MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018 • VOL. 122, ISS. 55
THESUNFLOWER.COM
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1896.
Mathematics instructor remembered as a ‘protector’
‘Bitter or better’
BY JENNA FARHAT
Friends of math instructor C. Patric Mitchell knew him as a protector — loyal to his family, his students, his colleagues, and his dogs. “He liked to guard his pack,” said math instructor Nathan Thompson, who met Mitchell in 2006 when they were both students. “If you got into his group, then he was going to do everything he could to look out for you. That’s the thing I admired most about him, was looking out for the people that he cared about.” Math and physics professor Elizabeth Behrman remembers Mitchell as a guardian. She recalled a time when a student, upset about his grade in her class, came to her office and threatened to “inflict bodily harm” on her. “Patric, who was in the outer office, could hear what was going on,” Behrman said. “He came and he stood in the doorway, looming over this guy, and said ‘You need to leave right now!’” Behrman said the student left without another word “I will never forget how he bodyguarded me,” Behrman said. “He was very, very sweet. He was a really good person.” Mitchell, 52, died of natural causes in his office last week, a university spokesperson said. Thompson said Mitchell liked to tell stories about his time in the cavalry division of the army, stationed in Germany as part of the tank crew. Thompson said the sense of order and community Mitchell picked up during his time in the army was replicated in his work environment. “I think it goes back to his roots. He had that taskmaster element to his personality,” Thompson said. “That sort of regimented thing where people had a place and
BRIAN HAYES/THE SUNFLOWER
Shelby Rowell, the vice president of the 61st SGA session, stands on the third floor balcony of the Rhatigan Student Center. Rowell plans to use her past experiences to “give back” to students and make sure they have a voice during their college experiences.
Student body vice president rises through tragedies BY CHANCE SWAIM
W
hat do you do when what are supposed to be the best years of your life turn into the worst? For newly elected Student Body Vice President Shelby Rowell, the answer to that question is what led her to Wichita State and, ultimately, to her leadership role with WSU’s student government association. It’s been a rough few years for Rowell, a senior, with one tragedy after another shaping her life. After graduating from El Dorado High School, Rowell, the middle sister of fraternal triplets, went out of state to pursue a degree at Coe College, a private liberal arts college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rowell and her two sisters, Sally and Hanna, all three chose to attend different schools. Sally went to Manhattan Christian to play basketball and study education. Hanna went to WSU to pursue a degree in nursing. Rowell chose Coe for its strong writing focus and impressive degree program in
“MY DAD WAS, LIKE, MY PERSON. HE WAS ALWAYS THE PERSON THAT I WENT TO FOR ADVICE AND HE HAD A VERY SIMILAR PERSONALITY TO MINE, AND WE ALWAYS JOKED AROUND THAT I WAS THE SON OF THE GROUP.” —STUDENT BODY VICE PRESIDENT SHELBY ROWELL
international studies. “We had a saying at Coe, ‘Coe sweet home,’ and I absolutely felt that,” Rowell said. But before her first semester finished, she would find herself back in Kansas. Her sister, Sally, was killed in a car wreck. “She had just played her first basketball game at Manhattan Christian College and she was coming home to see a friend in the hospital when it happened,” Rowell said. “She was the purest soul I think probably ever. She’d be a great education senator.
I think about that a lot, but she was just a wonderful, wonderful person. I can’t say enough good things about her,” Rowell said. Rowell came home to be with her family in the aftermath of her sister’s death. She finished her semester from home. One semester turned into two, and then she eventually decided to stay around, in part, to be close to her sister, Hanna. “We were always very very close,” Rowell said, “so after this happened, that’s one of the reasons I didn’t go back to Coe is because I knew it would be devastating for Hanna, so that’s one of the reasons I stayed. “We’re very close. We live together, talk together all the time — she’s awesome,” Rowell said. But that wasn’t the end of the tragic circumstances of Rowell’s college years. Shortly after being elected as a student senator last spring, Rowell’s dad died. “My dad was, like, my person,” Rowell said. “He was always the person that I went to for advice and he had a very similar personality to mine, and we always joked SEE ROWELL PAGE 6
SEE MITCHELL PAGE 4
Student finds freedom in drag show BY KYLIE CAMERON
BRIAN HAYES/THE SUNFLOWER
Parking garage will transition to payby-hour parking, as originally planned BY KYLIE CAMERON
At the beginning of the school year, Wichita State announced that the new parking garage would be treated the same as a surface lot, allowing anyone with a permit to park there. The parking garage was originally intended to be pay-bythe-hour parking, but the pay stations were backordered. This week, the university announced that starting May 13 the garage will be used as it was originally intended as a pay-bythe-hour garage. “The pay stations were installed in October and the university planned to switch to hourly parking only over the holiday break,” said Troy Bruun, associate vice president of financial reporting in
an email. “The SGA (Student Government Association) asked that the university to not make changes during the academic year to avoid confusion.” The first level of the parking garage will still be reserved for red permits and the fourth floor will be for yellow permit holders. The second and third level will be hourly parking. Visitors will have to pay $1.50 an hour, with a daily maximum of $15, and can pay at one of the six kiosks in the garage. “Anyone may utilize the hourly parking,” Bruun said in August. “The kiosks will accept credit cards, cash, and coins. Please note the kiosks will not give change, but they will give a receipt for additional time that you can use on your next visit.”
Drenched in rain, then-freshman Jonas Zabriskie watched in awe of the drag performers at the annual campus drag show put on by the Student Activities Council. The show had a lasting impact on Zabriskie, and a year later he was on stage as Faux L’Beau — French for ‘fake boyfriend’ — performing alongside other drag queens and kings with years of experience.
