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THURSDAY April 28, 2022 Volume 126 Issue 31

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TIME TO SHINE ASC PERFORMANCE SETLIST JOCELYN PAREDES Freeze - T-pain Kickin’ Back - Mila J A.D.T.O.Y. - 2PM

VSA DANCE TEAM Gái Mien Tây - Duyên Dáng

JESSE METHMAN 2 soon - Keshi

ROBAM MUNIVONGSA Robam Bopha Lokey

MYANH MA Warrior - Demi Lovato

CHI SIGMA TAU Congratulations - Post Malone September - Earth, Wind, & Fire Spicy - by Ty Dolla $ign Good Boy - GD & Taeyang I Invented Sex - Trey Songz Bop - DaBaby

ALETA SOUPHANH Need to Know - Doja Cat X - Chris Brown

KVERSITY Tudsaley Vongsena of KVersity performs a mashup of “Industry Baby” by Lil Nas X, “Left & Right” by SEVENTEEN, “Hot Sauce” by NCT Dream, and “Deja Vu” by ATEEZ at ASC Assembly on April 23. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

Industry Baby - Lil Nas X Left & Right - SEVENTEEN Hot Sauce - NCT Dream Deja Vu - ATEEZ

Asian Student Conference brings night of music and dancing BY THY VO design@thesunflower.com

he Asian Student Conference returned with a night full of music and dance performances on Saturday, April 23. The nine performances showcased different aspects of culture and musical expression. “It felt exciting,” junior Ricky Pham of Chi Sigma Tau said. “Giving a show to the audience was really fun and just being yourself up there was cool too.” The ASC members performed “Gái Miền Tây” by Vietnamese artist Duyên Dáng, “Need to know” by American rapper Doja Cat, “Déja Vu” by Kpop group Ateez and many other songs. Throughout rehearsals for their special stages, the ASC members mentioned how they

encountered multiple struggles while preparing for their performances. Freshman Aleta Souphanh signed up for the event at the last minute and had little time to prepare. “This week has been a tough week for me. I was like ‘Oh do I want to perform again?’ or ‘Oh do I have enough time?” Souphanh said. “I decided that I might as well just do it because this is one of the only chances I have right now [to perform].” The stages were judged by the audience and five judges: Alicia Newell, Quang Nguyen, Richard Mai, Trang Bui and Taben Azad. The audience also had an opportunity to compete for a $10 Round1 gift card by doing the most pushups while votes were being tallied backstage. The winners were

announced and received certificates for their performances. Aleta Souphanh placed third, Chi Sigma Tau National Fraternity placed second, and KVersity placed first. “Winning feels great. We’ve performed here for the past three years but for us to actually get first place here – it’s like an achievement that we’ve always wanted to strive for,” senior Jennifer Dang of KVersity said. “It’s really satisfying to see everyone in-person, it just feels good to be here.” The night concluded as the performers gathered their members and friends on stage for photos and hugs of celebration. “I loved the show. I knew with all these performers – I know all these people and they’re super talented so I knew it was going to be a good show,” ASC coordinator Vivian Le said.

Aleta Souphanh performs a mashup of “Need to Know” by Doja Cat and “X” by Chris Brown at the ASC Assembly on April 23.. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

Kevin Le of Chi Sigma Tau performs a mashup of “Congratulations” by Post Malone, “September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire, “Spicy” by Ty Dolla $ign, “Good Boy” by GD & Taeyang, “I Invented Sex” by Trey Songz, and “Bop” by DaBaby at ASC Assembly on April 23. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

New NIL collective launches to help WSU student-athletes make money BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

With the emergence of new name, image and likeness deals recently, Wichita State has formed its first NIL collective. Tyler Weber and Tymber Lee, both former WSU baseball players, have formed Armchair Strategies, LLC, to help Shocker student-athletes earn money from name, image and likeness rules that were formed last summer. Both Weber and Lee are prominent businessmen in Wichita, with Weber serving as the director of business development for Aegis Group and Lee as the co-owner of the Wichita Sports Forum. Armchair Strategies is WSU’s first NIL collective, a stand-alone

start-up company that helps create financial opportunities for athletes. NIL collectives can also be a larger company, for-profit or non-profit. The collectives are also a separate entity from the university. When the NIL rules were established last summer, the WSU athletic department used a cautious approach and the athletes had to go out on their own to land NIL deals. But with this new collective, deals will be more accessible to the athletes. “Well I just think NIL is here in college athletics and it has a place and it’s something that Wichita State needs,” Weber said. “Whether people like NIL or not, it’s here right now. It’s something that we have to adapt to and the biggest thing we want to do is

support the players.” Armchair Strategies will be the sixth American Athletic Conference program with an NIL collective in place, joining Memphis, Houston, SMU, Tulane and UCF. They have been active with current student-athletes at WSU to help them start earning money. Weber and Lee have also partnered with Matt Baty, a Wichita native who has experience on an NIL Collective called 6th Man Strategies at the University of Kansas. Baty played a key role in signing all 18 players to the collective on KU’s national championship winning men’s basketball team. “It’s huge because there’s a lot of stuff that’s already been done

Junior Craig Porter Jr. is announced in the starting lineup before the game against the SMU Mustangs on Feb. 5 in Koch Arena. Porter removed his name from the transfer portal and is returning to WSU because of the new NIL collective. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

and been put into the works that’s already been successful at a program like KU,” Weber said. “The compliance side, the back workings of the company have already

been set forth. Now, we’re coming in and being able to have access to a lot of that.” SEE NIL PAGE 6

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NEWS

ODI encourages APIDA students to share their feedback BY SASCHA HARVEY saschaharvey68@gmail.com

Senator John Kirk is sworn in as Speaker of the Senate on April 27, 2022. He was sworn in shortly after the meeting was adjournerd to due voting to end the meeting at 9:30 p.m. instead of extending the meeting. | Photo by Nithin Reddy / The Sunflower

Harassment allegations surface during SGA speaker of the senate debates BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE AND LINDSAY SMITH news@thesunflower.com and editor@thesunflower.com

