Issuu

NEWS | 2

SPORTS | 3

OPINION | 6

ADVOCATE

DENMARK

MASK UP

WSU’s Student Government Association takes a stand against Kansas Senate Bill.

Golfer from Denmark shares his story of how he made WSU his home.

Opinion Editor Audrey Korte talks about Americans’ habit to politicize mask ordinances.

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 MONDAY

Volume 125

www.thesunflower.com

March 29, 2021

Issue 21

COURTESY OF TRAVIS WASHINGTON

Travis Washington started a petition to change the way we hold law enforcement accountable for the shootings of unarmed indidicuals. To date, the petition, called the Hands Up Act, has 2.7 million supporters.

Student starts petition to get law enforcement who shoot unarmed persons a mandatory sentence BY AUDREY KORTE opinion@thesunflower.com / @akorteshares

In December 2018, Travis Washington created the ‘Hands Up Act,’ a policy that would require police officers who shoot unarmed citizens to serve a mandatory 15-year- sentence. As of today, Washington’s petition has 2,738,750 signatures. Washington joined the Wichita State community in January after receiving both a B.A and M.A. from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He came to WSU to receive his teaching certification

before beginning a position teaching sixth-grade math. “I was listening to a speech by Dr. (Martin Luther) King Jr. about how he woke up one morning, and he was receiving death threats from white supremacists saying they were going to blow up his house and hurt his children,” Washington said. “And he sat down, and he prayed, and he said ‘Lord, I am trying to do what is right. Give me a presence, give me a feeling to know what is right.’ Washington said he felt this presence in his stomach and all around him, saying he should fight

“[Publishing the petition] was a spiritual experience that’s hard to describe.” TRAVIS WASHINGTON Wichita State Student

on. “That’s why I published the petition,” Washington said. “It was a spiritual experience that’s hard to describe.” After demonstrations took hold

across the nation and the world in the summer of 2020, Washington’s petition garnered more attention. It hit a million signatures than two million signatures and is now closing in on 3 million signatures. But are signatures and attention enough? Will that translate to legislation? Washington is hopeful but not convinced. “People will put you on TV. They will give you a platform, but that does not mean that they support you,” he said. “I’ve had six Governor’s call me, and they did not pursue me. We have to keep

this pressure up. There have been so many names that we can just move onto the next name instead of having accountability.”

WHAT WOULD ACCOUNTABILITY LOOK LIKE? “I said this in my Ted Talk — by punishing somebody,” he said. “If we hear cops using racial slurs or see them beat somebody, what’s the punishment?” Washington said for him, accountability means making sure that the individual is held SEE WASHINGTON PAGE 5

Office for Student Money Management provides free financial assistance to students BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

While earning a degree is hard enough on its own, college brings along many other stressors— many of them being financial. Following a budget or filling out taxes are just some of the things that the Office for Student Money Management offers to teach students about for free. “We help students become financially literate, which is especially important in college to not go into massive debt. We also help them throughout college with budgeting their finances,” Hannah Hoopes, office manager of OSMM said. Some of the services offered to students through OSMM include helping students file taxes for free and creating weekly budget sheets or budget sheets to graduate college with less debt. The office also helps students with building credit, locating external financial education resources, saving money for a goal, or counseling any student who is struggling financially. For questions about existing scholarships and tuition bills,

OSMM sends those students to the financial aid office. “College is already pretty stressful without finances, so with finances it becomes more stressful,” Hoopes said. “We want to help them make smart decisions so they are not spending all of their money. If they have loans or a bad credit score we want to ease their stress and get them prepared for after college.” OSMM also designed a free two-credit hour course located on Blackboard called “Financial Wellness and Money Management.” The course teaches students about first steps in a financial journey, a chance to reflect on their own finances, and additional financial resources in the community. “Essentially, it is designed to make you more financially literate,” Hoopes said. “You can complete it whenever you have extra time. A lot of first year seminar professors are requiring it of their students. It shows us where you are at in your finances and gives you a good realization.” OSMM had to move their appointments online instead of in person due to the pandemic.

/ The Sunflower

@sunflowernews

ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Hoopes said that they are hoping to have a physical location in the RSC in the near future. “Before COVID-19, we were planning on getting a Rhatigan Student Center room and just letting students walk in and helping students with their taxes,” Hoopes said. “We would be able to help @thesunflowernews

multiple students at a time. We are trying to expand more on campus and reach a bigger audience.” Hoopes said students are always grateful for the help that they get from OSMM, and feel a sense of relief when they are able to fix their financial stressors. “A lot of times when we are able

to help students you can instantly see them take a breath of fresh air and say, ‘Ok, I’m done with that’ so I think they feel a weight lifted off their shoulders,” Hoopes said. If students are interested in scheduling an appointment with OSMM, they can email OSMM@ wichita.edu.