“I REALIZED THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO TAKE THOSE EXPECTATIONS OFF MYSELF AND BE THE EXACT OPPOSITE. I FEEL RELEASED.” —JONAS ZABRISKIE
Zabriskie went to his first drag show in his home state of Minnesota at age 18. But it wasn’t until about a year later at the seventh annual WSU drag show that Zabriskie decided to do drag. “Last year’s drag show, I waited hours to get in the front row,” Zabriskie said. “After the show I was like, ‘I’m doing this.’ I asked my friend how long it takes to decide to do drag and then perform, and they said it took about a year and I wanted to do it, like, tomorrow.”
KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Faux L’Beau passes out clown noses on stage at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night. L’Beau, aka Jonas Zabrinski, has the support of his family.
Zabriskie’s character, Faux L’Beau, is “completely feminine” compared to other drag queens. “I think I did that because I grew up being so athletic and was expected to be super masculine, working out, hanging out with the guys, doing my sports and being
that jock,” Zabriskie said. “When I decided to do drag, I realized this is an opportunity for me to take those expectations off myself and be the exact opposite. I feel released.”
SEE DRAG QUEEN PAGE 5
INSIDE
DRAG LIKE YOU MEAN IT
WE FUCKED UP
PARADISE LOST
Ultimate hangover food.
This is one sexy circus.
xxxxxxxxx
Who’s left of the Shocker men’s basketball team?
CULTURE • PAGE 3
OPINION • PAGE 4
CULTURE • PAGE 4
SPORTS • PAGE 6
CHEETOS + QUESADILLA
OPINION
2 | MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
www.thesunflower.com
THE STAFF
What’s in a name?
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Chance Swaim Managing Editor Jenna Farhat Culture Editor Marissa Campbell Sports Editor Matt Crow Opinion Editor Evan Pflugradt Design Editor Madeline Deabler Photo Editor Brian Hayes Digital Editor Nicole Byrne
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CORRECTIONS The Sunflower reported the incorrect years in the Thursday edition last week story “Following the Money.” We have re-run an updated version of that story in today’s paper on page 5.
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AGNES CORRIGAN COLUMNIST
I
have a weird name. I know it. The median age of the Agnes’s is approximately 83. The weirdness of my name is most apparent when I’m at coffee shops and the barista asks my name for my order. I’ve gotten some pretty interesting spellings. “Anus” was an all-time low. “Haggis” was my personal favorite. Haggis is a Scottish dish consisting of oatmeal cooked with other meats inside of a sheep’s stomach. I’m not sure that I want to be known as a dish cooked in a stomach. “Angus” is also quite common. I’ll take it. People generally like hamburgers. I’m partly to blame for all of the confusion. I realized recently, after twenty-two years of life, that I’ve been pronouncing my name all wrong. I’ve been pronouncing it as “Ag-nis” instead of “Ag-nes”. So, I’ve been enthralled in a bit of an identity crisis considering I’ve botched the pronunciation of pretty much the first thing that gave me an identity. In case you ever feel like you’re messing everything up in your life, take heart in knowing that at least you can pronounce your own name correctly. I decided to test the theory that your name makes you, you. Now, do I share lots of qualities with elderly, grandma-esque ladies? You bet. Slippers are my chosen shoe, I knit,
I read loads, and I love butterscotch, but is this because I was named Agnes instead of Ashley? I went to Panera with a sense of purpose. When they asked for my name, I proudly answered Ashley. There was no, “can you spell that for me?” No. I was utter confidence. I felt peppy and bubbly, like how I imagine most Ashley’s always feel. As I went up to grab my salad that I wished was a sandwich, the cook said, “Have a great day, Ashley.” I smiled at him, thanked him, and felt dirty. I definitely wasn’t an Ashley, no matter how badly I wanted to be. It just didn’t feel right. I went to Mead’s to test my theory again. I ordered my Americano and when they asked for my name I blurted, “Jennifer”. I’ve always wanted to be a Jennifer. Maybe because Jennifer Anniston has the hair I’ve always dreamed of having. They called Jennifer twice before I realized they were calling me. Bad sign. I walked up channeling my inner Jennifer Anniston, but my cool beach girl vibe dissipated as I tripped, spilling half of my coffee onto the floor. So, I’m an Agnes. I’m not as bubbly as an Ashley, or as laidback and cool as a Jennifer. There is never going to be a souvenir shop that has a keychain with my name on it. I’m caught somewhere between a dish cooked in a sheep’s stomach, and a type of beef patty, but maybe that’s just exactly who I am.
BRIAN HAYES/THE SUNFLOWER
Austin Reaves’ departure sparks a ludicrous rampage calling for more oversight The Sunflower maintains editorial independence, free from oversight. Publishing decisions are made by student editors. This part of our process has come under the scrutiny of outside commenters who have questioned an editorial decision The Sunflower made in March, when it published a column regarding the play of Austin Reaves. The column, titled “Bench Austin Reaves” argued that as the stakes raised when Wichita State entered post-season play, Coach Gregg Marshall should consider Reaves’ late-game mistakes before putting the sophomore guard in a position to make a play should the Shockers face another crucial late-game situation. Outrage poured from Shocker fanatics on the internet. WSU granted release to Reaves on Thursday and the Shocker Faithful, a Facebook fan club, was quick to point fingers of blame at The Sunflower and columnist Ray Strunk for Reaves’ decision. “Breaking: The Sunflower to transfer,” one commenter posted. “I’ll gladly help them pack,”
EVAN PFLUGRADT OPINION EDITOR
another wrote. “Yes please. I’ll pitch in for their plane ticket,” another replied. Criticism was only getting started. “Where do we draw the line on this sludge?” one questioned. “And the staff there doesn’t get why everyone wants to cut their budget. “Let’s cut The Sunflower budget entirely.” Then, it got outrageous. “Maybe some real journalists should rip The Sunflowers’ writers’ a new place to poop from. Tear them down and ridicule their abilities publicly. Demean them just as they did Austin.”
