The Sunflower v. 128 i. 19 Spring Sports (Feb. 8, 2024)

BREAKING THE ICE Feb. 8, 2024 | Volume 128 | Issue 19

Athletes are blooming in new roles, from stepping into leadership positions to achieving personal bests. Teams are renewed and ready to plant the seeds of success.

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2 | Feb. 8, 2024 www.thesunflower.com

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Sports editor, Melanie Rivera-Cortez sports@thesunflower.com

Photo courtesy of Nick Flynn

Meet Caden Favors, the senior leader for Wichita State baseball

BY OWEN PROTHRO owenprothro@gmail.com

‘WE NEED MADY’

Number 13, Madyson Espinosa dances on the field after former teammate Sydney McKinney hits her grand slam on April 4, 2023. Espinosa is known for her team spirit and high energy. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Shocker softball’s ‘hype-woman’ speaks on positivity, legacy

BY ALLISON CAMPBELL news@thesunflower.com

W

ithin the dust of the softball diamond, where the cheers and chants of Shocker softball fans and team members merge, there’s a player wearing a cowboy hat who stands out — and not just for her southern style. Senior Madyson “Mady” Espinosa, number 13 on the Wichita State softball team, is known not only for her prowess on the field but for her inspiring nature and vibrant personality when it comes to encouraging fans and teammates.

“THIS IS MY HOME” Softball has been a part of Espinosa’s life since she was 5 years old. She immersed herself in weekend games, after-school practices and regular sessions in the weight room. It was during her high school softball career that she attended a training camp with Wichita State Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner. Espinosa knew right then and there that there was no other softball program for her than Wichita State’s.

“Wichita State is the only place I wanted to go,” Espinosa said. “I don’t think there’s a better experience than Wichita State … This is my home. This is my family.”

Bredbenner said Espinosa had a lot to learn when she was recruited, but her persistent positivity and can-do attitude made her an asset early in her college career.

“There were some tough times her freshman year — laps and all

that jazz,” Bredbenner said. “But Mady is a pretty special individual. She’s selfless; she’s loving; she’s caring. I think, at the end of the day, we need Mady … on this team.”

From there, her role as a leader — and a hype woman — on the team was solidified. When team morale was low during games Espinosa would run up and down the field, riling up the Shocker softball fans. During timeouts, she’d show off her dancing skills by doing “the worm,” much to the amusement of her fans and teammates.

“In the dugout, she’s a highfiver … she’ll lead the cheers,” Bredbenner said. “She finds the right times to get things going.

When a Shocker softball player made a great play, Espinosa would triumphantly wave her cowboy hat in the air. Bredbenner said Espinosa’s entertaining energy has made her popular with Wichita State’s fans.

“If you talk to people that watch Shocker softball … everybody always asks about the girl in the cowboy hat,” Bredbenner said.

“And to me that speaks volumes to the person that she is.”

Espinosa said fan interaction “is everything” to her. From being recognized in public to signing autographs after games, Espinosa said that softball supporters “make it worth it.”

“The little girls will come up and be like, ‘I want to have the girl with the cowboy hat sign my shoe,’” Espinosa said with a laugh.

These encounters mean even more to Espinosa, especially when her 13-year-old niece, whom Espinosa inspired to play softball,

“

They’re gonna say ‘Hey, you remember that little girl that put on her cowboy hat?’ and that’s good enough for me.

MADYSON “MADY” ESPINOSA WSU senior softball player

is in the stands and can see Espinosa’s connections with the teammates and fans firsthand.

“I made sure I got her a signed poster and everything,” Espinosa said. “And she’s like, ‘I’m gonna hang it up in my room.’ She thinks it’s so cool that her Aunt Mady is playing at the highest level surrounded by such wonderful people.”

ROUNDING UP THE GIRLS During a trip to Houston, Texas, in 2022, the softball team found themselves stranded after their travel bus broke down “in the middle of nowhere.”

Espinosa had joked with her peers that they were going to “round these cowgirls up” once they arrived in Houston, and was excited to get back on the road.

It was at a nearby gas station that Espinosa laid her eyes on a cowboy hat. And while she didn’t purchase it, Espinosa said the “idea was already in my head.”

Upon their arrival to Houston, Espinosa walked downtown to find herself a cowboy hat for the upcoming games. The rest is Shocker softball history.

“It just like, set off. Everybody was like ‘It’s bringing the vibe; it’s bringing the energy,’” Espinosa said. “Coach doesn’t even let me

travel without it.”

While her “lucky charm” has taken many forms over the last few years, from a cowhide tan model to her current “Flying W” embroidered hat, its message has remained the same.

“It speaks for the underdog. It speaks for the sisters. It speaks for the women,” Espinosa said.

PASSION FOR POSITIVITY Espinosa said her passion and energy on the field is just one small way she can give back to the program that has done so much for her.

“I want to look back and say that I gave everything I had,” Espinosa said. “This program has given me so much I feel like I could never give back as much as they’ve given to me.”

As Espinosa nears graduation, she’s begun preparing for a new position in the workforce. While Espinosa doesn’t have any career callings yet, she knows she’ll be an asset wherever she goes.

“I think that in any job, anybody can do (with) some positivity,” Espinosa said. “They can use some energy. They can use some hyping up.”

Espinosa plans to continue building the Shocker softball legacy. She said she’s preparing to buy her last cowboy hat for the softball season — this one, she’ll leave behind to inspire the next generation of Shocker softball players.

“They’re gonna say ‘Hey, you remember that little girl that put on her cowboy hat?’ and that’s good enough for me,” Espinosa said.

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.

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Towering at 6-foot-3-inches, Caden Favors is a goal-driven, soft-spoken student who gets right to the point. On the field, the senior left-handed pitcher shows his true colors as a competitor and leader.

“When he gets on the mound, he finds a way to turn it on a little bit more,” pitching coach Anthony Claggett said.

Entering the season, coaches selected Favors as a preseason all-conference member of the American Athletic Conference.

Favors was also part of the 2022-23 all-academic team in the AAC. Despite the prestigious ode to his play, Favors said he does not feel any extra pressure.

“I’ve felt like an underdog my whole life,” Favors said. “Baseball is a game of failure, and if you put more pressure on yourself, you’re going to fail more.”

Growing up, Favors found baseball at a young age. He said it was his getaway if he had a bad day.

“I hold it close to my heart, so I take it personally if I don’t do as good as I wanted to,” Favors said.

Favors is from Midwest City, Oklahoma, and attended the juggernaut Carl Albert High School, which has won seven state championships since 2007. In his senior season at Carl Albert, Favors was named team captain and led his team to a Class 5A runner-up finish in the state playoffs.

After high school, Favors attended Seminole State College, a junior college in Seminole, Oklahoma, for a year and racked up a total of 33 strikeouts in 13 appearances for the Trojans.

Favors transferred to Wichita State in 2022, and the quiet star has been on a steady incline ever since.

“The intangibles of his demeanor when he gets on the mound … competing at a high level and being consistent with that is something that separates himself from other pitchers,” Claggett said.

Over Favors’ two seasons as a Shocker, he has made 44 appearances and amassed a record of five wins and five losses in nine starts.

Equipped with a gnarly sinker and cut fastball on the mound, Favors carries a 3.38 ERA, 84 strikeouts and has held the opponent’s batting average to .247.

Not only does Favors show poise out on the mound, but Claggett said he is starting to help the young guys learn what the Shocker program is about.

“Him having some experience here, he’s done a great job of leadership. I’m really proud of that,” Claggett said.

Favors said his parents have been there the most for him, offering a shoulder to lean on when he needs it.

“They’re always a phone call away,” Favors said.

Favors said his goal for the end of the season is to hoist the AAC trophy, play in a regional and make it to Omaha, where the national championship tournament is held.

“Winning is everything,” Favors said.

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.

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Feb. 8, 2024 | 3

Wichita State softball players stand in a line during the national anthem on Oct. 7. | Photo by Bryan Chavez / The Sunflower

Softball gears up for a new season with conference newcomers

BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com Aaron Mariconda and Sean Fontes compete against each other in a game of “Super Smash Bros.” | Photo by Brianna Cook / The Sunflower

Wichita State softball has a long history of success in conference play. Now, the 2023 regular season champions are gearing up for their spring campaign, and this year’s new additions to the American Athletic Conference will be the ultimate test for the team.

Six schools joined the AAC: the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Florida Atlantic University, the University of North Texas, Rice University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Head coach Kristi Bredbenner said North Texas, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, UAB and UTSA are going to be tough schools to face off against.

“Those five were probably five of the toughest softball (teams),” Bredbenner said.

“Softball got tougher, whereas in maybe some of our other sports, it didn’t, and so we’ve got to be ready.”

In January, Wichita State’s softball program was picked in a preseason coaches poll to repeat as conference champions.

Bredbenner said that although she is flattered by the vote, there will be pressure to recreate what they have done in the past.

“I think there’s always pressure when you create a culture of success,” Bredbenner said. “We’ve got a lot of missing pieces, but missing pieces mean opportunity.”

Senior pitcher Lauren Howell said that although the team is pretty young, they have developed good chemistry.

“I think a lot of the freshmen have kind of broken out of their shells a little bit and loosened up, and it’s been fun to see,” Howell said.

Without players like Sydney McKinney, Zoe Jones, and Lauren Mills, Bredbenner said the team will have to play a different style of softball.

“We’ll still have some power and some big hitters, but I also think we’re going to have to manufacture a little bit differently and play great defense and just find a different way to win,” Bredbenner said.

Graduate student and infielder CC Wong said that although the team might not be the same as last year, that has not stopped them from working hard in practice.

“I think it’s going to be really good to see where we compete with those top teams,” Wong said. “But we’ve got to play our own game because they’re really good, so I think we got to come out and prove that we’re able to be on that field as well.”

Bredbenner said that the first few weekends of play will be pivotal as they learn what to work on in and out of conference play.

“We need to start off the season on a high note, hopefully give ourselves some confidence, and yeah, we’re going to have to claw and scrape,” Bredbenner said.

Student announcers find new ways to experience esports

BY SASCHA HARVEY

opinion@thesunflower.com

T

obin Hoshower has been playing video games since he could walk. With a dad in the tech field, gaming was a big part of his life growing up in Palmer, Alaska.

