’s pretty uncommon,” Beck said. “I did look at the scientific literature for estimates and I could not find any actual numbers.”
The University of Iowa had a celebrity piebald eastern gray squirrel named “Pinto Bean” on their campus in 2022 which was eventually taxidermied and placed on their campus as a sort of “mascot” after its death.
Beck is the owner of a
piebald housecat, a common genetic occurrence in cats, while Baughman had the rare experience of seeing a piebald deer in the wild.
“It was a really cool occurrence for me, and my sister is kind of obsessed with them,” Baughman said.
While both Beck and Baughman are particularly focused on botany and plant life, they hope this discovered squirrel may inform a different type of research with the help of citizen scientists and students on campus. They hope to get a better idea of the home range of this animal to see where it lives on campus.
While Beck and Baughman said they want to encourage students to observe this rare and “beautiful” animal, people should also be respectful of the animal and its space. That includes not feeding it and other campus wildlife.
“It’s fun to have wild animals on campus, but we need to minimize the amount that we semidomesticate them,” Beck said. “We are not encouraging people to do anything … besides just trying to get pictures, just keep your eyes out.”
While their nickname for the creature has been “Snowball” for the past couple of weeks, Beck and Baughman said they hope students will gain an appreciation for the creature and they encourage others to come up with names for him on their own.
If you have seen this animal anywhere on campus and wish to aid Beck in his research of the home range of this animal, he can be reached via phone at (316) 9786063, email at james.beck@wichita. edu or can be found in his office at Hubbard Hall.
He hopes with the help of students and photos taken of Snowball that they can build a “map” of where this unique squirrel lives on campus.
“Hopefully it can be a nice distraction for students as finals week comes up,” Beck said.
The piebald squirrel found on Wichita State’s campus, nicknamed Snowball. | Photo courtesy of James Beck
Ballard sets blocks milestone in men’s basketball blowout win
BY OWEN PROTHRO
owenprothro@gmail.com
Wichita State men’s basketball’s senior center Quincy Ballard set a unique milestone, etching himself in Shocker history on Wednesday night against Alcorn State University (ASU).
Ballard recorded his 100th and 101st blocks in a Wichita State uniform, moving to a tie for seventh on the all-time WSU leaderboard.
Ballard ended the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds while shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line as the Shockers trounced the Braves, 78-54, in Charles Koch Arena.
Ballard said being in the record books with WSU basketball legends like Garrett Stutz and Xavier McDaniel is an honor.
“To hear those names, it’s legendary,” Ballard said. “Those are pretty historic names.”
Head coach Paul Mills said Ballard’s rim protection is vital for the team, especially as it moves deeper into its regular season schedule.
“If you look at our rim protection and shots around the rim when he’s in versus when he’s out, it’s pretty drastic,” Mills said. “I think there’s a 22% (shot)
difference when he’s on the court versus off the court. You can’t give up layups in this game and give yourself an opportunity.”
Wichita State improved to 7-1 overall for the second straight season while ASU remained winless at 0-10.
Ballard was the hot hand early for WSU, scoring the team’s first seven points as the Shockers took a 7-3 lead in the first half. WSU never trailed in the first half but offensive rebounds from the Braves and scoring droughts from the Shockers never allowed the home team to carve a big lead for the first 14 minutes of the period.
Leading 23-18, WSU went on its first 7-0 run, capped off by a fifthyear guard Justin Hill 3-pointer from the elbow to take its biggest lead of the half, 30-18. The Shockers extended their lead to 14 points after Ballard converted a second-chance layup, 37-23. The teams ended the half on scoring droughts of over two minutes as WSU went into halftime leading, 39-26.
WSU shot 42% from the field in the first half, compared to Alcorn State’s 24%. Ballard paved the way for the offense, scoring nine points and nabbing eight rebounds. Despite the Braves scrapping for 13 offensive rebounds, they were only able to
capitalize on eight second-chance points.