2 | MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021

NEWS

Students call for resignation of SGA senator over support of controversial public figure BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

Student Government Association Senator Olivia Gallegos is facing backlash over a social media post supporting Republican Morgan Zegers, founder of the Young Americans Against Socialism organization and a contributor to the right-wing publication Turning Point USA. In honor of Women’s History Month, three members of SGA’s Diversity, Empowerment and Inclusion committee selected one woman each to highlight in a social media post. Along with Zegers, the post highlighted Janet Jackson and Shoshana Zuboff. After the backlash, Zegers responded to the Twitter post, thanking Gallegos for including her and calling out students who were standing up against the post. “Please don’t let people with communist hammer and sickle sign in their bio convince you that I’m evil just because I’m an average conservative,” Zegers said. Gallegos said that her decision to highlight Zegers was made after conversations regarding a need for a conservative to be included in the post. “The Diversity, Empowerment, and Inclusion committee of the Wichita State SGA asked each member to submit a global woman to highlight for Women’s History Month. It was discussed by other members of the committee that a conservative woman be highlighted,” Gallegos said in an email sent to The Sunflower. “Knowing this, I chose to highlight Morgan Zegers and followed the

instructions set forth to do so. My selection and bio on her was approved as it ended up being posted on social media. “Since the post on Wednesday, I have received an email requesting I resign from my position as senator and member of the DEI committee, as well as backlash from fellow senators in and out of my committee.” SGA’s Director of Public Relations David Garcia spoke in a public forum during Wednesday’s meeting to address social media’s role in the situation. “The SGA social media accounts are for all members of the association, whether individuals agree or not,” he said. “We support the right for all senators to state their opinions and share their points of view as duly elected members of the senate. “Only statements coming from elected head of the branches or association resolutions are recognized as formal stances of the association as a whole.” Multiple senators voiced their opinions regarding the situation during the remarks and announcements portion of the meeting. Senator Calvin Pomeroy said that as a member of the committee that was involved in the post, he was disappointed to see who was highlighted. “I was personally very frustrated to see the inclusion of Morgan Zegers in our women’s history month celebration,” Pomeroy said. “Her organization Turning Point USA has multiple documented instances where a leader or organizer was outed as a white supremisists.”

In 2019, a leaked video showed a college chapter leader of Turning Point USA shouting “white power” and other offensive phrases. Shortly after, the organization fired the individual and released a statement condemning his actions. Several other employees of Turning Point USA have also been called out for racist comments, Huffpost reported. “I believe every action should be taken to delete this post and remove any person from this organization who actively supports this belief,” Pomeroy said. Senator Aaron Mounts shamed the association — stating that by highlighting Zegers, the association was giving a spotlight to white supremacism. “White supremacy is an awful and prevalent thing in our society and the fact that this organization went out of their way to promote someone who is an advocate for homophobia .. and white supremacy is shocking to me,” Mounts said. “I can’t believe the organization has let itself come to this point.” Mounts said if he did not see a resignation from the senator by 5 p.m. Friday, he would submit a letter to the senate review board, citing that the senator broke the association’s code of ethics. SGA Advisor Gabriel Fonseca joined the conversation, urging the senators to welcome different opinions and conversations. “This space has to be a space that promotes the ability and the opportunity for different minded people to be able to be able to engage in discussion and debate on policy that impacts and affects

Student leaders advocate against bill that would ban trans women from competing in women’s sports BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_ KSmith

Kansas Senate Bill 208, which would ban trans women from competing in women’s sports, has caught a lot of attention from both ends of the political spectrum. Student Body President Rija Khan said she has heard both sides of the argument from members of the student body, but that didn’t change her stance. “It’s been a mixed response,” Khan said. “There are people who are for some reason strongly in favor of this bill and there are people against it … At the end of the day, taking away the political side of things and everything else, this bill is doing one thing: it is taking away rights from transgender women. “I respect everyone’s opinion about this issue, but at the end of the day we are not going to be the state that will take away people’s rights.”

In response, the Student Government Association released a statement yesterday on social media taking a public stance against the proposed bill. “All students deserve fair and safe treatment at their schools, regardless of gender expression,” the SGA statement said. “For this reason, and many others, the Wichita State Student Government Association voted unanimously to stand in opposition of Kansas Senate Bill 208.” Khan said that the statement was one of the steps SGA took to advocate against the bill. “When it comes to the state legislature, student governments can only do so much,” Khan said. “Even with that little amount of things we can do, there are things we can do, need to do, and are doing.” Khan said not only is SGA as a whole taking a stance, but they are also pushing members of SGA to individually advocate.

The Sunflower, founded in 1896, is the student-run newspaper covering Wichita State University. The print edition is published Monday during the fall and spring semesters. The staff publishes daily online at www.thesunflower.com.

MISSION The Sunflower — both in print and online — will be a timely resource of information about the Wichita State University community. It will report on news, issues, activities, academics and athletics, in addition to offering a forum for discussion, reviews and commentary. It will also be an effective learning experience for students, who will have the final authority over what is published.

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association. The Sunflower is a member of Kansas Collegiate Media, the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association. Copyright © 2021 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

“We have told our student government that if you believe strongly about this, please go ahead and email your representatives as individuals to make sure they are hearing from their public,” Khan said. Khan said that any bill directly taking away rights from one specific group of persons should be fought against. “[The bill] is overtly transphobic legislation, unduly targeting transgender athletes in the state of Kansas,” the SGA statement said. Khan said the bill takes away the basic rights of individuals and goes against what Wichita State strives to be. “If they want to identify as whatever, that is their choice, not the state legislature’s,” Khan said. “At the end of the day, if they want to play men’s sports or women’s sports that’s their choice. “At Wichita State, we believe in inclusive excellence … This bill is not going to be inclusive.”