Announcing for video games, though, is a different story.

Hoshower’s journey with esports started in high school.

Alongside some friends, he formed an esports team, playing “Overwatch” and “Rocket League.”

Nearing the end of his high school career, Hoshower and a lifelong friend toured the lower 48 states to scout out the best college for them. They ended up at Wichita State.

As soon as he started school in Wichita, Hoshower tried out for the “Overwatch” team. He didn’t hear anything back.

Luckily, the “Rocket League” team had an opening, and he fit right in, having played the game for eight years. After three years of playing competitively in college, Hoshower now resides on the sidelines, announcing for “Rocket League” matches.

Meanwhile, Nathan Feyen is at the beginning of his collegiate experience with esports. The freshman also didn’t make it onto the original team he tried out for: “Valorant.”

After a strict practice regimen to bulk up his skills, Feyen burnt himself out on the game.

“I’m good for my skill group, I am not good for (WSU’s),” he said. “I knew that I wasn’t going to make it onto the varsity team by a mile, JV team, probably not.”

After not hearing anything

back after the tryouts, Esports Assistant Director Joe Mazzara asked if Feyen would be interested in casting for “Valorant” matches.

“I was like, ‘What can I do to stay involved?’” Feyen said. “I enjoy the game and playing and casting it and watching it with people and by myself.”

GROWING UP GAMING Feyen was raised watching his dad play video games and even inherited his dad’s username.

“The username was originally ShwettyBalls26 from an SNL skit,” he said.

As Feyen played more and more video games, his mother deemed the “Balls” part of the username inappropriate. Now, you can find Feyen gaming online under the username Shwetty26.

Meanwhile, Hoshower goes by the alias MrGopher.

Although Hoshower started playing video games with simple math games, as he grew up, his tastes expanded to include indie games and plenty of other games he’d grown up watching his father play.

Esports, however, were a different matter entirely. Hoshower’s parents were apprehensive at his involvement in esports, with his mom worried about playing video games so consistently.

“I think my father was on the fence, but my mother was very much so against me playing esports,” Hoshower said.

However, she came around near the end of his high school career upon seeing the positive impact the team had on him.

“She realized how much I enjoyed it,” he said. “She really likes the aspect of me meeting other people and interacting with

others.”

For Feyen, parental support has never been a question. His parents tune into the streams when they can figure out how to.

“They don’t know what’s going on, but they’re like, ‘You’re enjoying this, have fun,’” Feyen said.

Now, Hoshower’s parents have two sons in esports, with Hoshower’s younger brother playing competitively for Boise State University.

“I think that I’ve definitely inspired (my brother),” Hoshower said. “I think I’ve set a good example of being able to pursue my dreams and things that I enjoy without fear.”

PRACTICE Each caster has a unique approach to preparation for casting. For Feyen, it’s to not really practice at all. Along with his girlfriend, Feyen tuned in to “the ‘Valorant’ equivalent of the NFL” to familiarize himself with announcing.

“That’s how I figured out, ‘This is how you cast,’” he said. “For the most part, it’s kind of been ‘I’m throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick.’”

Hoshower took a more classic approach to working on his casting skills.

“I think the biggest (issue) when I started announcing was getting over the fear of being a bad announcer,” Hoshower said.

To combat his fear, Hoshower implemented a few forms of practice into his life, like gathering tips from his favorite announcer, Jim Mountain, from Boise State University.

“I would basically watch the games that he would cast in silent mode, then I would cast, then I

would rewatch and see what he said instead of what I said.”

Although he doesn’t practice as much as he used to, Hoshower plans to start as his role changes once again. Whereas he used to duo cast alongside someone else, he’s now going to be serving as a solo caster.

“This will also be a new start for me, a completely foreign experience.”

Hoshower will likely be commentating random bits of his life in his best casting voice while in his apartment, where he lives with the “Rocket League” JV coach, Jacob “Ikigai” Smith.

After spending this semester solo casting, Hoshower will graduate with his bachelor’s degree, with grad school possibly on the horizon.

LOOKING PAST GRADUATION The announcing industry has boomed in recent years with the growth of collegiate esports.

Hoshower and Feyen are just two of many to take the leap.

Hoshower has fallen in love with the esports program at WSU, so much so that he is not closed off to the idea of working for a collegiate esports program after his education, whether that’s at WSU or elsewhere.

Feyen is in his second semester as an aerospace engineering student and hopes to continue casting along with his education.

He’s found it’s a unique way to stay involved with the game while not having to play professionally.

“Sometimes when the team is losing, you’re sitting there like, ‘I can’t do anything about this, but go team.’” Feyen said. “(Have a) positive mentality … sometimes, that’s all you can do.”

Wichita State softball leader prepares for final season

BY SALSABILA ATTARIA arts@thesunflower.com

Entering her final season on Wichita State’s women’s softball team, senior outfielder Addison Barnard is actively working on being a more vocal leader for her team and her sister.

“I’ve always kind of led by example,” Addison said. “I’d like to be more vocal about it.”

This season, Addison will be setting an example for someone closer to home. Avery Barnard, Addison’s younger sister, will play for the women’s softball team as a freshman utility player this season.

Addison said she feels her sister can come to her for support as a teammate. The two moved to Wichita from their home state of Nebraska.

“I expect a lot out of her,” Addison said. “But also, I don’t want to be too hard on her. It’s been really reassuring because I have a piece of home here with me.”

Avery Barnard, Addison’s younger sister and freshman

on the softball team, said that having her sister on the team is a reassurance.

“She had her freshman year, and she knows how hard it was,” Avery said “She’s just someone I can always talk to obviously because it’s my sister. She’s going to put pressure on me and she wants me to be the best I possibly can be.”

One of Addison’s priorities is stealing bases, a skill she has worked to master over the course of her softball career.

“Getting around those bases and being in positions to score has been (what) I’m really confident and proud of,” Addison said.

Another accomplishment of Addison’s is ranking 32nd on the D1 Softball Preseason D100 preseason rank. Addison said athletic success is a two-front effort.

“I think a lot of determination and just having a really good work ethic goes into it,” Addison said. “But also just working on the mental side. Being able to know when it’s really good to put in

Senior outfielder Addison Barnard practices her batting in the batting cage at Wilkins Stadium. Barnard and her younger sister, Avery Barnard, both play for the Wichita State softball team. | Photo by Jacinda Hall / The Sunflower

those hours, but when there’s also a time where you can step back and work on your mental side.”

Kristi Bredbenner, softball’s head coach, looks forward to watching Addison develop her leadership skills for one more season.

“She’s never going to be an in-the-face type (of ) leader, but an encourager, somebody that can lead by example and perform by example,” Bredbenner said.

Bredbenner attested to Addison’s work ethic.

“Nobody works harder than her,” Bredbenner said. “She gives you 110% in everything that she does, whether that’s academics, athletics, weight room. To me, it’s just maturity.”

Addison plans to apply her leadership skills beyond the pitch after graduation. She said she plans to apply to nursing school in March to pursue a career in medicine.

“Being a teammate, it’s going to help me a lot in the long run, as well in my career,” Addison said.

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‘HAVE RESPECT FOR THE REFS’

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

Student Officials Association trains Shockers for thankless but necessary job

BY JACOB UNRUH

W

assistantsports@thesunflower.com

hen Trent Koehler played basketball in high school, he said he would sometimes “poke the bear” by taunting the referees. Fast forward five years later, and Koehler is the head of the Wichita State Student Officials Association while attempting to pursue officiating as a career.

“I actually laugh about this sometimes,” Koehler said. “Just looking back, how full-circle the moment it is now that I’m the referee because I never thought I was going to be doing it this seriously.”

The Student Officials Association attempts to train aspiring referees in football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball/softball.

When Koehler was brought on to fill a full-time university position at Wichita State a year and a half ago, he said there were only a handful of student officials. Now, they have 20-25.

“It’s a way to give back to a game you love,” Koehler said. “I started with basketball because I viewed it as a way to give back to a sport that gave so much to me.”

When Koehler arrived at Wichita State, he said he filled out an application to officiate intramural basketball games for some extra cash.

“There’s a day two or three years in where I just said to myself, ‘I want to make it to division one on the college men’s side,’ and ever since then, I’ve kind of just stuck with it and been working hard and grinding to get there,” Koehler said.

Today, Koehler can be seen

officiating high school, junior college and Division II basketball games across the state of Kansas.

If a new student signs up to be a referee, the Student Officials Association will give them training to understand the rules and game situations; however, Koehler pointed out that the only way to prepare you for the real thing is to do it.

“Officiating is trial by fire,” Koehler said. “We can teach you all of the rules and show you all the film in the world, but until you get out there and do it, it’s just different.”

Koehler warns that once a person starts officiating, they might never look at the game the same way again.

“I can’t watch a game without mentally thinking, ‘This ref called it because this happened, or this rotation happened because this

happened,’” Koehler said. “My students tell me the same thing.

As soon as they learn about it and work a few games, they’re like, ‘I can’t watch a Shocker game without watching the refs now.’ It’s a part of the game that’s invisible but visible at the same time.”

Koehler said he watches film of his officiated games to review and improve. He also talks to mentors to learn the finer details of the trade, but he said the most important skills for refereeing are psychological.

“If you’re in a gym and the whole gym’s coming down on you, you kind of just have to stand there and just relax for a second, kind of take it and then just be ready to move on to the next play,” Koehler said.

Koehler said, though stressful, his job is useful in more than one way.

“One of the things I tell my intramural officials is that if you can handle the stress of an environment like that, you can do almost any job in the world because there’s not a lot of jobs that are going to be more stressful or mentally taxing than officiating.”

Koehler called officiating a “full-time part-time job,” full of travel, planning and stress and low on thanks from the crowd. Koehler urged fans to do what he didn’t in high school: have some respect for the refs.

“You never know what that person went through that day,” Koehler said. “They’re human beings. They’re going to make mistakes. So just be kind.”

