WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 www.thesunflower.com
Jan. 25, 2024
Volume 128 Issue 17
Chief Elections Commissioner Gigi Guzman announces the unofficial results of the special election during the Student Government Assocation session on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The Constitutional amendment was unofficially passed with 246 votes in affirmation. | Photo by Allison Campbell / The Sunflower
Student vote allows Student Government to change organization BY COURTNEY BROWN
newsprojects@thesunflower.com
Students walk to and from the Heskett Center on Jan. 24. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower
Heskett Center training gives students skill set, confidence to handle emergencies on campus BY ALLISON CAMPBELL news@thesunflower.com
F
or more than 30 years, Beth Albers has taught life-saving techniques and emergency training to Wichita community members. Albers — the director of aquatics and risk management, the coordinator of events and the training center director at the Heskett Center — has provided more than 500 Heskett employees, from receptionists to lifeguards, with potentially life-saving training and certifications over the last six years. “It’s just what we do,” Albers said. “There’s a fulfillment of being able to take care of somebody when they need it.” In the event of an emergency at the Heskett Center, Wichita State’s recreation center, Albers and her team of student leads are responsible for the health and lives of the facility’s hundreds of daily guests, including students, intramural teams and local visiting organizations. “This is a ginormous building,” Albers said. “They’re (Heskett employees) the first responders to the victim. It doesn’t matter what position you’re in — if you’re closest (to an emergency), it’s your scene.” As the campus’ largest student employer, the Heskett Center and its faculty members provide essential training and certifications to student employees. All Heskett Center employees and faculty members are required to have basic life support (BLS) training, which includes CPR, Automated External Defibrillator
“ The thing that makes me feel good about the level of training that we do here is that the police got the call, (they) got over here and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s Beth and her staff — they got it.’ BETH ALBERS Director of aquatics and risk management, the coordinator of events and the training center director at the Heskett Center
(AED) for the professional rescuer, and first aid certification. Heskett employees practice the building’s emergency action plan monthly to maintain a safe environment. Additionally, employees attend two in-service days at the beginning of each semester, where each employee runs through and practices each of their certified training. These practices include rescues, scanning for injuries, pulling unconscious people out of the water, and even customer service training. “(That’s) a really long time when you have pulled someone out of the water,” Albers said. “It’s exhausting, but it’s what actually would happen, so I want (employees) to be doing it all the time. And then when it happens, you’re like, ‘Oh, yeah, I had that (training).’” Last semester, Albers and two Heskett student employees were called to action when a caregiver from Club Parkinson’s
collapsed during one of the organization’s regular visits to the Heskett Center. Albers and the employees performed over 12 minutes of CPR and attempted other life-saving measures before Wichita paramedics took over the scene. Sedgwick County EMS later pronounced the man dead. “We did what we needed to do, and nothing we did was going to change the outcome, unfortunately,” Albers said. “And so it kind of changed how we did our next training with our staff because there were little details that I know to say (when training others), but once I experienced it, are very different.” Former Wichita State University Police Department Officer Nathaniel Johnson, who responded to the emergency that day, said that the efficiency of the staff makes responding to incidents much easier for first responders. “When we arrived, walking in and … seeing CPR being done and knowing that it’s the best staff and knowing that they’re trained in that, it really helps us be able to coordinate getting those other first responders in there,” Johnson said. Albers said that, over the following weeks, as her team recovered, she received calls and comments praising the center and its employees for their rapid response.
SEE HESKETT, PAGE 2
The Student Government Association (SGA) will no longer have at-large senator seats, based on the uncertified results for the special election. The special election from Jan. 22-24 allowed all degree-seeking students the chance to vote whether or not to eliminate at-large seats and raise the set number of college-based seats in the Student Senate. The constitutional amendment passed with 73.87% of votes, or 246 students, voting to reallocate the Senate seats. 21.02% of students, or 70 votes, voted against the amendment, while 5.1%, or 17 voters, abstained. Only 2.5%, or 333 of 13,000 eligible voters, participated in this special election. The election, which was conducted online via ShockerSync, was set to start at 8 a.m. on Monday and ended at 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The email announcing the special election was sent to students at 12:47 p.m. on Monday. According to the SGA Uncertified Election Results, a formal announcement of the special election’s certification and ratification will be released on Friday, Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m. The redistribution of Senate seats is intended to increase competition and productivity within SGA, according to Speaker of the Senate Kylee Hower. The constitutional amendment was first voted on by the Senate, who approved it on Dec. 6 after moving their meeting from the Rhatigan Student Center to a parking garage due to a gas leak. According to SGA’s bylaws, that “Constitution shall be deemed amended if any proposed amendment receives a simple majority of the votes cast at special election of the Association called for that purpose.” More information about the Senate Seat Reapportionment Act can be found at thesunflower.com.
‘Contribute to this catastrophe’: Well-versed photographer finds passion in education BY LOREN AMELUNKE
loren.amelunke@outlook.com
Cary Conover often takes a philosophical approach to his photography. He notes the beauty of feeling an emotional connection to subjects in a photograph that he might never personally interact with.
“How can a photographer get so into the lives of these people?” Conover, a photographer and educator, said, contemplating the thought. Conover lived in New York City from 2000 to 2010, working as a freelance photographer, namely for The New York Times and The Village Voice. In New York City, Conover’s photography featured dynamic and mobile subjects: an older
man strolling down the sidewalk with a large pen stain over his shirt pocket, a woman holding her toddler with a cigarette in its mouth or simply couples gazing at each other. “I was really into simply contributing to the tradition of street photography or the tradition of the documentation of New York,” he said. Conover was able to use his skills on a grave day in United States history. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Conover was woken by his neighbor pounding on the door. After receiving a quick explanation, he took to the roof of
his apartment with his camera. He managed to take a picture of the second plane before anyone — including him — knew it would hit the second tower. “Photography did that — not
me,” he said. “The camera will capture things that the photographer had no notion of at the time.” Later, he walked through the streets, documenting the terror on people’s faces.