SCREENSHOT

A Student Senator has faced backlash over decision to highlight public figure Morgan Zegers in an SGA women’s history month social media post.

students on a day to day balance,” Fonseca said. “What’s hard about it is balancing our personal thought and personal values to the creation of what this body was intended for 109 years ago. “We have to remember that whatever your peers and my students are saying on social media, it is not a place for us to undervalue that perspective and that opinion.” Fonseca said that in order to represent the entire student body, SGA had to listen to all sides of issues and welcome healthy debates and conversations. “For the success of this association to be successful … we have to understand that we can have different opinions, we can have

different thoughts, we can have different beliefs,” he said. “This is a space where we have to welcome the opinions and thoughts of other people whether we agree with them or not.” Senator Ella Ihrig argued that discussing it during the meeting would not lead to anywhere productive, and encouraged the senators to make their statements and opinions known elsewhere. “[It is better if we] just let this be, we have had our official stances and we are all free to make our personal stances elsewhere, I just don’t think bickering about whether this is a good idea back and forth or not is productive,” she said.

Students discuss safety concerns during university police listening session BY ELENA KUCKELMAN elena@email.com

Wichita State students discussed issues regarding the University Police Department during a listening session on Wednesday evening. The discussion was put on by the Student Government Association and was open to all students, offering them a chance to voice any questions, comments, or concerns they had concerning campus police. The first topic that was discussed involved the way campus police handles their communications. One student raised their concerns after filing a police report and then losing contact with campus police until one month later. The discussion then moved on to the campus police department’s

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

COPY EDITOR Julia Nightengale copyeditor@thesunflower.com

OPINION EDITOR Audrey Korte opinion@thesunflower.com

DIGITAL PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

PRINT PHOTO EDITOR Kaylee Stout photos@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Tabitha Barr arts@thesunfower.com

PODCAST DIRECTOR Audrey Korte podcast@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

ADVERTISING MANAGER Noah Merrell admanager@thesunflower.com

handling of racial and diversity issues. SGA Treasurer Zachary James raised the question as to why multiple police cars are present on a simple traffic stop on campus. He said this situation can put people more on edge, especially people of color. “Things like that are kind of hurting or not helping them actually, when it comes to the engagement with communities of color and how safe we feel on campus,” James said. SGA Senator Grant Day then brought up the involvement that campus police have with the mental health response system at WSU. “Cops are not mental health professionals. They’re not trained as mental health professionals,” Day said. It was also pointed

out that the innovation campus does not have enough blue emergency lights in place. As a common walking area, the group expressed concerns about the safety problems that could arise from this. The last issue discussed was the increase in visitors on campus with the addition of the Steve Clark YMCA and the businesses at Braeburn Square. SGA Senator Ambrosia NaramoreWinfrey suggested creating a system to report instances to campus police that involve a visitor on campus not following safety guidelines. “With the pandemic slowing down slowly but surely as well, that will become more of a problem in the Fall,” Day said.

Lindsay Smith: 316-978-6905 editor@thesunflower.com ADVERTISING

Noah Merrell: 316-978-6906 admanager@thesunflower.com

Corrections

The Sunflower is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in any of its publications, please email the editor at editor@thesunflower.com immediately.

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MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 | 3

Sports

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

Marcus Wochner finds new home at Wichita State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

Marcus Wochner has quickly found a home at Wichita State, despite being almost 5,000 miles away from his hometown of Holte, Denmark. Wochner originally made the defection to the United States two years when he decided to continue his golf career at Odessa Community College in Texas. Wochner has adjusted to the new culture, which he said has been a difficult transition. “It’s been very different, especially the culture,” Wochner said. “The most different thing has been mostly everything basically.” Wochner said he tries to stay in touch with his family daily. “It’s not too bad,” Wochner said. “I’ve been kind of used to it now that it’s my third year in the U.S. and they’re used to it too.” During his time at Odessa CC, Wochner caught the attention of Wichita State Head Coach Judd Easterling at the Herb Wimberly Invitational in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They both kept in contact and ultimately Wochner signed to play golf at WSU in November. Wochner said that Easterling’s ability to help him reach his full potential was crucial in his decision. “They wanted to show me

“It’s been very different, especially the culture. The most different thing has been mostly everything basically.” MARCUS WOCHNER Junior

off and give me the right kind of opportunities to get my full potential out,” Wochner said. “That’s why I kind of felt that especially Judd would do all this and try to get us going and get our full potential out. That was the biggest game changer for me.” Wochner finished in a tie for eighth place, helping lead the team to the Grand Canyon University Invitational title, in his first tournament as a Shocker. Wochner, like many of his teammates, was finally able to get back on the course after last season’s premature ending due to COVID-19. “The last nine holes I could get that nervous feeling, you’re playing a tournament now, you’ve got to get yourself up and now it’s counting,” Wochner said. “That feeling wasn’t new because I’ve played tournaments before but it’s getting that

feeling again, it’s actually counting now.” Wochner followed up his eighth place finish in the first tournament with a better performance the following week. At the Twin Oaks Intercollegiate in Springfield, Missouri, Wochner finished in sole possession of a third place, leading the Shockers to a runner-up finish at the event. Wochner was awarded as the American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Week based on that performance. He became the first Shocker to win that award since the university joined the conference in 2017. “I didn’t really feel that I played my best golf but it just all came together. I made a good shot here and there and made up for some of the bad shots. I’m learning so much from the past two tournaments from how to score, what to think, what to feel. Basically, it’s very nice to be in competition again.” Head Coach Judd Easterling said that Wochner’s performance in these two tournaments has exceeded his expectations for him. “I really knew he was going to come out and have an immediate impact,” Easterling said. “He’s really come in beyond our expectations. He’s come in, worked hard, pushed a lot of our players that have been here for a couple