As to whether the games are rigged, Koehler gave a succinct answer.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Logan Langel throws his first disc on hole number 12. | Photo by Bryan Chavez / The Sunflower

Wichita State Disc Golf Club has nationals in sights

BY AINSLEY SMYTH

ainsley.smyth3@gmail.com

Sophomore Alejandro Jacome and freshman Vanja Hodzic get together during their doubles match against Omaha on Jan. 26. Hodzic and Jacome won the match, six games to one. | Photo by Bryan Chavez / The Sunflower

‘We’ll have a seat waiting for you’: Men’s tennis encourages fans to come out for spring season

BY SHELBY DUVALL shelbyd306@gmail.com

The men’s tennis team’s spring season is newly underway, with the team currently standing at 2-3 on the year.

Head coach Darragh Glavin feels the team ended the fall on a good note and is looking forward to upcoming matches this spring.

The men’s team wrapped up the fall season with matches at the Bonita Bay Classic at Florida Gulf Coast University. The team finished the tournament with four doubles match wins and twelve singles match wins.

“Fall ended well … had a good finish in Florida … now we’re back at it,” Glavin said. “We’re just finetuning some things … and getting our level back to where it can be.”

Glavin said junior Kristof

Minarik and sophomore Alejandro Jacome are showing potential coming into the spring season.

“At the Florida Gulf Coast tournament … Kristof went 3-0 playing against three top players … he found his level and was back to where he can compete,” Glavin said. “Alejandro’s … definitely improved quite a bit this fall and putting in the work and starting to have the results we expect.”

Minarik and Jacome have both walked away with wins at recent matches, with Jacome taking a singles win at Grand Canyon on Jan. 11, and Minarik also winning a singles match at Texas Tech on Jan 20.

The team also recently hosted their first home match of the season against Omaha on Jan. 26.

They completed well, bringing the team's overall stats to 39-43 singles, or a .476 percentage. The team currently stands at 13-16 in doubles teams, or a .448 percentage.

Despite recent challenges with returning to pre-break fitness levels and injuries across the main players of the squad, Glavin is optimistic for the rest of the season for the team and encourages students to come to watch matches at Genesis Health Clubs on Rock Road and the Coleman Tennis Complex, Wichita State’s tennis complex.

“We have six home matches this year,” Glavin said. “Come on out, we’ll have a seat waiting for you.”

The men’s tennis team will host a weekend in Wichita on Feb. 16-18 against New Mexico and UTSA.

When Connor Lancaster, an engineering major, transferred to Wichita State during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he struggled to make friends.

Then, he joined the university’s disc golf club.

Now a senior and the club’s president, Lancaster said he met many of his current friends through the organization.

Disc golf is a sport that follows many of the same rules as regular golf but with discs instead of balls. The goal is to get a disc in every basket in as few throws as possible.

“It’s a good way to get exercise, meet new people and just blow off steam,” Lancaster said.

Disc golf can be played individually or in teams of four.

While many in the club play recreationally, Lancaster and others represent Wichita State at College Disc Golf competitions.

Kyle Scluben, the club’s vice president, said when he came to Wichita State in 2021, the club had taken a hit from COVID-19. Over the last three years, the members said they have worked hard to

grow membership, by raising money, making flyers and seeking out sponsorships.

“Last year, we barely could get three guys to go to nationals, and we’re thinking about sending two full teams to nationals this year,” Schluben said.

Schluben, also an engineering major who started playing disc in high school, said he likes the sport because it can be played at any time of year. He said the sport always offers a unique challenge.

“There’s so many different factors to consider when playing, so it’s like a new course every time,” he said.

Both Lancaster and Schluben plan to graduate within the next year. Lancaster said he hopes new leadership will step up to carry on their roles.

“We’ve got a lot of people on the team that have a lot of potential,” Lancaster said.

Lancaster said he also hopes to see a competitive women’s team and for the current team to eventually be recognized as an official university sport.

Anyone interested in joining disc golf can email the club at wushockdiscgolf@outlook.com.

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Feb. 8, 2024 | 5

Neha Chintapalli, a WSU alum, lifts 11 pounds for a F45 workout routine on Feb. 7 in the Heskett Center.

Chintapalli has been coming to F45 for a year. | Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower

Global fitness franchise F45 offered at WSU

BY LOREN AMELUNKE

loren.amelunke@outlook.com

Evan Kruse attempts to send the ball past Zach Oakley during the recreational men’s volleyball teams’ practice on Jan. 30. The team gathered at 10 p.m. in the Heskett Center to begin practice. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Men’s recreational volleyball team sees rise in interest following pandemic restrictions

BY JENNIFER ANIMA

jenniferanima2411@gmail.com

There has been a rise in interest in men’s volleyball teams around the country, and it has reached Wichita State within the last four years as they began to rebuild the recreational team on campus following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), boys’ volleyball has been the second fastest-growing sport since 2012.

This acclimation of interest has poured over into the university scene. Although there are 57 universities that have NCAA men’s volleyball teams, Wichita State is not one of them.

The men’s recreational team on campus was established in the fall of 2020 with interest from students at the time. Teams initially were co-ed, but this year the women’s club team got their own president, Morgan Zimmerman.

Wesley Horner, president of

the men’s rec team, said there are multiple reasons why men’s volleyball has been on a rise; he pointed to popular anime “Haikyuu!!” which follows a team of men’s high school volleyball players.

“I think there’s also just a lot more opportunities to play volleyball,” Horner said. “It’s more televised sometimes; there’s a lot more social media.”

At its start, the team had eight players and rose to around 12 by the spring semester of 2021.

Horner has been playing since its creation, and when he became president in the summer of 2021, he began advertising more for the club.

“We had our open gyms (fall of 2021), and we got a bunch of interest and made an Instagram; we made the Facebook accounts all the social medias,” Horner said. “I think we got two men’s teams set up by the end of the fall and one women’s team because we just combined it all because there was no women’s club, and

girls were interested as well.”

Following this, the club joined the Midwest Plains Volleyball Conference as a part of the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF).

This federation is a non-profit whose goal is to “promote health, education and leadership for male and female collegiate club volleyball student athletes.”

The national tournament for the NCVF will be held in Kansas City this year; Horner described the atmosphere as similar to NCAA tournaments.

“When you get into that scene, you realize how big it actually can be and how there’s opportunities out there to play high-level volleyball,” Horner said. “There’s some of these club teams that would give Division I teams a run for their money.”

Tryouts for the men’s team took place early in the fall, and there are currently 20 players rostered that float between two teams. One of the team’s main recruitment strategies are open

gyms, which take place in Heskett Center.

One area of concern for the team is funding. The Student Government Association allots a budget that is split between all sports clubs offered by campus recreation.

“It’s really unfortunate that since I’ve been here, we’ve expanded the amount of sport clubs we have but our budget hasn’t gotten any bigger,” Trent Koehler, coordinator of sports programs for campus recreation, said.

The men’s volleyball team holds fundraising events, takes donations, and provides concessions to earn money.

The team is currently doing a Krispy Kreme “Digital Dozen” fundraiser.

For $13, a certificate for a dozen glazed donuts can be purchased through their Venmo @zrod26 or with cash. The certificate will be sent through email, and 50% of the purchase will go to the club.

Jiu-jitsu arrives to Wichita State’s campus

BY GENESIS MERRIETT genserudition@gmail.com

Jiu-jitsu is an art that changes who you are as a person, according to Kael Laselva.

“It brings out the person you really are, and then it fixes it,” Laselva, a freshman business major, said. “After I started training (in) jiu-jitsu, I kind of realized that there’s a lot more to life than what I thought it was because you can’t hide in jiujitsu. Your skill really will speak for itself.”

Students learn self-defense and discipline techniques via Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in the new class provided by Laselva MMA and Wichita State in the Heskett Center — all because of Laselva and the support of his father, Marcio.

Laselva has been immersed in BJJ his whole life; his father is the highest-ranking black belt in Kansas and introduced the martial art to Wichita in 2006.

“I’ve been doing it since I was 6,” Laselva said. “A couple of people have come in saying, ‘I was expecting someone a lot older,’ but just through my experience, I feel like I’m qualified to teach.”

Laselva focuses on the techniques of BJJ rather than fitness level and athletic ability.

He teaches two new beginnerfriendly techniques each session.

“Something that I’m focusing on is really dissecting each technique to the point where

they understand the concept, not just the movement,” Laselva said. “If you want to get fit, that’s great. This is a great start because you start moving your body a little bit … but I’m not making anybody run.”

Christopher Dietrich, a freshman exercise science major, said joining the BJJ class is beneficial for teaching the mechanics of jiu-jitsu as well as self-defense.

“I think it brings a lot of value just in terms of just selfdefense,” Dietrich said. “Also, it’s extremely fun to learn.

You’re going to learn a lot about mechanics and how humans move and pose.”

Dietrich also said the class is very beginner-friendly for nonathletic students.

“I think (Laselva is) a great coach,” Dietrich said. “When I started doing jiu-jitsu, I missed a lot of the basic knowledge. He’s good at teaching this basic stuff that I missed out on.”

Laselva said he strives to create a diverse, open environment for learning BJJ. “These guys that I’m teaching, that I’m trying to influence, are promoting safe practices,” he said. “They’re just being nice to people, and they’re being respectful, especially to women.

I think it’ll progressively start bringing more people in because I want to have a very diverse set of people.”

Laselva wants to host selfdefense classes in the future

Wichita State students practice a technique in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at practice on Feb. 6. | Photo by Gavin Stephens / The Sunflower

and encourage more women to join his class because effective jiu-jitsu techniques may save their lives someday. He pointed to a real-life example one of his students experienced.

“Somebody tried to grab (a student) … and they knew how to defend themselves, whereas they wouldn’t have known how to before,” he said.

Months of planning and dedication went into making the BJJ class a reality at WSU, and Laselva plans on keeping it going for years to come.

“The goal would actually be to … either get it as (an accredited) class through the university …, which is, I don’t

know how attainable that is, or maybe get it to be a college sport,” Laselva said. “I feel honored to be a pioneer of that, regardless of which direction it goes.”

Students interested in joining Laselva’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu class can contact him by emailing kaellaselva@gmail.com or by phone at (316) 618-3176. Students may also attend the class in Heskett Room 145.

The class is offered every Monday and Wednesday from 7-8 a.m. and costs $150; however, the first class is free. The classes are open to everyone, regardless of experience or skill level.