WSU came out of the break with the defense alive, holding ASU to no points for a 4:43 stretch. The home team’s lead ballooned to 24 points, 57-33, following a 12-0 run that fifth-year guard AJ McGinnis punctuated with a 3-pointer.
With most starters out and bench players in, Wichita State cruised to its second 20-point margin of victory of the season. In the second half, McGinnis came off the bench and led the team in scoring during the period with eight points on 3-4 shooting,
adding a couple of 3-pointers to his stat line.
The Shockers ended the game shooting 44% from the field, 30% from beyond the arc and 83% from the free throw line. The Braves came into the game the worst shooting team in the country at 33% from the field, a mark that worsened against the Shockers as Alcorn State shot 26% in the game.
Men’s basketball will stay home for its next game against East Tennessee State University on Saturday, Dec. 7. Tipoff against the Buccaneers is scheduled for 6 p.m.
How two WSU players became teammates three separate times
BY JACOB UNRUH sports@thesunflower.com
In 10th grade, Jayla Murray was playing basketball for Tampa Bay Tech High School when Jasmine Peaks joined the team.
The duo won the Florida State Championship together before deciding to transfer to another high school for their senior year. Coincidentally, they ended up at the same school, making them teammates once more.
Four years later, the cycle has repeated itself at Wichita State as the juniors continue finding themselves on the same roster.
“Shoot, we were just meant to be together,” Murray said.
One day before their senior year of high school, the duo were talking about where they would play and realized it was for the same school.
“(I) had no idea she was coming,” Murray said.
Murray and Peaks began their collegiate careers at junior colleges in Florida — Murray for Florida SouthWestern State and Peaks for Indian River State College. Peaks said they would “check in here or there” with each other but mostly lost contact being far away despite residing in the same state.
Both maintained goals of playing Division I basketball eventually. The dream appeared unlikely for Murray when she tore her ACL during her sophomore year of college. That’s when Wichita State head coach Terry Nooner began recruiting her.
Near the end of Murray’s first season with the Shockers, she noticed a familiar face at Wichita State’s games. Nooner had begun recruiting Peaks, who never expected to see herself on the same court as Murray again.
“I was like, ‘Oh, Jayla’s there?’” Peaks said. “That’s probably what pulled my attention the most too ... she was definitely a factor.”
When Murray found out that Peaks might become a Shocker, she was immediately excited.
“I’m making TikToks already in my drafts, like, ‘We back,’” Murray said.
On the court, Peaks said it’s easy to play with Murray because they know each other’s tendencies, a chemistry advantage over other players.
“It just comes natural,” Peaks said. “Just because we played for so long together, so it’s just like we never left.”
Both players expressed interest in playing professionally overseas after college. While it’s unlikely they’ll play together again after Wichita State, the duo has learned by now that anything is possible.
“If that happened, that would be crazy,” Peaks said, laughing.
Women’s basketball ends three-game losing streak with new offensive gameplan
BY EVAN TONG evantong3@gmail.com
Wichita State women’s basketball made its return to Charles Koch Arena after losing both games in the Emerald Coast Classic last week. The Shockers faced off against Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) on Monday night, bouncing back with a win, 74-45. The 29-point win was the largest margin of victory for Wichita State against a Division I opponent this season. The Shockers are 3-5 this season.
“We put in a new offense … we wanted to try to get some more ball movement and cutting,” WSU head coach Terry Nooner said. “So it’s a little bit clunky at different times, as we learned in it.” Both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket early in the game, staying in single digits scoring halfway through the first quarter. Despite the lack of scoring, the Shockers looked unbothered by the Panthers’ defense as the offensive motion looked fluid.
“It was better to just go ahead and try to make changes now,” Nooner said. “In the hope that by the time you get to conference play, that you will be running full steam.”
Junior guard Princess Anderson converted the final five points of the first quarter for the Shockers.
Anderson set a new Division I career high with 17 points, while adding five rebounds and four steals.
“I feel like I did well with defense,” Anderson said. “Even though my shots were falling, I knew I just had to keep going. So I was just going to the basket, doing what I do best.”