COURTESY OF MARCUS WRIGHT / WSU ATHLETICS

Easterling said that as long as Wochner continues to work on his craft and listen to the coaching staff, he’ll have a chance to play on the professional level. “If he continues to do what we expect and what we ask of him and continue to put in the same amount of work that he’s doing now, he’s got all the chances of playing golf professionally,” Easterling said. “He’s got everything that those guys you see on TV have already. He just needs to continue to develop and get better. He’s going to have a great career at Wichita State.” Wochner and the Shockers will next be in action on Sunday during the three-day Hootie at Bulls Bay tournament.

of years. He’s just a good guy to have on the team, for the culture and environment. He’s just a really good teammate.” Throughout this offseason, Wochner and his mental coach talked about one simple question. ‘Why do you play golf?’ The answer was simple. “I play golf because it’s fun.” Wochner said that this mindset has paid dividends in his early season success. “I don’t want to be overfocused on the golf course but I’d rather have fun and just play golf. Either you hit a good or a bad bad shot so why not get it over with quicker instead of thinking about a whole lot. Just hit the shot, it’s either a good one or a bad one. Basically, just have fun with it. That’s the biggest difference I’ve had over the last three weeks.”

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN/ THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State sophomore Sydney McKinney celebrates after hitting a home-run during the game against ECU at Wilkins Stadium on Mar. 28, 2021.

Softball picks up series victory in conference opener

Three Shockers enter the transfer portal

BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

Wichita State started off their first conference series with a series victory against East Carolina at Wilkins Stadium. With the victory, the Shockers’ record sits at 20-5. On Friday, Wichita State defeated the Pirates, 16-1, and led consistently throughout. The Shockers started off with four runs scored in the bottom of the first. Junior designated hitter Neleigh Herring hit a home run straight to center field. With her home run, Herring also got a four-run shot with the bases loaded. In the second inning, senior catcher Madison Perrigan, and senior center fielder Bailee Nickerson both scored runs. In the bottom of the third, runs were scored on a bases-loaded walk from Perrrigan and a two-run double from senior third baseman Ryleigh Buck. ECU scored a run at the top of the 4th. However, the Shockers came back and scored 6 more runs in the bottom of the 4th. The

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State junior Craig Porter Jr. looks to drive during the game against USF at Dickies Arena on Mar. 12.

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Bailey Lange pitches during the game against ECU at Wilkins Stadium on Mar. 28, 2021.

rest of the runs scored came from a two-run double from Perrigan, an RBI single form Herring, and a two-run double from Nickerson. Senior pitcher Bailey Lange gave up one hit and one run, and senior pitcher Hailey Martinez closed the game out. On Saturday, the Shockers started out hot again with 4 runs scored in the bottom of the 1st. Herring hit a single with the bases loaded. The rest of the runs scored came from McKinney’s RBI, and a double from Buck. In the top of the third, ECU responded by scoring two runs,

including a home run. In the bottom of the 4th, the shockers scored another run from senior second baseman Kaylee Huecker. ECU took the lead by scoring two more runs in the top of the 5th, making the score 5-4. The Shockers took the lead again at the bottom of the 5th with two runs scored from freshman Jessica Garcia and McKinney, giving them a 7-4 victory.Junior pitcher Erin McDonald had ten strikeouts, and allowed only four runs on seven hits in the win.

Three Wichita State men’s basketball players have now entered the transfer portal, following the conclusion of their season. Craig Porter Jr. is the most recent Shocker to enter the portal this year, following the steps of Trevin Wade and Remy Robert II. Porter averaged 2.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this season. Porter arrived at WSU during the offseason after two years at the junior college level. Porter, a Terre Heute, Indiana native, got to play in his home state last week during the NCAA Tournament. Porter said that it was an exciting moment for him and his family. “It’s really exciting, especially being able to have my family, a lot of my family, come out and support us as we get to play in this tournament,” Porter said. “It’s a

lot different now with COVID and everything, but it’s definitely very exciting just to be able to have it here in Indiana.” Trevin Wade joined his older brother Trey on the roster after spending the last two seasons at the junior college level. Wade averaged 2.1 points per game and shot 36.8% from the field. Wade averaged 17.6 points and 4.5 assists per game in 32 games played at Georgia Highlands prior to his arrival at WSU. Remy Robert II arrived at WSU this year after playing in two seasons at the State College of Florida. Robert played a total of five minutes with the Shockers, but failed to get in the scoring column. WSU has zero point guards left on the roster currently. Redshirt senior Alterique Gilbert has not announced his decision to return after receiving an extra year of eligibility.

