Issuu

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896

MONDAY

Volume 125

www.thesunflower.com

May 3, 2021

Issue 26

WSU community gather together to remember those affected by antiasian violence BY RACHEL LYONS ralyons@shockers.wichita.edu

PHOTO BY MONIQUE GAINES / THE SUNFLOWER

Lucia Agbor hangs out with her friends at Yaya’s.

From Cameroon to corporate law — Lucia Agbor says WSU was ‘just right’ to pursue her goals BY AUDREY KORTE @akorteshares / opinion@thesunflower. com

Lucia Agbor spent her childhood in her home country of Cameroon. She was raised until the age of seven with her grandma, uncle, aunt, and brother in the central West African country. She then moved to the U.S. to join her father, who was already living and working in the United States. “I really didn’t like the school system in Africa,” she said. “The teachers were able to whoop you if you were bad. And you had to shave your head and wear a uniform. They wanted everyone to be the same.” While she doesn’t know much about the behindthe-scenes work that went into securing her a place in America, for her, it was a pretty easy trek. She complained to her family about her dislike of school in Cameroon. “Before I knew it, I was on a

plane for America,” she said. She went to middle school and high school in Kansas City before beginning a degree program at Wichita State in criminal justice. She graduated from Shawnee Mission Northwest before making her way to Wichita. She said she toured KU and Emporia State but felt at home on WSU’s campus. “WSU had my major, and it was a perfect size,” she said. “KU was too big. Emporia was too small, and Wichita was just right.” Now Agbor hopes to pursue a career in corporate law. She said she’s trying to get an internship with the Chief Investigator in Wichita. “At first, I wanted to be a social worker but decided that criminal justice was a better route,” she said. Agbor is involved in Phenomenal Women at WSU, Multicultural Student Success and worked as the Black Academic Honor Society secretary before assuming her current role as vice president

“Students from Africa should focus on what they want to do. Stick with what makes you happy so that it’s not a chore; it’s a passion. LUCIA AGBOR Wichita State senior

of the group. But Agbor’s passion is domestic violence advocacy. She said she had friends in high school whose mothers were in abusive relationships. She said when she was younger, she didn’t know how to help them. It made her feel powerless. But she spent her time at WSU learning about domestic violence, the law, and advocacy. “As I got older, I got really passionate and involved in this,” she said. “I don’t feel as helpless now.”

She hopes to work in corporate law and raise a lot of money doing that work to one day establish her own domestic violence foundation. “Everything takes money, and this seems like the best route to earn a lot of money so I can help people. That’s my ultimate goal,” she said. She said she understands that there are a lot of challenges for women all over the world. Women from her home country face challenges that the average American can’t fathom, however. “I know what it means to come from a third-world country. I know poverty and sexism. It’s definitely what drives me,” she said. Her advice to students in Africa is to study what they are passionate about. “In the African community, they’re always encouraged to go into medicine and law. Students from Africa should focus on what they want to do,” she said. “Stick with what makes you happy so that it’s not a chore; it’s a passion.”

In light of the surge in antiAsian hate crimes, Wichita State student Jordan Cao and other community members hosted a #StopAsianHate candlelight vigil Friday evening. “[The purpose] is to honor and remember the victims of Asian hate crime whilst also looking towards the future for a better foot forward in our community,” Cao said. Cao said he decided to host the event when he noticed a lack of events in Wichita. “I was waiting the entire time that someone else here in Wichita, Kansas would start a program or event, or have a vigil like this,” he said. “I realized that as days went to weeks and weeks went to over a month nothing was going to happen and around that time I realized that if you want something to happen you have to do it yourself.” Part of Cao’s motivation was to encourage the university to support the Asian community more. “I wish there was more university support considering Asian-Americans constitute a good portion of the diversity here on campus, I reached out to a few administrators, but on a collective effort for the university, there wasn’t much of a mobilization,” he said. The Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Aaron Austin was in attendance in hopes of educating himself about the present events. “It’s important for me to support our students and I know that our students, especially our AsianAmerican, Pacific Islander, and Desi-American students have been the recipient of a lot of hate for the community across the country, and so if any of our students are hurting I want to be there to do what I can to help support them,” he said. For photos from the event, flip to page 3.

SGA ELECTS STUDENT SEN. JACOB TUBACH SPEAKER OF THE SENATE BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

SCREENSHOT

Senator Jacob Tubach is sworn in as speaker fo the senate during Wednesday’s SGA meeting

/ The Sunflower

@sunflowernews

The Student Senate elected Honors College Senator Jacob Tubach as speaker of the senate during their first meeting of the new session Wednesday. 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. This is only the second time SGA has had this position. The first speaker of the senate was Sen. Olivia Babin last session. Tubach has been in Student Government since his freshman

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year as an Honors Senator. He said his experience being in SGA inspired him to run for the speaker position. “Someone was always there to help put my ideas in motion,” Tubach said. “And that’s what I want to be for [the senate].” Tubach said his goals include bettering the senate’s communication. “I feel that the senate is lacking some cohesion from some senators and I believe communication starts from the top down,” he said. Tubach also said another concern he has is the current university’s grading system and a lack of an A+. “It was intended to help

“The senate is lacking come cohesion from some senators and I believe that communication starts from the top down.” JACOB TUBACH SGA Speaker of the Senate

students with their GPA, and to be more fair to students,” Tubach said. “Because of the lack of an A+, I feel personally it has not done its job.” Senators Rexhd Martin and John Kirk also ran for the speaker position.

2 | MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021

NEWS

This week’s weather in brief

Commencement ceremony Q&A BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

The end of the 2020-2021 school year is coming near and with it, the commencement ceremony to celebrate the class of 2021. The Sunflower compiled a list of everything you need to know about this year’s ceremony.

WHEN/WHERE IS THE CEREMONY? The commencement ceremony is split into six different times in two different days— Friday, May 14 at 9:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and Saturday at those same times. The ceremonies will all be held on campus at Charles Koch Arena.

WILL MASKS BE ENFORCED? Because the university is not currently enforcing mask wearing, masks are not required. However, they are strongly encouraged.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO ATTEND? ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO

Source: iPhone weather app

Each graduate is provided with six tickets for guests. Each guest will be assigned a seat. Each ceremony will be livestreamed for individuals who are not able to attend.

University to switch from Blackboard Learn to Blackboard Ultra. Here’s the difference BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_ KSmith

Blackboard Learn, the university’s current learning management system, is about to be traded in for more of a “21st century experience”. The university gradually shifting to Blackboard Ultra, a revamped version of the current system. Ultra, which all classes will be taught on starting in Spring of 2023, has a more minimalist design and easier to access tabs as compared to the current version. “It’s very similar to the look and feel of Canvas,” Director of Office of Instructional Resources Carolyn Speer said. “It’s a 21st century premium interface.” Not only does the appearance of the Ultra look different but it is more reliable as well, John Jones said. “This is a more modern cloud based sort of model that Blackboard and Canvas and other companies that do this sort of work provide,” Director of the Media Resources Center John Jones said. “It’s a single massive server farm that serves all their customers … on lots and lots of servers. So we’re not going to be dependent on one server.” “That doesn’t mean we won’t have hiccups and we won’t have problems, but we’re going to stop needing to take Blackboard down to run updates.” Here is a breakdown of all the changes faculty and students should expect in the coming semesters.