Typical memberships for F45 Training’s fitness classes cost around $155 to $175 monthly. At Wichita State, the classes are free for students and $40 each semester for faculty and staff.

F45 stands for the 45-minute workouts that use functional training as well as a mix of high intensity interval training (HIIT) and circuit training.

F45 began in 2013 in Australia after an investment from actor Mark Wahlberg.

Since then, the franchise has expanded to over 1,700 studios in 60 countries.

In 2017, Wichita State began offering F45 on campus in the Heskett Center.

There are currently four F45 classes offered each day, Monday through Thursday, three offered Friday, and one offered each day on Saturday and Sunday.

Sophomore Sydnie Strong is a member of the Wichita State dance team. As an athlete, she is required to stay fit.

“F45 is just a great, quick, high-intensity workout that really gets me in shape for dance but also makes me feel great,” Strong said.

Every F45 studio around the globe uses the same systemized workout for the day. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for cardio, Tuesdays and Thursdays are for strength training, and the weekend is a hybrid of the two.

The classes are marketed for anyone, as many of the exercises can be modified for lower intensity.

Karolina Mosa, program specialist of facilities for Campus Recreation, oversees F45 on campus. Mosa said the class session offered at 6:15 a.m. is the most popular, averaging 15-18 participants.

“We’ve had pretty good success with students loving the workouts once they try it,” Mosa said.

Additionally, Wichita State has a DEXA scan machine that uses low-energy X-rays to run body composition analysis.

The scan provides body fat percentage, weight distribution, BMI, lean mass, and more.

It costs $5 for students at WSU. Mosa said she helps review the student’s results with them.

F45 is also looking to hire more instructors.

Student instructors are paid $15 per class.

Instructors complete extensive training before working, but no certification is required for the position.

More information about F45 classes can be found at wichita. edu.

F45 SCHEDULE Each week, F45 is hosted at various times at the Heskett Center. The times and dates can be found below.

Monday-Friday: -6:15 a.m.

-Noon -5:15 p.m.

-7:15 p.m.

Saturdays & Sundays: -1:15 p.m.

SPORTS

6 | Feb. 8, 2024

www.thesunflower.com

No NCAA, no problem: Volleyball reflects on NIVC championship

BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ sports@thesunflower.com

At the start of the season, Wichita State volleyball player Morgan Stout had doubts about her team making it to any sort of postseason, but as the season went on, she started putting her team before herself.

“I was like, ‘Why am I thinking like that?’” Stout said. “We’re doing this; we are winning.”

Before the regular season ended, Stout said she was upset that the team had not qualified for an NCAA bid; however, head coach Chris Lamb changed the team’s mindset. Lamb said he used to wonder whether which would be better, a run in the NIVC or a one-and-done in the NCAA.

Ultimately, he preferred the challenge of making a run.

“The best part about making the NCAA tournament for most schools, (is) just saying you made it but then you go and you’re done,” Lamb said. “It’s pretty cool if you can make a run.”

In December, the team won the National Invitational Volleyball Championship to conclude its season.

Stout said that once her mindset changed, she knew that the NIVC tournament would be a cakewalk and winning it would show everyone that they are capable of competing against the best, even qualifying for the NCAA tournament.

She said that her maturity allowed others on the team to try

The Shocker volleyball team gathers one more time after their victory over Drake University on Dec. 6. This win sent the Shockers to the Fab Four of the NIVT. Memphis on Nov. 26. | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

and follow in her footsteps.

“Being able to mature and allow myself to come to my teammates and want the best for

everyone, not just my own success was actually something that I think flipped tables even more,” Stout said.

Lamb said that the team got better as the season went on but that it’s hard to maintain the same level of chemistry from the start of the season. He thought the team was good enough to make the run last year but questioned if they were together enough.

“When people are not playing it gets hard,” Lamb said. “It’s a long season and (we) made a long run.”

Despite the lack of a conference win, Lamb said this season is one to be remembered.

“I will always remember this as a special season because of that opportunity and the fact that we were super successful,” Lamb said. “I have a handful of special seasons; this gets to be one of them.”

Misha Kvantaliani on Feb. 6, 2023. | File photo by Shelby Parscale / The Sunflower

Men’s tennis player reflects on his final season at WSU

BY AVERY GATHRIGHT

averygathright@outlook.com

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

Behind the scenes of sports content creation at Wichita State University

BY JACOB UNRUH

assistantsports@thesunflower.com

W

illie Schwanke, the senior content producer at Wichita State, is the creative force behind the hype videos that play before and during the Shockers’ home sporting events that aim to excite the crowd.

Along with content producer Brian Barnes and graphic designer Katherine Ramirez, Schwanke also creates all the animations that play during games, pregame lineup videos for social media, TV commercials, and “99%” of the other videos and graphics that go up on the athletic department’s social media pages.

“Divvying up some responsibilities and time management is a huge thing,” Schwanke said.

Schwanke was also a member of the Wichita State baseball team from 2015-2017. At the time, he had no idea he would shoot and edit media as a career.

“When I was playing, I always enjoyed fishing and stuff like that,” Schwanke said. “So

“

My passion is just creating memories for these athletes and also giving back to a university (where I’ve) gotten my degrees.

WILLIE SCHWANKE Senior content producer at WSU

I created my own social media page for fishing, took the GoPro stuff, kind of learned how to edit that way.”

After graduating, Schwanke spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for the Shockers before taking a “leap of faith” into content production.

“There was a situation where I wasn’t going to be able to make any money as a volunteer assistant when we made a coaching change,” Schwanke said. “So I just told myself I was going to make a little bit of a living and see if this is the thing that I wanted to do at that time.”

Schwanke spent two years as an intern under former Wichita State digital media coordinator Marcus Wright before being promoted to the senior content

producer role.

“Marcus has really helped me a lot, learning Adobe and little tricks,” Schwanke said.

“And then if I really want to dive into something cool, I’ll watch a video tutorial and try and train myself that way.”

Schwanke’s mind lends itself to self-taught photography and video editing. He says he has a playlist of about 800 songs for video on YouTube and sends himself direct messages on X whenever he sees a shot, background or animation that inspires him.

“I saw a lot of schools, they had basically what they call the recruiting room,” Schwanke said. “I reached out to a guy that I know that remodels houses and we built a full-on … sixplank recruiting background.”

The longest aspect of the production process is the preparation, especially for the introductory shoots of the players during the media day.

According to Schwanke, the baseball shoot took four to five hours to complete.

“We had stations set up where I shot some creative stuff

in the locker room with LEDs and the national championship trophy,” Schwanke said. “We had a green screen station for lineup animations and social media clips, and then (Ramirez) was with the backdrop in the weight room for her photos for graphics.”

For basketball media day, Schwanke ended up with 1,237 clips to sort through and organize. From there, the creative team begins to generate the starting lineup and pregame videos. It’s a time-intensive effort but one that Schwanke enjoys doing.

“My passion is just creating memories for these athletes and also giving back to a university (where I’ve) gotten my degrees,” Schwanke said.

As a former player, Schwanke has insight into how his produced content might impact the athletes on the field.

“It’s definitely something that could build confidence for you as you walk up to the plate or (as) you’re walking out to the mound,” Schwanke said. “It might just give just a little jolt of energy.”

How men’s basketball worked to fix free throw woes

BY JACOB UNRUH

assistantsports@thesunflower.com

Wichita State men’s basketball’s eight-game losing streak that lasted over a month had many potential culprits, from turnovers to poor shooting to sloppy defensive play.

One of the more obvious problems was terrible team freethrow shooting.

Heading into the game against East Carolina on Jan. 24, Wichita State was shooting a hair under 67% from the free throw line on the season, which ranked 300th out of the 351 NCAA Division I schools.

In the six-game stretch in December and January — starting with the road loss to Kansas State and ending with

the loss at Florida Atlantic — the Shockers shot 55% from the line.

Poor free throw shooting seemed to hurt Wichita State’s chances in a number of close games.

In the Jan. 4 game against North Texas, the Shockers went 15/27 from the line and lost by 12 points.

On Jan. 21 against South Florida, Wichita State missed four free throws and lost by the same margin.

Against East Carolina on Jan. 24, junior guard Xavier Bell missed a set of free throws in the second half. Wichita State lost by two.

After the East Carolina loss, head coach Paul Mills said the team was working vigilantly to fix

Quincy Ballard sets up for a free throw shot on Nov. 9 | Photo by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

their free throw problems.

“They stay after practice, and if they don’t make 75 out of 100 they have to shoot another 100

until they make 75,” Mills said.

“So some guys shoot 800 shots until they can get the 75 out of 100.”

The East Carolina game, in which the team shot 81% from the line, seemed to be a turning point.

In the five games after that loss, the team has made free throws at a 79% clip, an aboveaverage rate.

Redshirt junior guards Colby Rogers and Harlond Beverly highlight the improvement.

Before the East Carolina game, the pair were shooting a combined 57/84 — 68% from the line. In the five games after that, the two made 20 of 23 — 87%.

“If you’re going to get good at stuff, you practice it,” Mills said.

Misha Kvantaliani’s tennis journey began when he was just 5 years old living in Ukraine. Now, in his last season of collegiate tennis, Kvantaliani is reflecting on his tennis career and looking to the future.

Kvantaliani, now a graduate student at Wichita State, recalled how after moving to the United States, his first tennis team made him feel more at home. Now, he still says with one of his first teammates over winter and summer breaks.

“I didn’t really have any friends here,” Kvantaliani said. “I got to meet some people on my first team, friends that I’m still with.”

According to Kvantaliani, one of the biggest struggles he had in playing collegiate tennis, in the United States was adjusting to the different courts.

“That was really tough at first, because back where I’m from, we play on slower courts, on a clay court which is kind of like dirt,” Kvantaliani said. “But then in America, there are only hardcourts which are much faster courts and you cannot slide on them … It was tough to adjust to that at first but now (it’s) a little bit more natural.”

Kvantaliani is currently studying to get his masters degree in Sports Management at Wichita State and will graduate in May. Upon graduation, he hopes to stay in the United States to work as a tennis coach.

“I tried to keep myself in the sports industry,” Kvantaliani said.

“I wanted to focus a little bit more on tennis if I could.”