Students should support school funding in Kansas To the Editor in Chief of The Sunflower, Chance Swaim, As students at Wichita State, we share the same value of education and realize the impact an education can have on an individual. We believe that all students deserve a good education despite their family’s income or adversaries they may face. Currently, Kansas legislatures are working on a plan to adequately fund our schools after the Kansas Supreme Court found funding for Kansas schools to be unconstitutional. One of the bills that was introduced is House Bill 2466. This bill calls for school funding to increase the number of school counselors, school psychologists and school social workers employed within Kansas public school districts statewide. This bill also includes an increase in graduation rates, faculty salary increases, a onetime opportunity to participate in the ACT free of charge and the availability to participate in college courses for dual credit, up to 15 hours at no cost. As students, it is our
LETTER to the EDITOR responsibility to ensure that our privilege of obtaining a higher education is one that all young people have the chance to pursue. This can be done simply by supporting bills that support our education system and our communities by reaching out to legislatures to voice your support of these bills, including House Bill 2466. In addition to reaching out to legislatures, make sure to register to vote and participate in upcoming elections and support legislatures that support our schools. I urge you to use your voice and privilege to advocate for Kansas students and those who teach and support Kansas students, who are the future of Kansas. Sincerely your fellow Shocker, —Heather Amaya, MSW
BRIAN HAYES/THE SUNFLOWER
Wichita State guard Austin Reaves celebrates after a three point basket at Koch Arena this year. Reaves is leaving WSU.
Yet, of all the ridiculousness that ensued, the direction the messages ended was that The Sunflower should have more oversight, and that would resolve “hit-pieces” like the one about Reaves from ever seeing print. That recommendation is ludicrous. Freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, allows unpopular opinions to be published. Student newspapers operate free from public-relations-like oversight. It doesn’t take long to see
the immediate dumpster fire crisis situation that ensues when fear of disagreement dominates a publication’s independence. The Sunflower offers a forum for discussion between students, faculty, staff, and community members. All are welcome to share their opinion in The Sunflower. The paper will not knowingly publish content that is libelous or defamation. So, to those who believe The Sunflower is “more or less self-governing based on their own journalistic principles,” you’re right.
Seeking support for bill mandating sexual abuse education for K-6 ed Did you know that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused before turning the age of 18? Our master’s level social work advocacy group, here at Wichita State University, is working to bring attention to Kansas House Bill No. 2048, in order to establish Erin’s Law. This law will make evidenced-based, age-appropriate, sexual abuse curriculum, mandatory in all public schools, for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Erin’s Law is a prevention-oriented, child sexual abuse program, which teaches age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and to tell a trusted adult. This will allow children to have a voice and the confidence to speak out against childhood sexual abuse. This education provides teachers and parents with the necessary training to recognize signs of sexual abuse. Additionally, support and resources are given to families who are going through child sexual abuse themselves. Our advocacy group is working to raise consciousness in Kansas on the importance of Erin’s Law.
LETTER to the EDITOR It is our hope that all readers of The Sunflower will assist in our efforts to pass this bill. Erin’s Law will be introduced again in the next legislative year and with the support of the community, there will be additional pressure and the momentum needed to move forward with passing it. For six legislation terms, this law has not been passed in Kansas and we feel that it’s time. We ask readers of The Sunflower to please help us in bringing to attention to this very important issue by contacting Kansas legislators. We need them to assist in helping to move this bill forward. Together, we can help to protect Kansas Children.
Sincerely,
—Natalie Nicks MSW Student, Wichita State Universit
CULTURE
www.thesunflower.com
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
|3
TASTE OF JAPAN
MATT COOPER/THE SUNFLOWER
The Hot Cheetos Quesadilla at Alejandro’s is a stupendously large offering of steak-filled tortilla accented with Monterey Jack cheese sauce, Pico de Gallo and cilantro. It’s menu price is $6.50.
Alejandro’s food humbly satiates hangover hunger BY MATT COOPER
Let’s be honest about our stomachs for a moment. Mexican takeout is a staple in the American culinary experience, without which, the continental diet would suffer from a general lack of piquant. That said, lovers of the madeto-order sancho and corn tortilla cradled Taino style Barbacoas are constantly on the prowl for a cheap meal. At Alejandro’s Mexican Food on south Rock, that is just what one runs across at a premium. Prices here are humble and the tastes are a middle finger to the likes of Taco Bell and Chipotle.
ght color background, on THE SCENE erials.