ULTRA NAVIGATION PAGE Starting May 29, 2021 Blackboard’s home page will change from Learn to Ultra.

“If you open to the Ultra version, you’re going to see something that’s really designed in a mobile first way. It feels like a much better, more dedicated mobile experience..” JOHN JONES Media Resources Center Director

However, not all classes will be taught completely on Ultra. “The navigation environment is one thing, then we have the classes themselves between Ultra and Blackboard Learn are really different, but both of those classes will live inside the Ultra environment starting May 29,” Speer said. “It is just the environment that’s changing on May 29.” Even though the navigation page will look different, students will go to that page the way they have always gone to Blackboard. “They’re going to go to Blackboard the way they go to Blackboard right now, it’s just that we’re going to change Blackboard,” Speer said. “All the links will remain the same.” Ultra also has a place where students can add a nickname they prefer to go by. This way instructors can see students’ preferred names ahead of time. The majority of the courses will be taught on the original Blackboard, but will be accessed through the Ultra homepage. The transition from the normal login and landing page will happen from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Mobile experience Students will see a significant

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.

difference in classes taught on Ultra and classes taught on Learn. One of the key differences is the mobile experience, Jones said. The current Blackboard app has received a lot of negative feedback from multiple universities. This is why the university doesn’t promote the app much, Jones said. But once the university switches all classes to Ultra, that will change. “If you open to the Ultra version, you’re going to see something that’s really designed in a mobile first way,” Jones said. “It feels like a much better, more dedicated mobile experience.”

PHOTO BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER

A goose watched members of the Green Group plant at the WSU communoty garden on Wednesday during their earth day event.

GOOSE NEST REMOVED FROM COMMUNITY GARDEN BY LINDSAY SMITH

THE TRANSITION

editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

The university has a lot of transitional steps in place to help the transition to Ultra run smoothly. The transition will not be fully complete until Spring of 2023. Here is the full schedule posted on Wichita.edu: May 2021: move to “ultra base navigation” Fall 2021: Ultra Pilot participants deliver classes in Ultra when possible Fall 2021: Weekly Zoom-based Ultra trainings available, with online resources available on demand Spring 2022: University community invited to adopt the Ultra experience for their classes, on their own timetable Throughout 2022: Ultra training ongoing, both through Zoom and online, and in-person if possible Fall 2022: Last semester with Blackboard Learn classes available Spring 2023: All course shells will be created in the Ultra experience

A goose nest was removed from the community garden last week. According to WSU’s green group, the nest had been there for roughly two weeks. “We didn’t want to move her because that’s kind of all the green group does— that wildlife is protected and that we’re investing in, you know, green initiatives,” Alice Fitzgerald, WSU’s Green Group president, said. “So we were just kind of working around her.” Fitzgerald said that the removal of the nest came after no notice to the garden or the group. “We have an art class that’s painting the bins for us. So they were painting, they left, and then someone came back and they were like, ‘Oh my gosh the goose is gone, and the nest is gone,’” Fitzgerald said. “And then the goose came back, and the goose was just kind of looking around like, ‘Where did my nest go, where did my babies go?’” The group then called the physical plant to ask about the removal, when they were told that they decided to remove the nest

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 Rachel Thomas admanager@thesunflower.com

“We didn’t want to move her because that’s kind of what the green group does— that wildlife is protected and that we’re investing in ... green initiatives.” ALICE FITZGERALD President of the Green Group

after someone filed a complaint. “It’s just really sad, because we were kind of invested in how she was doing,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald said that geese and goose nests are protected by law, and in order to remove them properties have to have the proper licensing and certification. Facilities told The Sunflower that they got the certification needed to remove the nest. “It’s done by goose troopers and that’s who handles that, it was handled in its proper way,” Facilities services said. “Yes, we do have a license for that.”

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

Rachel Thomas: 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.

NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 3

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL In light of the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, Wichita State student Jorden Cao and other community leaders hosted a #StopAsianHate candlelight vigil Friday evening.

PHOTOS BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Members of Wichita State community gather together for the #StopAsianHate vigil. The event was hosted on April 30.

Top: Jordan Cao speaks at the #StopAsianHate vigil on April 30. Right: Wichita State student Jordan Cao and other community leaders hosted #StopAsianHate candlelight vigil on April 30 in the east courtyard of the Rhatigan Student Center. Bottom: Members of Wichita State community gather together for the #StopAsianHate vigil. The event was hosted on April 30.

Senior hopes to leave behind legacy of empathy BY CALEN MOORE cjmoore3@shockers.wichita.edu

College is the time for many individuals to find what they’re passionate about. For graduating senior Saniya Ahmed, that passion has always been health and medicine. The seed was planted at a young age when she saw pictures of malnourished children in other countries. “I remember I went home that day and told my parents I want to adopt the continent of Africa, and they told me I could not do that, but they did tell me a variety of things I could do to help children in need like becoming a teacher or going into medicine, so I chose medicine,” Ahmed said. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many students found themselves with a lack of motivation. This was not the case for Ahmed. She volunteered through a Medical Reserve Corps to help with the country’s COVID response. Her volunteer work made her come to

PHOTO BY CALEN MOORE / THE SUNFLOWER

Saniya Ahmed is a graduating Wichita State senior. She plans on pursuing her master’s in public health after graduation.

new realizations as well. “It definitely made me realize that I love working with children and I should not underestimate myself,” Ahmed said. Ahmed was presented with two awards this year. The first was the College of Health Professions Shocker Honors Service and

Leadership award. She also won the Phenomenal Women Award this year in March. This award recognizes women for their accomplishments and contributions to our community through their scholarship, activism and excellence. “I felt like the nomination

was flattering but I really did not think anything of it because of how many amazing women were nominated for the award I never even thought I would win,” Ahmed said. “I was so surprised that when people were congratulating me I thought they were congratulating my nomination, they had to clarify that I had won.” Ahmed has started many new initiatives during her time at Wichita State, including starting the university’s first Muslim-based sorority. She founded Mu Delta Alpha at WSU, an organization that is the first Muslim based sorority, outside of the state of Texas, in the nation. “I wanted to create a space for Muslim women to be so unapologetic in their faith, as something that is not a side note, but is the reason they do everything,” Ahmed said. Ahmed also served as an ambassador for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She said being an ambassador has allowed her to have tough conversations

“I used to think I was an idealist, but now looking back, maybe I’m not. Maybe I am capable of actually making the change I want to see.” SANIYA AHMED Wichita State senior

with others about difficult topics. “I think it’s important to have these conversations about issues that are broader than just ourselves, and uplifting and amplifying voices of marginalized communities, that is always the goal,” Ahmed said. As Ahmed looks back on her time at WSU she said she feels empowered by the change she has been able to be a part of. “I used to think I was an idealist, but now looking back, maybe I am not,” Ahmed said. “Maybe I am capable of actually making the change I want to see.”