Following accusations of harassment towards women by a fellow SGA senator, John Kirk, at-large senator, was elected the next speaker of the student senate at the April 27 SGA meeting. At-large Senator Jacob Unruh shared the allegations during the debate portion of the meeting. He claimed that multiple women spoke to him about uncomfortable moments with Senator Kirk. When The Sunflower asked him about the claims, Senator Kirk declined to comment. Multiple senators spoke in Kirk’s defense after the allegations, most sharing positive experiences they had working

with Kirk. Senator Jay Thompson said that Kirk is a kind and compassionate person. “He advocates for every person he meets, every underrepresented group that I’ve ever tried to work to create new systems for on campus; he’s always been a major supporter of that,” Thompson said. After many senators shared concerns about lack of proof, Unruh said he did not feel comfortable sharing the evidence. “Because the people in question … do not feel comfortable at this time making themselves not anonymous with this situation it would require putting those people out there and having their story to tell,” Unruh said. “I was merely reporting what I learned

talking to my constituents, which is my job as a senator.” Several senators spoke about the importance of these claims, and why it’s important to handle them in the proper way. “I am an avid supporter of women’s rights to feel comfortable in every situation. Kirk has never made me feel uncomfortable in any situation,” Adriana Owens, at-large senator, said. “Going about these allegations in the right way is very important … So we can see these and make sure that they are handled properly.” LAS Senator Victoria Owens said that while she was unsure about the allegations, she felt it was important to bring into consideration when selecting a speaker. “There is obviously no proof to

these allegations, however allegations like these should be handled seriously and not just brushed aside,” Owens said. “Something that we should all consider and take into heart that this is an issue and if we are questioning whether or not we can trust a senator … I’d like to make sure that our constituents are as safe as possible and we in this room feel as safe as possible.” Kirk won 30 votes out of 35. Hunter Minette also ran for the speaker position. The speaker of the senate serves as the presiding officer of the senate and head of the legislative branch and serves in the line of succession to the office of the presidency. The speaker also appoints senators, which is new to this session.

Committee focuses on sustainability efforts at WSU BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com

Community members from across Wichita attended a panel on Earth Day discussing sustainability at WSU. The panel featured prominent figures at the university working towards making campus more sustainable. All of the panelists agreed that educating the future generations is essential to creating a more sustainable world. Weston Arbogast, an employee of WINT who is in a partnership with the university working on water sustainability, said that they are trying to use new technologies to reduce water use. “Water is an important asset to our entire community, and if we run out, that’s going to be a big problem. Here we are, trying to solve that problem using new software programs like artificial intelligence,” Arbogast said. Alice Fitzergerald, president of The Green Group, said that she believes her generation is passionate about sustainability because they can see where we are heading if we are not conscious of our use of resources and impact on the environment. Holger Meyer, professor of physics, said that sustainability is the way of the future. “Why is anybody not in favor of sustainability? The other points do not make any sense … There is no planet B. It is more important than

ever to act on this,” Meyer said. Meyer said that nuclear power is “overhyped” as part of the solution, and that solar and wind are available and need to be implemented as fast as possible. He said that being sustainable with water is the real concern, not energy. All of the panelists are members on the sustainability steering committee. Arbogast said he joined the sustainability steering committee because of his focus on water. He said they hope to use artificial intelligence to save on water at the university. Sangha said that this new technology would be able to protect the university from water damage if a pipe burst, because the technology would recognize that too much water is being used at once and turn off the water in four seconds. The university will be implementing this technology in the National Institute of Research and Digital Transformation building. There have also been conversations about “electrifying” the essential energy plant, the Rhatigan Student Center and student housing and dining instead of using gas. Sangha said that a positive aspect of the Innovation Campus is that they are being built in alignment with sustainability initiatives. The cost of sustainability initiatives was a popular topic of the panel. Arbogast said that in order to understand how much can be saved, they first need to know how

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 © 2022 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

A public panel with experts discussing environmental sustainability at WSU, Apr 22, 2022 in Hubbard Hall. | Photo by Devon Sipes / The Sunflower

much energy they are using to begin with. Gupta said that sustainability initiatives will save energy and create less maintenance of buildings on campus. “Any time somebody says that we are going to do a sustainability project, the first thing that comes to mind for most people, ‘Well, is it going to cost money’ but guess what?” Gupta said. “A lot of the products will actually save money.” Coleen Pugh, vice provost for research and dean of the graduate school, said the university could be doing a better job of supporting initiatives that cost more money, such as being a responsible purchaser and buying products out of sustainable materials. “I hate living in a disposable society,” Pugh said. “I’m not anti-technology … We can live responsibly.” Questions from the audience

included solar panels on campus and what individual students can do to show the university that they care about sustainability. The whole room was engaged, with both the panel and audience members sharing tidbits of information and discussing items of concern. Fitzgerald said that reaching higher-ups in the university is about repetition and continuing to email. Pugh said students should also attend town halls to share their concerns. “Next year’s room should be packed,” Sangha said. “Each of us, take responsibility and talk to 20 people … We all need to be talking about this. I’d love for one half of this room to be naysayers and the other half the go-getters, and we would love to have that debate, have that conversation. We can’t do it with an empty room.”

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Thy Vo design@thesunflower.com

NEWS EDITOR Julia Nightengale news@thesunflower.com

PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Rachel Rudisill rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

OPINION EDITOR Emmie Boese opinion@thesunflower.com

MARKETING MANAGER Kaylee Stout marketing@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kyran Crist arts@thesunfower.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Rachel Thomas admanager@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

The Wichita State Office of Diversity and Inclusion held the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American, or APIDA, installment of the ODI Listening Sessions on Monday. Students who identify as APIDA were encouraged to attend and share their experiences at WSU. WSU leaders Vanessa Souriya-Mnirajd, Bobby Gandu, Sheelu Surrender, Richard Mai and Dr. Doris Chang attended the event and facilitated peer groups. The leaders facilitated group conversations with students about their experiences with WSU as a whole, covering everything from the admissions process to individual student involvement. Students raised concerns such as difficulty fitting in even among other APIDA students as well as a lack of focus on retention over admission. Questions were targeted around how students’ experiences as an APIDA student affected these areas. “It’s very important, especially [with] students who are underrepresented here at Wichita State, to be identified and heard based on their experiences,” Quang Nguyen, Marketing Specialist of ODI, said. “We wanna hear their thoughts and feedback on our university climate.” Students expressed feeling excluded from APIDA groups on campus because they are “cliquey” and wanting more of a focus on retention of students than just in the admissions process. Nguyen stressed the importance of change starting with the voices of underrepresented students. “It’s important that our university administration hears from the students themselves to be able to make these changes,” he said. “It’s a gradual process.” Senior Jessica Tran, biological sciences major, said that she feels students often just have too little interest in making change to attend these events. “I think it’s important to attend this event,” she said. “A lot of the time, people will complain about how things are ran but they won’t do things to change it.” On the other hand, Tran noticed that opportunities similar to these events were fewer in previous years. She feels that the university’s initiative to reach out to underrepresented students has increased this semester. “It’s definitely important to have initiative to go out to things,” Tran said. Nguyen said that these events are crucial in bettering circumstances for minority students. “We all think differently and we all interact differently,” Nguyen said. “We need to be able to work together to be respectful of each other.”