In his final season, Kvantaliani is looking forward to his future tennis matches But injuries have been a test for the whole team.

“I feel like (it’s been difficult) for the whole team,” Kvantaliani said.

“We didn’t start off great in terms of injuries … But despite that, I feel like we’re still doing good. We have a really tough schedule this season as well.”

Kvantaliani enjoys spending time with the community that tennis has given him. In addition to games, Kvantaliani said the team members frequently hang out outside of tennis, playing poker and video games or going to dinners as a group. “(My favorite thing is) spending time with the team, whether it’s on the court or off the court,” Kvantaliani said. “Making memories with friends, having good wins. And even after some tough losses too, we’re there for each other and support each other.”

The men’s tennis team will play next on Friday, Feb. 16. against the University of New Mexico at Genesis Rock Road.

SPORTS

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Feb. 8, 2024 | 7

Sami Hood aims to improve leadership skills as shortstop

BY COURTNEY BROWN

newsprojects@thesunflower.com

Gonzalo Campos, economics and international business major, uses an ergometer machine at rowing practice in the Heskett Center Gymnasium. The Wichita State rowing team practices on ergometer machines on Tuesdays and Thursdays and does Strength and Conditioning for the rest of the week in preparation for their spring season.| Photo by Monique Bever / The Sunflower

Shocker Rowing embraces their past, present, future

BY TRINITY RAMM

managing@thesunflower.com

Since he was brought on as head rowing coach in 1999, Calvin Cupp has always been thinking about the future.

Now, with assistant coach Rachel Tuck, the Shocker Rowing teams are constantly looking for new waters to cross, both inside and outside the boat. “(The university) understands the value of being in the community and making that impact,” Cupp said. “What we are asking ourselves (is) what can we do that nobody else is?”

Since 2018, the rowing team has been downtown in the River Vista complex at its boathouse and has partnered with the City of Wichita at events like Riverfest and Clean Streams. Tuck said that one of the focuses for the program in this area is questioning how to “activate, revitalize and contribute to the downtown river corridor.”

“Being able to put Wichita State in a very prominent place in the downtown corridor where people are, the traffic is huge down there,” Cupp said. “It’s the hub of all the activity.”

The team also looks for mentoring and student

employment opportunities through Boats and Bikes, an equipment rental company that partners with Shocker Rowing, during the summer.

Shocker Rowing often employs its rowers and other students over the summer at Boats and Bikes.

Leah Shipman, a third-year rower, said the experience was positive overall.

“That’s been really fun because I get to learn more about the boathouse and rowing and boats in general,” Shipman said.

With all of its outside ventures, Cupp said that he looks at the program as “a big wheel” where all its spokes “connect to the center,” the competitive rowing teams and the student-athletes on them.

“We ask ourselves (when considering new opportunities), if we’re going to do this, does it tie back into what our core mission is,” Cupp said. “How are we providing a quality experience for our studentathlete? How are we promoting, in a positive way, our university?

How are we contributing to our community? Are we an economic driver?”

Forty-members strong going into the spring season, the teams are currently practicing indoors at the

Heskett Center while building their fitness and waiting for the weather to warm up.

Tuck said that it is easier for the team to build their stamina while indoors on ergometers because they can get more meters in.

“You can get really good fitness on the water, but we have to turn (the boat) around,” Tuck said. “So that takes away part of practice, also getting equipment on and off, that takes more time.”

Andrew Bobbitt, a senior political science and criminal justice major, has been rowing for a little over a year and said that the difference between being in the water and on the ergometer is more technical.

“On the water, it’s a lot more skill and technical work,” Bobbitt said.

“You have elements to contend with and there’s a lot more feedback so if you take a bad stroke on the water, you’re gonna feel it versus the erg(ometer).”

For Sydney Bradford, a rowerturned-coxswain, her role remains largely the same whether the team is indoors or outdoors. A coxswain, in Bradford’s words, is there “to encourage the rowers and to steer the boat.”

“It’s nice because I was a rower,

and so I know how the other rowers feel, but it’s just a lot different going from something so physical to just talking basically to them,” Bradford said.

The team just closed its walk-on period and brought on two additional rowers. Jaeza Robertson, a junior industrial engineering major, recently finished her second week with the team. Robertson said that on her tour of Wichita State, her tour guide was a rower and encouraged her to join the team, but she was skeptical.

“I said ‘I don’t want to do it,’” Robertson said. “But all these years later, I’m like, well, I want to be a part of a team. I miss pushing myself athletically, and I’ve always known I’m an athlete. This is a really fun way to express that.”

The team will open its spring season with Shocker Sprints on Feb. 17, an indoor rowing event the team hosts every spring, not only for other rowing teams but for all students at Wichita State.

“The best thing I can tell people (about rowing) is don’t be afraid,” Bobbitt said. “They will teach you the skills you need to know to row.

So, if you’re willing to put in the time and work, you’ll be successful at it.”

Sami Hood has been around softball since she was born.

With all her siblings playing baseball and softball, she was on the field as a baby. She started tee-ball at age 3.

“Ever since then, I've never stopped, and I've loved every second of it,” Hood said.

Originally from Illinois, Hood earned a slew of recognitions while playing on her high school team in Allen, Texas. She said she was drawn to Wichita State because its location provides a chance for both sides of her family to watch her games.

The sophomore shortstop received several honors during her first season at Wichita State. In 2023, she was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, an Easton/NFCA AllAmerica Scholar Athlete, and part of the all-rookie team.

This season, the starter will transition into shortstop. As a freshman second base, Hood spent a lot of time on the pitch with previous shortstop Sydney McKinney, who was named the NFCA First Team All-American and was the top pick in the Athletes Unlimited College Softball draft in 2023.

“Filling in the shoes of Sydney McKinney is a pretty big deal, but she got an entire year working with her,” head coach Kristi Bredbenner said.

“She was an elite defensive player (in high school), could crush the ball … and playing against elite athletes just like herself, she has to realize there's still more gas in the tank and potential for her.”

As she follows her predecessor, Hood hopes to grow into the “leader role” that comes with playing shortstop.

“You have to tell them where to go, and you have a lot more responsibility at short than you do at second,” Hood said. “So I just want to figure out how to become more of a leader and speak and be more vocal on the field.”

Hood said remembering her teammates’ encouragement from last season has helped her support the freshmen during their off moments.

Read the rest at thesunflower.com

Twins Jason and Josh Parrish use brotherly Men’s golf heads to Mexico for spring season opener rivalry to fuel success in track and field

BY OWEN PROTHRO

BY JACOB UNRUH

owenprothro@gmail.com

assistantsports@thesunflower.com

The Parrish family is stacked with athletes. Eldest Jevon is a former wrestler at The University of Nebraska–Lincoln; Jacob is a junior cornerback at Kansas State University; and the younger siblings, twins Josh and Jason Parrish, are promising track and field freshmen at Wichita State.

When the brothers were children, Josh said their parents would always have to tell them to come back into the house after a full day of competition against their siblings.

“Me and my brothers would be out 10 a.m. to probably 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., just doing something,” Josh said. “Playing football or basketball or just walking somewhere. So that always helped us because we were always active.”

The twins didn’t anticipate track becoming their main sport when they first picked it up in middle school. During his sophomore year of high school, Josh said his track coach begged him to do hurdles. For Jason, track was not his priority.

“I first started doing track just to get faster for football because that was my main focus,” Jason said.

As a junior, Jason won the 300meter hurdles at the 6A KSHSAA state meet with “barely any practice,” and Josh came second.

Jason and Josh Parrish.| Courtesy of GoShockers

After that, the boys began to take track a little more seriously.

After a senior year that included more track championships, the brothers committed to Wichita State. Their freshman year has been off to a strong start, especially for Josh, who won the 60-meter hurdles and long jump at his first collegiate tournament on Jan. 12.

“I want to always succeed and get better marks each week, but now I’m realizing that that’s not always going to happen,” Josh said.

“Me just being consistent is going to help me get a better margin or a better time.”

When they were younger, the brothers “weren’t nice to each other,” according to Jason. Today, they said their relationship has transformed into a friendly rivalry

that pushes each other to be their best.

“Having a twin, you don’t want to be that one brother who’s just left behind,” Jason said. “(Josh), he ran a fast hurdles time. And then I will try to do that because I want to be better than him; I just don’t want him to have bragging rights.”

“I’m always going to root for my brother,” Josh said. “I’m always yelling. I’ll be the loudest there if my twin is running.”

While the two compete in slightly different events — Josh in the long and triple jump and Jason in more sprinting events — they both run the 60-meter hurdles.

Josh said he is faster in shortdistance events, but Jason has him beat in long-distance races. To this, Jason had a simpler answer.

“I’m faster,” Jason said.

Wichita State’s men’s golf team traveled to the Playa Paraíso Golf Club in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, for the first time in program history to compete in the Los Vaqueros Intercollegiate tournament hosted by Texas Rio Grande Valley. The Shockers took a fourth-place finish as a team to start the spring season.

Wichita State shot 902 strokes overall throughout the three rounds. The best individual placing for the Shockers was junior Michael Winslow, who shot 218 and tied for fifth.

Winslow shot 74 and found himself tied for fifth on the player leaderboard.

Senior Blake Lorenz and redshirt senior Zach Sokolosky each shot 78 and tied for 19th place on the player leaderboard.

With round one under their belts, the Shockers climbed a position on the team leaderboard to tie for fourth place after round two. Wichita State shot 295 this round.

Lorenz was the top performer for Wichita State in round two, carding a 72. Lorenz jumped up eight spots on the player leaderboard and found himself tied for 11th place with 150 overall strokes.

Sokolosky shot his round at 74 and 21st place, dropping two positions.

The Shockers made a push in the third and final round of the tournament and ended with a solo fourth place. Wichita State shot 294 on the day.

Winslow and Lorenz dialed in and each matched rounds of 71 strokes. Winslow finished with 218 strokes overall and took home a fifth-place finish.

Lorenz ended with 221 strokes overall on the player leaderboard and finished tied for ninth place.

Senior Aston Castillo and junior Lucas Scheufler each shot 74 on the final day of the tournament to secure their spots on the player leaderboard. Scheufler shot 231 strokes overall and tied for 30th place, while Castillo shot 233 strokes and tied for 34th place.