“We (photographers) refused to be called victims of this. Even though we saw it and it affected us, we are documenters. That is how we can contribute to this catastrophe,” he said. After 10 years of photographing the rises and falls of New York City, Conover needed a change. His photography business was slowing down, and he was having to seek alternative methods to support his wife and a son they were expecting soon. “I was so sick of being stressed about the thing that I love the most,” Conover said. Conover began driving taxis for
extra money to help close the gap. “I remember getting home at five in the morning. I’ve been driving all night. I have $300 in cash, and I walk straight to the ATMs,” he said. While teaching a workshop in Manhattan, New York, he applied for a job at Andover High School. His leap of faith was like “swinging in the jungle, and you have to let go of one vine in order to grab another.” A new vine took Conover all the way to Kansas, where he began teaching photojournalism at Andover High School in 2011, and he soon found being an educator to be more enriching than the hustle and struggle of being a photographer. “What can you emphasize to young minds?” he said. In his teaching work, Conover invites students to connect their photography with their personalities, emphasizing that the interesting moments happen among people in the stands at a football game, not in the game itself. While teaching, Conover continues to work on his own photography projects. He found a
passion in documenting time — the relativity of it and how this is silently conveyed in a photograph. “That’s really captivating to me: Time … you’re revisiting your past, in a way,” he says. His photographs of Wichita are rife with nostalgia and the “idea of home” that he loves to depict. Drawing inspiration from
photographer Mark Klett, Conover drives to the different borders of Kansas and sets up a tripod facing the landscape. Nothing is particularly eye-catching, and he enjoys the challenge of that limitation. “A lot of people think you need to go out and show the world’s problems with your photography — no, it’s up to you to decide what you want to use it for,” Conover said.
Photos courtesy of Conover
NEWS
2 | Jan. 25, 2024
www.thesunflower.com
State budget, Blackboard Ultra open spring semester for Faculty Senate
HESKETT FROM PAGE 1 “The thing that makes me feel good about the level of training that we do here is that the police got the call, (they) got over here, and they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s Beth and her staff — they got it,’” Albers said. “I had a couple of them call me, and they were like … ‘If somebody’s going down on this campus, it needs to be in the Heskett.’” Typically, the Heskett Center sees less severe emergencies, with overheating, rolled ankles during intramurals and a few falls from the Club Parkinson’s comprising the majority of the staff’s outgoing emergency response calls. “We really have more of that stuff, or like low blood sugar, than we have big things,” Albers said. Albers said that the knowledge and skill sets obtained by employees who undergo emergency training can help them in all aspects of their lives later on. “This (working at the Heskett) is learning to lead a group of people in a situation that is not ideal,” Albers said. “You’re going to come up across those in your life … everywhere. It’s a really good applied learning (experience).” Anyone can receive emergency training and certification from the Heskett Center, regardless of enrollment status or prior medical knowledge. The Heskett Center does not charge additional fees on top of the required certification cost as part of Albers and other faculty’s commitment to providing accessible, affordable and practical emergency training. “I want them to take those skills and apply them elsewhere,” Albers said. “I’m not raising Olympic lifeguards. I’m raising people to go out into the world and be good stewards of their job.”
BY TRINITY RAMM
managing@thesunflower.com
In an update to Faculty Senate, Zach Gearhart said that Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposed budget sees state employee pay rise by 5%. Like last year, Wichita State has to find room in its own budget to provide this pay increase. Faculty Senate discussed these legislative updates, along with the mandatory shift to Blackboard Ultra and conversations on campus climate, at the first meeting in nearly two months on Jan. 22. Gearhart, President Richard Muma’s chief of staff, reported to the Faculty Senate about what funding the Kansas Legislature is looking to provide for both universities under the Kansas Board of Regents and Wichita State specifically. These numbers should be solidified by May, according to Gearhart.
KBOR FUNDING This funding is available, either by application or nature, to colleges and universities that KBOR oversees. (See table). Gearhart said that Wichita State would get the “lion’s share” of the need-based aid allocation because it is based on Pell-eligible students. According to Scholarships360, 35% of students at Wichita State receive Pell Grants, compared to 19% at Kansas State and 20% at the University of Kansas. For both of the one-time costs, Gearhart said the university “would like to see (the funding) continue.” “The governor’s office indicated that if the data continues to look good for this and that the return continues to be positive, they will likely include (student success and retention) in the budget for future years,” Gearhart said. The university has recently used the Facility Demolition Fund in order to cover the costs of demolishing Brennan Halls I-III, which, most recently, housed faculty and staff who were displaced during various campus renovations.
“(The Facility Demolition Fund) allows us to take older facilities offline,” Gearhart said. “That reduces our deferred maintenance number, freeing up resources for other areas.” There were two WSU-specific line items in the budget. Last year’s budget left roughly $41 million from the Biomedical Campus budget, which the legislature looks to add to this year’s budget. The other item is WSU Student Affordability, which funds applied learning opportunities and is currently proposed at $5 million. Gearhart said WSU administration is still working out how this money will be used but that the current plan is to focus funding on applied learning for Pell-eligible students “in disciplines that typically struggle to find those paid applied learning opportunities.”
TRANSITION TO ULTRA John Jones, the executive director of the Media Resources Center (MRC), explained the reasoning and logistics behind the university’s mandatory switch to
Blackboard Ultra, starting in the summer of 2024. The university first introduced Ultra as an option to faculty and staff in 2021, with the original transition to Ultra planned for Fall 2022. Jones said the switch needs to happen sooner rather than later because Blackboard Classic will not be around “forever” and the MRC lacks the resources to support both systems. Faculty and staff will receive training on how to use Blackboard Ultra, and the Academic Resources Conferences in May, June and August will provide faculty and staff with additional materials on Ultra. For faculty and staff who want to work more with Blackboard Ultra before the summer and fall semesters, an Ultra template can be requested here.