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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.

NEWS

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 | 3

‘I love to see things grow’ Community garden event for Earth Day brings community volunteers BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

Live Music by The Messy Frets at WuStock Earthfest hosted by Wichta State University Green Group on April 22nd at RSC - East Lawn. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Audience enjoys the live Music at WuStock Earthfest hosted by Wichta State University Green Group on April 22nd at RSC - East Lawn. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Linda Farha and Joshua Mallard planting at the Community Garden Event on April 22, 2022. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Audience enjoys the live Music at WuStock Earthfest hosted by Wichta State University Green Group on April 22nd at RSC - East Lawn. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Crowd Cheers up for the live singing performance by Madi Laughlin at WuStock Earthfest hosted by Wichta State University Green Group on April 22nd at RSC - East Lawn. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Samuel Thornberry digs the soil at Community Garden Event on April 22. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Jennnifer Thornberry poses with plants at Community Garden Event on April 22. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Community members tried on their green thumbs to volunteer in the Community Garden on Earth Day. Wichita State’s Green Group teamed up with NetApp to put on Earthfest. There were different activities attendants could participate in, including planting in the Community Garden. Spring planting in the Community Garden has been an annual event for the Green Group since the garden was installed in May 2020 by the now former Green Group President, Madi Laughlin. “Community Garden is, well, one community, so it’s everyone,” upcoming Green Group President and SGA at-large senator, Joshua Mallard said. “That doesn’t just mean WSU, that means people from outside WSU who might be in the surrounding homes.” Mallard also stated that anyone in the city of Wichita can come and pick fruits, vegetables and herbs from the Community Garden. This event was a part of Wichita State’s first annual Earthfest. It brought volunteers from different parts of the community who are passionate about gardening, as well as different organizations on campus. Linda Farha is a member of the Wichita community who is passionate about gardening and came out to volunteer for the second year in a row. “I love to see things grow,” Farha said “I love being with the people and outside.” SGA and Green Group member Samuel Thornberry helped out in the garden to make sure everyone gets fresh food during the summer season. “It’s just something that’s been on my mind recently,” Thornberry said. “Helping people, making sure people that need food, get food and I think the community garden is a really good way to do that.”

Indian Student Association hosts Vasanth on campus

Ollie McCoy dances during the Pride Prom event hosted by ODI and Spectrum on April 22 in the RSC. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Pride Prom gives attendees a chance to show their true colors BY MIA HENNEN mbhennen@shockers.wichita.edu

Members of Spectrum and other community members dressed up for a night of dancing and other activities in the Rhatigan Student Center on April 22. Spectrum’s annual Pride Prom, co-sponsored with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, gave LGBTQ+ students the opportunity to experience a night similar to a high school prom that they might have missed out on. “We started it because a lot of LGBTQ students don’t get to go to their prom because either they’re not really welcomed with their partner or in being their authentic selves,” Faculty Advisor Jennifer Pearson said. “It’s also just a way to kind of celebrate.”

An online Pride Prom was held last year and canceled the year before then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We just wanted to make it, like, a little bigger because we had it online which was nice, but also everyone was talking over each other so you couldn’t have small conversations,” Spectrum President Cameron Boyd said. The dance aimed to make a welcoming environment for all individuals. “I didn’t get a lot of prom experiences when I was in high school,” Kat Snider, a student majoring in print media, said. “My friend wanted to come, so we decided to come together. I like the vibe of everyone and being around everyone in the community.”

Masters student Kaustub performs a solo dance at Vasanth on Saturday April 23rd. The event was hosted by the Wichita State Indian Student Association at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Attendees of the Pride Prom sponsored by ODI and Spectrum take a picture at the photo booth as the dance gets started. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

During “Y.M.C.A.” by Village People, students and their guests dance at Pride Prom, an event hosted and sponsored by ODI and Spectrum.. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Hari Chandana and group performs during Vasanth on Saturday April 23rd. The event was hosted by the Wichita State Indian Student Association at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Sai Karthik and group from ISA performs at Vasanth on Saturday April 23rd. The event was hosted by the Wichita State Indian Student Association at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

4 | THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022

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Sports

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

SMASHING RECORDS

SINGLE SEASON WSU HOME RUN RECORD 1. ADDISON BARNARD (2022) - 26 2. ADDISON BARNARD (2021) - 22

SINGLE SEASON WSU RUNS BATTED IN RECORD 1. ADDISON BARNARD (2022) - 67 2. ADDISON BARNARD (2021) - 61

Sophomore Addison Barnard bats at softball game against Memphis on April 22. Barnard broke the single season home record with a two-run homer in the second inning. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

Sophmore Addison Barnard celebrates after hitting a home run against Memphis on April 22. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

WSU Softball team celebrates after Sophomore Addison Barnard hits a home run on April 22. | Photo by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

Barnard breaks own school records with surge against Memphis BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Addision Barnard isn’t your typical sophomore outfielder. After another powerful weekend, Barnard broke WSU’s single season home run and RBI’s record, both previously held by her last season. Last week, Barnard was red-hot at the plate, hitting .667 (8-for-12) with a slugging percentage of 2.250. The Beatrice, Nebraska native hit six home runs to go with a double, stolen base, 10 runs and 15 RBI in four games. She hit at least one homer in all four games, including two-home run games against Kansas and Memphis. “She’s just a great ballplayer,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “We can write every story in the world about her but the bottom line is, she shows up to play every day, she works hard, her preparation is there. The bottom line is if she’s getting pitches to hit, she’s going to continue breaking records.” Barnard’s rare combination of speed and power was on display throughout the weekend series against Memphis, even

hitting an inside the park home run in the series finale. She is currently the nation’s leader in home runs, home runs per game, RBI, RBI per game and total bases. She ranks second in runs per game, just behind her teammate Sydney McKinney.