Although Wichita State played faster with junior guard Jasmine Peaks pushing the tempo off the bench, the team settled for jumpers, going 1-4 from outside the arc in the second quarter.
Graduate student guard Taylor Jameson finally ended the cold spell just before halftime as she hit Wichita State’s first 3-pointer of the game to make the score 36-18, WSU.
Wichita State continued
to pack on the scoring with improved shooting in the third quarter.
The Shockers shot 48% from the field during the second half compared to 37% in the first half. Wichita State also shot a respectable 2-4 from 3-point range in the third quarter.
The bigs struggled with foul trouble as senior centers Ella Anciaux and Aicha Ndour committed seven combined fouls in the game.
While not playing at a breakneck pace, the Shockers’ quick hands and overall speed led to winning the turnover battle.
Wichita State forced 23 turnovers and scored 24 points off giveaways to Prairie View’s 15. “We made some different tweaks to our defense, just to try to be a little bit more solid and more fundamentally sound, which helped us have better rebounding position,” Nooner said.
The game’s outcome was already decided by the fourth quarter. In absence of the centers due to foul trouble, junior forward
|
from our guards.” The dominant win ended with the Shockers dribbling the clock
Dec. 2.
out. Three Shockers ended with double-digit points: Anderson, Murray and sophomore guard Salese Blow, who scored 13. Wichita State will take the turnpike to face the University of Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse on Thursday, Nov. 5. Tipoff is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.
Senior center Quincy Ballard throws down a slam in the first half against Alcorn State. The Shockers won, 78-54, on Dec.
Photo by Mack Smith / The Sunflower
Jayla Murray took over in the final period, scoring 10 points off 5-6 shooting. That led to a new career high for Murray with 17 points. “I feel like we all worked together,” Murray said. “Great assists
Sophomore guard Salese Blow drives into the paint on
Blow finshed with 13 points.
Photo by Mack Smith / The Sunflower
Senior guard Xavier Bell drives into the lane on Dec. 4. Bell scored six points in the win. | Photo by Mack Smith / The Sunflower
How WSU’s volleyball team turned the season around by burning their frustrations — literally
BY OWEN PROTHRO owenprothro@gmail.com
The day before Wichita State’s volleyball team began their American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament run, the team took an unorthodox approach to get ready for what ended up being a winning run.
Each team member wrote down three frustrations and struggles with the season on three separate pieces of paper. They then proceeded to tear apart and burn all of their anger — literally — in a tin can outside of the Champion’s Club, located at Charles Koch Arena.
Four days later, the Shockers were AAC Champions and headed to the NCAA Tournament.
Coming off two consecutive frustrating losses to close the regular season, WSU head coach Chris Lamb sensed a weight building on the team’s shoulders.
“It certainly culminated in the last week of the conference season,” Lamb said. “Where it looked like we were running through mud and deep snow. And then to be able to be that consistent, to sweep three good teams just days later, says a lot … I’ve been around sports long enough and I know if you try hard and you come together as a team, a lot of positive things can happen.”
Lamb didn’t come up with the bonfire idea. In fact, he didn’t even know it happened until the team’s boosters told him.
It was WSU athletics’ Director of Mental Health and Performance DeJon Purnell and Mental Health and Performance Counselor Mallie Hall who suggested it.
Purnell came up with the idea during the team’s “neuro excellence” meeting before the tournament. He said the mythical idea of the Phoenix was the inspiration, mentioning that the past shouldn’t dictate the future.
“We wanted to give them a chance to express things and then also use the past as a way to become something different,” Purnell said. “So from those ashes, what might emerge, especially when it comes to the postseason, is almost like a new birth — a new team.”
Lamb said he was proud of the team for how they handled it.
“It’s none of my business and I’m not going to make it my business. I’m proud of them for handling whatever they had to handle.”
When sophomore middle blocker Maddie Wilson heard they would burn their frustrations, she was shocked at first but relieved afterward.
“
We wanted to give them a chance to express things and then also use the past as a way to become something different. So from those ashes, what might emerge, especially when it comes to the postseason, is almost like a new birth — a new team.”