Launch on Feb. 8 in the Beggs Ballroom. Hall said that administration has met with faculty, staff, and a few students in order to “talk about our campus community and what (they) can do to improve campus climate together.” The launch is an opportunity for round table discussion where people will “be able to talk about what’s good about our environment (and) what are the things we can work on together,” according to Hall. Hall said that a “lack of training opportunities” was one of the key takeaways from the Campus Climate survey. More broadly, the four areas that Hall and her team are looking at are: history, tradition and cultures; policies and procedures; experiences; and belonging and demographics.
CAMPUS CLIMATE
UPDATES FROM KBOR
Teri Hall, vice president for student affairs, talked about campus climate and invited the Faculty Senate to a Campus Climate
Hospitality and a name change from Sports Management to Sports and Leadership Studies were approved by the Regents.
Staff Senate president to depart from Wichita State University BY COURTNEY BROWN
newsprojects@thesunflower.com
A rendering of the Biomedical Campus. | Photo courtesy of wichita.edu
Wichita State reveals renderings for Wichita Biomedical Campus BY JACINDA HALL
podcast@thesunflower.com
Wichita State has revealed what the first phase of the Wichita Biomedical Campus will look like. Shared on Friday, Jan. 19, the renderings reveal an eight-story building with a three-story pavilion, classrooms and labs, and offices, among other amenities. Wichita State and WSU Tech will share the first four floors of the building, the fifth floor will be a shared floor with simulation facilities, and the University of Kansas will utilize the last three floors of the campus.
This marks the first phase of the collaboration with Wichita State and the University of Kansas. The Biomedical Campus will comprise the Wichita State College of Health Professions, WSU’s SpeechLanguage-Hearing clinic, and WSU Tech’s health care program. The KU School of Medicine and KU School of Pharmacy, both in Wichita, will also be a part of this collaboration. The Wichita Biomedical Campus will be located in downtown Wichita. Construction for the school is planned to start in spring 2024 and is expected to finish by the end of 2026.
Staff Senate President Jason Bosch has announced an end to his 17 years in higher education. He plans to depart from Wichita State and join the Kansas Leadership Center on Feb. 9, according to his LinkedIn post. Bosch is in his first term as Staff Senate president and serves as the assistant dean for Student Success in the College of Engineering. He founded and oversees the Spirit Strong FirstGeneration Scholarship Program, which provides mentorship and scholarship opportunities to first-generation engineering freshmen in financial need. His previous positions at Wichita State include interim assistant dean, director of student engagement and scholarships, and director of scholarships and outreach, all at the College of Engineering. Before coming to WSU, Bosch worked at Emporia State University. Bosch will step into the role
Former Staff Senate President Denise Gimlin shakes incoming President Jason Bosch’s hand at the meeting on June 20, 2023. | Photo by Nithin Reddy Nagapur / The Sunflower
of leadership developer at the Kansas Leadership Center, and he wrote on LinkedIn that working in leadership training and development, one of his passions, is a “dream come true.” “I am proud of all that I have
MISSION 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.
LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be obtained from the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisement sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association. The Sunflower is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and the Wichita Journalism Collaborative. Copyright © 2023 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.
accomplished during my time in higher education,” Bosch wrote. “And while part of me is sad to move on from this phase of my career, I am excited to positively impact lives and communities in new ways.”
CONTACT US The Sunflower, founded in 1896, is the student-run newspaper covering Wichita State University. The print edition is published Thursday during the fall and spring semesters. The staff publishes daily online at www.thesunflower.com.
019 Elliott Hall 1845 N. Fairmount Ave. Campus Box 134 Wichita, KS 67260-0134 EDITORIAL
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SPORTS EDITOR Melanie Rivera-Cortez sports@thesunflower.com
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INVESTIGATIVE NEWS EDITOR Courtney Brown newsprojects@thesunflower.com
OPINION EDITOR Sascha Harvey opinion@thesunflower.com
amy.devault@wichita.edu
NEWS EDITOR Allison Campbell newsprojects@thesunflower.com
PHOTO EDITOR Kristy Mace photo@thesunflower.com
CORRECTIONS
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The Sunflower is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in any of its publications, please email the editor at editor@thesunflower.com immediately.
SPORTS
HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Sports editor, Melanie Rivera-Cortez sports@thesunflower.com
Jan. 25, 2024 | 3 www.thesunflower.com
Wichita State men’s tennis team huddles during break. With “Go Shocks!” the team is off to their singles. | File photo by Shelby Parscale / The Sunflower
High jumper Brady Palen warms up on the track as track and field practice begins. Palen is a junior at Wichita State. | Photo by Lee Frank / The Sunflower
Men’s tennis loses 10th straight meeting against Texas Tech
Eight Shockers win weekend track and field events BY JACOB UNRUH
assistantsports@thesunflower.com
BY OWEN PROTHRO
owenprothro@gmail.com
Wichita State men’s tennis traveled to Lubbock, Texas, on Saturday and lost their 10th straight match against Texas Tech, 5-2. The 10-win streak for Texas Tech over the Shockers dates back to March 9, 2003. The loss against the Red Raiders is also the third in a row for the Shockers in the spring season, dropping their record to 1-3 overall. The Shockers started the afternoon by dropping two of the three doubles matches, amounting to an early 1-0 deficit overall and leaving the third match unfinished. Freshman Vanja Hodzic and senior Misha Kvantaliani lost 6-1 in their first match. Sophomore Richey King and senior Marcelo Sepulveda lost their match by a score of 6-4. Wichita State then went on to win two of the first four singles matches, but this would not be enough to stifle the Red Raiders. Junior Kristof Minarik swept his opponent on the third court 6-3 and 6-1 in sets one and two, as the Shockers tied the event at 1-1 overall. Kvantaliani was swept on the second court with scores being 6-4 and 7(7)-6(4) in sets one and two. Sophomore Alejandro Jacome’s match ended in another Texas Tech win and was the first match that went to three sets. Jacome was bested in sets one and three by a 6-4 score while Jacome stole set two with a score of 7(10)-6(8). Court four was Wichita State’s last hope for victory with a Hodzic win in a reverse sweep. Hodzic lost set one with a score of 7(7)-6(5), but would stay strong and win sets two and three with scores of 6-4 in both. Sepulveda and sophomore Luke Bracks were beaten in their respective matches to put a stamp on the meet for Texas Tech. Bracks was beaten by scores of 7(9)-6(7) and 6-3 in the two sets of match 6. Sepulveda was defeated by scores of 7-5 and 7(9)-6(7) in sets one and two. Wichita State must now shift focus to its match against the University of Nebraska Omaha on Friday, Jan. 26. That match will be played at Genesis Rock Road in Wichita at 1 p.m.
WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR TENNIS? Jan. 26 | 1 p.m. vs Omaha Feb. 2 | 5 p.m. @ Oklahoma Feb. 16 | 1 p.m. vs New Mexico Feb. 18 | 11 a.m. vs UTSA Feb. 23 | 10 a.m. @ Drake Feb. 25 | 1 p.m. @ Oklahoma State March 2 | 1 p.m. @ Montana
Xavier Bell, a junior guard, drives through the East Carolina defense during the Jan. 24 game. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower
East Carolina delivers men’s basketball’s eighth straight loss BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com
Wichita State men’s basketball struggled to finish its Wednesday night game against East Carolina, falling 54-52. “There were times tonight where I felt like we set basketball back 50 years,” head men’s basketball coach Paul Mills said. The Shockers started the game with sloppy turnovers in all of the first four possessions, but were able to get back into the game after a 3-pointer from graduate student Dalen Ridgnal that made the score 4-3. Wichita State was finally able to gain some momentum following Ridgnal’s shot with a 9-0 run but the Pirates responded with a 12-2 run to take the lead,16-11. East Carolina finished the half leading 26-22 despite shooting 37% from the field. The Shockers shot 45%, but the 22 first-half points marked a season low. The Shockers would come back completely energized for the first few minutes of the second half
scoring the first six points to take back the lead, 28-26. Junior Quincy Ballard ignited the crowd with four blocks in the first four minutes. Ballard finished the game with seven blocks and nine rebounds. Junior Colby Rogers said Ballard played a big part in setting the tone defensively. “(It) really helps us guard, pressure the ball … redirecting players where we want them to go,” Rogers said. The Pirates responded to the Ballard blocks with a couple 3-pointers to take the lead, 43-37. In the last few seconds of the game, the Shockers had a chance to tie the game with a Ridgnal attempted 3-pointer, but the shot, and the comeback, would come up short. Wichita State had a total of 19 turnovers that translated into 22 East Carolina points. “I think it’s super frustrating that when you show up and it’s initial, like the first seven, eight minutes, I would not even consider it fatigue,” Mills said.
Mills said that against teams like North Texas and Florida Atlantic, his team was playing “immature” basketball. “I thought tonight we were way more mature, we just didn’t have those stupid things that we’ve done in the past,” Mills said. “But it just wasn’t very clean basketball, so we’ve got to get to a point where we play mature basketball clean.” Despite shooting 81% from the free throw line, an improvement from earlier in the season, it still was not enough for the Shockers. “When you look at missed free throws and things like that, you start to realize how important every possession is,” redshirt junior Harlond Beverly said. Beverly led the Shockers with 18 points in 36 minutes. Ridgnal followed with eight points of his own and Rogers made seven. Wichita State is now 0-6 in conference play and will look for redemption against Southern Methodist University on Jan. 28 in Charles Koch Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Wichita State’s track and field team traveled to Lincoln, Nebraska to compete in the Prairie Wolf Invitational on Friday and the Mark Colligan Memorial on Saturday, as juniors Jaleel Montgomery and Brady Palen had NCAA top-25 performances. The Shockers had a strong outing in both meets, with eight events being won by Wichita State competitors.
FRIDAY Wichita State’s runners had a strong showing at the Prairie Wolf Invitational on Friday. In the 1000meter women’s race, sophomore Lea Jerkovic won with a 2:57.29 time. Junior Peyton Pogge came in second at 2:59.88. The 3000-meter and 600-meter runs also saw the Shocker women come out victorious. Junior Audrey Parson won the 600-meter with a 1:37.89 time, while freshman Amanda Treptow paced the field in the 3000-meter by nearly 40 seconds, running it in 11:06.47. The men’s side saw positive results as well. In the mile, Wichita State placed three of the top five finishers. Freshman Ian Schram and junior Zander Cobb came in first and second in 4:19.08 and 4:19.48, respectively. In the pole vault, Wichita State had the top three finishers. Sophomores Caden Carlson and Weston Hulse had the same height, 4.45m/14’7.25”.
SATURDAY
Redshirt senior Natsumi Kurahashi hits the ball toward Houston on April 1, 2022. Kurahashi has been on the women’s tennis team for four years and is heading into her fifth year. | File photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower
Women’s tennis breezes past former rivals Creighton and Drake at MVC BY JACOB UNRUH
assistantsports@thesunflower.com
Long-time Wichita State women’s tennis coach Colin Foster might have had flashbacks to the early 2010s with former Missouri Valley Conference rivals Creighton and Drake on the schedule over the weekend. The Shockers took care of business, beating both teams with a 5-2 scoreline.
SATURDAY On Saturday, Wichita State took on Creighton on the road and delivered their 19th consecutive win against the Blue Jays. The doubles point was easily won by the Shockers. Freshman Xin Tong Wang and senior Natsumi Kurahashi on court two and sophomore Theodora Chantava and freshman Giorgia Roselli on court three easily breezed past their opponents with 6-1 wins. Singles play started just as well for Wichita State, as the first four matches to finish all went the Shockers’ way. Chantava,
sophomore Kristina Kudryavtseva, Kurahashi and graduate student Jessica Anzo each won their matches without losing a set. The remaining two singles matches resulted in tough defeats for Wichita State. On the first court, Wang won the first set, 6-4, but dropped the second by the same scoreline. The tiebreaker set was extended to 20 points before Wang was eventually defeated, 11-9, to lose the match. On the fourth court, freshman Anne Knuettel’s match followed a similar script. She won the first set, 6-1, dropped the second, 6-3, and lost the final set, 6-2 Despite the late losses, the early dominance for the Shockers had long since secured the overall result.