“She shows up to play every day, she works hard, her preparation is there. The bottom line is if she’s getting pitches to hit, she’s going to continue to break records. ”

- Kristi Bredbenner

On Sunday, Barnard stole her 25th base of the season as she moved closer to another milestone. She is just four home runs and five steals away from becoming the first player in NCAA history to ever record a 30-30 season. “It’s awesome and the numbers are cool and stuff, but I’m just trying to get base hits and get runners in,” Barnard said. “You’ve just got to move on to the next game and

do everything we can to win as a team.” With more attention given to Barnard in scouting reports following her breakout freshman campaign, she said it’s been more important to be patient and wait for her pitch this year. Barnard has consistently made solid contact this season, striking out in 27 of her 133 at-bats. Barnard also leads WSU hitters in home runs (26), slugging percentage (1.038), RBI’s (67), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.527). “I have to realize that I’m not going to get a lot of good pitches so it’s hard because sometimes I get anxious and I want to hit the ball,” Barnard said. “But I have to realize that this year is going to be more of a year that I have to be more selective because people know what I can hit and they’ve scouted me because I’m not a freshman anymore.” Barnard and the Shockers take an eight game win streak to Greenville, North Carolina, this weekend to face the ECU Pirates, April 29-May 1. They’ll then wrap up the regular season with a home series against UCF the following weekend.

BARNARD’S 2022 OFFENSIVE STATISTICS

Senior Erin McDonald throws a pitch during WSU’s game against Memphis on April 23 at Wilkins Stadium. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Softball dominates Memphis with three-game sweep BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Heading into their Sunday matchup, Wichita State dominated the first two games of their series against Memphis, finishing both games in five innings due to run rules. Sunday was no different. The Shockers finished the day 19-0, tied for second most in school history, with no runs from senior Erin McDonald. McDonald extended her record to 7-7 and completed her second career no-hitter. She struck out six and walked two. The Shockers now have 19 recorded no-hitters. McDonald was also the last pitcher to complete a no-hitter back on March 10, 2019 vs Nebraska in a 6-2 victory. “Today, I can’t talk enough about Erin,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “I mean she had really great command, obviously through a no hitter. Had a couple of walks, but you know, that’s in her. She’s got the ability to really do well and spin the ball, and I think she’s starting to kind of figure it out and come into her own a little bit.” The Shockers extended their winning streak to eight games, outscoring the Tigers 43-4 in the weekend series. WSU scored at least five runs in the opening inning each game of the series. Sophomore Addison Barnard collected the first two runs off a two-run homer in the first. She followed that up with an inside the park home run the following at-bat. The ball bounced off the fence and Barnard raced home for her 26th homer of the season. All nine starters finished with at least one hit. Six of the nine finished the day with multiple hits. Sophomore Lauren Lucas went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while junior Lauren Mills drove in four runs off a pair of doubles. Senior Sydney McKinney went 2-for-4 with one triple, two homers and two RBI’s. Senior Wylie Glover hit her second home run of the season with a pair of RBI. Leading 8-0 after Glover’s homer, the Shockers brought in run after run after their 11-run fourth inning. “Offensively, we have full confidence in our team,” Bredbenner said. “They have full confidence in themselves. I don’t think they’re trying to go up there and do too much. They’re just trying to go up there and hit the ball, and when they do, they hit the ball hard and that’s our game plan, to be aggressive.” After first place Central Florida fell to Houston on Sunday, the Shockers are only one game behind UCF in the conference standings. WSU will wrap up the regular season with a three-game series against the Knights from May 6-8.

UP NEXT

FRIDAY, APRIL 29

WSU vs East Carolina 4 p.m. Infographics by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

Greenville, North Carolina

SPORTS

DOWNTOWN DESPAIR

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 | 5

Men’s basketball lands first high school commitment of 2022 recruiting class BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Freshman Ty Howry sits on the bench in the dugout while WSU bats during the game against OSU on April 26. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Baseball drops 10th straight game in loss to No. 8 Oklahoma State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Shocker baseball’s horrid skid continued on Tuesday at downtown Riverfront Stadium. The Shockers fell 12-6 to No. 8 Oklahoma State, dropping their 10th straight game. It’s also WSU’s 16th loss in its last 17 games. The Shockers have only won two games in the month of April and haven’t won at home since March 27 against Creighton. WSU’s 10-game losing skid is the second worst in program history, only behind a 12-game losing streak in 1950. “We’ve had a great schedule, tough schedule but when you do that you find out about where you’re at. Right now those answers aren’t very good,” Head Coach Eric Wedge said. “The fact of the matter is we’re very competitive middle to late in the ballgames and then it gets away from us. ” This season started with hope following a 31-23 record during Wedge’s first full season last spring, but Tuesday’s loss clinched the program’s first losing season since 2019, the last season under Todd Butler. The Shockers are now 13-28 on the season and sit in last place in the American, which would be their worst finish since joining the conference in 2017. WSU is yet to win a conference game at home this season, with two road wins against Houston and East Carolina.

“We’ve had a great schedule, tough schedule but when you do that you find out about where you’re at. Right now those answers aren’t very good.”

- Eric Wedge

“Obviously getting a win would be huge for us,” sophomore infielder Brock Rodden said. “Whenever you’re in a slump, it feels like everything is going against you, it feels like those little cheap hits they come with two outs and two runners on. Everything feels like it’s putting a little bit of extra pressure on us and we can’t really buy into that bullshit. We just have to keep playing our game.” WSU’s bullpen struggles have been key in the team’s struggles, blowing leads consistently over this disappointing stretch. Connor Holden and Caden Favors have been the lone consistent arms out of the bullpen but WSU has struggled to get the ball to the tandem late in games. As the team’s closer, Holden has only collected four saves this season despite appearing in 16 games. In Tuesday’s loss to OSU, the Shockers held a 5-3 advantage through four innings but once again the bullpen faltered late. The

Redshirt freshman Jordan Rogers celebrates after completing a run for WSU during the game against OSU on April 26. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Cowboys struck for six runs in the top of the fifth, after Jace Miner delivered a solid start on the mound, allowing three earned runs in four innings pitched. “Obviously our achilles heel this year has been our bullpen,” Wedge said. “”Still have not been able to figure that out, still looking for people to step up and it’s one good, one bad or two good, one bad. You’ve got to have people you can count on, people you can trust down there.” Despite the horrid stretch, the Shockers remain optimistic due to some players stepping up even though the results haven’t shown in the win column. The offense has been more consistent in recent games, scoring at least five runs in four of the team’s last five games. After scuffling through the first two months of his college career, Xavier Casserilla is hitting .297 at the plate over the past two weeks while also making the transition to first base. The pitching staff has also shown improvement during the recent stretch, including the emergence of Miner, who’s allowed six earned runs in 10 innings pitched against OSU this season. Graduate transfer Grayson Jones has also provided the Shockers another option out of the bullpen, lowering his ERA from 11.57 to 6.10 0ver the past month. “A lot of good things are happening, we have some guys stepping up that have been in a hole all year,” Rodden said. “It’s just we’ve all got to click at once. If we can do that, we’re a great ballclub.” The Shockers will look to snap their losing streak as they travel to Memphis for a three-game series this weekend. First pitch for game one of the series is slated for 6 p.m.