NEWS

4 | MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021

PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOPWER PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Courtney Minor poses for a photo inside the Rhatigan Student Center.

Philosophy students reflects on future dreams EMMIE BOESE

@elboese15 / elboese15@gmail.com

The hope of teaching philosophy some day will become one step closer after Courtney Minor graduates from Wichita State University this May. After graduating from Wichita State, she will attend UCLA to and enter into their philosophy Ph.D. program. She will also be a first generation graduate student in UCLA’s philosophy program. Minor said she chose UCLA due to the solid philosophy program they have. When asked about why she specifically wants to get her doctorate, she said it has a lot to do with wanting to teach philosophy. “Well I want my doctorate because it’s kind of like the highest level you are going to be able to do the most once you have your doctorate with philosophy,” Minor said. “I also want to actually teach at a university. It’s kind of like the ultimate goal when you major in philosophy.” Before attending Wichita State, Minor attended Hutchinson Community College. While attending community college she was a business major to begin. However, she decided to take some philosophy classes while there, and found it really interesting. “I got really interested in the subject matter, so I switched when I got here,” Minor said.“I chose it because it was challenging, and then once I got going with it, I saw that there was quite a bit I could do with it.” Minor said that the philosophy program at Wichita State has been vital to her success in feeling comfortable to apply for graduate school.

“It’s not necessarily like your engineers or your computer science people that answer the questions. It’s your philosophers. Philosophy has always been there to sort out issues like ethical issues, and law and politics” COURTNEY MINOR Philosiphy Senior

“Everybody in the philosophy department is always extremely helpful,” Minor said. “Without a lot of them I probably wouldn’t have made it through the graduate application process ..just kind of feeling comfortable doing grad level work and research projects, I had a lot of help from different people.” Minor shared her passion for why she believes philosophy is important. She said that philosophy is around us a lot. “With philosophy you are going to find it everywhere,” Minor said. “You know as technology advances like we constantly need to know right is everything we are doing okay? It’s not necessarily like your engineers or your computer science people that answer the questions. It’s your philosophers. Philosophy has always been there to sort out issues like ethical issues, and law and politics.”

Heather Renee Hill poses for a photo infront of the Rhatigan Student Center.

Heather Renee Hill loves being a wife and mom, but she’s getting her degree for herself. BY AUDREY KORTE opinion@thesunflower.com / @ akorteshares

Heather Renee Hill isn’t your average soon-to-be college graduate. It took years for the 49-year-old to get to the finish line. Now she’s about to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the Women’s Studies program. She has applied to the Master of Public Administration degree program at Wichita State. She awaits the decision letter from the department. Hill is an Administrative Specialist in the Office of Financial Aid in the Scholarship Department. She counsels students all day about how to afford college. But when she began the job, she had no intention of getting her bachelor’s degree. She already had an Associate’s degree from Seward county. “My boss was very persuasive — encouraging is the word,” Hill said. “I thought, for so long, ‘I’m just going to be a legal assistant, and that’s it. I don’t need to get my degree or anything because there’s no advancement for me here. There’s no bachelor’s program for a legal assistant (at WSU).” She said when she left the legal field, she was blessed

to get her current job. She appreciates the support and direction she received from colleagues about continuing her education. “Angie Zeorlin was very encouraging — to go back to school and finish my degree. I kind of felt a little pushed into it,” Hill said. “But, you know, I’m very grateful that she did push because I found a purpose. I found that I am worth the second chance of going to school.” “When you’re along by 20 years, and you switch over to something new, everything is almost like, your eyes are just now open to a whole new world.” Hill said she would be content to keep working in the Office of Scholarships for the rest of her career. But having this degree gives her more opportunities for advancement and better pay. That’s one reason she considered applying to graduate school, she said. Her time as a student at WSU has offered her the chance to learn new information and make more contacts on campus that can help Hill do her job better. Her goal is to help students and parents find funds for higher education. “It’s a great feeling to know that I actually now have a purpose in life of

helping students, of helping kids save some money, or helping parents that probably couldn’t afford much,” Hill said. Hill is also passionate about advocating for and mentoring other adult students. She said they have different needs and complications than younger students. Hill said that having people that believe in her and support her has made all the difference. She described the second time around in terms of going to school as very enriching. “It has made it fun,” she said. As a wife and mother, she appreciates that coming back to school was about her, not her husband or her daughter. “You have to do something for yourself. You’ve lost your identity over the years,” she said. “When you’re on the path you’re supposed to be, you lose the baggage. You gain so much freedom.” She said she doesn’t know if this relates to midlife, but she feels a sense of enlightenment now regarding her education. “You are doing for you because you’ve done for everybody else. And this is your moment. You create the story.”

Fall 2020 & Spring 2021

Congratulations College of Fine Arts Graduates! JOIN US FOR THE 2ND ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT CRUISE THURSDAY, MAY 13TH @ 7:00PM LOT 16N & 16S, WEST OF DFAC WICHITA.EDU/CFACRUISE 123rd Commencement Ceremony Dates: Friday, May 14th 9:00am, 12:30pm & 4:00pm Saturday, May 15th 9:00am, 12:30pm & 4:00pm

NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 5

History major discusses his passion for storytelling BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale

PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Nellie Elliot poses in front of the Ulrich Museum of Art. Elliot is graduating in May with an art history degree.

Graduating art history major reflects on her love for art and appreciation for WSU BY ELENA KUCKELMAN

As a senior art history major, Nellie Elliot has developed a passion for creativity and the arts over the course of her college journey at WSU. Elliot said her love for art started early on in life. Growing up, she loved to paint, but eventually, she took an interest in learning the history behind the art. “Going to museums and viewing the art, I was never able to feel a deep connection with the art until I would learn the history behind it,” Elliot said. “So I love that when you learn the story of a work of art it kind of comes to life.” Starting out, Elliot was a studio art major. One of her professors recognized her talent for writing and recommended an art history major to her. “I started taking more art history classes and the more I took I just loved it more and more,” Elliot said. Elliot has been an intern at the Ulrich Museum of Art on campus for almost two years now. She said the internship has taught her so much and it was a great experience for applied learning. “It’s a pretty small museum so I’ve gotten to work in a lot of different departments,” said Elliot. “Everyone there has been super helpful and willing to let me try new things and learn from them.” Elliot is preparing for graduation in May. After graduation, she plans to move on to graduate school. “I’m hoping to get my grad[uate] degree in art conservation and eventually work in painting conservation,” Elliot said. Only New York University, Buffalo University, and the University of Delaware have a graduate program for art conservation in the U.S., so Elliot says she will be applying to all three. However, Elliot says that moving that far from home, she will miss the community feeling of Wichita. She is from Wichita and had family members that also went to WSU. “It really just feels like home to me,” said Elliot. WSU’s art department has made a large impact on Elliot. She says that it is a tight-knit group, allowing for close relationships between students and faculty