SUNDAY Wichita State traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on Drake on Sunday. Similarly, the Shockers’ win continues a history of dominance against the Bulldogs. It was the 19th win for Wichita State in the past 20 matches. Wichita State took the doubles
point quickly. Knuettel and Kudryavtseva won their match, 6-4. Roselli and Chantava won every game on the third court. Like the Creighton match the previous day, the Shockers quickly put the overall result against Drake in the bag with some early wins, but suffered a few defeats later on. Knuettel’s match on the third court was the first to finish. She won in two sets without losing a single game. Chantava, Roselli and Anzo all also won their matches quickly, sweeping in two sets. On the first court, Kurahashi was bested in two sets, 6-1 and 6-2. The only match to go a full three sets was contested by Kudryavtseva on court two. She won the first set, 6-3, but dropped the second, 6-4, and the deciding set, 6-2. The women’s tennis team is now 2-1 on the season. They continue their young 2024 campaign on Friday, Jan. 26, at the Wichita Country Club against Kansas State.
Wichita State’s top track and field athletes competed at the Mark Colligan Memorial meet on Saturday. Three meet wins went to Shockers: Montgomery in the 60-meter hurdles, Palen in the high jump and junior Adam Rzentkowski in the mile. As a team, they placed second on the men’s side with 108 points and third on the women’s with 74.5 points. Nebraska won both competitions, scoring 170 with the men and 177.5 with the women. Montgomery was the standout performer in the men’s events. He won the 60-meter hurdles with a 7:79, the 22nd best time in the NCAA, and placed second in the 200-meter sprint at 21.68. Palen also put himself 21st in the NCAA rankings with a 2.15m/7’0.5” high jump. Rzentkowski won the mile race with a 4:08.16 time. The women’s best performers were junior Farrah Miller, who finished second in the 800-meter in 2:11.78, and freshman newcomer Kate Campos, who also was the second across the finish line in the 60-meter hurdle in 8.45. Wichita State teams placed second in both relay events. Sophomore Trace Spires, junior RJ Hutchison, senior JD Prinsloo and junior Joakim Genereux ran the 400-meter in 3:16.79. Miller, junior Sydney Brown, sophomore Elontae Hackney-Cooper and sophomore Sadie Millard ran it in 3:47.66. Next up, the track and field team will return to the Heskett Center for the Wilson Invitational, which will take place from Thursday, Jan. 25 to Saturday, Jan. 27. More information about the individual events can be found on GoShockers.com.
4 | Jan. 25, 2024 www.thesunflower.com
ARTS & CULTURE
HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Arts editor, Salsabila Attaria arts@thesunflower.com
Assistant dean of fine arts Wendy Hanes views the gallery of Marco Hernandez titled “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces” at Wichita Art Museum Jan. 19.
Marco Hernandez talks with guests at his artist talk at the Wichita Art Museum on Jan. 19. Hernandez highlighted his printmaking process and what inspires his art. Hernandez is also an assistant educator of print media at Wichita State. | Photos by Cheyanne Tull / The Sunflower
Artist and educator explores his Mexican-American identity BY AINSLEY SMYTH
ainsley.smyth3@gmail.com
Artist Rachel Hermes looks closely at the prints displayed in “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces (Without Losing My Roots),” Marco Hernandez’s gallery at the Wichita Art Museum. His gallery can be viewed at WAM until March 24.
Assistant Dean of the College of Fine Arts Wendy Hanes views the gallery of Marco Hernandez titled “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces (Without Losing My Roots)” at the Wichita Art Museum on Jan. 19.
Print artist Marco Hernandez was born in Mexico and moved to the United States with his family when he was 3. Due to his undocumented status, Hernandez wasn’t able to visit Mexico until many years later. Still, he grew up being proud of his heritage and incorporated this pride and his interest in Mexico’s history into his work. Hernandez opened his exhibition, “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces (Without Losing My Roots)” on Dec. 29 at the Wichita Art Museum (WAM). Hernandez is also a foundation coordinator and assistant educator of print media at Wichita State. He explained the influences and techniques behind his work in an artist talk. “I want my work to show that I am Mexican and show where I’m
from because I am very proud,” Hernandez said. Hernandez visited Mexico again for the first time in 2020 and was inspired by the culture, architecture, and scenery he saw. Part of the exhibit includes several prints of a series of photos he took on this trip. The black-and-white photos are layered with splashes of color that Hernandez said were inspired by the colors he saw in Mexico City. He also explained that he uses humor in many of his pieces, which often deal with issues of violence both in Mexico’s history and contemporary life. “I made a choice to make my work kind of satirical,” he said. “It’s a very serious theme, but it’s a little easier to see. It could make someone laugh, but if you really think about what’s going on, it’s not that funny.” Hernandez described many of his pieces as “experiments”
because he used new techniques he learned from different workshops and residencies, programs that allowed him to devote his time to art while learning new skills. “Every type of process and technique has its own appearance,” he said. As an assistant educator at WSU, Hernandez said he has seen an interest in printmaking grow among students. “Part of the reason is because we try to create events,” he said. “We invite high school students to come and participate in our events. We had a steamroller event last semester, seven schools from around the city of Wichita participated. But we also have a club, Tornado Alley Press, and we have print sales; we have different events throughout campus.” “Sin Perder A Mis Raíces” will be in WAM’s Cessna Gallery until March 24.