Sokolosky shot 78 in round three, and he finished tied for 29th place with 230 strokes overall on the player leaderboard.

Redshirt junior Tate Herrenbruck had his best performance of the tournament, shooting a 79 in round three. He finished with 246 strokes and tied for 49th place.

The Shockers’ next tournament will be on March 11 as they travel to Auburn, Alabama, for the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn University.

8 | Feb. 8, 2024 www.thesunflower.com

OPINION

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Opinion editor, Sascha Harvey opinion@thesunflower.com

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

Karma is Taylor Swift at your Chiefs game Piper Pinnetti

piperpinnetti12@gmail.com

OPINION

T

aylor Swift went on tour for the first time since the 2018 Reputation Stadium Tour in 2023. During her ongoing The Eras Tour, she’s performed in 151 different concerts across five continents.

Toward the end of last year, Swift started a new kind of tour, doing some traveling to Kansas City, Missouri, and beyond to see her boyfriend on the football field.

Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, was confirmed to be dating Swift in September 2023. Since the beginning of their romance, we have seen Swift watching games

from suites in the crowd alongside Kelce’s mother.

A decent person would be ecstatic to see Swift in a seemingly happy relationship, but many are displeased with her new involvement with football.

Swift has been the target of haters for as long as she has been famous. From comments on her appearance to nasty remarks about her personal life and relationships, Taylor seems to have been at the receiving end of it all.

Now Swifties and Swift herself are experiencing a new type of hate; I have heard, “Leave her out of football,” and “This is the worst thing to happen to the NFL.” And most of these comments seem to come from men.

Kelce attended Swift’s performance in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 11. When fans

recognized he was there, they were excited that he was being a supportive boyfriend. They did not see him as a threat to the mere idea of singing, like fans seem to think Swift is to football.

Why is it that when Kelce shows support for Swift, he is celebrated by the Swifties, but when she supports her boyfriend, the football community labels her a “distraction?”

Yes, she has been on the radio, TV, and in so many headlines lately, but does that mean she should disappear because miserable people waste their breath talking about how she should not be tied with football?

In fact, Swift’s appearances have raked in money for the Chiefs and the NFL. Swifties are purchasing red and yellow gear and tuning into the games to see Taylor in the

box.

Front Office Sports has reported that Swift attending Chiefs games has brought in over $300 million in brand value to both the Chiefs and the league, according to research by the Apex Marketing Group.

Some of the haters, whether they are Chiefs fans or not, are upset about the Swiftie takeover because they are “bandwagons” and are taking jerseys from “real” fans. A “real” fan not only likely already has a great jersey collection or few they like, but also would be excited to have more people cheer for their team.

Because of Swift, the Chiefs have never been more valuable as a brand.

Celebrities also attend sporting events all the time. Drake attended Toronto Raptors games; Rihanna reps LeBron James during his Los

Angeles Lakers games.

Even when Jack Nicholson spilled beans on himself on the sidelines of a Lakers game, he wasn’t labeled a distraction; instead, people found it hilarious.

Swift does not choose when she is on the screen. Any hate directed toward her should be redirected to the NFL, which keeps exploiting her presence for money.

The only downside I see to Swift being at Chiefs’ games is fragile egos criticizing a successful woman supporting her boyfriend.

Kelce will face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl this year. Whether or not Swift will watch him play this game is uncertain because of her schedule performing in Japan. Either way, “Karma is the guy on the Chiefs,” and who wants to get on karma’s bad side?

NFL scripting theories aren’t grounded in reality Owen Prothro

owenprothro@gmail.com

OPINION

In early 2023, on the “Macrodosing w/ PFT & Arian Foster” podcast, former National Football League player Arian Foster explained that everything — every game, every stat, every injury — in the NFL was scripted.

“That’s what practice was about,” Foster said. “It was about practicing the script.”

Once other players viewed the clip from the podcast, they began to mock Foster, adding fuel to the fire. Dan Orlovsky, former NFL quarterback and now sports talk show host, tweeted “totally scripted” in response to the clip.

Fast forward to 2024, when many controversies, memes and theories have risen regarding the subject. Joining in on the joke, the NFL released a commercial with various players and actors discussing the script.

The worst part is that people believe it.

All of this is phony. The NFL is not scripted, or at least to the extent that these comments have made it seem to be.

Sure, referees make bad calls.

They’re human, just like you and me. And having personal experience refereeing, I know you can’t see every single penalty or

foul that occurs.

In the instance of when a game-changing flag gets thrown toward the end of the game, let me ask you this: Would we be talking about the call, or no-call, in the first, second or third quarter of the game?

No, it would be swept under the rug with all the other plays that happen in the early stages of an NFL contest.

If games were scripted, why would it choose to make teams horrible, like this season’s Carolina Panthers that went 2-15?

The Panthers drafted rookie quarterback Bryce Young from the University of Alabama, so why would the NFL make a player who is used to success and winning go 2-15 in his first season?

Why would the NFL make the 2008 Detroit Lions finish with a whopping 0-16 record, just to have them make a conference championship game appearance 15 seasons later and blow a huge lead?

The Lions turned themselves around through sheer grit and determination since going 0-16 by hiring current head coach Daniel Campbell before the 2021-22 season. Campbell would not have any part of their end-of-season disaster as they had against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs if the NFL put them up to it.

If the NFL were scripting its games, you can imagine that every team would have a chance

Illustration by Preston Caylor / The Sunflower

at making the playoffs, so it could have more drama and headlines to post.

It would be hard for players to just accept that they will lose game after game. It would completely strip them of who they are, and most of them wouldn’t stick around the league as long, no matter how much money they are

guaranteed.

If NFL games were scripted, then why hasn’t the “Super Bowl logo theory” — which claimed that the Super Bowl logo’s colors predicted which teams would play in the big game — held up over the years? Not to mention the fact that very few colors are involved in most logos, giving many options.

NFL games are too hard to predict, making scripting nearly impossible. There are simply too many factors at play. Having every game follow a specified script would be too hard of a task for everyone involved. Players, coaches and referees are not consistent enough to make the “predetermined results” come true.

NEWS

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the News editors, Allison Campbell and Courtney Brown news@thesunflower.com

Feb. 8, 2024 | 9 www.thesunflower.com

Documentary producers Travis Heying and Jaime Green; Eric Meyer, son of Joan and owner of the Marion County Record; and Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, answer questions on a panel about the “Unwarranted” documentary. The documentary, focusing on Joan Meyer and the Marion County Record raid, was shown at Wichita State on Feb. 1. | Photo by Gavin Stephens / The Sunflower

Journalism professionals discuss creating documentary on Marion County Record raid

BY TALIYAH WINN

assistantnews@thesunflower.com

Hours spent reviewing bodycam footage, conducting interviews and editing led to a documentary that draws attention to the story of the Marion County Record raid.

“Unwarranted: The Senseless Death of Journalist Joan Meyer” was shown at CAC Theatre on Feb. 1, with a panel of the creators and involved members.

The documentary explores an attack on First and Fourth Amendment rights by law enforcement on a small-town Kansas newspaper, The Marion County Record.

Last August, the Marion, Kansas, police raided the Marion County Record and the home of 98-year-old journalist Joan Meyer, who passed away a day later.

The morning before, a search warrant was issued to the Marion County Record for its legally obtained information about a local restaurant owner, Kari Newell, attempting to secure a liquor license. Newell accused the newspaper of privacy violations, leading to the raid.

The panel was composed of Eric Meyer, son of Joan and owner of the Marion County Record, documentary producers Jaime Green and Travis Heying, and Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association.

Discussions ranged from behind-the-scenes information on the documentary’s creation to the legal implications for the future of

search and seizure.

BEHIND THE SCENES The documentary, produced

by Green and Heying of the Wichita Eagle, features interviews and bodycam footage of the raid, centering on Joan and what happened the day before her death.

Green and Heying said they felt there was a deeper story to tell, but without being in Marion when it happened, producing a documentary seemed impossible — until bodycam footage was released to the media in early October.

“Once we obtained the body camera footage, then that’s when I knew that there’s something better than what Jaime and I could have ever hoped to have gotten by being there,” Heying said. “What Joan says is … the best reporting possible.”

Heying and Green accessed over seven and a half hours of bodycam footage from the raid, including Joan reporting live on the scene.

“This was a herculean task to go through this bodycam footage,” Eric said. “It is a daunting task, and they’ve done a masterful job.”

Green noted how rare it is to receive extensive bodycam footage.

“It was just so unusual to have this amount of bodycam footage — and to have it from so many sources,” Green said. “It’s just something unbelievable.”

Bodycam footage can be obtained via the Kansas Open Records Act. This act allows the public (and news organizations) to

Michael Roehrman, editor in chief of the Wichita Eagle, gives a brief description of the Marion County Record raid following the introduction of those involved with the creation of the documentary “Unwarranted.” | Photo by Gavin Stephens / The Sunflower

request and obtain copies of public records created or maintained by public agencies in Kansas.

According to state law, public agencies are not mandated to release anything considered a “criminal investigation record,” which, as of 2016, includes bodycam footage.

“Kansas is one of the most secretive states when it comes to bodycams,” said Bradbury, who defends the rights of journalists through her work at the Kansas Press Association.

Because the Marion Record was considered a victim in the case, it was able to gain access to the footage differently.

“This came through the discovery process, not through the open records process,” Eric said.

“We got it because we were the victims and had a right to it.“ The documentary also featured footage from surveillance cameras in Joan’s house, which Eric noted

he installed to make sure Joan was safe before he moved in with her during the pandemic.

Eric said that this combined footage helped ensure there was a “human face” in the documentary.

THE RAID’S IMPACT Jeffrey Jarman, dean of the Elliott School of Communication and moderator of the panel, asked the panelists to respond to an online post that called the coverage of the raid “the most over-reported story of the decade.”

Heying said that “the opposite is true” when it comes to coverage; he has seen the same thing happen to other small newspapers around the country.

“There can’t be enough reporting about what happened in there because it’s continuing to happen elsewhere,” Heying said.

He mentioned an incident a few months after the Marion raid, where a newspaper publisher and

reporter in Alabama were arrested for information they published about the local school board.