4 | MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021

SPORTS

TRACK AND FIELD Shockers return to the outdoor season after 684 day wait

PHOTOS BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Top: Wichita State graduate, Shania Vannoster leaps in high jump event during a track meet at Cessna Stadium on March 27. Left: Wichita State’s Nerea Quiros sprints to leap in a long jump event during a track meet at Cessna Stadium on March 27. Right: Wichita State’s Maria Romero lands on the sand in long jump event during a track meet at Cessna Stadium on March 27.

Shockers look ahead to bright future after 9-8 season Baseball picks up second series sweep of the season

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

Despite a rocky season for Chris Lamb’s Wichita State volleyball team, things are looking up for next season and beyond. After starting off the season on an eight-game winnings streak, the Shockers struggled down the stretch, finishing with a 9-8 record. WSU’s season was in doubt throughout the offseason, following the postponement in the fall. “Coaches are saying a million different things but we’ve had it a lot better than other people I know,” Lamb said. “We got to play 17 matches, I know people that didn’t play any, I know people that didn’t play hardly at all. Even though we lost a few down the stretch, I thought we were playing our best volleyball.” The Shockers ended the season with a split against division-leader Houston. On Friday, WSU picked up a victory against the Cougars in four sets, while also handing Houston their first loss in conference play. Sophomore Kayce Litzau said that even with the disappointing finish, this season can be viewed as a positive one. “It shows the potential that we can play at,” Litzau said. “We never stopped fighting. I think it’s eye-opening for everyone on our team to realize that if we keep working hard and keep buying into the system, we are going to be so good.” During the team’s 8-0 start, WSU’s pin attackers led the way to the team’s success, but faltered late in the season. Lamb said that their opponents made adjustments which was a key reason to their struggles. “Something that reared its

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

ugly head here down the stretch is ‘Where’s scoring going to come from on the pins?’” Lamb said. “During that seven-game losing streak, when the middles weren’t scoring, we were in trouble.” WSU ultimately fell in the second match of the weekend to the Cougars in three sets by scores of 25-21, 25-23, 25-18. Lamb said that the Shockers have done well according to the statistics but have struggled to translate that into victories. WSU struggled in particular with closing out matches, losing three matches after leading 2-0 or 2-1. “What Houston’s good at it is winning,” Lamb said. “When you out-hit teams, you out-dig teams, you out-assist teams and you don’t win, like Memphis here, like Tulane there . . . I’m glad of the production, but what about all these crazy little errors that occur? Those are all worth points. When those go away, we will be on the good side of 22-25, not on the bad side.” One of the bright spots in the final games was the performance of freshman Natalie Foster. Against Kansas hit .385 along

SEAN MARTY/THE SUNFLOWER

Top: Wichita State celebrates after snapping its seven-match losing streak during WSU’s match against Houston on March 26 inside Charles Koch Arena. Bottom: Sophomore Kayce Litzau sets the ball in WSU’s game against Houston on March 26 inside Charles Koch Arena.

with seven. Foster also collected a career-high 17 kills in WSU’s victory over Houston. “Natalie Foster has great arm talent,” Lamb said. “And she wants to be good. When she gets stronger, and a little more experience as a blocker, we probably have a four-year starter. Way ahead of schedule.” Freshman outside hitters Morgan Weber and Mariah Buss both made an impact this season. Weber collected a career-high

18 digs on Friday while Buss collected six kills across the weekend series with the Cougars. Freshman Morgan Stout sat out the spring with an injury but Lamb has high expectations for Stout upon her return. “She’s the most talented, by position, of any of the freshmen,” Lamb said. “I would like to say in a year or two there’s nothing on the volleyball court she shouldn’t be able to do – she’s just that fast, she’s just that physical.”

Wichita State picked up its second series sweep of the season, this weekend, winning all three games against on Omaha. The Shockers defeated the Mavericks 14-5 in game one of the series on Friday. The Shockers launched five home runs in the victory, with junior Paxton Wallace leading the way with two homers. The five homers from the Shockers marked the most in a game for WSU since it went deep five times against South Florida in 2018. Liam Eddy picked up the victory after allowing four earned runs in seven innings pitched. WSU continued its winning ways on Saturday, defeating Omaha 9-0. Senor Preston Snavely led the charge on the mound after delivering 7.1 scoreless innings. LJ McDonaugh helped complete the shutout out the bullpen, tallying 1.2 scoreless innings pitched. On the offensive side, Wallace, Garrtett Kocis and Corrigan Bartlett all drove in a team-best two runs. In the final game of the series, the Shockers picked up the sweep with an 11-1 victory. All nine starters recrorded a hit in the win, with four players recording a team-best two RBIs. Spencer Hynes picked up the victory for WSU as he pitched five innings while only surrending one earned run. Hynes also struck out seven Mavericks and only allowed one hit. Next up, the Shockers will start conference play with eight games against the Houston Cougars. The series will start on Thursday in Houston with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021 | 5

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Arts & Entertainment

HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Tabitha Barr arts@thesunflower.com

Music education major notes her passion for teaching music BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com