The Wichita State men’s basketball team landed its first high school commitment of the offseason on Sunday. Jacob Wilson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, announced his commitment to the Shockers on Sunday. The commitment comes just one week after Wilson took an official visit at WSU. “It just felt like another home,” Wilson said. “All the fans, they’re really supportive. I just felt it was the right place for me and the relationship with the coaches, that was really big for my recruitment.” WSU was then able to confirm the addition of Wilson, after he signed his National Letter of Intent. Wilson joins the Shockers at a depleted position, after last year’s season starting backcourt, Craig Porter Jr. and Tyson Etienne, departed this offseason. “Jacob is a guy who can handle multiple positions because of his size, skill and basketball IQ,” Head Coach Isaac Brown said in a statement. “He has a high ceiling and will be a very good player in our program.” The Shockers were one of the few high major programs to be interested in Wilson, who picked WSU over finalists New Mexico State, LSU, UTEP and Louisiana. Wilson tallied 1,875 career points for Liberty Magnet High School, while leading the Patriots to a Division-II state semifinal appearance in 2021 and a runner-up finish in 2022. “I feel like I was definitely under recruited but I’m really blessed to have this big opportunity to play at a high level,” Wilson said. “There’s some big teams but I was most definitely overlooked.” Wilson comes to WSU after not being ranked by any major recruiting service, but was still one of the top players in the state of Louisiana last season. Wilson scored a combined 48 points against Scotlandville, one of the top basketball programs in the state.

Jacob Wilson verbally committed to Wichita State on Saturday. He is a 6-foot-5 high school senior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. | Courtesy of Jacob Wilson

In his senior season at Liberty High School in Baton Rouge, Wilson averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Wilson also earned first-team Class 4A honors in Louisiana. “You’ve always got to have that chip on your shoulder,” Wilson said. “When you’re a top player in the state, you’ve got a target on your back so you’ve got to transfer that to the court. It’s that demeanor that you have to step on everyone’s neck to be honest, really have that grit to get after it.” Wilson joins WSU after a mass exodus this offseason, which has seen nine of the 13 players from last season’s roster depart from the program. Currently, Kenny Pohto and Craig Porter are the only player that saw minutes last year that is set to return. Jalen Ricks and Isaac Abidde are the other returners but both players redshirted a season ago. So far, the Shockers have added Xavier Bell, James Rojas and Quincy Ballard, as they work to replace 92.2% of the scoring and 93.1% of the minutes from last year’s team. “I’ve just got to come in and produce, just build the relationships with my teammates and just win games,” Wilson said. “Try and make it to the NCAA Tournament.”

Former Shocker Tyson Etienne dribbles the ball up the court during WSU’s game against Kansas State on Dec. 5 at INTRUST Bank Arena. Etienne turned pro last Thursday. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Tyson Etienne turns pro and declares for 2022 NBA Draft BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Tyson Etienne’s Wichita State career has come to a close. On Thursday, the sophomore guard declared for the NBA Draft and will forgo his remaining college eligibility. “This past year has taught me so much and has prepared me to achieve the goal I’ve had since I was a baby playing on my toy hoop in our living room,” Etienne said in a social media post. “With an abundance of gratitude, it’s a dream come true that I will be entering the 2022 NBA Draft.” It’s the second straight season that Etienne has declared for the NBA Draft, after returning for what he called the “Last Dance” last offseason. Etienne led the Shockers in scoring the past two seasons and helped lead WSU to its first AAC regular season championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Etienne was named the co-AAC Player of the Year after scoring 16.0 points per game during the 2020-21 season. “I do intend for this to be my last year in college so just the motivation to continue to get better, be able to provide for my family but

also leave Wichita as a winner,” Etienne said prior to the 2021-22 season. “We won the conference title but we didn’t win the conference tournament, we didn’t win the national championship and those are things I want to win.” Etienne’s numbers went down this past season with greater defensive attention, but still averaged 14.9 points per game. His three-point shooting also saw a dip in efficiency, as it fell from 39.2% to 32.6% this past season in large part. After entering the season as the preseason AAC Player of the Year, Etienne was awarded with third team all-conference honors. With Etienne’s departure and six players from last season’s rotation entering the transfer portal, they will have to replace some sizable production. Following WSU’s disappointing 15-13 season, they will have to replace 92.2% of the scoring and 93.1% of the minutes. The Shockers have added five players so far this offseason, with Xavier Bell, James Rojas, Quincy Ballard, Jacob Wilson and Gus Okafor all set to join the team for the 2022-23 season. WSU has four remaining scholarships available.

SPORTS

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022

Bredbenner becomes softball all-time wins leader at WSU BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shocker.wichita.edu

After defeating the Memphis Tigers 19-0, Wichita State softball Head Coach, Krisiti Bredbenner, earned her 314th victory and became the winningest coach in program history on Sunday. “It’s awesome,” Bredbenner said. “The people that have been a part of all of those wins, whether they were on my staff or players on this team, they’re the ones that get the job done.” The previous record was set by Jim Maynard, who coached at WSU from 1989-99, with 313 wins. Bredbenner has been the

Shockers’ active head coach since 2012 after resigning from Emporia State University. At ESU, Bredbenner also became the most winning coach with 326 victories. She also led the team to six backto-back postseason appearances and two national championship appearances. At ESU, her staff was also named the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year. Since joining the Shockers, she has led the WSU to three NCAA Regional Appearances, two NCAA Final Appearances and two conference tournament championships. She also helped 33 student-athletes earn all-conference

accolades and 11 NFCA All-Region honors. “Coach B and Coach E are great coaches to have, and they’ve really put me on the right path,” freshman Jessica Garcia said. This season, the Shockers are currently second in the conference with a 10-2 trailing the UCF Knights who have an 11-1 record. WSU is also on an eight-game winning streak and are ranked 40th in RPI as they look to return to an NCAA Regional this summer. “This team right now is special,” Bredbenner said. “They’re young, there’s a lot of belief in themselves. To do it with this team is pretty awesome.”

Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner and freshman Krystin Nelson celebrate after Nelson hit a double during WSU’s game against Tulsa on April 3 in Wilkins Stadium. Bredbenner collected her 314th win on Sunday, the most in program history. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

Okafor commits to Wichita State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Southeastern Louisiana transfer Gus Okafor committed to Wichita State on Wednesday, during an announcement on social media. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last season, while also earning All-Southland first team honors. Okafor also shot 42% from the field during the 2021-22 season. Okafor has averaged double figure scoring in the past two seasons and averaged 12.4 points per game during his sophomore season. He’s also shot above 30% on three-pointers during those two seasons. The Shockers now have four scholarships left for the 202223 season, following Okafor’s commitment and Craig Porter Jr.’s return from the transfer portal on Sophomore Jessica Garcia takes a swing during WSU’s game against Memphis on April 23 at Wilkins Stadium. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Garcia finds her place at WSU BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Jessica Garcia is a native from Shawnee, Kansas. She attended Mill Valley High School as a four-year starter under the direction of Head Coach Jessica DeWild, but when she joined the Shockers as a freshman, she knew she had a lot to learn right away. With the Jaguars, Garcia holds the current career records in home runs and doubles, and single-season records in home runs and doubles. She also made the First Team All-Conference honors three times and First Team All-State honors twice. Garcia helped Mill Valley win the regional championship during her first three years on the team. Last season, Garcia joined the Shockers but was primarily used as a pinch hitter. She made her collegiate debut in the season opener starting at third base against Tarleton State on Feb. 20, hitting her first career home run that same week against Creighton in a clean sweep. As a pinch hitter, Garcia helped the Shockers upset nationally ranked Oklahoma State with a pinch hit solo home run. Garcia was determined to make the starting lineup with the Shockers. She listened to former catcher Madison Perrigan on her tips for success. “Butters is just a great leader and a great individual,” Garcia said. “She really helped me and taught me what I had to work on as a player and what her hitting styles [were] and her hitting philosophies. I really took into account everything she was telling me and just put it into my game.” Garcia developed her skill coming into the 2022 season. She was promoted from a pinch hitter to a utility player. She has been seen playing as a catcher and, most recently, third base. “I really just took what Coach B was telling me off of the off season and all of last season,” Garcia said. Although she did start the season as a starter, that changed about a month ago. “[She’s] just giving us a reason to put her in

the lineup,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “I think she kind of had her aha moment and about three four weeks ago and really just kind of started to open her ears a little bit more and get more focused on her at bats and you can tell, she’s made a small adjustment to her swing and it’s really paying off.” Garcia has been a consistent power threat throughout the season, launching five homers and has a .365 batting average. “I think in particular with her, she has just slowly focused on a couple things more, not that she hadn’t been doing that, but she is just focusing more on a couple of things, and those couple of things have been helping her,” junior Lauren Mills said. “I think Coach E talks to all of us individually and I think that we finally got something going on because once you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll. I that that she’s going to hit a lot more bombs in the future, she’s going to hit a lot more balls in the future and I think this whole team, the way we’re going is going to be the exact same thing we do today hitting bombs.” According to Bredbenner, Mills and Garcia are a power duo and leaving them off the lineup is a difficult decision. During their most recent matchup against Memphis, the two knocked multiple homers out of the ballpark. “For her, I think she has been working on her skills more and that has really been paying off for her,” Mills said. “I’m very happy and super proud of her because this is the Jess I have been waiting for.” The Shockers are currently second in the conference with a 10-1 record on an overall eight game winning streak trailing only the UCF Knights. The Shockers go into each game with confidence, and Garcia enjoys being a part of the success. “I am really just focusing on what my role is on this team,” Garcia said. “Coach B and Coach E are great coaches to have, and they’ve really put me on the right path and they found what works for me as a player. I think finding that and developing that has really helped me this season.”

Shocker bowling finishes in second at national championships BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Wichita State’s bowling finished second place at the national championship in Addison, Illinois last weekend. On the men’s side, the club went undefeated in their Thursday and Friday matches, advancing them to the final round. After the Shockers defeated William Penn in a 4-2 victory, WSU remained undefeated the remainder of the Thursday and Friday matches securing a second

consecutive and 23rd overall trip to the title finals. However, the Shockers fell short to Wisconsin Whitewater. The Shockers did not leave without a victory. Junior Alec Keplinger was named the 2022 National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association Most Valuable Player. On the women’s side, after losing round seven to Sam Houston State, 4-2, WSU needed to secure one more victory to make it to the final rounds. Staying calm, cool and collected

just as they had all season, the team finished round eight in a 4-2 victory. WSU needed the extra match to advance to the finals after Sam Houston State knocked off the Shockers, 4-2, in round seven. With everything on the line, the Shockers remained calm and trusted their championship instincts gained from a season ago to prevail in round eight, 4-2. But ultimately the Shockers fell to Stephen F. Austin, 3-0, while failing to repeat from last year’s national championship.

Gus Okafor poses for a picture during an official visit last week. Okafor commited to WSU on Wednesday. | Courtesy of Gus Okafor

Tuesday night. Okafor is the fourth Divison-I transfer that WSU has landed this offseason, joining Quincy Ballard, Xavier Bell and James Rojas.

Men’s golf places seventh at AAC Tournament BY EMMIE BOESE opinion@thesunflower.com

Men’s Golf finished seventh at the AAC Championships on Friday, April 22-Sunday, April 24 at the Southern Hills Plantation Club in Brooksville, Florida. SMU claimed the team title and broke an AAC record by finishing 29-under 835. WSU produced strong play throughout the weekend by shooting 286 at 3-under par. They entered the final round on Sunday in a tie for third place

NIL FROM PAGE 1 NIL’S IMPACT ON WSU’S ROSTER TURNOVER The new collective has already started to make an impact after nine players from the men’s basketball program entered the transfer portal this offseason. Craig Porter Jr. has already decided to return to WSU for his final season of college basketball, solely because of Armchair Strategies. Porter announced on a social media post that he will be getting a car and a local sponsorship with local insurance firm Aegis Group. Porter had a breakout year this past season, averaging 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season as the team’s starting point guard. “We want to make an impact on the student athlete’s lives because right now they can technically run their own business,” Weber said. “We want to teach them how that works, we can help them through that process, learning the financial side of things. They’re going to learn a lot of real life situations that as a former athlete, I didn’t have that experience.” The lack of an NIL collective was a key reason in some players deciding to enter the transfer portal this offseason. But with the emergence of the collective, some players are reportedly considering a return to WSU. Combo-guard Dexter Dennis recently took official visits to Indiana and Clemson but according to Stockrisers’ Jake Weingarten, the Shockers are still in contention. Ricky Council IV, who also entered the portal, is expected to include

but ultimately fell behind after shooting 10-over. The Shockers ended the final round with a score of 298. This gave several opponents the ability to move further up in the standings. Junior Dawson Lewis was the top individual finisher for the Shockers and finished in 13th place overall. Lewis excelled in the second round of the tournament with a 68 and shot four birdies on the last nine holes. Junior Brock Polhill had the lowest round of the tournament with a 67 and placed 14th overall.