DEJON PURNELL WSU athletics’ director of mental health
“Writing things down personally helps me when it comes to problems or frustrations,” Wilson said. “I don’t know, burning it made it feel even better especially because it was kind of like a restart for our season.”
Fifth-year setter Izzi Strand shared the sentiment.
“Watching all the papers burn and just the act of writing everything down and then burning it like, ‘It’s gone,’” Strand said. “You just kind of forget about everything that frustrated you and you’re moving on (from it). You’re relieved and excited for what’s next.”
Strand said the fiery activity has helped the team prepare for its first-round match in the NCAA Tournament.
“I think (we get) less frustrated when things don’t go our way,” Strand said. “We let things go faster. We just have more urgency, mentally.”
Wichita State will play its first-round match in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 5, against an old-AAC opponent, Southern Methodist University. The first serve against the Mustangs is set for 7 p.m. in Dallas.
BY JACOB UNRUH & OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com owenprothro@gmail.com
Three weeks out from National Signing Day on Nov. 13, high school seniors know which collegiate school colors they will be representing in 2025. Here’s who will be repping Wichita State’s black and yellow — and what WSU’s coaches are saying about their freshmen classes.
BASEBALL
Wichita State landed seven players on National Signing Day and head coach Brian Green expects each of them to be day one contributors.
“We feel like these are guys that can impact the program,” Green said. “And I think if you look at us, with (Kam) Durnin, with (Camden) Johnson, with (Lane) Haworth, with (Tyler) Dobbs, with (Brady) Hamilton, when we evaluate a freshman that we think can play, we anticipate them playing.”
Karson Durnin, the brother of sophomore infielder Kam Durnin, will join the team in 2026. Green said the Durnin family has excellent character, integrity and work ethic.
“I really believe in bloodlines and families,” Green said. “It’s very important to us when we recruit our families. So as good of a player as Kam is, Karson might even be a better athlete. So for us to potentially have that story of two Durnins being on the field next year, that was pretty intriguing to both of us.”
Green signed three pitchers — Gino Zagorac, Ethan Rogers and Mitchell Johnson — all of whom he said will have chances to start for WSU. Easton Phillippe, a catcher from Kansas City, Missouri, will need to “put on strength” but is a good hitter and fielder.
On the flip side, Green described catcher/infielder Luke Beeler as “physically strong.” Finally, outfielder Jackson Vaughn is a power hitter from Missouri.
Green said his goal is to recruit players who will stick around WSU for all four years. With the transfer portal, many high-potential players who might have to redshirt or ride the bench at first will choose to leave rather than stick it out at one campus.
“When we recruit these kids, they need to be really fast, be really skilled, (have high) baseball IQ, (and be) big or really strong,” Green said. “But if there’s maybe a chink in their armor, or you project them to possibly red shirt, probably not going to recruit that player anymore.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL
It looks as if Wichita State will rely heavily on the transfer portal to replenish the roster over the offseason. Nine Shockers are playing their final year of eligibility this year, while WSU added only one freshman in its 2025 class.
Wichita State officially confirmed the signing of forward Tyrus Rathan-Mayes, who had verbally committed to WSU in September.
“Tyrus is as a productive high school player as there is in the
entire country,” head coach Paul Mills said in a press release. “He is very proficient with his skills to score and facilitate.”
Like freshman guard Zion Pipkin, who joined the Shockers this year, Rathan-Mayes played AAU basketball for a Houstonbased team coached by former WSU player P.J. Couisnard.
Rathan-Mayes stands at 6-foot-6 and was a 3-star recruit and the 13th-ranked high school player in Texas.
WSU also welcomed JUCO transfer Keandre Kindell, who won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) title with Barton Community College last year.
“There are very few players in the country who possess his speed and ability to push the ball in the open court like Dre,” Mills said. “He also has great feel for the game and knows when to push the pace and when to be organized.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Head coach Terry Nooner signed two players to the team on National Signing Day. Bella Belong and Jaida McDonald will become Shockers for the 2025-26 campaign.