For Amira Coleman, a senior double majoring in music education with an emphasis on special COLEMAN education and vocal performance, COVID-19 has only made her more passionate and appreciative of the power of music. “Not gonna lie, Wichita State University was my backup school . . . I’ve always been a musician, I’ve always loved music, but they say to not go into performance because you’re not always going to have a career in that. I got the best scholarships and offers here so I decided to stay because I have family in Wichita, I know the city and I have roots here,” Coleman said. Coleman’s education, like many other students, was impacted by COVID-19 and completely

changed the way her senior year looked. Coleman said that she misses the feeling of performing music for an audience. “Sometimes I feel my body vibrating with the sound of the music when performing, and that’s just not something I have felt in over a year and it’s depressing,” Coleman said. Instead of practicing teaching skills on real students, education major students had to practice their skills on each other. Many music performances were also cancelled, and performances via livestream just weren’t the same. “Being in choir is all about making music together, so with COVID-19 regulations it was depressing. The community aspect was totally gone and performing was totally gone. It’s just not the same, and I missed out on the community and the physical being around other people and making music together,” Coleman said. Coleman said she is excited for the future when she will be

in a real classroom and be able to implement the skills that she learned in college. She is looking forward to being able to share her passion for music with the younger generation. “I just want to make sure that the next generation has as much love for music and art as my generation does. I’m excited to get paid to do the thing I love instead of paying to do what I love,” Coleman said. She said that COVID-19 has shown her how people crave art and how important it is for people in different ways. “After this pandemic, we can see that people rely on the arts more than anything else to have a creative outlet, find news ways to express themselves, and keep themselves busy and happy. I’ve just seen so many stories and testimonials about people picking up their instrument or singing again because there is nothing to do in quarantine,” Coleman said. Coleman said that she believes

ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

teaching and funding the arts in K-12 schools is more important than ever before. “Teaching music starts in kindergarten, it starts at home, but it’s up to musicians to keep the love of music cultivated in younger generations. I think music makes everything better, it makes society better, it makes humans better people. I think music is a way to

teach compassion,” Coleman said. For the future, Coleman plans to finish student teaching in the fall and start applying to grad schools for opera performance. She is hoping to be a substitute teacher or get a teaching contract in the spring. Coleman grew up in Liberal, Kansas and hopes to be accepted to a graduate school in a larger city.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Marvels audiences BY TABITHA BARR arts@thesunflower.com / @tabbyjanelle

As a Marvel stan myself, I have been waiting for the falcon and winter soldier pair for too long and I’m so happy it’s finally here. Bucky and Sam and finally together and it makes my giddy heart so happy. In the first episode, I didn’t know what to expect because you never know where in the timeline of Marvel we are, but I was not disappointed. It starts with Sam, Falcon, and his missions. We find out about the Flag-Smashers, who are a terrorist organization who want the world to go back to the way it was during the blip. We then see Bucky, The Winter

Soldier, going to therapy. Which hallelujah, finally a hero going to therapy. We know that Bucky has had it harder than most, so I wasn’t surprised to see the relationship he had with his therapist. Part irritated and part caring puts Bucky in his place. We then see them individually living their lives, Bucky trying to correct the wrongs that he has made, and Sam trying to help out his sister and her family financially. However, the ending had everyone talking. The government always seems to have plans up their sleeves and this is no exception. It is broadcasted live that there is a “new” Captain America. From the crazy ending of

episode one, episode two immediately answers questions that audiences had. We are shown John Walker, who is now the new Captain America, and his story of how he got the position he has now. It’s one that’s interesting but simple. After the announcement of Captain America coming back, Bucky and Sam have doubts obviously and Bucky goes to tell Sam that. That’s when they go on their first mission together in the series, and it does not go as planned. They get their butts kicked and semi-saved from the new Captain America and his team. Event after event, it seems as though the two have run out of luck. They make a decision at the end that left

WASHINGTON FROM PAGE 1 realize that they don’t want money. They want justice. “Money can never replace a life,” he said. NPR reports that since 2015, police officers have fatally shot at least 135 unarmed Black men and women nationwide. NPR reviewed police, court, and other records to examine the details of the cases. At least 75% of the officers were white. In the last year, the United States has seen protests in every major city and the Black Lives Matter movement nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. “We’re getting there because every day is the moment,” Washington said. “All it takes is for one more person to be murdered in front of our eyes for us to start protesting again.” Washington said he feels that what’s holding the movement back a little bit is COVID-19. “When I gave my speech in front of the Wisconsin capital, I wore two masks. When I gave my speech in Chicago in front of 5,000 people, the presence was there,” he said. What needs to happen now, Washington said, is passing the Hands Up Act. It will confirm that change is happening, he said.

WORTHY PURSUITS

As for personal validation, Washington has had some great moments in this pursuit which have given him the strength to keep going. “Meeting Michael Brown’s

mother, Lesley McSpadden and meeting Tamir Rice’s mother. That did it for me,” Washington said. “Antwon Rose’s mother signing my petition — I remember her saying ‘thank you for never giving up.’ When he graduated with his Master’s degree, Washington carried Antwon Rose’s picture across the stage with him. He said when those three mothers gave him their blessing, that was all he needed. He has since gotten Breonna Taylor’s mother and Jacob Blake’s father to sign the petition as well. “This was before I had a million signatures, and at the time, their support was everything,” Washington said. “The senators — it really doesn’t matter—the mothers who felt the pain that means more to me than anything else. Nobody can tell me that I’m wrong. They confirmed it,” he said. The last year has seen the petition grow by leaps and bounds. At the start of 2020, Washington’s Hands Up Act petition had 410,00 signatures. He then gave a Ted Talk in Carbondale, Il about the proposal. But the Ted Talk took a few months before it was posted. It wasn’t until George Floyd was murdered that the numbers boosted, Washington said. He got a million new signatures in one week. Then local news agencies started to pick up the story. Washington was happy