“Just allowing yourself to mess up every once in a while and recognizing that your mistakes or things that maybe don’t lead directly to what your goal is are still valuable experiences.” NELLIE ELLIOT Art History senior

members. “By the time you’ve been there for four years, you get to know people pretty well,” said Elliot. “It’s kind of its own sub community within the Wichita State community.” Elliot said finishing up her degree at WSU during the pandemic was definitely a strange experience. Through it, she has developed her time management skills and learned new ways to connect with people. “So much of what you do in the art department is studio classes and it’s very hands-on, so learning to talk about art and learning to make art remotely — it’s been a challenge,” Elliot said. After four years of college, Elliot has learned some important

lessons. When she first got to college she believed that there was a completely straight path forward; you study what you came to study, get your degree in four years and then you get a job in your field. “I’ve learned that the path can be much more tangled,” Elliot said. “You can go one way for a while and decide you don’t want to do that and go back.” “It’s okay to just let yourself try new things and not tie yourself down to one path.” Elliot says that this message is good advice for upcoming and current college students. “Just allowing yourself to mess up every once in a while and recognizing that your mistakes or things that maybe don’t lead directly to what your goal is are still valuable experiences,” said Elliot.

Justin Gordon, a history major graduating this spring, said that he has been interested in history ever since he was in middle school. He started out majoring in political science, but after a year he switched his major to better suit his interests. “What really drew me to history was about storytelling, thinking about how people interact,” Gordon said. “Sometimes we can kinda lose that human factor of history because it was so long ago, that somehow these people are less human than us, but their experiences were just as human as ours.” Gordon’s parents are supportive of his journey because they are musicians and actors. Gordon said that some of his friends growing up didn’t understand why he wanted to major in history. “When I was in high school, I always had this love for history and friends would tell me ‘Oh, you’re just gonna be a middle school history teacher, is that what you want to do?,’” Gordon said. Gordon said that his future plans are to start working on his Master’s Degree in history next semester. He is considering whether he wants to go to law school after that to become a lawyer or earn his PhD in history to become a professor. “I didn’t really think of history as a waste, but it being more about how to make arguments, learning how to write,” Gordon said. “It never really was about how specific history can be, but it’s just more how broad it can be, it can be whatever you want it to be.” Gordon said that what he liked about the history program at WSU was the professors that specialize in historical periods that he is interested in. Gordon’s favorite historical periods include the period of reconstruction right after the civil war and anything else occuring in 1850-1920. In the fall semester, Gordon won the John Rydjord Jr. Upper Division Undergraduate Paper award, which is essentially the best undergraduate paper of that semester. He was also involved with the Society of Public Historians. “In the past year and half, they haven’t really been doing a lot because of COVID-19,” Gordon said. “They have been able to bring in guest speakers a couple times a semester from other bigger universities to do zoom

“Sometimes we can kinda lose that human factor of history because it was so long ago, that somehow these people are less human than us, but their experiences were just as human as ours.” JUSTIN GORDON History senior

talks that they probably wouldn’t have been able to get had it been in person. Before that, we would do things like watch movies together and talk about the intersection of the fiction of the movie and what actually happened in history.” Gordon said that COVID-19 didn’t negatively affect his education, because his classes were still able to meet on Zoom and have discussions about the text. He said that there is less argument and rapid-fire discussion compared to being in-person. “It’s been okay, obviously it is very weird and disappointing to lose a year of your 20’s or late teens,” Gordon said. “From an education standpoint, I think it actually gave me more motivation because I had more time to read and think about these questions and focus on my intellectual and academic pursuits.” Gordon said that his advice to students wanting to major in history is to think about how the things you do in your daily life also happened in some sort of way in the past. “Don’t let people tell you that it is worthless and really make whatever you want out of it,” Gordon said. “It’s history, thousands of years worth of stuff, and it ranges from wars to people’s everyday life … History is fundamentally about how people interact with each other.” Gordon’s advice to students entering college is to remember that general education classes matter, even if they are not in your major or discipline. “You never know what information you are going to get out of it and the people you will meet,” Gordon said. “Even though college has a big academic element to it, it’s about life. Beyond that, trying to find a balance between social life and academia or pursuing intellectual development is really difficult, so keep that in mind.”

6 | MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021

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Sports

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

PHOTO BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER

Freshman Jace Kaminska throws a pitch during WSU’s game against East Carolina on April 30 inside Eck Stadium.

Kansas native Jace Kaminska’s journey to a freshman standout BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

Jace Kaminska might be from a small town in southeast Kansas but he hasn’t been shy of the spotlight this season for Wichita State. Kaminska grew up in Caney, Kansas where the population is under 2,000 people. He attended Caney Valley High School where he took home the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020. For his career, Kaminska compiled a 0.59 ERA and allowed only 20 hits in 96 innings pitched. Kaminska said that being from a small town has helped him in many different facets. “Coming from a small town, I think it helped me a lot because you really have to remember where you’re from,” Kaminska said. “On the playing side because I played on a way lower competition level so I really had to work on stuff when I didn’t always have to. Like where I could take it easy, I still worked on getting better.” During Kaminska’s sophomore year of high school, he got pressured into committing early. Ultimately Kaminska’s decision came down to Wichita State and Kansas State and he decided to

become a Shocker. When Kaminska finally arrived on campus this fall, his role on the team was unsure. After being a starter all throughout high school, he adjusted to a bullpen role for WSU. In two appearances out of the bullpen, Kaminska allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Kaminska said he was hard on himself early on which translated to his lack of success coming out of the bullpen. “I kind of did it to myself and I was upset with myself that I was in the bullpen because I had always been a starter,” Kaminska said. “I knew eventually something would happen, someone would get hurt and I knew I needed to not mess it up when I got it and take it and run with it.” Kaminska finally got his opportunity as a starting pitcher during WSU’s game against Kansas State on March 23. Kaminska collected his first collegiate victory as he pitched five scoreless innings, while only allowing three hits. Since then Kaminska hasn’t looked back. Kaminska currently holds the lowest ERA on the Shockers at 1.18. Kaminska has also received a win in five of his six starts and the Shockers are