CONNECTING STORIES
Fine arts students from Wichita and Sarajevo connect with custom card decks
Wichita State University and the Academy of Fine Arts present the “Wichita/Sarajevo Connection Stories” exhibition. The goal for the project was to learn and expand world views through “play and research.” Hours for the Clayton Staples Gallery are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Photos by Jennifer Anima / The Sunflower
Senior graphic design students at WSU worked with fine arts students in Sarajevo, the capitol of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to create unique card decks.
The Clayton Staples Gallery displays the “Wichita/Sarajevo Connecting Stories” exhibition until Tuesday, Jan. 30.
The new "Wichita/Sarajevo Connecting Stories" exhibition displays decks of cards created by students from Wichita State University and The Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo. The image shows a deck of joker cards from a student in Kansas.
Students from Wichita State University and the Academy of Fine Arts in Sarajevo were assigned to create decks of cards representing significant stories from their region. The deck of cards varied in design with some having illustrations, photographs, and text.
OPINION
HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Opinion editor, Sascha Harvey opinion@thesunflower.com
Jan. 25, 2024 | 5 www.thesunflower.com
Reading TikTok’s favorite ‘disturbing books’ so you don’t have to Sascha Harvey
opinion@thesunflower.com
OPINION
A couple of years ago, I started getting an insane amount of videos labeling different books as “disturbing” or “weird” on my social media. I had felt a bit bored of reading at the time and wanted something to jolt me back into the hobby. With that, my love for reading began again, taking me down some really dark paths. All of these books were seen in at least one video on TikTok or Instagram, if not multiple. I’ve read all of them cover to cover, so I’ll use my knowledge to save you some time or give you a good read. The books will be ranked from what I thought was least to most disturbing, with respective content warnings attached.
“BIG SWISS” BY JEN BEAGIN Disturbing rating: 2/10 Overall rating: 10/10 “Big Swiss” is the story of a transcriptionist for a psychologist who becomes deeply obsessed with one of the clients. Nicknaming the client “Big Swiss,” the transcriptionist uses her highly sensitive information to weasel her way into Big Swiss’s life. Although “Big Swiss,” like Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood,” sure has its dark moments, I wouldn’t call it truly disturbing. It’s a sad portrait of obsession and its overlapping layers with love. The biggest factor that makes “Big Swiss” disturbing at all is the length that the main character goes to unravel the inner workings of Big Swiss and manipulate her way into a relationship. Overall, “Big Swiss” was a novel that I found highly engrossing and entertaining, and despite a couple of graphic sex scenes and depictions of trauma, I was confused about its placement on these lists.
“CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN” BY SAYAKA MURATA Disturbing rating: 3/10 Overall rating: 8/10 “Convenience Store Woman” was the first example of Japanese psychological fiction I saw online and the first I read. “Convenience Store Woman” is the story of Keiko, a 36-year-old woman who has been working at the same convenience store since she was 18. Despite attempts from basically everyone
to get her to settle down and start a family, Keiko is perfectly content with her life. Sayaka Murata uses the familiar setting of a convenience store — a location often romanticized in Japan by foreigners — to create a complex critique of the modern hustle of work culture and pressures to conform to typical society. Overall, the only disturbing trait of “Convenience Store Woman” is the ending. It’s a short and easy read, and I think it packs a powerful message about staying true to yourself. Sayaka Murata has an incredibly memorable writing style, and I think her novel “Earthlings” is far more disturbing, though I enjoyed “Convenience Store Woman” much more.
value, is weird. But if you view it as a fable or an incredibly extended metaphor, it’s an amazing commentary on motherhood and the expectations placed on mothers. I also found a lot of the metaphors a good look at the pressures of womanhood. “Nightbitch” sure has some descriptions that many might find disturbing, but I think these examples lend to the power of the novel. The pages are slow to turn at times, but the plot carries. “Nightbitch” was a wonderful read that I think is a great introduction to the body horror genre without being gross just for the sake of grossness.
“NORWEGIAN WOOD” BY HARUKI MURAKAMI
Disturbing rating: 6/10 Overall rating: 6/10 Content warning for animal harm, body horror and murder.
Disturbing rating: 3/10 Overall rating: 9/10 Content warning for suicide and sexual assault. Murakami is the king of disturbing fiction, and “Norwegian Wood” is his crown jewel. The novel follows Toru Watanabe through his best friend’s suicide and his growing connection to his best friend’s girlfriend, all the while he balances college, self-reflection and a budding romance with a classmate. “Norwegian Wood” has a great cast of characters that I found very memorable, which I think is important with such a loose plot. Honestly, I don’t find “Norwegian Wood” all that disturbing. It’s pretty sad at parts, but overall, just feels like reading the diary of a melancholic and highly intuitive college boy. Like any Murakami work, it definitely has its head-scratcher moments that seem random or disconnected from the overall plot, but “Norwegian Wood” altogether is a beautiful novel that anyone looking to breach the surface of Japanese literature should read. If you want one of Murakami’s more disturbing books, check out “Sputnik Sweetheart.”
“NIGHTBITCH” BY RACHEL YODER Disturbing rating: 5/10 Overall rating: 6/10 Content warning for body horror and animal harm. In “Nightbitch,” a young stayat-home mom slowly transitions into a dog: craving raw meat, barking and growing tufts of fur. I know, I know, but stay with me. “Nightbitch,” if you take it at face
“BUNNY” BY MONA AWAD
“Bunny” was not what I expected at all, and I was pretty disappointed. In “Bunny,” reclusive student Samantha struggles to find her inspiration in a fiction writing program, all while watching (and hating) an uppity group of girls from afar. The girls, who call each other “Bunny” (see where the title comes from?), invite Samantha to join one of their hangouts to share their writing. Samantha quickly realizes that these girls are into some very weird stuff and realizes soon after that she’s completely caught up in their charms. Samantha has finally found a place where she belongs and is willing to make it work, even if it means sacrificing a rabbit to create the perfect male partner. The introduction of this wild concept felt incredibly rushed, and I think the plot’s pacing struggled throughout. “Bunny” is an interesting look at cliques and the pressures of friendship, but I found it hard to keep up with and falling flat at times. Still, it’s definitely earned its place as a disturbing read on BookTok.