with that but said he was more excited when these media outlets began showing and sharing the petition on their websites. “When a conservative local news organization posted the petition, and then I got invited out to Chicago to speak in front of a crowd of 5,000 people, it was like ‘whoa.’” He said he feels like the process was moving, but then COVID got the best of it. Like many things. So what keeps him motivated? “It can be me at any moment,” he said. “It can be my brother. It can be my best friend. It can be my fiancé. It can be anybody.” he said. “If somebody wants to do you harm, they will do you harm because they are not punished.” “When I am in this situation, I think about that homeless person that could be me. I think about those one thousand black men who had guns planted on them in Dawson, Alabama. I think about Mrs. Matthews — my academic advisor, Mr. Banks, my granny, and Father Brown, who grew up in times where they said ‘Black people are not wanted.’ I think about Frederick Douglass. I think about Nelson Mandela. I think about Kofi Annan. Ida. B. Wells. I think about those individuals who sacrificed. That’s why I don’t feel any pressure. I don’t feel any pressure at all.”

me screaming at them. Bucky is going to see Zemo, the guy that started the Civil War between the Avengers. Let’s talk about Bucky. This bucky is actually being himself and not in battle all of the time. I love seeing him in the actual world and seeing his mind work. I read so much fanfiction about him and Steve that this is so weird yet enjoyable to see him living and thinking for himself, by himself. We see Bucky facing his trauma and it’s something that Marvel heroes haven’t done much before. Moving on to the Falcon, we have never actually seen Sam as a character by himself and it’s fantastic that we finally get to. We

see his family, the problems that the blip created and his way of thinking after Steve left. I appreciate the show having real world problems but it’s sad that it’s still happening in this timeline. Racism in the system was shown when Sam was being interrogated by the cops while Bucky was just trying to calm the situation. Racism is sadly still an issue that’s in this timeline. Bucky and Sam are one of the best combos Marvel has created. I love the frenemy relationship between them because it cracks me up. From former movies we’ve seen them work together but always making fun of each other. I love the dynamic and I am excited to see more in episode three.

[TITLE OF SHOW] : IS A MUSICAL INSIDE A MUSICAL BY TABITHA BARR arts@thesunflower.com / @tabbyjanelle

Musicals are usually dramatic, and [Title of Show] is no expectation, or should I say inception. Wichita State University held a virtual musical showing on March 25-28 called [Title of Show]. Based on the book by Hunter Bell, music by Jeff Bowen, and directed by WSU art student, Trevor Seyl. This musical follows the stories of five individuals, all who have separate goals and values. Jeff and Hunter are the two main characters, who want to create a musical in two weeks. They have help from their friends, Susan and Heidi, and are accompanied by Larry, the piano player. Jeff and Hunter want to create a musical in two weeks for a festival and have to fight against the clock. Susan and Heidi are involved in the making, but they of course have other commitments to uphold. [Title of Show] has a simple yet interesting personality. The set was just a stage. The props and set pieces included four wheeling chairs and basic props. It was able to bring you into the world, but also keeping it simple and clean. I think for the topic of the play, the four chairs were perfect for the setting. And the transitions were just music and the sound of wheeling chairs. Larry added a lot of pazazz and comedy to the show and I appreciate him. The relationship between the characters had me laughing and

wanting to be a part of it myself. The show dealt with friendships and the stress they can accumulate. Working with friends can be hard, and this show brought up those problems. The show follows the five in their journey to create a musical and display it on Broadway to become famous. They do eventually get onto Broadway but there are some situations that arise creating rifts between the friends. It’s now about their relationships not only with others, but with themselves. The show overall was funny, intriguing, well paced and kept the audience interested. I liked the weird imaginative parts where they were “flying” because they didn’t know what else to do. The inception of a musical inside a musical is one that many don’t think of, but is impressive to say the least. It grabs the attention of the people and makes it almost impossible to look away. The storyline was so unique that I didn’t want to stop watching. I wanted to see where they were going with it, where they wanted to take it, and where they ended. The way it was pre-filmed was majestic and kept the audience in the show rather than a live and awkward performance where incidents happen. [Title of Show] may have been a musical about a musical, but it definitely made me think about my own goals and achievements. It makes you think.

6 | MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2021

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Opinion Street CAN WICHITA STATE BE MORE DIVERSE?

ELIJAH MAPLES

Junior, communications “I think that Wichita State could be more diverse on all levels. I believe we have a very diverse student body but I think the administration specifically could be more diverse. That is something to keep in mind while looking for a new president.”

ROWEN MAYO

Sophomore, sport management “In my opinion, it could be just like anything else but I think Wichita State is already diverse enough with their student body. We have tons of diversity on campus from Asian, Black, Hispanic, white communities.”

HAVE AN OPINION?