“I knew eventually something would happen, someone would get hurt and I knew I needed to not mess it up when I got it and take it and run with it.” JACE KAMINSKA Freshman

undefeated when he takes the mound as a starter this season. “I think that’s been the biggest thing because being a freshman you’re not expected to pitch much even though I kind of expected to because I thought I was different,” Kaminska said. “So facing a challenge and then getting your chance it makes you work harder. Now that I got it, I don’t want to let it go and I’ll try to do anything to keep it.” Kaminska also earned the start at the inaugural game at Riverfront Stadium. Kaminska became the first Shocker freshman to throw a nine-inning complete game since Jordan Cooper did so in 2009. Kaminska also became the first WSU pitcher since Clayton

McGinness in 2019 to throw a complete game. Kaminska has slowly embraced the role as a fan favorite and has seen his following start to increase as he continues to have success. “That’s all been a really good feeling. With social media, I’ve got a lot of followers, I don’t know if it’s more than anyone else but it seems like a lot. Especially pitching at Riverfront (Stadium), there was 7,000 people and I know there were at least 100 people from my town there.” Kaminska turned in his most important start of his young career this past Friday against No. 8 East Carolina, leading the Shockers to a 12-2 victory. Kaminska pitched a complete game and allowed only two earned runs in seven innings pitched. Head Coach Eric Wedge said he has been impressed with Kaminska’s presence on the mound as a freshman. “We talk about pitchability all the time and he exudes it,” Wedge said. “He goes out there with his fastball, he can throw in and out, up and down when he wants to. He continues to develop a breaking ball that’s been pretty good for him. He’s able to throw any pitch

at any time and he has presence on the mound for a freshman.” Junior outfielder Hunter Gibson said that he has been impressed with how Kaminska has carried himself. “Off the field he’s a goofy fun guy to be around but on the field he’s all serious, he’s ready to get after it and he composes himself on the mound as a freshman better than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Gibson said. “He’s got two or three pitches that he can throw for a strike anytime and it’s really impressive and fun to watch in the dugout. It also helps us as hitters to go up there and you want to compete for that guy, you want to win and give good at-bats for him.” Kaminska said that his journey has been special, especially since few people get to play Division-I sports from his town. “I would say it’s unique because I don’t have any friends that have come and played Division-I sports,” Kaminska said. “I think it’s special and then with baseball you’re bound to fail, it’s probably the most failure driven game of all sports. I know what’s going to happen at some point, where I’m not going to win. It’s just how you recover from that.”

Neleigh Herring’s late home run clinches upset victory over No. 11 Oklahoma State BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

After their first conference series loss to the University of South Florida last weekend, the Wichita State women’s softball team bounced back to beat No. 11 nationally ranked Oklahoma State University on Tuesday, 3-2. WSU started off right away with a homer from sophomore shortstop Sydney McKinney in the bottom of the 1st inning. The Shockers scored another run in the bottom of the 4th to give them a 2-0 lead. Junior designated hitter Neleigh Herring talked about the success McKinney has had at the plate this year. McKinney is currently ranked No. 12 in the nation for toughest to strikeout according to the NCAA. “Everytime time that kid is going to hit the ball no matter what,” Herring said. “I have complete confidence. To have her as our leadoff is awesome because we go into a game, she’s going to get us going for sure.”

OSU hit two back to back home runs in the top of the 5th to make it a 2-2 game. The Shockers took home the win though after Herring hit a homer to right field in the bottom of the 6th to win the game. Herring was full of excitement as she talked about her game winning home run. She said she was glad to get it done for her team. “It was awesome you know,” Herring said. “Little bit of relief because I finally feel like I’m hitting the ball well and helping my team out and you know to put us up on them knowing we only have to go out, and [Bailey] Lange is going to do what she does and our defense is going to play well so after that I was like we got this game, it was just a great feeling.” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said Herring made an adjustment to her swing in order to perform well at the plate against OSU. “Actually a really specific adjustment,” Bredbenner said. “She split her grip a little bit just to kind of get her top hand working a

little bit more. Another standout performance on the night was senior pitcher Bailey Lange. Lange pitched a complete game. She allowed five hits and two runs, while striking out four batters. Lange is 17-5 on the season. Lange said what she needed to do in order to pitch a successful game against OSU. “They’re really good hitters so I knew I had to keep the ball low,” Lange said. “You saw when I brought it up they hit two home runs in a row. So I knew I needed to keep the ball low, pound the zone, and make them chase the change up.” Bredbenner said after losing a series to USF and facing their pitcher Georgina Corrick, the win against OSU was just what the team needed to get ready for their conference series against Tulsa this weekend. “It was a win we needed,” Bredbenner said. “We knew that it was going to be a tough game. We didn’t play well this past weekend

PHOTO BY LENA ALHALLAQ / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State redshirt senior Kaylee Huecker stands at third base during the game against Oklahoma State at Wilkins Stadium on April 27, 2021.

with Corrick on the mound. We needed this kind of to get our heads right for this weekend and get that confidence back that we know we are a good team.” The Shockers were picked to finish 5th in the American Athletic Conference. Herring said it feels great to know the Shockers are in the race to finish 1st in conference play still despite losing to USF last weekend. “It’s amazing,” Herring said.

“You know we took that chip on our shoulder everybody putting us that low. We knew what we were capable of so just to be able to have a chance in this season and going into our last conference series, to still be in the running, were pumped, were excited about it.” WSU will start their conference series at Tulsa on Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m.

SPORTS

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 7

PHOTO BY MONIQUE GAINES / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State seniors Bailey Lange and Madison Perrigan strategize durring the game against Houston at Wilkins Stadium on April 9.

Wichita State senior Ryleigh Buck runs to first base during the game against South Florida at Wilkins Stadium on April 24, 2021.

Softball seniors’ extra year of eligibility makes a lasting impact BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a lot of places, and events to shut down. A lot of colleges shut down in person classes. Not only did in person classes shut down though, it also included college athletics. Many senior college athletes across the nation had to face the frustration and disappointment of not being able to see their college careers to end. The Wichita State softball team has six seniors on their team this season, three of those seniors were able to gain an extra year of eligibility due to their season being cancelled early last year to COVID19. The seniors that were able to come back are senior pitcher Bailey Lange, senior catcher Madison Perrigan, and senior third baseman Ryleigh Buck. Buck spoke for all three seniors in the sense that getting their season canceled last year was not a great ending to their college

“I think things didn’t end really end the way we wanted to just with the season getting taken away, so we really wanted an opportunity to plau again.” RYLEIGH BUCK Senior

softball careers. “I think it was a no brainer kind of for all three of us,” Buck said. “I think things didn’t really end the way we wanted to just with the season getting taken away, so we really wanted an opportunity just to play again. It’s just easy to say yes to come back for one more round.” Lange said she didn’t really have any plans after her senior year so focusing on softball was an easy decision for her. “I originally was going to go to grad school somewhere, but I

didn’t really have anything lined up,” Lange said. “I mean it was an easy yes to not grow up and play another year of softball.” Perrigan wanted to be able to live out her hopes of playing four years of college softball, and finally reaching the end goal of her career. “Getting the season cut short last year and just always wanting to have that senior year because ultimately whenever I got to college that’s what I could think about was having that senior year,” Perrigan said. “Going through all four years in this program.. so I wanted to make sure I finished what I started here.” The softball team has had a successful season this year. Some players have broken school records, they’ve been placed in the top 25 national softball rankings and sometimes run - ruling teams, or shutting them out. With already getting an opportunity to come back and

BY LENA ALHALLAQ / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Bailey Lange pitches during the game against Oklahoma State at Wilkins Stadium on April 27, 2021.