Belong is a 6-foot-2 forward from Yaoundé, Cameroon, and currently plays for South Plains College, a community college in Levelland, Texas. This season for the Texans, Belong is averaging 14.3 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game.
“Bella is a long, athletic post player with incredible potential,” Nooner said in a press release.
“She runs the floor like a guard and has the kind of upside that excites us as coaches.”
Like Belong, McDonald is starting her collegiate career at the JUCO level, playing for Pensacola State College in Pensacola, Florida. The forward is currently averaging 15.6 points per game and 10.7 rebounds a game for the Pirates.
As a freshman, McDonald was named Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America honorable mention after averaging 12.8 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Nooner said McDonald is hard-working, versatile and brings intensity at the forward position.
“Her ability to score and defend multiple positions, along with her skill finishing around the basket, is exactly what we’re looking for,” Nooner said.
VOLLEYBALL
Head coach Chris Lamb said the 10-player 2025 class could be the team’s best in a decade.
“I feel like it’s got as much upside to any class we’ve had since the amazing 2014 class,” Lamb said. “We got a little bit of everything.”
He grouped the players into two groups: players that he expects to contribute immediately and longterm projects with high potential.
In the former group, outside hitters Olivia Cohee, Jenna Cubbage and Danielle Moore could “walk in the door and compete right away” for playing time in the attacking rotation.
On the flip side, Lamb said if you give players like outside hitters Carly Wazac and McKenzie Jones and middle blocker Ashlynn Hollis
a few years, “People will be talking about them, too.”
Lamb emphasized recruiting players who can score offensive points, something that has been a struggle at times for Wichita State this year and could become even more of a challenge next year without senior middle blocker Morgan Stout.
Lamb compared middle blocker Sophia Thompson, who hails from Beloit, Kansas, to Stout. While Thompson may not have Stout’s athletic gifts, she will arrive on campus as a more polished player.
“Sophia may not be as explosive as Morgan, but she’s not far off,” Lamb said. “And, you know, if we train her as an M1 right off the bat, I don’t think it’ll take long.”
Lamb said the recruiting process is finally starting to recover from the jolt of joining the American Athletic Conference seven years ago.
“I just feel like now, this many years into the conference, last year’s recruiting season was the first time since 2017 that it felt back to normal,” Lamb said.
SOFTBALL
Wichita State head coach Kristi Bredbenner described her 2025 class as “one of the best we’ve had in a while.”
The Shockers signed seven players, five of which are freshmen.
“Some very athletic kids that have played in really good travel ball teams, coming in in the freshman class,” Bredbenner said.
Shortstop Kinzey Woody holds the Fatima High School record for home runs in a career (44). Shortstop Skyler Rodgers and infielder Kammie Smith each come from small schools in Oklahoma. Bredbenner described the pair as athletic, versatile defenders who have some pop in their bats as well.
Outfielder Mackenzie Rooney, who stands at 5-foot-3, comes from Louisburg High School in Kansas, where she is a standout track runner and hurdler. Bredbenner said pitcher Jenna Edwards, the final member of the freshman class, has the ability to improve a lot in her time at WSU.
In addition, the Shockers added two JUCO transfers — infielder Trinity Allen and outfielder Mickayla Tosch — from McLennan Community College in Texas. Bredbenner said she enjoys getting recruits from McLennan due to their tough, Division I-heavy fall schedule and coaching.
“Their coach coaches them hard, and they are disciplined, they understand what it takes,” Bredbenner said. “And to be 100% honest with you, when they get to our place, they’re prepared, and it’s probably a little bit easier than what they’re used to.”
Bredbenner credits the solid class to her staff, an increase in their recruiting budget and some Power Five schools choosing not to recruit as many freshmen as they put an emphasis on the transfer portal.
“We took chances on kids that maybe could have played at a Power Five school, and it ended up working out for us,” Bredbenner said. “And I think that investment continues to just show in our program.”