“MILK FED” BY MELISSA BRODER Disturbing rating: 7/10 Overall rating: 10/10 Content warning for sexually dubious content and explicit depictions of eating disorders. Let me be honest: “Milk Fed” is one of my favorite books ever. It sure has its problems, but they pale in comparison to the successes of the novel, in my opinion. In “Milk Fed,” 24-year-old Rachel is in the midst of a
life-crushing eating disorder. Every single bite is planned out, and every calorie is counted — until she meets Miriam, an overweight frozen yogurt maker that wants to help Rachel indulge in the pleasures of dessert and life itself. As the two fall in love, Miriam helps Rachel cope with her mental health and her Jewishness and find a sense of family within Miriam’s relatives. “Milk Fed” for sure has its icky parts but, to me, they feel purposeful and tactful. Overall, the novel is beautifully written and has a lovely and bittersweet ending. I was unable to put it down for my first read, and I can’t wait to read it again.
“STUPID CHILDREN” BY LENORE ZION Disturbing rating: 8/10 Overall rating: 6/10 Content warning for suicide, sexually dubious content (never explained explicitly), relationships between adults and minors, and drug usage. “Stupid Children” is a short novel about the story of young Jane following her father’s suicide. She is placed in the care of an eccentric couple who follow a cult focused on cleansing children of their impurities. As the main character, Jane is revered as the second coming of the highest cult figure’s late wife. From there, the book spirals into a horrible record of what Jane endures under the cult’s care. According to the Goodreads description, “Stupid Children” was inspired by Katherine Dunn’s “Geek Love,” another book that often populates these disturbing lit lists. I have yet to read “Geek Love,” but I do know it’s about a traveling circus, and it definitely belongs on these lists. “Stupid Children,” although less popular, has earned its place as well. Despite being only 130 pages on iBooks, I struggled to get through it due to the heaviness. On top of that, the plot felt poorly structured and the writing style annoying at times. “Stupid Children” definitely backs up its horrors with real substance and meaning but lacks direction. It’s worth the read, but I doubt it will ever make it to the leaderboard of horror fiction.
“THINGS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE SINCE WE LAST SPOKE” BY ERIC LAROCCA Disturbing rating: 9/10 Overall rating: 1/10 Content warning for sexually dubious
content, body horror and bodily fluids and functions. It’s just really gross. There’s a tapeworm. The most disturbing thing about this novella is how much it sucks. It feels like a try-hard attempt at edginess with nothing of substance under the surface. In “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” two women meet on an online forum and then engage in a BDSM-style relationship with a dominant figure and completely subservient slave. It quickly devolves into one of the characters being pushed past her physical and emotional limits. The relationship becomes really disgusting, and some unspeakable things are done. If you’re not easily nauseated and feel like reading some garbage, you might be so inclined to check out this short story, but let me save you the brainpower: just don’t. Watching paint dry would be a better use of your time. “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke” is exploitative gore porn at its finest. Don’t even bother.
“PARADISE ROT” BY JENNY HVAL Disturbing rating: 10/10 Overall rating: 8/10 Content warning for general grossness, body horror and bodily fluids. “Paradise Rot” is downright nasty. The story starts innocently enough with a foreign exchange college student seeking housing. She ends up finding a huge warehouse-turned-loft with a roommate in her mid-20s. The only hints of what is to come within the story are a few descriptions of the auditory impact of someone urinating. I was just as alarmed as you are reading that, I’m sure. The story snowballs when the roommate brings home a huge quantity of aging apples. . Originally a clean freak, the roommate becomes more and more accustomed to unhygienic conditions as the apples begin to rot — and the apartment along with it. I can’t say any more without spoiling the entire latter half of the book, but I was sick to my stomach almost the entire time. The writing style is just compelling enough to keep the pages turning. Fortunately, “Paradise Rot” is a quick read, one I was able to finish in one setting. To spread the reading of “Paradise Rot” across several days must be a form of self-harm. Still, I genuinely recommend it to anyone who’s curious and isn’t prone to nausea.
‘Wonka’ serves as a great yet questionable film Jacinda Hall
podcast@thesunflower.com
REVIEW
Whimsical, fun and filled with sweets, “Wonka,” starring Timothée Chalamet, is the prequel to the Gene Wilder classic, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” “Wonka,” instead of simply retelling “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” like the 2005 remake “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” tells the story of Willy Wonka and his pursuit of selling his unique chocolates. Wonka arrives by boat with very little money and a “hat full of dreams.” This was a great opening to the movie as it introduced Wonka as a character and his dreams and aspirations, different from the other renditions that just introduce Wonka as a mysterious and enigmatic character. Upon arrival, Wonka spends all the money he has and doesn’t have enough to spend on a hotel room, that is, until we meet Mrs. Scrubbit and Bleacher. They offer Wonka a room for the night for what seems like a good bargain and let him pay the next day. If you’re thinking, “this is too good to be true,” that’s because it is. Noodle, an orphan who works
at the hotel, tries to warn Wonka about staying at the hotel and whispers to him to read the fine print in the form before signing. Wonka, of course, does not read the fine print, which locks him into the conflict that drives the plot. Because of his ignorance, Wonka has to work as an employee for the hotel for the next several years to pay off his debt. This sets the stage for the rest of the film, alongside a buddy friendship and camaraderie with Noodle. We see more of Noodle in this scene as she shows up and gives Wonka the “I told you so” lecture. I wish Wonka was slightly less oblivious in this scene because I felt like it made the movie drag on longer than it really needed to, but it did add to the plot, so I will give it that. Getting to experience Wonka as a character before he came into power added a unique lens to the film. The two befriend each other in this scene as Wonka shows her his mini chocolate factory. This is an important scene for Wonka’s characterization: we learn that Wonka grew up poor, and his mom made Willy a chocolate bar for his birthday as a kid. When she died a day or two later, that chocolate bar was all he had left of her, and it inspired him to make and sell chocolate.