BY MONIQUE GAINES / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Madison Perrigan celebrates a grand slam with teammates during the game against Houston at Wilkins Stadium on April 9, 2021.

play another year of softball, the girls expressed how awesome it is to have an exciting season. Each player said they knew that this year’s team was talented and that

BY MONIQUE GAINES / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Ryleigh Buck celebrates pitches during the game against Houston at Wilkins Stadium on April 9, 2021.

they knew what it took to win a lot of games. “We knew how much talent this team had so just hoping that that’s what we could prove on the field,” Perrigan said. “Seeing us get top 25 wins and getting in the top 25 rankings, and breaking school records is just amazing, and I couldn’t ask for a better team to finish my career out on.” Buck said that with the season coming to a close, it is bittersweet knowing that their collegiate careers could be ending soon. “It’s a little bit bittersweet,” Buck said. “It’s kind of hitting just to see all the friendships that have been built and all the relationships, and all the memories that we made from softball whether it’s growing up in travel ball or here at Wichita State now..seeing that all come to an end, but I mean it’s exciting. I think we’ve had a great time here all three of us, we’ve become great friends.

Senior Garreth Stroh leads WSU to victory in first Shocker start BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty

BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER

Wichita State senior Gareth Stroh pitches during the game against East Carolina at Eck Stadium on May 2, 2021.

For the first time all season, senior Gareth Stroh collected his first start in a Shocker uniform on Sunday. With the Shockers needing a win to earn a series split against No. 8 East Carolina, the Shockers turned to Stroh in a pivotal game. Stroh originally arrived at WSU as a transfer from Nebraska and had one appearance out of the bullpen in WSU’s opening series against Oklahoma State. Stroh delivered 3.2 innings against East Carolina, while allowing three earned runs and four hits, leading the Shockers to a 11-9 victory. Head Coach Eric Wedge said that they originally brought Stroh

to WSU to be a starter but injures held him back early on. “We brought Gareth here because we thought he was going to be a starter but he’s just been banged up,” Wedge said. “Ultimately, it was good to see Gareth get back out there and hopefully he’ll help us solidify our rotation.” Stroh consistently found the strikezone throughout his start, throwing 38 strikes of his 55 total pitches. Junior Ross Cadena said that Stroh’s ability to consistently was key in keeping the Pirates off balance. “Stroh was outstanding,” Cadena said. “Older guy, knows how to compete, knows how to throw it over. He put those hitters on defense, it definitely showed

whenever he was in there.” ECU entered the series with the best offense in the American Athletic Conference. In 39 games, the Pirates have the highest batting average (.305) and the most runs scored (275). Junior pitcher Aaron Haase said that this series can be a confidence boost for WSU’s pitching staff moving forward. “They’re a team of really good hitters, there’s not one bat in that lineup that you’re going to be able get through easy.,” Haase said. “Everybody’s competitive has good at-bats so credit to them for that but it’s good to have that competition and see where you line up because it’s one of the best lineups in the country.”

THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 8

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Opinion

HAVE AN OPINION?

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

Why baseball needs to embrace celebrations Sean Marty Sports Editor sports@thesunflower.com

In the sport of baseball one aspect that has started to evolve over the past couple years is the art of celebrating. Players have become noticeably more excited after making a big play or collecting a key strikeout. This part of the sport I feel needs to be embraced by the league as they hope to continue to grow the sport across the country. Players at the Major League level such as Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Ronald Acuna have been noted for their flair and bat flips which is helping grow a bigger audience. This weekend, when Wichita State baseball hosted East Carolina, the Pirates celebrated in a unique way. After ECU hit a homerun they celebrated by having that player put a traffic cone over their head. I feel that this is a unique and exciting way for the team to celebrate. To go along with this celebration, the majority of the

team would also come out of the dugout to show their excitement for the recent. College baseball has struggled in growing its brand in comparison to sports such as basketball and football but I feel these celebrations could be a turning point. Different college teams have come up with similar celebrations like Thor’s hammer among others. By doing this, it allows for fans to become more interested in baseball because of the amount of emotion being shown by the players and in turn makes the fans more passionate about the teams. aseball needs to continue to embrace these types of celebrations, especially in the MLB. Previously, pitchers would throw at hitters if they would celebrate too much after hitting a home run. But PHOTO BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER now players must adapt to the new East Carolina’s Thomas Fransisco celebrates after hitting a home run by putting a traffic cone on top of his head. age and era of baseball. reminds them why they decided by letting these players embrace truly passionate about the sport. If pitchers are upset with the to play the sport in the first place. By showing this type of emotion themselves instead of being scared hitters showing emotion after And for a sport struggling to grow of the possible consequences that after a big play, it also allows for hitting a homer off of them, they to the younger audience, getting may have come in years previous. the players’ personality to be should put that energy towards these players personality through These celebrations should shown more through their passion trying to strike them and celebratthese celebrations can truly pay be viewed as a good thing for for the sport. The MLB has lacked ing the same way. It shouldn’t be dividends in the long run. the sport. Letting players at the in showcasing their players to the uncommon for these players to highest level get excited because fans in recent years and getting show that type of emotion as well their full personality out there. But of something they did on the field and it shows that these players are

A GLIMPSE INTO MY FRESHMAN EXPERIENCE Mykaela Gardner Columnist

Freshman year, the period in time where you go from being the big man on campus at your high school to the bottom of the totem pole in a strange new environment. What an amazing time. Jokes aside, starting your freshman year can be scary especially if you’re attending a college away from home, but the newfound experiences and freedom are often worth the risk. As a freshman only a year ago, I’ve experienced the roller coaster of emotions that come from being a freshman and I honestly don’t regret a moment of it. The time to move into your dorm is a bag of mixed emotions. On one hand, at least at WSU, the dorms are quite nice and provide you the privacy and freedom you’ve always craved. You have a door you can shut to get away and you don’t have to deal with nagging parents. On the other hand, you have to share a confined space with strangers and you won’t have