“Which tells you that our ‘over-reporting’ has not solved the problem,” Heying said. “Things like this continue to happen in places where people think that they can get away with it.”

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is a database that compiles “everything from arrests of journalists and the seizure of their equipment to assaults and interrogations at the U.S. border.”

At the end of 2023, Stephanie Sugars of the Freedom of the Press Foundation published an analysis of cases where journalism was “criminalized” in the past year. It found that at least 12 journalists were arrested or facing charges last year.

Eric and Green similarly highlighted the importance of continued interest in the Marion raid. Green called it “the most important story” she’s worked on in her career, and Eric said the raid itself is not unique.

“We (Eric, Joan and the Marion Record) are an insignificant part of the story,” Eric said. “The fact that this is part of a trend is what makes it interesting.”

Bradbury said that “violence against journalists has never been higher worldwide.”

“I think we as the public have to demand better, and we have to realize that we have to support our local publications,” Bradbury said.

“Unwarranted: The Senseless Death of Journalist Joan Meyer” can be found on YouTube and kansas.com.

Student Government passes supports distribution of emergency contraceptives

BY COURTNEY BROWN

newsprojects@thesunflower.com

The Student Government Association unanimously passed a resolution supporting the distribution of emergency contraception among students on Wichita State Campus.

Sexual Health Advocacy Resources and Education (SHARE), a Planned Parenthood generation action chapter at WSU, aims to increase the accessibility of emergency contraception (EC) on campus and will hand out Plan B, a form of EC, to students through SHARE’s social media account.

According to the resolution, SHARE will train volunteers to provide Plan B to students, and those requesting Plan B can use their name or be anonymous.

Sen. Victoria Owens spoke in support of the resolution.

“I think that it’s important that we have more sexual health advocacy on campus,” Owens said. “We’re a college campus.

Let’s be frank, it’s happening. I think that this could do some really positive change for our community.”

SHARE President Stella Gage and At-large Sen. Jasmine Peng first discussed their idea for a “peer-to-peer” distribution of emergency contraception during the Nov. 15 Student Senate meeting.

Gage highlighted that EC on campus is in high demand among students and said SHARE receives unlimited free emergency contraceptives from Plan B distributors.

Peng primarily authored

the resolution, with Gage and Subcommittee Chairperson Adrianna Owens as co-sponsors.

OTHER BUSINESS Student Body Vice President Sophie Martins, who is serving as acting president until Feb. 12, introduced a resolution that would allocate funds into a bond for Rhatigan Student Center remodeling purposes.

According to Martins, the original RSC Remodeling Project Debt Service of 2014 will soon expire, and passing this resolution would allow SGA to retain the amount of money taken for that bond to pay for one-time expenses in the RSC, such as updating the building’s roofing.

Martins said the student fees would not increase, and the student fees committee would

Acting President Sophie Martins and Speaker of the Senate Kylee Hower give the first read of Retention of the Rhatigan Student Center Bond during the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on Feb. 7.

decide how that funding for the RSC is spent as well as go through an approval process.

“I also am wholeheartedly in the belief that this is our building,

and we really need to be the ones to help pay for it and fix it so it doesn’t stay the same,” Martins said.

NEWS

10 | Feb. 8, 2024

www.thesunflower.com

THE LEGACY OF LAS

Dean of the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Andrew Hippisley leads the panel discussion for Fairmount College Hall of Fame inductees Lee Pelton, Mona Nemer and Gary Bender on Feb. 6 in Wiedemann Hall. The audience was encouraged to question the three. | Photos by Monique Bever / The Sunflower

Mona Nemer gives speech at Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame induction on Feb. 6 in Wiedemann Hall.

Gary Bender gives speech at Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame induction on Feb. 6 in Wiedemann Hall.

Lee Pelton gives speech at Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame induction on Feb. 6 in Wiedemann Hall.

Wichita State alum discusses moving from Lebanon, advising Canada through pandemic

‘I’m a blessed man’: Former sports broadcaster recalls passion for life through work

‘It’s just who I am’: Lee Pelton found his purpose in education and civic leadership

BY LOREN AMELUNKE

BY MELANIE RIVERA-CORTEZ

BY ISABEL ORDOÑEZ

loren.amelunke@outlook.com

When the pandemic hit Canada in 2020, Mona Nemer was largely involved in the country’s response to COVID-19. The Wichita State graduate put together an expert panel that provided scientific evidence and updates to the government.

“My take on the pandemic is that we have a long way to go in terms of building trust and building understanding about science,” Nemer, Canada’s chief science adviser, said.

“In fact, I believe science is essential for democracy.”

Nemer was inducted into the Fairmount College Hall of Fame on Feb. 6. She has been Canada’s chief science adviser since 2017, guiding the prime minister and cabinet on public policy issues related to science — including during the pandemic.

Nemer compared guiding people through the catastrophe to being in a burning building — they could not teach people to calm down while everything was on fire.

Nemer advised the Canadian government to provide scientific evidence to help the population understand.

“The lesson was to empower people so they could make decisions for themselves based on evidence,” Nemer said. “I think people need to be able to make decisions for themselves, but they need to be able to trust the sources of the information.”

Nemer had a long career path before serving as chief science adviser.

Throughout her various roles in scientific research, Nemer published over 200

scientific reports.

In high school, Nemer was interested in many subjects — she found math beautiful and history and literature intriguing. Before university, Nemer wanted to be a journalist.

“Journalism and science have a lot in common — it’s about facts, it’s about digging, it’s about informing,” she said.

Born in Lebanon in 1957, Nemer began her education at the American University of Beirut in her home country. The Lebanese Civil War began in 1975. Nemer said that “things went from bad to worse.”

She lived in the residence halls on the American University campus but had to leave because of bombshell firing.

“We ended up not being able to have classes, and (we were) living in the subbasement of the medical faculty,” Nemer said.

Even though her parents lived eight miles away from American University, Nemer lost all contact with her family due to the shells.

She left the university and moved to Kansas to finish her education.

“I actually had to be part of a convoy with journalists to be able to cross without being shelled,” she said.

In 1977, Nemer graduated with a bachelor’s in chemistry from Wichita State. From there, she went on to earn a doctorate in bioorganic chemistry from McGill University in Montreal.

“I didn’t intend to spend the rest of my life in North America,” she said.

Read the rest at thesunflower.com

sports@thesunflower.com

A former sports broadcaster, Gary Bender began his career at 12 years old on his family’s farm, which, according to him, was on the Kansas-Colorado border about 40 miles away from any town.

“I kind of launched my career on the farm,” Bender said. “I started on those long hot days on a tractor early in the morning till sundown, and I started making the ballgames. I acted like I was in Yankee Stadium, the Orange Bowl (and) the Los Angeles Coliseum.”

Bender, one of the Fairmount Hall of Fame inductees at Wichita State, was a successful and prominent member of the sports broadcasting world, from being the voice of the Green Bay Packers to calling the 1975 Cowboys vs Vikings “Hail Mary” football game.

As a child on the farm, he said he played pretend by creating game scenarios, singing the national anthem and doing all the commercials as a way to get by.

“I started a career not knowing that at the time, but just trying to survive,” Bender said.

His father had imposed farm life on Bender when he transitioned from being a football coach at Dodge City Community College to settling down on a farm.

“I was into sports, and all of a sudden, I was in the middle of nowhere,” Bender said. “And I would have run away from home, but … there were no trees, and the land was so flat.

They could see me running for three days, so it wouldn’t make any difference.”

Shortly after, a drought

hit Bender’s family’s farm, and his father decided to get back into coaching.

Raised around a sports culture, Bender became an All-State running back, earning himself a scholarship to play for the then-University of Wichita, now known as Wichita State University.

Bender played football for a couple of years at Wichita State, but two injuries cut his time short on the field. He said he was shocked because, just like all of his teammates, he thought he was going to play for the National Football League.

Despite WSU not having a journalism school at the time, Bender said he tried to do everything in his power to become a broadcaster and fulfill his childhood dream.

He graduated from Wichita State in 1962 with a degree in speech and received his master’s at Kansas State University in radio and television.

It was not easy for the young broadcaster to find a job. Back then, there were three networks: CBS, ABC and NBC. “I’d gotten married,” Bender said. “We were living in a dusty basement of an aunt, waiting to find some job.”

In a moment of hope, he drove from Kansas City to Wichita to convince Fred Karger, the owner of a small radio station in Hutchinson, Kansas, to give him a job.

After finishing his pitch, Bender finally landed a job calling games at Hutchinson Community College.

“Even in those days in Hutchinson, I wasn’t making any money,” he said.

Read the rest at thesunflower.com

ordonez.ai01@gmail.com

It was Lee Pelton’s first day on campus in the fall 1968. Eager to immerse himself in academia, he made his way to the interest table labeled “Honors Program.” He earned good grades in high school, so joining the program made sense. Pelton told the man standing behind the table he wanted to do so, but he was dismissed.

“He looked at me and made certain assumptions, and said ‘That’s not for you,’” Pelton said.

Pelton, a Wichita native, arrived at Wichita State University imagining he’d leave with a professional degree in engineering or law and an express ticket to the middle class, but that path was now looking like a road he’d rather not traverse.

Disenchanted, he took a step back from school and did what many other young people did at the time – he went to Europe.

“I really fell in with a group of German intellectuals,” Pelton said. “Young students at (Heidelberg University), who had a real interest in ideas and politics and the arts. They seemed to know more about my country than I did in some fundamental way.”

With eyes open to a world of new ideas and a passion to pursue an intellectual life, Pelton came home after a summer abroad to finish his degree in 1970.

“I returned to WSU to complete my studies, and I discovered the English department, a group of faculty in the English department (who) really took me under their tutelage,” he said, “I gobbled up

just about every course that I could take in the English department.”

While his initial rejection from the honors program was “shattering,” it ultimately created an impulse in him that said, “I’ll show you how good I am.”

Pelton graduated magna cum lude with a bachelor’s of English in 1973 and then earned his doctorate of English from Harvard in 1984.

His career in administration began a few years after graduation, first serving as the dean of students at Colgate University and then as dean of the college. Next, he was a dean of the college at Dartmouth College, later serving as president of Willamette University, and then president of Emerson College.