Read about track and field and golf recruits at thesunflower.com
Members of the Wichita State volleyball team huddle up to celebrate after defeating Tulsa on Friday, Nov. 22. The win kicked off WSU’s American Athletic Tournament-winning run. | Photo by Allison Campbell / The Sunflower
It is time for Wichita State to remove Tom
One of the most iconic pieces in Wichita State’s outdoor sculpture collection is Tom Otterness’s “Millipede,” fondly nicknamed “Millie” by Shockers. It was installed in 2008 and can be found nestled among tulips in spring. The whimsical piece has been admired and even yarnbombed by local knitters. It has become a beloved part of WSU’s landscape.
Tom Otterness, now 72, is a celebrated sculptor known for his large-scale public art pieces. While his work remains whimsical and creative, his past reveals a deeply troubling act that calls into question the continued celebration of his art on campus.
In 1977, at 25 years old, Otterness adopted a dog from a shelter, tied it to a tree and shot it to death. He filmed the entire act, titled it “Shot Dog Film,” and displayed it publically. The film aired on Christmas morning in 1979, exposing hundreds to the footage.
The reaction at the time was outrage. The Animal Protection Institute demanded accountability, but instead of facing significant repercussions, Otterness’s actions faded from public memory. He went on to become a prominent public artist, creating sculptures that remain in the public eye.
It was not until 2007 that Otterness finally said an apology after “Shot Dog Film” resurfaced during the installation of one of his pieces in Brooklyn Park, New York.
Otterness said in a statement to The Brooklyn Eagle, “It was an indefensible act that I am
deeply sorry for. Many of us have experienced profound emotional turmoil and despair. Few have made the mistake I have made. I hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me.”
But this also does not absolve him of the consequences entirely. As a community, we must decide what we will tolerate and what we will stand against. In my opinion, the magnitude of his act — taking the life of a defenseless and vulnerable animal in the name of art — is unforgivable.
Otterness from campus
Despite this history, WSU continues to showcase the work of an artist whose history is shadowed by such a cruel and unnecessary act.
“Millipede” stands as a playful and collaborative piece for the university and the community. The legacy of its creator casts a sad shadow over its presence.
Should Shockers separate the art from the artist in a situation like this?
WSU has the opportunity to lead by example. Removing “Millipede” does not erase the university’s commitment to public art. Instead, it opens the door for new opportunities — perhaps commissioning a Kansas native artist or a WSU alum to create a sculpture that embodies the values Shockers hold dear.
There are countless talented sculptors whose works deserve to stand proudly on campus grounds
1977: At 25 years old, Otterness adopted a dog from a shelter, tied it to a tree and shot it to death.
2007: It was not until 2007 that Otterness finally said an apology after “Shot Dog Film.” 2008: His sculpture “Millipede” was installed in 2008 and can be found on campus at WSU.
— artists who have not taken a life and called it art.
Let’s replace it with a symbol that reflects not only our love of art, but also our commitment to compassion and accountability. After all, there should never be an execution in the name of art.
‘SEE YOU NEXT SEMESTER.’
Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower
‘A gift to my younger self’: WSU professor addresses 45 life lessons in recent novel
BY MYA SCOTT mds.200624@gmail.com
Grant Johnson was your average teenager: a kid who wanted to be a millionaire and was obsessed with the game “Among Us.” Johnson, set on combining those two concepts, decided to take up programming to hopefully replicate his favorite game, ended up falling in love with the activity and later creating a program available on the app store.
“I’m quite curious, and I really get fascinated with quite a few different things,” Johnson said. “It’s been really nice to be in the computer science space where anything that comes to mind, you can really take a stab at building it from scratch.”
Johnson, a former Wichita State student who left the university in fall of 2022, has been able to further his programming passion through his time at Koch Industries. Recently, he’s been working on one project that takes up a majority of his time: “Chatterbox,” an app integrated with artificial intelligence that allows users to learn Spanish while keeping it convenient and “gamified.”