Alejandro’s facade is a bit gnarly. Save for a plain white and red sign reading, “Mexican Food” and a broken flickering LED screen displaying the letters “ALEJ…”, the place is a bit ramshackle. arrangementson tell a arkDining color background, similar story. Simple, aged wooden erials. tables and chairs dwell under fluorescent lights. You could call it bleak, but I wouldn’t for a handful of reasons. Upon entrance, patrons can hear the bubbling simmers of tortillas being prepared by the dozen. Order upon order hollered from clerk to cook to prep-staff — the whole rigmarole in a hearty UND, on uncoated Spanglish — are rattled off in endless stream. And, of course, there is the penetrating excitement of announcers being streamed to customers eager to catch a soccer match between America and Cruz Azul over a course of cheap salsa, guac, and carne asada. All is rounded off by art on the walls reminiscent of social realist painters Wood, Orozco and Diego Rivera. ted materials. Clearly something matters at Alejandro’s outside of aesthetics. THE FOOD
Alejandro’s dishes are a masterwork in the art of serving food for the cash strapped hungry person; and is done with flare. Take one of their newest offerings for example. The Hot Cheetos Quesadilla ($6.50): This is a mammoth flour tortilla served in two halves and stuffed with either steak, chicken or ground beef. Accoutrements include gratuitous amounts of cheddar, and Monterey Jack, mixed with Pico de Gallo topped with sour cream and cilantro. The zenith ingredient is without a doubt the crumbled Hot Cheetos filling which makes the flavor of the quesadilla pop in a seriously hedonistic way. You know after the first bite that this is something completely onerous — nay, destructive — to one’s health. But in the end you just don’t care. It’s that good; a pure work of culinary art. Fish Tacos ($2.15): Many Midwesterners grimace at the idea of fish tacos. However, if you’ve never had one, Alejandro’s is a
cheap satisfying place to start. Their take on the Baja classic is a generous helping of corn flour breaded catfish inside a flour tortilla. It’s stuffed with fresh lettuce, Pico, onion, cilantro and a glaze of blended sour cream yogurt infused with lemon juice. Rolled Taco Taquitos (Order of 4 for $4.15): The taquitos might be the most humbly priced item on Alejandro’s menu. They are reminiscent of the frozen Delimex rolled tacos we’ve all eaten. Yet, there’s something distinct about these. Served on a bed of shredded cheddar and stuffed with peppered, simmered ground beef rolled in corn tortillas, Alejandro’s rendition of the taquito is a hearty undertaking. This is simple, cheap, addictive finger food smothered in Monterey jack cheese. THE SERVICE
To be curt, service at Alejandro’s is a “you get what you pay for” affair. To-go orders often result in cold tacos and tepid, sour salsa-verde. Communication with wait staff is generally shaky and ends in mistakes being made with requests for certain dishes. If you order something rarely requested, there’s a chance you might end up with something not so savory. My biggest gripe? Alejandro’s once jipped me for an order of churros. As their churros are the best in Wichita, the experience left me peeved. However, Alejandro’s makes up for it in heartfelt ways. For instance, on one trip there my debit card was declined and I didn’t have any cash. In response the manager asked me if I could pay the next time I came in. I said yes and my order of two fish tacos with an order of queso and chips was served to me without hesitation.
MATT COOPER/THE SUNFLOWER
Representatives from left to right: Davis Peck, Irena Kutilek and Akari Yoshioka. Kutilek brandishes a sign encouraging students to stop by Japan Festival on Wednesday April 21 at the RSC.
Japanese Culture Association Prepares to Roll Out Japan Fest
J
BY MATT COOPER
apanese Culture Association’s annual Japan Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday in the RSC. In front of the RSC on the east patio, a demonstration in Kenjutsu — the Japanese art of Samurai swordsmanship — will be shown by martial artist Tora San. The event is held annually in
partnership with the RSC. Visitors this Wednesday will be treated to yaki-soba noodles, boba tea and a lecture spearheaded by the JCA in RSC 265. “It’s so much to do and we try to make this better every year,” JCA Vice President Irena Kutilek said. JCA President Davis Peck commented on the diversity of the festival.
NEW CLASSES As a part of the new Japanese minor the following classes will be offered to WSU students:
ANTH 516: Japan: People and Culture
ANTH 298: Japanese Travel Seminar
ENGL 345: Middle Eastern and Asian Lterature
PHIL 590T: Japanese Philosophy and Film
SEE JCA PAGE 6
EN MAS’ Curator Talk: Claire Tancons <--THERE IS A WHITE ONE
^ pantone 109 u
THE BAD WITH THE GOOD
Alejandro’s is rough and a bit aesthetically bereft. The wait staff make mistakes on a semi-regular basis. It’s hard to find if you’ve never been. They rip you off for desserts, get orders mixed up and more often than not speak little English. But then again, how many American readers and consumers can speak a word of Spanish or any other language for that matter? Alejandro’s teaches a lesson in cultural humility. And that’s what I think restaurants of the same like are all about. The food and environment at Alejandro’s embody the ethos of what it means to be a surviving independent entity. Offering authentic dishes that are righteous with flavor and easy on the wallet is a virtue not many exemplify. Alejandro’s emanates the genuineness which comes alongside the reality of imperfection. A stop for a perfect hangover cure or midnight snack of churros and carne asada, Alejandro’s serves as a prime example of continental-Mexican takeout.
Images (clockwise from the top-left): 1) Ebony G. Patterson, Invisible Presence: Bling Memories, detail, April 27, 2014. Performance. Location: Kingston, Jamaica. Courtesy of the artist and Monique Meloche Gallery, Chicago. Photograph: Monique Gilpin and Philip Rhoden. 2) Christophe Chassol, BIG SUN, detail, 2014. Video still. Image courtesy of the artist. 3) Cauleen Smith, H-E-L-L-O, detail, 2014. Video still. Location: Holy Cross Levee. Trombone: Michael Watson. Cinematography: William Sabourin. 4) Hew Locke, Give and Take, detail, August 23, 2014, Performance. Tate Modern, London. Photograph: Akiko Ota.