This was the only sad scene in the movie, and this works because the movie is supposed to be fun. In order to avoid being stuck in the situation any longer, Wonka and Noodle devise a plan to escape, help the others escape, and live better lives than they are living now. The movie gets a bit questionable while at the zoo on an arbitrary mission. During the zoo scene, they sing what comes off as a romantic song. In the movie, Noodle is 14 years old, and Willy Wonka is 22. I was questioning this when I originally saw the trailer for the movie over the summer during Barbenheimer, and now I’m questioning it a bit more after seeing the entire scene. Obviously, nothing happened, but it does seem a bit off and distract from the whimsy of the movie. One interesting aspect of “Wonka” was the amount of celebrity cameos, including Rowan Atkinson, who played Mr. Bean, and Keegan-Michael Key of Key & Peele. Despite the one questionable scene, the movie was great overall. Timothee was a great choice for this movie, especially because his personality closely resembled Gene Wilder’s in the 1971 classic. I also think Chalamet did
Photo courtesy of Lionsgate
a great job with the “Pure Imagination” cover, especially since it was close to Gene Wilder’s voice in the original movie. “Wonka” was a great movie
to see over the holidays, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, whimsical movie that also tells the story of one of the most famous fictional characters.
NEWS
6 | Jan. 25, 2024
www.thesunflower.com
UPCOMING EVENTS NORTH AMERICAN COMPUTATIONAL LINGUISTICS OPEN COMPETITION THURSDAY, JAN. 25 8:30 a.m. - Noon | Rhatigan Student Center
SPRING INVOLVEMENT FAIR
THURSDAY, JAN. 25 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center
COHEN HONORS HOUSEWARMING
FREEZE THE DAY
Two community members take the ice at the Winter Welcome on Friday, Jan. 19. Because of icy conditions, the event was moved into the Heskett Center. | Photos by Jennifer Anima / The Sunflower
Winter Welcome encourages interactions among students through skating, s’mores
BY JENNIFER ANIMA
jenniferanima2411@gmail.com
D
ue to icy, cold conditions, the Winter Welcome was moved from the President’s Residence to Heskett Center. Students, staff and faculty gathered for various activities, including ice-skating, s’more assembling and photo areas to kick off the spring semester. Winter Welcome was hosted by Wichita State’s First-Year Programs, which provides resources and hosts events for those new to campus. As one of the year’s first events, faculty and staff were invited to join in on the festivities on Jan. 19, and students arrived soon after. This is the second year Winter Welcome has been held, and is the spring equivalent of Clash of the Colleges, according to Kaelyn Hannah, program coordinator at First-Year Programs. At both events, President Richard Muma made an appearance to interact with students. “Both events are geared just to welcome students back to the university and also give incoming students a taste of
what Wichita State looks like outside of classes,” Hannah said. Although First-Year focuses on those new to campus, the department’s events and resources are for all Shockers — even seniors like Prisca Mbuyamba. “I have never done this before, so I’m really glad that I was able to come here today,” Mbuyamba said. Hannah said First-Year Programs is proud of the turnout at Winter Welcome this year and explained how important it is for students to get out and do something fun. “The overall goal is to just get students out of their dorm rooms and to interact with our community,” Hannah said. First-Year’s next event is the Syllabus Party, in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The event invites students to bring their syllabus and get organized with the help of success coaches, peer coaches and transition mentors. To stay updated on events and get tips, follow First-Year Programs on Instagram at @newshocks and on X (formerly Twitter) at @newSHOCKS.
THURSDAY, JAN. 25 3:30 - 5 p.m. | Shocker Hall
CHEERS & CHANTS 101 WITH THE SHOCK BLOCK THURSDAY, JAN. 25 4:30 p.m. | Charles Koch Arena
ROWING INTEREST MEETING THURSDAY, JAN. 25 5 p.m. | Heskett Center
ULRICH MUSEUM OF ART: SPRING 2024 EXHIBITION OPENING CELEBRATION THURSDAY, JAN. 25 5:30 - 8 p.m. | Ulrich Museum
IGNITOR 1.0: BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY TO STARTUP MASTERY THURSDAY, JAN. 25 5:45 - 8 p.m. | Devlin Hall
ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS MEETING
THURSDAY, JAN. 25 7 - 8 p.m. | John Bardo Center
Two Wichita State students pose at the photo booth during the Winter Welcome in the Heskett Center. Other events included s’more making and a build your own snow globe station.
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH ROUNDTABLE AND SUMMIT
FRIDAY, JAN. 26 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Hughes Metropolitan Complex
LIBRARY TOUR AND ORIENTATION
FRIDAY, JAN. 26 Noon - 1 p.m. | Ablah Library
Wichita State students and community members make s’mores during the Winter Welcome event in the Heskett Center.
LECTURE SERIES IN THE MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES: JUE YAN, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FRIDAY, JAN. 26 3 p.m. | Jabara Hall
NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS
FRIDAY, JAN. 26 5:30 - 7 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center
WICHITA CHILDREN’S DANCE FESTIVAL
Wichita State students and community members make some s’mores in the Heskett Center during the Winter Welcome event in the Heskett Center.
SUNDAY, JAN. 28 2 p.m. | Wilner Auditorium
HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED? A skater laughs as they hand someone a phone for a picture. Despite its appearance, the rink itself is not made of ice but instead is made of interlocking panels for indoors and outdoor use.
Skaters hit the ice at the rink set up in the Heskett Center. Students, faculty and staff participated in Winter Welcome on Friday, Jan. 19.
CONTACT THE ARTS EDITOR: arts@thesunflower.com Wichita State students and community members pose in the snow globe at the Winter Welcome on Jan. 19.
CONTACT THE NEWS EDITOR: news@thesunflower.com