NEW NIL RULES WHAT IS NIL? Student athletes can now profit their own name, image and likeness.

WHAT NIL DEALS ARE ALLOWED? The NIL deals can’t be “play for play” or direct composition for athletic performance. Athletes have to do something for the business that is paying them.

WHAT IS AN NIL COLLECTIVE? Stand-alone start-up companie established to create financial opportunities for student-athletes.

WHAT KIND OF COMPANIES CAN NIL COLLECTIVES BE? NIL collectives can be a larger company, for-profit or non-profit.

WSU in his top-10 schools. Council also did not appear on the early entrant list for the NBA Draft, after declaring earlier this offseason, and will likely play at the collegiate level next season. Weber said another key to the collective is making sure the athletes stay eligible throughout the process. According to the NIL rules, there can be no “play-forplay” defined as direct compensation for athletic performance. Also, the athletes have to do something for the money they’re getting. “NIL is not a benefit if the kids are not compliant and eligible,” Weber said. “There’s no benefit if they can’t be on the field or court. So, having that open dialogue is very important.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022 | 7

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Arts & Entertainment

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

Courtesy of Apple Music

‘Don’t Think Jesus’ adds meaning to the Christian Holiday Rachel Rudisill Assistant sports editor rtrudisill@shockers. wichita.edu

The Ulrich Museum of Art welcomed California-based printmaking and narrative artist, Jos Sances on April 26. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Artist couple speak about political issues and social inequality BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

The Ulrich Museum of Art welcomed California-based printmaking and narrative artist, Jos Sances on April 26, for their last installment of the 1990’s decade for the series, “Voices from the Vault.” As part of the ‘Voices from the Vault’ series focusing on different artists from different decades, Sances discusses making politically engaging art in his current exhibition, “ONE YEAR, A Visual Journal Drawn in 12 Monthly Segments” as well as art from previous years. His work focuses solely on the concepts of political ideologies such as Capitalism and Racial inequality. Since his retirement, Sances has gotten into new art styles, one of them being “Scratchboarding.” “I was gonna do a class for the Berkeley High school students,” Sances said. “There was a kind of a nasty racial incident that happened.” During this time, Sances had planned on doing a two-week class with them, but those two weeks turned into three months. “They told me what they wanted to make,” He said “Believe it or not, 25 students wrote on a five by five scratchboard.” Sances stated that he is proud of the piece that the students made and that he is also proud of the students and their teacher for creating this piece.

Robbin Henderson presents a portfolio that she collaborated with her husband Jo’s Sances on. Henderson’s work focused more on the imagery of the artists. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

One of his biggest pieces using this style, “Or The Whale,” is on display in Lawrence, Kansas at the Lawrence Art Center. Sances founded Alliance Graphics and co-founded Mission Grafica. Mission Grafica created graphics for events such as benefit concerts with artists that included Carlos Santana and Grateful Dead. His wife, Robbin Henderson also presented a portfolio that she and Sances collaborated on. Henderson’s work focused more on the imagery of the artists. The works Henderson presented was a portfolio known as “10x10: 10 women, 10 prints.” This

portfolio was created to celebrate the 75 anniversary of the 19 amendment, which gave women the right to vote. “My mother was born one year before the amendment was ratified,” Henderson said. “My grandmother, Matilda Robbins, was born three decades earlier.” During her speech, she stated that women still face many struggles today as they did back then when her mother and grandmother were alive during those times. As a mother and grandmother, she fears for the younger generation of women in the near future.

“I look at the world my daughter is inheriting and I worry,” She said. “Will she have fewer options than we did? Will the rights my grandmother, my mother and I won be overturned by vile, regressive and misogynistic eyes of reaction?” To finish his speech, Sances gave some advice for those going into the art industry. “There’s different ways that you can learn,” He said. “But, I would keep in mind that you’ll want to do things, you’re going to want to learn things that are going to benefit you to making art.”

On Friday, Morgan Wallen released ‘Don’t Think Jesus’ to start the beginning of Easter. In the Christian religion, the Friday before Easter Sunday is known as Good Friday. It is the anniversary of Jesus being nailed to a cross and passing away. Wallen released ‘Don’t Think Jesus’ to help Christians focus on Jesus this holiday weekend. In just one day, the song was played over 1.4 million times and reached number one on iTunes, number two on Apple Music and number three on Spotify. The song plays a tribute to Wallen’s life. He grew up singing at church every Sunday in his hometown Sneedville, Tennessee. After Wallen appeared on season seven of ‘the Voice’ in 2014, his career took wind and he strayed away from his religion. “Boy moves to city lives fast and goes hard.” After returning home from “the Voice”, Wallen moved to Nashville to continue developing his music. Wallen sings about his conscience telling him, “I don’t think Jesus done it that way.” Ignoring the voice, Wallen hints that continued to live his life the same because he did not know his worth. The song shows that everyone has their struggles and nobody is perfect. To bring his religion into the song, Wallen took inspiration from the Christian Bible. He used John chapter 8, when Jesus told humanity to throw a stone at a sinner only if they were without sin theirself. His lyric reads “World likes to rear back and throw a few stones.” He suggests society is quick to judge others, when they have no right to do so. Wallen wanted to remind other Christians to go into the Easter holiday remembering the meaning behind the season. ‘Don’t Think Jesus’ perfectly captures Wallen’s struggles in his life and encourages the next generation to love one another. For anyone who needs some encouragement in their life, I’d recommend listening to ‘Don’t Think Jesus.’

Starbucks rewarding customers with discount if they bring reusable cups BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

As COVID safety restrictions lift and reusable cups is now an option again, places are working to do their part for the earth and encourage less wasteful options. On April 22, Starbucks announced that they would be rewarding customers with a 10 cent discount and 25 bonus stars to Starbucks Rewards members, if they bring in their own clean cup to a participating store to use instead of getting their drinks in the regular paper or plastic cups. This announcement comes after the coffee company announced plans last month that

they would be cutting waste by 50% by the year 2030. “We’ve always done a cup discount where you get 10 cents off any beverage when you bring in your own cup,” Braeburn Square Store Manager, Amanda Lawrence said. “It’s great. For sure using less waste.” At the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Starbucks didn’t allow people to bring in their own cups for safety precautions and now, they have recently started taking cups again once the number of COVID cases started declining. “We’re getting back to normal,” Lawrence said. “Pre-pandemic, you would see a handful of people everyday bring in their own

cup, then COVID happened, we stopped taking cups altogether, then it went away and now we’re starting to see [people bringing in their own cups] again. So that’s been nice.” In honor of Earth Day as well, participating Starbucks stores across the nation offered 30% off on drinkware to encourage people to reduce their waste. “I’m very encouraged that Starbucks is trying to get back to the pre-pandemic normal,” Lawrence said. “Getting back to being more environmentally mindset, where we had to get away from that during the pandemic because of cleanliness issues.”