After eight months of work, the application was released on Sunday. There are three parts of the app according to Johnson: the memorization, the grammar and the application. There are classic memory games such as
flipping cards and trivia games and activities more attuned to board game aspects like in “Scrabble.”
Users are also able to utilize AI to apply what they’ve learned to realworld situations.
“(Users are) loaded in, and they have to talk to Picasso and have to ask him where he’s from and how his day is, and they have to complete the objective,” Johnson said. “It’s an incredibly gamified process where really the world is your map, and you’re traveling to these different cities by going in there and having to complete these different levels.”
Johnson said he got the idea from his own Spanish-learning journey. He started by trying out popular apps like “Duolingo” and “Babbel,” but none of them had the features he was looking for. Johnson said he found himself failing to improve and bored throughout the process.
To try and help further his education, Johnson held Spanish game nights where he and other WSU students would get together and play board games translated into Spanish such as “Monopoly,” which not only built up his Spanish repertoire but also his business endeavors.
“I then wanted to take that aspect and turn it into an app where you can really be put in real-world situations to be able to improve,” Johnson said.
Johnson said learning Spanish helped him realize how fortunate
BY MYA SCOTT mds.200624@gmail.com
Growing up in a loving, yet not-so-wealthy home has taught Mercy Umeri many lessons. She has picked up some wisdom of her own. The assistant teaching professor at Wichita State University has decided to pass down her knowledge through her new book, successfully carving the legacy she always wanted to create.
Umeri recently released a book titled “Forty-Five Things I know for Sure: Letters to my Younger Self.” The book is styled in a letter format, with each chapter being a different lesson or topic she found important for people to know.
Umeri said she wrote the book to pass on the wisdom she’s learned over the years and to create “a toolbox” for those who read the book.
The “Forty-Five” in the title refers to her age — passing on one lesson for each year she’s been alive. However, Umeri said it was difficult narrowing down topics
to just 45 and that she had to ask herself what was most important to her.
“I talked about issues that, in my time growing up, were never addressed,” Umeri said.
“But I figured it out as I grew older to know that these are very important, and we should be paying attention to them.”
Throughout the book, Umeri discusses a multitude of topics, but a prominent theme within the chapters is relationships. Umeri said these can determine one’s success — and helped her achieve hers.
“You can succeed all you want, (but) if you don’t have the right people in your world, in your life, to anchor you and help you stay grounded, then all of your success can just be like a pack of cards that could just fall one day,” Umeri said. “You have to have a strong support system … I know some people can come out and say, ‘Oh, I did it all by myself.’ No, I had a huge support system.”
Being a professor, a mother, and a wife, Umeri said it was difficult to balance her time.
Between her support system and her firm beliefs in the novel, Umeri was able to overcome the difficulties.
“I knew that this book was going to be a blessing to the world,” Umeri said. “Even if it blesses one person, then I would have achieved my God-given purpose.”
Despite all of the positive emotions writing the book has brought her, she said she plans to just enjoy the moment and has no near plans to write another book.
“For now, I just want to soak it all in,” Umeri said. “No future plans, just for now, just enjoying family, enjoying the moment and sharing the book with the world.”
To celebrate her book being published, Umeri is having a book talk at Wichita State.
“I want them to walk away knowing that the book would be a companion to them,” Umeri said.
he was growing up in the United States, and he wants to share that experience with the users of “Chatterbox.”
“I have only ever needed English, but now most of my friends and people that I have close relationship(s) to, I can now meet them in a form that I couldn’t have beforehand,” Johnson said. “They really appreciate and don’t take for granted (that) you’ve taken the time to learn their language.”
Johnson has seen massive success using TikTok to support “Chatterbox,” but he says this comes with its challenges, such as time.
“The most difficult (part) is having to balance it on top of every other part of life,” Johnson said. “Like I still am a full-time employee at Koch and work 40 hours a week. And so the last eight months, I’ve worked an average of 70 hours between the two of them and the last month I’ve worked 90 hours.”
Despite the dread of certain deadlines, Johnson said he’s fortunate to be able to do what he does for a living.