Tuesday, April 24 5:30 p.m. Reception 6 p.m. Curator Talk Location: Ulrich Museum Free Admission | Public Welcome Over the last decade, Claire Tancons has charted a distinct curatorial and scholarly path in performance, inflecting global art historical genealogies with African diasporic aesthetics. A graduate in Museum Studies from Ecole du Louvre and in Art History from the Courtauld Institute as well as a former Curatorial Fellow of the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program, Tancons’ independent vision has been supported by an Andy Warhol Foundation Curatorial Fellowship, a Prince Claus Fund Artistic Production Grant and two Curatorial Research Fellowships from the Foundation for Art Initiatives. Tancons has curated for the New Orleans, Gwangju, Cape Town, and Goteborg biennials, as well as Tate Modern and Faena Art, and has recently been selected curator for the Sharjah Biennial 14 in 2019. This program is made possible by the Art Matters Endowment, established by Charles E. Baker in memory of Jim V. Philips
@ulrichmuseum | ulrich.wichita.edu | Free Admission | 316.978.3664 | 1845 Fairmount
CULTURE
4 | MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
SEXY
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CIRCUS
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KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Top: Divinity Masters, dressed in pride flags, poses before the 2018 annual WSU drag show began on Friday night. Above: Starla Nyte looks out into the crowd at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night.
Haven’t been to a drag show? Put that on your bucket list.
W
hen your boss asks you to cover a drag show, you say yes with every fiber of your being and pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming. I had never been to a drag show before Friday night. I know. What have I been doing with my life? This was WSU’s eighth annual drag show. This is a monumental accomplishment, because this show is put on by the students in Spectrum LGBTQ Allies, SAC, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Because of their hard work, we were able to see these incredible kings and queens perform, with drag-queen royalty Ginger Minj in our midst. Ginger Minj, a finalist on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” was absolutely fabulous. She helped emcee the show with local drag queen royalty, Divinity Masters. Together, the two had me in stitches the whole night. My cheeks burned
AGNES CORRIGAN COLUMNIST
that good “I’ve been laughing for three hours” burn as I walked to my car. What can I say about these kings and queens that would do their performances justice? Probably nothing, so if you’re like me and you haven’t been to a drag show, it’s imperative that you put it on your bucket list. First of all, their makeup is insane. I want to sit down with each of them and have them teach me their ways. From Ginger Minj’s sparkly feathered eyelashes, to Faux L’Beaux’s expertly
KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Victoria Fox goes out into the crowd to collect tips during her performance at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night.
lined and glossed red lips, I was dumbstruck. I very nearly poke my eye out with every application of mascara. These kings and queens were owning the damn thing. And then there’s the wigs. There was one performer, Regina La-Rae, who pulled off one fabulous wig mid-performance to reveal a second colorful wig underneath. It was like wig Russian nesting dolls. Truly amazing. Then there were the performances. Oh. My. Goodness. These kings and queens killed it. I need to take a twerking lesson from Terri S. Aqui, who danced like there was no tomorrow and somehow went from a running back hand-spring into the splits in one deft movement. Unbelievable. And how could we forget drag king Jamal Magnum aka WSU student Akayla Portley-Steward’s expert Justin Timberlake pop and locks? These kings and queens do it all, and all while they are wearing fabulous
costumes — some of which include sky high patent leather pumps and skin-tight body suits. And let me tell you, they look good doing it. The night ended with a performance by Divinity Masters, taking off her drag outfit at the end of the night, and transforming back into Brad Thomison. Thomison, who also serves as the LGBTQ coordinator for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, performed a song with a powerful message — “I am what I am. I bang my own drum. So what if people think it’s noise? I think it’s pretty.” The drag kings and queens own who they are. They ooze confidence. They are proud of who they are, as we all should be. I could definitely learn some dance moves and makeup tips from the drag kings and queens, but most of all, they can teach us all how to be confident and rock exactly who we are, simply because we are all fabulous.
KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Above: Ladiesman dances to an Adam Lambert song at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night. Right: Victoria Fox impersonates Lady Gaga at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night.
MITCHELL
FROM PAGE 1
your close, tight-knit group was an important thing that mattered.” Mitchell earned his undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees in mathematics at Wichita State. He was a math lecturer at WSU for 10 years. When Thompson met Mitchell in 2006 as a freshman in college, Mitchell served as an administrative assistant in the honors program
while earning his master’s degree in mathematics. Thompson said Mitchell took it upon himself to make the honors program a welcoming environment. “He liked to build communities,” Thompson said. “Patric was the kind of guy that if you needed someone to talk to, he tended to be around,” Thompson said. “I would often wander in (by the honors desk), sometimes to waste time, sometimes to ask curious questions.”
KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Thompson said that Mitchell still played that role in his life as they worked together in the math department years later. “As far as missing him goes, that’s going to be the hardest part to deal with. Just not having that person around that I can go bounce ideas off of.” Mitchell was also remembered by his passion for rescuing dogs. “He loved dogs. He had like five beagles at any one time,” Behrman said.
“He thought everybody should have 10 dogs,” Behrman said. “He would email me these photos of dogs that needed to be adopted.” Over the course of 20 years, Behrman came to know Mitchell as a student, a colleague, and a friend. “He’s 10 years younger than I am. He was my student. You don’t expect your student to just sort of keel over. It’s hard to believe I’ll never talk to him again,” Behrman said. Behrman said she knew Mitchell had a heart condition, and that he
had undergone surgery for it in recent years. “He used to show off his scar. It was very impressive,” Behrman said. Behrman said friends and members of the department of mathematics, statistics, and physics are working on putting together a college fund for Mitchell’s youngest son, who is in high school. “A department is family,” Behrman said. “We need to take care of each other.”