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Audrey Korte opinion@thesunflower.com

The county mask debate demonstrates Americans are experts at politicizing health Audrey Korte Opinion editor

opinion@thesunflower. com

Americans are experts at politicizing health. We do it with health insurance, Medicare and prescription drugs. We do it with just about every facet of mental health and psychology. We do it with sex, pregnancy and reproductive health. We did it with H.I.V./ Aids. We did it with addiction and the War on Drugs. We did it with seatbelts. And about a century ago, we did it with a global pandemic. Cut to 2020 and 2021. We’re still doing it. The same tired arguments circulate, claiming that self-care, empathy and following evidence-based medical science are somehow in conflict with our rights and personal freedoms. That doing what is best for the many must come at the cost of the individual. That it hurts capitalism and business. That doing the intelligent thing treads on your freedom and individuality. It’s such a tired and foreseeable argument that I might find it amusing in another life on a higher plane. But our collective actions have real, devastating effects on our community — including on the almighty individual. It’s not just old people who die from COVID. In the last year, I’ve buried loved ones. Well, actually, I’ve only buried one. The others died and were minimized to a shared obituary and a few care emojis because you can’t gather to mourn and bury loved ones safely in a global pandemic. Before you shamelessly assume that they must have been “old,” please know I’ve known infants, people in their thirties, forties, fifties, sixties and seventies who did not live to see 2021. It’s not just the elderly who die from this virus, and even if it was, even if every single death was someone over the age of 90 would that make their loss any less

important? Just because they aren’t a part of the workforce does not make them meaningless, America. I’ve also survived a pretty severe debacle with COVID-19 myself. I feel strongly that I contracted it in a room full of people who didn’t care about the greater good, who didn’t want to believe in COVID’s seriousness and ‘by golly, they were going to show us all it was a hoax.’ Who paid the price? I did. My family did. My students and teachers did. Rebuilding a life after something like COVID is no laughing matter. But you know what’s worse than that? The fact that I have to live without those friends and family who died this year. We all do. One death is too many. As of Sunday afternoon, there have been at least 303,710 cases and 4,891 deaths in Kansas since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a New York Times database. Cases have decreased over the past two weeks but are still high. The current average daily rate of infection in Kansas is 212. The number of hospitalized Covid patients has also fallen in the Sedgwick County area, but I.C.U. occupancy is still very high. Deaths have decreased. That’s wonderful -- that’s what we’re aiming for. But you know what’s better than the word “decreased”? The word “eradicated”. Until our I.C.U.s have stopped needing to admit people with COVID, until our medical professionals and medical examiners have stopped declaring people dead and our clergy and morticians have stopped planning their funerals, until we have zero new cases in this county I will wear a mask. Because even though I don’t see eye to eye with many of you and I know many of you don’t care about me, I am willing to be an adult and do what is best for the many and the individual. I am willing to make the enormous sacrifice

ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

of sticking a piece of cloth over my face so you don’t die. Even one preventable death is too many. We’ve lost sight of that this year. Here’s where you insert an argument about percentages. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You’re going to tell me that the rate of COVID infection in our county is 2.53%. Or worse you’re going to cite some meme or YouTube video claiming that 0.00001% of people who get COVID die from it. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not (it’s not) because many Americans abandoned truth long ago. Who among you that cite this nonsense have studied data and spent real time analyzing health statistics? Now I don’t claim to be a medical expert. I’ll leave that to you but I have more experience than most with medical information. I’ve also spent the last nine months regularly analyzing and tracking COVID data for my work. And not from one website -- from dozens of websites looking at every trend and factor. We’re not there yet, folks. It’s not over. But you won’t be persuaded. It’s more important to you to walk into a restaurant or store with a bare

face just so you can storm away screaming about liberty and freedom when they refuse you service for showing up unmasked then it is to actually examine your sources, your prejudices and to think about the greater good. The County Mask Mandate Must Remain. Call me a hippie, a snowflake, or whatever you want. I’ve heard it all before as a reporter and columnist. In my mind, if you’re walking around without a mask on in public you are intolerably selfish. To every politician in Sedgwick County and beyond who’s voted to lift the mask mandate I just want to say in a clear and quiet voice: Shame on you. Stop trying to make career moves. Stop trying to fund your reelection campaign. For once this year, can you please just do the right thing? Keep the mask mandate in place until it’s safe — until our medical experts say it’s all clear. You’re politicizing a pandemic. Worst of all, you’re saying to those who died, “we learned nothing from your death” and to those who remain “we care nothing about you.”

ALEX SIMPSON

Sophomore, design and technology theatre “I believe that the university could definitely do better in diversity especially in the sorority community. Right now we are at a pinch point with a lot of diversity issues with things coming ahead such as the attacks on Asian Americans this past week. It needs to be talked more about in sororities more than it already is. ”

VLAD BONDARCHUK

Sophomore, accounting “I think that the university is already doing a great job bringing in diversity of students. At this point, I feel like there could be more activities involved but with the current pandemic situation that would be expected to have less events.”

SUNFLOWER HOT TAKES The Sunflower editorial staff gives their one-sentence opinions.

Lindsay Smith: Elliott Hall’s vending machine needs a re-stock. Sean Marty: Raising Cane’s is the best fast food restaurant. Kaylee Stout: Nice spring weather is just a tease. Tabitha Barr: Scooter’s is better than stabucks. Julia Nightengale: People who drive way under the speed limit are more dangerous than people who drive over.