“I really love what I do,” Johnson said. “I go to work and I do what I love, and then I come home and I do what I love … The
majority of it, it’s just been a blast. So I think it’s been difficult to balance it, but also it’s probably been the most fun and exciting time of my life.”
To celebrate the release of “Chatterbox,” there will be a launch party held at Shocker Sports Grill & Lanes on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 p.m.
“It should be a good time. (I’m) certainly very excited, very nervous as well,” Johnson said. “I’ve never worked on something for as long as I have on this project, so I’m really hoping it goes well.”
Photo courtesy of Grant Johnson
Mercy Umeri stands in the Starbucks in the Rhatigan Student Lounge. | Photo by Mya Scott / The Sunflower
Volleyball NCAA Tournament bound after sweeping AAC Championship
1 p.m. Wichita Art Museum 1400 Museum Blvd. Dancers, choirs, storytelling and even some visitors from the North Pole are coming to the Wichita Art Museum. Meet and snap a pic with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Santa’s elves and a reindeer from 10 a.m. to noon. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., participate in various holiday activities and performances. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., enjoy free admission to the current exhibit “Robert Peterson: Somewhere in America.”
61ST ANNUAL CANDLELIGHT CONCERT
SATURDAY, DEC. 7
7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, DEC. 8
4:30 p.m.
Wiedemann Hall
Join the Madrigal Singers, Concert Chorale, WuChoir and ShockerChoir for a holiday concerted directed by Ryan Beeken and Tom Wine. Before the event, students can get a free ticket in advance at the Fine Arts Box Office in Duerkson Fine Arts Center, by phone at (316)9783233 or online at wichita.edu/ fineartsboxoffice. Sales at the box office are suspended three hours before the concert and open up again one hour before the event.
PAWS & RELAX
TUESDAY, DEC. 10 &
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 11
10 a.m. - noon
Rhatigan Student Center, room 152
Meet some therapy dogs from Love on a Leash in PAWS & Relax, sponsored by Disability Support Services (TRIO DSS) and WSU Libraries. Each PAWS & Relax event features different therapy dogs and handlers. Follow @wsu_trio_dss on Instagram for “pup-dates” on which dogs will make an appearance.
WAM NIGHTS: ARTIST
TALK: GO FOR A WALK AND LISTEN
FRIDAY, DEC. 13
6:30 p.m.
Wichita Art Museum 1400 Museum Blvd.
Experience the sounds of the landscape with this meditative evening. Artist and professor Rachel Epp Buller will share how she uses walking as a creative act of listening. Her audio piece, “Winter Walking,” will be on display from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28, 2025 at the Great Plains Nature Center and three other parks in the city of Wichita.
PUPPY PADDLE
SATURDAY, DEC. 14
10 a.m. - noon
Heskett Center, Weidemann Natatorium
The Wichita Animal Action League is bringing furry friends to Heskett Center with this event. Chase tennis balls and splash around with man’s best friend. The event is free, but donations to the Wichita Animal Action League are encouraged.
FALL 2024
COMMENCEMENT
CEREMONY
SUNDAY, DEC. 15
Graduate check-in at noon
Graduate ceremony at 1 p.m.
Undergraduate check-in at 4 p.m
Undergraduate ceremony at 5 p.m.
Charles Koch Arena
Celebrate the graduating class of fall 2024 in Charles Koch Arena.
Wichita State’s volleyball team celebrates their AAC win on Nov. 24. The Shockers will head to the NCAA Tournament in Dallas following the win. | Photos by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Wichita State President Richard Muma and First Gentleman Rick Case pose with the team after the conclusion of the AAC Championship. The Shockers will head to the NCAA Tournament in Dallas.
Senior Annalie Heliste cheers after the Shockers score a point against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 24.
Izzi Strand cheers with the AAC Tournament trophy after the Shockers won the final match on Nov. 24.
Wichita State’s volleyball team celebrate their AAC win on Nov. 24. Confetti and photos met the teammates following their success in Charles Koch Arena.
Morgan Stout and Annalie Heliste scream together after