your parents to do stuff for you, i.e. cooking, cleaning, and unconditional love. When I first moved into the suites I was fortunate enough to get my room, a blessing given I have six siblings back at home. I was able to do what I wanted and I had plenty of room to stretch my legs. Unfortunately, I got lonely fast. Having my own dorm was an excuse to isolate myself, I didn’t have to leave my dorm unless it was for class. I got homesick and struggled with some negative emotions. I eventually made friends and started getting out more, but getting through that adjustment period was hard. I tried to call home a lot and honestly, it made me feel so much better like I could make it with their support. The next obstacle was figuring out where in the world my classes were. I know WSU isn’t that large of a campus but it didn’t stop me from getting lost. I once was in a rush to find my math class and I completely forgot my class number. I eventually found the room but, boy howdy did it give a mini heart attack. My saving grace during that time was google

maps and my printed syllabus. Even though the pandemic has satiated that problem with online classes, that doesn’t mean it won’t be a problem when things get back to normal. Take a walk around campus, familiarize yourself with the lay of the land, because when you’re running at the speed of light trying to get to your class because you woke up late, knowing where your classes are will come in handy. On a similar note, communicating with your professors, oh boy. I can’t be the only one who struggled with still treating these people like authoritarians. I have a teacher for a mom, so treating the person who controls how you’re graded like an equal is practically impossible. Not to mention the newfound fear that descends upon you every time you have to email your professor about a question. Most freshmen who enter the college scene are left lost and confused when left to their own devices. Up until now, mom and dad have taken care of everything. Eventually, you have to put on your big boy pants and deal with the staff yourself. Based on my experience, it usually gets

easier around the third email. Outside of the academic portion of your life, general daily survival is another beast in and of itself. If you’re like me, you don’t know how to cook to save your life. This either means you order a lot of take-out or a lot of trips to the Shocker Hall Dining. I personally ordered a lot of pizza, and let me tell you, the freshman 15 is not a joke. For your own health and well-being, I suggest learning how to cook fast and going to our on-campus YMCA. Your body and wallet will thank you. As the school year goes on it eventually comes to an end. Unfortunately, this also means fewer opportunities to boost your grades. I personally am not a great studier, I struggled during the last few weeks trying to study all the material that flew over my head the whole semester, and hoped for a miracle that I would pass my classes. For the most part, I at least passed a majority, if only barely, but I did end up failing one class. I was devastated as grades were really important to me and I felt like a failure. Grades are important but they should never

come before your own mental well-being. As a freshman, I would highly recommend spending at least a few hours a day studying for your classes if only for an hour for each class. Find a study group, go to tutorials, or ask your professor for further clarifications. It will save you a lot of stress. If even after all that hard work you are still failing a class, there is no shame in withdrawing from the class and trying again next semester. It’ll be better for your GPA and your own well-being. I’ve experienced loneliness and uncertainty as a freshman. Being a freshman is hard, and it can be overwhelming, but the experience is worth it. If you can push through the trials and tribulations a lot of good can come from it. I became independent. I learned how to problem solve, how to care for myself, and how to overcome failure. It may be scary but being a freshman is an experience I wouldn’t miss for anything. Good luck to all you incoming freshmen, your journey has just begun.

CONGRATULATIONS to the class of 2025! We wish you the best of luck as you enter into the next stage of life.

OPINION

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 9

Advice and encouragement from seniors to first year students BY AUDREY KORTE AND MYKAELA GARDNER

We all need a little insight and encouragement in life and new students need more than most. Our current freshman class has suffered more frustration and isolation than anyone should have to deal with and our faculty and staff have worked nonstop for over 14 months to handle the demands of the pandemic. From budget shortfalls, to the technical needs of our students

“Try not to focus so much on work. Instead, do stuff on campus cause time goes by fast and you’ll miss it if you don’t get involved and just like meet new people.” “It’s worth it to make the small sacrifices to avoid the great costs. If you see something that is free but it takes a little longer... it’s worth it to do that than to pay a little extra money.”

and colleagues, the demands of our institutions and families and the general stress and strife of the COVID-19 outbreak have made this year complicated, tedious and lonely. The class of 2021 wanted to give some advice to the younger students. Seniors who have successfully navigated their way through school and our soon moving onto another place have a few words for the current group of first year students and the incoming class.

“Get an agenda, get a schedule and you’ll be able to accomplish a lot more than you would if you just free balled it.” ALEX GARLOW “If you’re gonna do something and you say you’re gonna do it, do it every time. [Also] communicate with your teachers, even if you don’t want to you should.”

KATIE GOETZ

HANNAH MORRISON

KATHLYN BROOKS

“Take all your classes seriously because it will catch up with you and you’ll be in bad shape if you don’t.”

“I suggest joining a group, finding a club, and making as many friends as you possibly can.”

ANNE DOWLING

KAVEEN HEWA

Farewell from Baker: Sports reporter takes ‘great pride’ in time spent at The Sunflower BY JOE BAKER joebakerwsu@gmail.com / @JoeBakerWSU

At the conclusion of the spring 2019 semester, I made the decision to transfer to Wichita State. I didn’t know what the future had in store for me when I made that decision back then, however my experience at Wichita State has shattered all the expectations I had. During my one year working with The Sunflower, I served as a sports reporter. I took great pride in covering Shocker athletics to the best of my ability. I am from Wichita and I know what Shocker athletics means to the Shocker community. My favorite memory from my time at Wichita State was traveling to Indianapolis with the Sports Editor of The Sunflower Sean Marty to cover Shocker basketball in the NCAA Tournament. Although our Shockers lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Drake Bulldogs in the First Four round 53-52, this experience was

“This experience has been beneficial for me in my pursuit of a career in broadcast journalism. I have met and worked with amazing people that have unlimited potential in every aspect of life” William Day Vice President of Nonsense

enjoyable and a fantastic learning experience. That memory is just one of countless memories I have made while attending this great school. Unfortunately, COVID-19 spoiled my senior year and I did not get to have a true senior year sitting in the classroom, hanging out with my friends and watching Shocker basketball in a jam packed Charles Koch Arena.

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.

Having said that, I made the most out of my senior year. My college days might be numbered, but I will always remember the great times I had. Working for The Sunflower this past year has been such a joy. This experience has been beneficial for me in my pursuit of a career in broadcast journalism. I have met and worked with amazing people that have unlimited potential in every aspect of life. I would highly recommend anyone with an interest in journalism to work for The Sunflower. The journalism experience you gain while working for The Sunflower is second to none on campus. The Sunflower helped me become better in every aspect of journalism. I have made lifelong friendships at Wichita State. I will look back fondly on my days as a Shocker. Looking back, I am glad I made the decision to transfer to Wichita State; it was a journey unlike any other.

COURTESY PHOTO FROM JOE BAKER

I strongly feel that Wichita State has better prepared me for life ahead. As I move on to the next chapter of my life, I will always be proud to say I am an alumnus

of Wichita State University. Once a Shocker, always a Shocker! Farewell.

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

Lindsay Smith: Cheez-Its are bae. Sean Marty: Country music in the summer hits different. Julia Nightengale: I’m proud of everyone who survived school this year.