Starbucks is working to promote their reusable cups again as the option to bring them opens back up at local Starbucks locations. | Photo by Jacinda Hall / The Sunflower

8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2022

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Opinion Street

Opinion Editor opinion@thesunflower.com

RACHEL GIEBLER

Freshman, pre-dental hygiene “I would say that WSU’s WIFI is reliable. I don’t use it very much because I am not on campus a lot. I have used it in the student center and Hubbard hall and it works.”

contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Emmie Boese opinion@thesunflower.com

Stop scrolling — It’s not good for you Emmie Boese

HOW RELIABLE IS WSU’S WIFI?

HAVE AN OPINION?

Social media expands knowledge, helps stay connected with friends and family and it can even be used to find jobs. Through the use of social media, I have expanded a platform for myself to share ethical and responsible journalism as well as meet others and celebrate others successes. Social media can also be the cause for heart ache, anxiety, stress and depression. It is no secret that cyber bullying is one of the leading causes of bullying in the United States. According to Statista, 40 percent of adults have experienced cyberbullying at some point in their life. Another negative effect that comes from social media is mindless scrolling. Mindless scrolling is when someone gets on social media – whether it be Twitter , Instagram or Facebook and starts scrolling through their feeds

without even thinking about why they are doing it. A research study conducted by Penn State University said that mindless scrolling often happens from the fear of missing out. Personally, I face this very often as a student journalist. My brain is ingrained to always believe I am missing something important, like breaking news. Mindless scrolling can have negative effects on one’s mental health. The Cleveland Clinic research suggests that mindless scrolling can make depression and anxiety worse due to feeling left out of invites or parties that someone may have posted about. Social media is a positive tool that many of us should embrace. However, being self-aware of how we utilize social media is even more important. Some ways to fight mindless scrolling are trying to find productive things in between your schedule, limiting the amount of time you spend on social media each day and thinking of a clear purpose as to why you want to access social media.

“Social media is a positive tool that many of us should embrace. However, being self-aware of how we utilize social media is even more important,” Opinion Editor Emmie Boese writes. File Photo Illustration by Kaylee Stout/ The Sunflower

For me, I turn off my social media notifications. If my notifications are on I can quickly look at what I need to look at, whether

that be a post I’m tagged in or something I need to take care of for work. When they’re off, I don’t have as much of a desire.

ISAIAH WASSON

Freshman, electrical engineering “The WIFI is pretty reliable for homework and whatnot it works perfectly fine. Probably do not do any gaming or anything heavy will probably not run very well.”

CLAYTON EHRSTEIN

Sophomore, mechanical engineering “When the WIFI is available it works great because I am able to work. ”

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

JUDAH BEASLEY

Senior, anthropology “I would say it is generally reliable. There are times when it flakes out, like this past weekend. I don’t live on campus though so that was fine with me but I do use it for class so sometimes it might be bad if you need the WIFI for a class.”

Menstrual products should be offered for free Mia Hennen Columnist miss.mia.hennen@gmail.com

BETHANY ORCHARD

Sophomore, elementary education “For the most part, WSU’s WIFI is reliable. I feel like a few times a semester where I’m in the Rhatigan Student Center it goes down but I don’t live on campus so when that happens I can just get my work done at home.”

As a busy college student trying to manage a full course load and two jobs, sometimes that time of the month can slip my mind. I’m sure anyone who experiences menstrual bleeding can relate to losing track of their cycle or having the monthly occurrence give them an early or late surprise. This month was one of those months. I was in between classes when I realized I needed some sort of sanitary item because I didn’t have any in my bag. Knowing that those sanitary napkin dispensers have been in

Opinion LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters should concentrate on issues, not personalities, and must be fewer than 400 words. Letters may be edited for accuracy, clarity and length. Please include your name, WSU affiliation and a phone number for verification purposes. To submit letters, email opinion@thesunflower.com or submit at www.thesunflower.com. The opinions expressed in The Sunflower editorials, columns, guest columns, reviews, advertisements, letters and editorial cartoons are not necessarily those of the staff, publications board, student body or the university. The Sunflower reserves the right to edit or reject any submission. We also reserve the right to edit or reject any advertisement.

almost every bathroom I’ve been in since middle school, I wasn’t too worried; however, not one but three of the dispensers I tried using on the way to my next class had zero products in them. Aside from being out a dollar in quarters, I was extremely frustrated that something so necessary was absent. The fact that I have to dig up quarters for menstrual products in a time of need is frustrating enough but it is even more upsetting when those products are not present. Universities should offer these products to students free of charge. We already pay thousands of dollars in student fees. Why should something that is necessary for over half of the WSU student body cost money?

Why should the university be responsible for deciding if they want to carry menstrual products and at what cost? Shouldn’t this be required by larger entities? According to Heather Stafford, Director of Student Health Services, there is a committee in place that is working towards making affordable and environmentally safe menstrual products more readily available on campus. The reception desk at Student Health Services does offer free products to those who ask. In addition, residence halls around the universities have vending machines to purchase these items. According to UCSD The Guardian, California just passed a law that will begin by the start of the 2022-2023 school year which

will require public schools and universities to provide these services and products free of charge. The University of Kansas launched a free menstrual product program (PERIOD) in 2019 which gave menstruators access to free menstrual products. PERIOD’s website shows a table of dozens of bathrooms across campus that have these products. New Kansas legislation should follow this precedent which would supply people in a time of need and lessen the economic burden of those who have trouble affording necessities like menstrual products. At the very least, if there’s a machine that offers sanitary products, it should actually offer those products.

STUDENT OPINION OF THE WEEK BRADEN BECKER JUNIOR, HUMAN RESOURCES Q: How important is summer break to students? A: “I would say summer is very important to students. I think it is a way for us to disconnect from the world and work to go on vacations. I think it is an overall great way to wind down and then come back in the fall for school.”