CULTURE
www.thesunflower.com
Wichita State gave more than $7.1 million to Innovation Campus nonprofit in its first 3 years BY CHANCE SWAIM
F
rom 2014 to 2016, in the midst of a state-funding crisis for Kansas universities, tax documents show Wichita State gave more than $7.1 million to the nonprofit organization managing Innovation Campus. During that three-year period, state funding to WSU decreased by 7.4 percent. To try to make up for those cuts, WSU raised tuition and fees by 14 percent. By the end of the 2016 school year, WSU President John Bardo froze new hires and spending above $5,000, which would from-then-on need his executive team’s approval. Department budgets shrank, tenure lines were snipped, cost-of-living salary increases for faculty were postponed, and positions were eliminated. In 2016 alone, WSU lost 46 full-time positions through attrition — positions left unfilled once an employee retired, resigned, was fired, or died. During that same time, WSU gave $7.1 million in grants, loans, and rent payments to Innovation Alliance, a university-affiliated nonprofit incorporated in 2014 to manage public-private partnerships on WSU’s research park, Innovation Campus. Part of Innovation Alliance’s purpose, according to minutes
MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
Innovation Alliance has been under increased scrutiny as Innovation Campus projects come to light without input from faculty, staff, or students. One state lawmaker said the process seems like a “workaround” to bypass public discussion and accountability. A student leader said the president of Innovation Alliance, John Tomblin, explained the process as a way to “work around” state building laws. WSU President John Bardo, who hand-selects the board members for Innovation Alliance, has continually defended the university’s development model. “The truth is,” Bardo wrote in his latest newsletter, “that WSU has followed and will continue to follow state law and KBOR policy for every project on the Innovation Campus today and in the future.” “We understand and expect to be subject to public scrutiny,” Bardo said in the letter. “As we work, with your help, to sustain the university into the future, we will continue to achieve progress with transparency.” Part of the reason the broader campus community feels left in the dark about Innovation Campus deals, as The Sunflower reported earlier this month, could be because President Bardo signed a nondisclosure agreement between WSU, Innovation Alliance, and Innovation Alliance Investment Corporation, a for profit entity, that limits what university employees can say about Innovation Campus projects. President Bardo is the chief officer of the university, nonprofit organization, and for-profit corporation. Innovation Alliance’s attorney said
from its first board meeting, is to distribute profits and cash flow from Innovation Campus back to WSU. For the $7.1 million WSU gave Innovation Alliance in its first three years of operation, it got back $832,959, according to IRS Form 990s filed by the nonprofit. That’s a $6.3 million difference. Comparable tax information documents for 2017 and 2018 are not yet available and The Sunflower declined to pay an estimated $1,500 WSU is charging for financial transaction records for the past year. WSU has been tight-lipped about what it contributes to Innovation Alliance — an attorney for both the university and the nonprofit wouldn’t say if WSU contributes any money at all, and another attorney for the university tried to charge The Sunflower $1,500 for records of the nonprofit’s financial transactions — but tax documents show the university has put a lot of money into the nonprofit. Innovation Alliance’s Form 990s, which are required to be filed with the IRS and made available to the public on-request for certain nonprofits, provide a broad sketch of financial transactions involving Innovation Alliance, which leases land from WSU and subleases it to private businesses on Innovation Campus. Filings for 2017 and 2018 are not available at this time.
Need
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the sole member of the for-profit company’s board is President Bardo. From 2014 to 2016, Innovation Alliance put $788,825 into the for-profit investment corporation. Less than half of that money went back into the nonprofit, which received $318,426 from the investment corporation during that time. Innovation Alliance leases ground from the university and then leases that ground to private developers on Innovation Campus, a campus expansion project doubling the size of campus by building on what used to the university golf course directly east of campus. The nonprofit also recently leased a university building to a Koch family-funded private elementary school. INNOVATION CAMPUS PROJECTS DISCUSSED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
Many projects on Innovation Campus have been leased to the closely-held nonprofit Wichita State Innovation Alliance and then sub-leased to third parties without a public discussion, vote, or a competitive bidding process normally required for state-owned property. Questions about Innovation Alliance began at a Faculty Senate meeting following an announcement, through the Wichita Eagle, that a Koch family-funded private school would be leasing a building on campus. That lease agreement had already been signed by Innovation Alliance well before the decision was announced. Innovation Alliance President John Tomblin, who is also WSU’s vice president of research and SEE WSIA PAGE 6
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If your first year of college wasn’t as successful as you’d hoped, you can get back on track over the summer, with a little help from Salina Area Technical College. KENZIE BORLAND/THE SUNFLOWER
Faux L’Beau passes out clown noses on stage at the 2018 annual WSU drag show on Friday night.
DRAG QUEEN FROM PAGE 1
For Friday’s show, Zabriskie’s parents drove 10 hours from Champlin, Minnesota — a suburb of Minneapolis — to support Zabriskie in his first show. “Our whole family, everybody is very supportive,” Zabriskie’s mom, Kim, said. “My mom sends him makeup and my cousin sends him heels. I think that our family is blessed in that everyone is open-minded cause I know there’s a lot of kids who are out there that don’t have that support.” Jonas hasn’t received any pushback from family or friends about doing drag because everyone who
would have a problem with it isn’t part of his circle anymore, he said. “Everybody that I know is behind me, pushing for this, so there’s absolutely no going backwards,” Zabriskie said. When Zabriskie told his parents he was going to do drag his father AJ – tall, with a long, scraggly beard – didn’t take it seriously at first, but both of his parents have been supportive from the start. “I think he was a little leery of me, but I’ve been supporting him the whole time,” AJ Zabriskie said. “As long as he knows that what he is doing is for the best and for his best interest makes his life happy.” “As long as he’s happy, we’re happy,” Kim Zabriskie said.