Pelton found his home in academia and his mission to participate in the larger society, stirring up change through advocacy and leadership.

“I’ve always felt that I had an obligation to exercise my leadership for the public good. And to speak out forcefully on the inequities that plagued our country,” Pelton said.

Throughout his career, he’s been guided by the principle of social activism and speaking out on racial injustice and discrimination.

Namely, in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, he drafted a letter that was signed by over 250 college presidents to former President Barack Obama, pushing for what was then called common-sense gun laws.

Read the rest at thesunflower.com

HAVE A STORY IDEA? Contact the Arts editor, Salsabila Attaria arts@thesunflower.com

ARTS & CULTURE

Feb. 8, 2024 | 11 www.thesunflower.com

FEBRUARY FORMAL The third annual Fairmount Formal, hosted by the Student Activities Council, featured dance music, a photo booth and dancing sharks.

Students pose for photos in the photo booth during the Fairmount Formal on Feb. 2. The annual Fairmount Formal, hosted by the Student Activities Council, was held in Beggs Ballroom and had music, a dance floor, refreshments, and a photo booth for students to enjoy.

A group of students dance at the Fairmount Formal on Feb. 2. The annual Fairmount Formal, hosted by the Student Activities Council, was held in Beggs Ballroom and had music, a dance floor, refreshments and a photo booth for students to enjoy. | Photos by Monique Bever / The Sunflower

Nawroj Rahman, Toyeba Khan, and Sandhya Poudel pose for photos with a friend during the Fairmount Formal on Feb. 2. The annual Fairmount Formal was held in Beggs Ballroom and had music, a dance floor, refreshments, and a photo booth for students to enjoy.

DJ Magnum prepares for the Fairmount Formal Event on Feb. 2. The annual Fairmount Formal, hosted by the Student Activities Council, was in the Beggs ballroom.

Two students in shark costumes adorned with hats and ties dance at the Fairmount Formal on Feb. 2.

Tatreez Night fosters appreciation of Palestinian tradition

BY AVERY GATHRIGHT

averygathright@outlook.com

Students learned a new craft over tables covered in colorful threads and cloths during Tatreez Night on Friday, Feb. 2. The collaborative event between the Arab Student Association (ASA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and the Artist Exploration Association (AEA) gave students the opportunity to try their hand at the traditional style of embroidery.

Tatreez is an Arabic word which translates to embroidery.

It differs from region to region, and has become representative of Palestinian culture in particular.

SJP President Abdelkarim Jibril explains the significance behind the ancient craft.

“It’s very much an identity thing, a cultural thing,” Jibril said.

“Through tatreez, Palestinians

show their attachment to the lands that they were kicked off of in 1948, 1967, and so on. It’s specific to each area of people who have been displaced … It shows history, it shows that we’re from here. ” In addition to having the opportunity to make their own projects, attendees listened to Jibril present a short slideshow explaining the history and significance of tatreez.

Nabaa Alamood, ASA vice president and SJP social media coordinator, appreciated the event’s intentions.

“Tonight’s atmosphere was radiant,” Alamood said. “The presentation was absolutely educational and absolutely brilliant on hitting the points of what Tatreez is and its significance and the history behind it.”

Jibril felt the event successfully taught students about Palestinian

culture.

“I think some people learned some stuff either just about tatreez by itself or a little bit about Palestinian culture,” Jibril said. “I think that’s really the main goal, to show that Palestinians have a culture because for some reason, a lot of Americans like to deny that.”

Similarly, ASA Treasurer Amani Alsheikh hopes that attendees appreciated the event and the culture.

“I hope they can take away how beautiful other people’s culture is, and how easy it is to just learn a skill,” Alsheikh said. “You don’t have to think about it. Sometimes you’ve just got to show up and have fun, and then you’d benefit from it as well.”

Alamood said that the event should encourage students to continue to expand their horizons

Trevor Mckeown and Kendah Ballout follow instructions as they stitch at the Tatreez Night event on Feb. 2. Tatreez is a form of traditional Palestinian embroidery passed down through generations. Tatreez Night was intended to educate on the art form and its significance in Palestinian culture. | Photos by Monique Bever / The Sunflower

on campus.

“I encourage everyone to just join in on some event,” Alamood said. “Whether that even be about Palestine … experience a culture

that is outside of your comfort zone. You may find that there’s food that you like, you might find that there’s a piece of their culture that you can resonate with.”

12 | Feb. 8, 2024

SPORTS

www.thesunflower.com

UPCOMING EVENTS GET TO KNOW YOUR STUDENT ADVOCATES THURSDAY, FEB. 8 6 - 8 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

Harlond Beverly celebrates with his teammates following their win against UTSA.

Joy Ighovodja runs past the UTSA defense during the second half on Feb. 7.

Colby Rogers passes the ball to teammate Kenny Pohto during the first half on Feb. 7.

STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

THURSDAY, FEB. 8 - FRIDAY, FEB. 9 7:30 p.m. | Heskett Center

LUNAR NEW YEAR - YEAR OF THE DRAGON

FRIDAY, FEB. 9 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

POETRY AND CHILL

FRIDAY, FEB. 9 6 - 8 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

WSU OPERA THEATER PRESENTS ‘’OPERA SCENES AND SONGS’ FRIDAY, FEB. 9 7:30 - 9 p.m. | Wiedemann Hall

SHOCKERS AFTER DARK

FRIDAY, FEB. 9 8 - 10 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDENT MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION ELEMENTARY PIANO FESTIVAL SATURDAY, FEB. 10 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Duerksen Fine Arts Center

WU’S BIG EVENT

SATURDAY, FEB. 10 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

Quincy Ballard jumps for the starting tip off of the Feb. 7 match. Wichita State defeated UTSA, 84-64. | Photos by Kristy Mace / The Sunflower

Men’s basketball runs away with win vs UTSA

BY JACOB UNRUH

assistantsports@thesunflower.com

L

ike its prior two games against Tulsa and Memphis, the Wichita State men’s basketball team built a double-digit lead over the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) on Wednesday night.

Unlike in recent history, the Shockers ran away with the win in Charles Koch Arena, 84-64.

Wichita State is now 10-13 this season and 2-8 in the American Athletic Conference. UTSA is now 2-8 in the conference as well.

The home team opened the game by playing through junior center Quincy Ballard, who scored the first four points of the night for the Shockers.

Wichita State made its first eight shots, taking control of the game from the outset.

As the first half progressed, redshirt junior guard Colby Rogers electrified the home crowd. He capped off an 11-2 run with a dunk that opened the Wichita State lead to 15-7 and created the loudest fan reaction of the night.

At the 10-minute mark of the first half, Rogers drained a 3-pointer in transition to give the Shockers a 29-12 lead and hit the “ice in my veins” pose as the Roadrunners took a timeout.

The end of the first half cemented the good vibes for the Shockers heading to the locker room. Junior forward Ronnie DeGray III blocked a UTSA shot with 20 seconds left, redshirt junior guard Harlond Beverly capitalized on the other end with a layup to make the lead 46-24 and UTSA then fumbled the ball out of bounds.

Wichita State completed two alley-oops in the first three minutes of the second half to establish the tone for the remainder of the game. The Roadrunners never

cut the Shocker lead below 16 points.

UTSA shot 32% in the first half as Wichita State played composed basketball on both ends of the floor and controlled the game. The Shockers turned the ball over only eight times and hit all 15 of its free throws.

Head coach Paul Mills said Wichita State played more “mature basketball” in the game, after playing “immature basketball” earlier in the season.

“What I didn’t see were players being content,” Mills said. “We’ve been able to play teams close, but playing close ain’t getting it done … I thought the intensity required in order to win a game, specifically defensively, was better.”

The Wichita State guards got to the rim at will against the UTSA defense. Rogers finished the game with 18 points, and Beverly scored 16, with six rebounds and five assists.

Ballard was omnipresent in his 16 minutes of game time, blocking three shots, nabbing six rebounds and scoring 11 points. Mills said Ballard altered “about a half-dozen shots” in the game.

“When they see that jersey, and they see that length … that’s not a matchup that’s probably advantageous for those guards,” Mills said. “So his presence alone will make players do things that may be out of their regular norm.”

Rogers said the team’s “sacrifice” and effort in practice is paying off to close out games.

“We have gone through so much adversity,” Rogers said. “We’re not going to do all of this for nothing. So you got to … keep fighting and kind of have determination like we’re going to get over the hump …

Today was a good step in that direction.”

Next up, the Shockers host #20 Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Feb. 11. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDENT MUSIC TEACHERS ASSOCIATION ELEMENTARY PIANO FESTIVAL SUNDAY, FEB. 11 Noon - 5 p.m. | Duerksen Fine Arts Center

WATKINS VISITING PROFESSOR SERIES: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES MONDAY, FEB. 12 4 - 5 p.m. | Hubbard Hall

’I LOVE SAC’ CUSTOM PILLOWS

TUESDAY, FEB. 13 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

SHARE THE LOVE

TUESDAY, FEB. 13 11 a.m. | Rhatigan Student Center Colby Rogers dunks the ball during the Feb. 7 game against UTSA, his first dunk of the season.

WOMEN OF WSU: BINGO FUNDRAISER

TUESDAY, FEB. 13 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center

SEAL GRADUATE ASSISTANT INFORMATIONAL TUESDAY, FEB. 13 4 - 6 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center Bijan Cortes prepares to pass the ball to a teammate during the second half Wednesday night.

WATKINS VISITING PROFESSOR SERIES: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES TUESDAY, FEB. 13 4 - 5 p.m. | Hubbard Hall

WSU CHEERLEADING BAKE SALE WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Rhatigan Student Center Harlond Beverly dunks the ball against UTSA on Feb. 7.

LOVE WINS CELEBRATION WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 3 - 5 p.m. | Ulrich Museum

WEDNESDAYS AT THE DINER

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 14 5 - 8 p.m. | The Lord’s Diner - Broadway

HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED? The Shockers cheer from the sideline following a 3-pointer by freshman Joy Ighovodja.

Dalen Ridgnal dances following the Wichita State win over UTSA, 84-64.

The Shockers stand together as they watch teammate Colby Rodgers shoot two shots at the free throw line.

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