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785-309-3100 | admissions@salinatech.edu Salina Area Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, family medical history or genetic information, military service, or any other non-merit based factor in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI, Title VII, ADA, Title IX, Section 504, Title II, GINA, is directed to contact the Human Resources Specialist, 2562 Centennial Rd, Salina, KS 67401, 785-309-3100.
SPORTS
6 | MONDAY, APRIL 23, 2018
www.thesunflower.com
RELOAD REBUILD Wichita State’s men’s basketball team has seen a mass exodus this year, creating what will most definitely be a rebuilding year next year. Many readers have been wondering — who’s left?
MARKIS MCDUFFIE RETURNING
BRETT BARNEY TRANSFER (4-3-18)
ASBJØRN MIDTGAARD RETURNING
ROD BROWN RETURNING
ZACH BROWN GRADUATED
BRYCEN BUSH RETURNING
RAUNO NURGER GRADUATED
SAMAJAE HAYNES-JONES RETURNING
JACOB HERRS RETURNING
RASHARD KELLY GRADUATED
CJ KEYSER TRANSFER (4-3-18)
LANDRY SHAMET DECLARED FOR NBA
DARRAL WILLIS GRADUATED
WSIA
FROM PAGE 5
technology transfer and the executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research, had been in discussions with the Koch family about bringing the private school called Wonder to Wichita State since last spring. On Dec. 19, he signed a lease agreement with Wonder. On Feb. 4, the university found out about the deal through a Wichita Eagle article. Similarly, last spring, student government was asked to vote on a proposal to substantially increase student fees to fund a YMCA on Innovation Campus. Tomblin had been in discussions with the Y for 18 months before giving student government two weeks to vote on the fee increase. Tomblin said if the student government did not approve of it, the project would not go forward. Student government opposed the fee increase for the Y, but President Bardo said in a written statement that “These facilities (the Y) are important enough to the future of the university that I’ve asked members of our team to keep exploring the idea despite a vote last week by Student Government Association to oppose it.” The new session, led by student
JCA
FROM PAGE 3
“Even if you’re not into Japan — because there are so many things to do — you will probably find something that interests you,” Peck said. Calligraphy, origami and lessons of the popular Asian board game “Go” will also be available at Japan Festival. In line with the growth of the festival and the Japanese department, in fall 2018, WSU will be offering a Japanese minor through the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “The people taking Japanese right now aren’t really effected,”Kutilek said. Kutilek has been involved with the organization since it evolved from the preceding Japanese Student Association in 2013. “I’m graduating and won’t be eligible for the minor,” Peck said. “The irony being now that people who pushed the hardest for Japanese to become a minor won’t benefit from it.” In unison with the minor, both Peck and Kutilek want students to know that this program and this
SHAQ MORRIS GRADUATED
AUSTIN REAVES TRANSFER (4-19-18)
body president Paige Hungate, who was one of eight senators to vote in favor of the Y in the previous session, and Breck Towner, who had worked in President Bardo’s office prior to seeking the office of vice president, quickly passed a resolution in favor of the fee increase before the school year ended. Last summer, WSU closed its own dorms to move about 300 students into a private apartment complex on Innovation Campus after fewer than one in five beds at the expensive complex had been filled about a month before move-in day. WSU leases the land where that complex is located to Innovation Alliance, which leases it to the private company that runs apartment, which then leases the space inside the building back to WSU. Next year, WSU plans to pay more than $2.5 million to the private company, which is owned in-part by the chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, David Murfin. In September, the Wichita Eagle reported Airbus, the first partnership on Innovation Campus, was well below expected student involvement on Innovation Campus. Innovation Alliance drafted a resolution as part of its justification to lease the area to Airbus that
student group is open to everyone. Not unlike other student organizations on campus, JCA serves to integrate Japanese students who arrive from abroad with life and culture at WSU and the surrounding area. Freshman Akari Yoshioka from Osaka told of her initial experience with JCA and Vice President Kutilek upon arrival in Wichita with fellow students from Japan. “On the first day, Erina came to pick us up at the airport,” Yoshioka said. “I was so nervous but meeting her was nice. She connected me to other Japanese and people who were studying Japanese culture so I could adjust quickly.” JCA is opens to the campus at large as well. Peck noted that the organization serves as a platform for anyone even minutely interested in the Japanese culture and language. “We give non-Japanese students an opportunity to meet people from Japan, work on their Japanese and for people from both countries to learn more about each other’s culture.” JCA holds instructional “Conversation Time” meetings ever Friday on the second floor of the RSC from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
KAELEN MALONE TRANSFER (4-3-18)
NEW COMMITS: Jamarius Burton, Chance Moore, Erik Stevenson, Isaiah Poor, Bear Chandler, Morris Udeze, Jaime Echenique
CONNOR FRANKAMP GRADUATED
projected as many as 200 engineering students would work at Airbus. This fall, 11 WSU students were employed at Airbus, down from 14 students last spring. President Bardo and his spokesperson, Lou Heldman, have both stricken down criticism of Innovation Campus as the public expecting too much too quickly, comparing unmet expectations on Innovation Campus to expecting NBA superstar LeBron James be in the NBA at age one and complaining that a project won’t serve underprivileged students “is a little like complaining that the newborn can’t dunk the ball.” In President Bardo’s March newsletter titled “The truth about Innovation Campus: A crucial collaboration for WSU’s survival,” he said these types of “collaboration with industry and community partners is now crucial for public universities to thrive.” President Bardo said universities’ motivations for developing research parks, such as Innovation Campus, include “the possibility of financial gain associated with technology transfer, the opportunity to have faculty and students interact at the applied level with research organizations, and a desire to contribute to regional economic growth.” President Bardo said the
public-private partnership model being used on Innovation Campus “minimizes WSU’s financial burden and risk while ensuring a valuable return on investment to the university because, at the end of each lease, the university acquires the improvements on the land for its own use.” DETAILS OF THE 990S
Wichita State gave Innovation Alliance a $575,000 grant in 2014. In 2015, it gave the nonprofit a more than $1.4 million grant. Then, in 2016, the university gave the nonprofit an almost $2.9 million grant. That’s about $4.9 million. Wichita State loaned Innovation Alliance $238,056 in 2014. In 2015, it loaned the nonprofit $526,908. Then, in 2016, the university loaned the nonprofit $647,853. That’s about $1.4 million. Besides grants and loans, Wichita State also paid rent to Innovation Alliance, starting in 2015. It paid the nonprofit $343,000 in 2015 and $490,000 in 2016 for rent. That’s $833,000. In total, $7,125,073 in university money went to Innovation Alliance between 2014 and 2016. The first two projects on Innovation Campus, Partnership Building One that houses Airbus and the experiential engineering building, opened in 2017.
ROWELL
FROM PAGE 1
around that I was the son of the group.... It’s been extremely difficult just living life without his guidance and his mentorship. Especially SGA because there’s so much stress that comes around that.” Then, weeks after drafting legislation to have additional signage posted for crosswalks on campus this spring, Kathy Hull, a visual resources coordinator in the WSU art school, was hit by a car while she using a crosswalk on campus. “That hit me particularly hard,” Rowell said, “just because anytime there’s a death with any kind of motor vehicle accident, it’s very draining for me. And to know that I wrote legislation about it three weeks before, and it actually wasn’t put on the floor the week I wrote it. So I often go back and think, ‘Well, maybe if it would have got put on the floor a week before it could have prevented it.’ “So it’s something I still feel a lot of guilt about,” Rowell said. But it’s these tragedies in Rowell’s life that have focused her on her purpose: giving back and helping others by “magnifying” their voices
through SGA and putting forth her best effort in her academics. “I think the main thing for me at least is maybe not staying positive but just staying above it all, trying to at least,” Rowell said of how she has been able to stay positive after the deaths of her loved ones. “I found my studies, my academics, to kind of be my getaway. I couldn’t really control what was going on in my personal life, but I could control the effort that I was putting into my classes,” Rowell said. “It’s really hard not to be bitter when what you think is going to be the greatest years of your life turn out to be probably the worst years of your life,” Rowell said. But her grandma gave her a proposition she said she always keeps in her mind. “One of the things my grandma told me when my dad died was ‘You can either let this make you bitter, or it can make you better,’” Rowell said. She said being better instead of bitter especially applies to her academics. “My sister wanted to be a teacher and my dad was a huge academic, and finding an outlet to kind of
Another LeBron Warriors Finals?
DANIEL CAUDILL COLUMNIST
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors became the first pair of teams to compete in the NBA Finals three consecutive years last season. This historic feat begs one question: will the two face off again this year? In the last three years, Cleveland and Golden State maintained high seedings and faced little-to-no legitimate opposition in their respective conferences. But this season has proven to be an unusual one for both conferences, with seeds roughly three through eight in the East and West maintaining close win-loss records through the first round. Golden State finished second in the West, and Cleveland placed unexpectedly low in the East as the four seed. LeBron James, 33, leads the Cavs with an astounding 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Even still, it is unclear whether the team will surmount a 2-1 deficit to the fifth-seed Indiana Pacers in the first round, much less make it into the Finals. Despite an injury for Stephen Curry, the Warriors are currently 3-1 against the San Antonio Spurs and will likely face the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round. All-star forward Kevin Durant is averaging 27 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds against the Spurs. The Warriors might be able to cruise, with or without Curry. Competitors like the Houston Rockets in the West and the Toronto Raptors in the East hold the highest chance of snatching the Finals from either team, but there’s also an underdog on either side, like the Pelicans in the West and the Philadelphia 76ers in the East. With their wide range of young talent, the 76ers could pose a serious threat to LeBron and the Cavs. Philadelphia rookie Ben Simmons has been contributing to the process with a triple-double average against the sixth-seed Heat. If the 76ers defeat the Heat, they will face the winner of the CelticsBucks matchup in the second round. Sixth-seed New Orleans became the first team to advance to the second round with a clean sweep over third-seed Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis led the charge during the series by averaging an impressive 33 points, 12 rebounds, and nearly 3 blocks per game. The Warriors’ most serious opposition comes from MVP candidate James Harden and the Houston Rockets, but I believe Golden State is most likely Western Conference Champions. Their roster is virtually undefeatable when operating at its highest level, even without Curry. No one can see the future, but in the spirit of competition, I believe we will see a break in the WarriorsCavs Finals streak with a new Eastern Conference champion.
preserve their memory and honor them has been really helpful. I think SGA has been a great way for me to do that. Because I’m impacting, hopefully positively impacting, students all around this campus while still giving my life some kind of meaning even though it seems like you know there really isn’t any,” Rowell said. Rowell, political science major working on a field degree in French who enjoys “nerding out” on foreign policy, said she hopes to eventually land a job at the State Department or with an IGO (intergovernmental organization) or NGO (non-governmental organization). “If that doesn’t work out, I’d really love to be a professor,” Rowell said. Rowell’s ambitions as student body vice president align with who she has become through a difficult situation. Her goals are simple: to get more students involved and to be prepared to respond when the unexpected happens, as it seems to so regularly with student government at Wichita State. According to Rowell’s grandma, there are two ways to respond to that kind of adversity: You can be bitter or you can be better. So far, Rowell’s been doing better.