10 | MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021

NEWS

YEAR IN PHOTOS

PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER

Aaron Austin, Dean of Students, passes out masks on the first day of fall classes inside the RSC on August 17, 2020.

PHOTO BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

Event staff members warm up before the start of Clash of the Colleges. The event was held on Friday, Aug. 21 at Cessna Stadium.

Top: Science grad Taylor Fugitt greets her family after the graduation ceremony ended. (Khanh Nguyen / The Sunflower) Right: Congo native, junior in Mechanical Engineering Glodi Mpunga speaks to the crowd at the protest against impunity in Africa. (Khanh Nguyen / The Sunflower)

Top: Governor of Kansas Laura Kelly answers questions during an interview with The Sunflower on Monday, Oct. 19. (Morgan Anderson / The Sunflower) Right: Wichita State sophomore Tyson Etienne takes a jumper during the game against USF at Dickies Arena on Mar. 12. (Khanh Nguyen / The Sunflower)

MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021 | 11

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Arts & Entertainment

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

Senior taking steps to make it in the filmmaking industry BY TABITHA BARR arts@thesunflower.com / @tabbyjanelle

For some, creating and writing is a difficult task. For others, it comes easy. Olivia Gonzalaz’s passion is to use her creativity to scriptwrite and then bring those scripts into reality. She started her journey at Wichita State University in 2016 thinking she was going to transfer after her general education courses. However, WSU built their media arts program and opened it up after her first year. Gonzalez saw an opportunity and went for it. “We didn’t know how it was going to go,” Gonzalez said. Even though they didn’t have everything in place, Gonzalez knew it was the place for her. “I won’t lie, I have amazing classmates and I can’t imagine being somewhere else,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez said that not only has she grew her passion through the program, but she has also found a community of people who help her grow into her art. During her senior year, one of her classes required her to create a feature length project. She chose to write a script running a little under 150 pages. She had students and faculty look over and critique it. “The ability to fail while I’m

COURTESY PHOTOS

Olivia Gonzalez directs her crew member and tells her how she wants her shot.

here in college and have the resources like faculty, helped make things a positive experience,” Gonzalez said. Even though Gonzalez doesn’t know if that project will ever be produced, she is proud of all that she’s accomplished here at WSU. Gaining hands-on experience is important for Gonzalez. She has worked on projects with other areas in the media arts and pitched her own ideas and had them selected to be produced. She even has a freelance job set up with WSU where she is working on a project for the African American Museum. “I’ve been in school for five years but it also feels like ‘have I learned enough?’ I’m never going

to stop learning,” Gonzalez said. “After this, there’s no safety net, all I’ll have is the experiences and opportunities that prepared me.” When it comes to Gonzalez’s future, she said it’s all up in the air. “I would love to have money and connections to write and produce what I am creating now,” she said. “However, I’m made to think about how can I make it with the resources I have now.” In a male dominated industry, Gonzalez was surprised to find so many fantastic women in the program with her. “I honestly think I’ve learned so many students are women in an industry that’s male dominated,” Gonzalez said. “Getting to work with females and consume their

COURTESY PHOTOS

Wichita State studnet Olivia Gonzalez works on set with other students.

work is a super valuable experience. There are so many talented women It’s so awesome to see

Movement of plastics industry toward sustainability: panel discussion

women want to do this work and succeed.”

THINGS TO DO THE LAST WEEK OF CLASSES

BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE copyeditor@thesunflower.com

On Friday, April 30, the last event for the Shockers Go Green events took place, discussing the harmful effects of plastic on our environment and what leaders in every industry are doing to try to find a solution. “About 40% of plastics produced today are single-use plastics,” Dr. Coleen Pugh, moderator and chemistry professor said. “Half of the plastics that have been made, have been made in just the last fifteen years. 2% of plastics are recycled into products with a similar function as what it started with.” Every panelist gave a short presentation about their career and their knowledge about plastic, as well as what they have been working on to solve the problem of plastic. Afterwards, there was a brief panel discussion open for questions from the audience. Mike Biddle, from Evok Innovations, said that he started his career in the 1970s when plastic was one of the ‘grooviest materials on the planet.’ “In the 70s, we were worried about how in the world were we going to have stable, raw materials to make our plastics. In the 80’s, we were worried about what the world was going to do with our end of life products that we were making so much more of,” Biddle said. Biddle said that the U.S started shipping the difficult to recycle materials overseas, mostly to China and Southeast Asia. They would pick through what they could and the rest would end up in water sources, which flow into the oceans. This has had a significant negative impact on marine life. “You will find plastic in your sea salt, your bottled water, even your beer . . . They are finding it in Rocky Mountain snow and rain,” Biddle said. “There was a study released not to0 long ago that estimated that Americans ingest annually about 40-50 thousand particles of microplastic a year. Including inhalation, that goes up to 100 thousand particles per year.” Biddle said the answer is not to

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SOCIAL WORK COLLOQUIUM 05/03/21 @ 8:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

FIRST GEN SUCCESS IN-PERSON/VIRTUAL CELEBRATION 05/03/21 @ 1-3 p.m.

SBIR / STTR PROPOSAL PREPARATION WEBINAR 05/04/21 @ 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. SCREENSHOT

The four speakers at the panel discussion talked about how plastics are helpful and hurtful and how we as a community can help before sustainable.

ban plastic, because it is one of the most efficient and best environmental material choices for many products. The answer to our plastic problem is recycling. “The CO2 going into oceans has had a huge impact on the PH level of oceans . . . the combination of heat and acidification through the absorption of CO2 in the oceans has had a huge impact, it saved us on the land, but it’s had a huge impact on the oceans. The oceans are critical to life on the land,” Biddle said. Biddle said that while it’s easy to blame big companies for this issue, many individuals can make easy changes to their lifestyle such as going solar, driving less, air-drying clothes, and going vegan that will lessen their carbon footprint. Biddle said that if consumers demand things are made in different ways, we can have enormous impact. Joel Matsco, Covestro senior marketing manager for the polycarbonates division, said that polycarbonate is a very tough plastic that has higher heat resistance and can meet the design challenges of various electronics. “What we are working on today is removing ourselves from fossil sources and finding other biobased or bio-circular sources to

manufacture our plastic . . . This is really driven by the market, and it is really driven by the end consumer,” Matsco said. At the end-of-life for products, many are burned for energy recovery. Covestro is looking at ways that we can use bio sources to consume the C02 and remploy that back into production. They are also looking at ‘closing the loop’ on products and reusing plastic used to make previous products. “Plastics are just too valuable to dispose of. For the energy that it requires, if we can bring it back into a useful life a little bit earlier . . . that offers a much higher value than back to the customer. In the end game, we hope to diminish our need for the oil and gas industry,” Matsco said. Abdala Bashir, from Danimer Scientific, discussed microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoates as a new way of producing plastics. “A lot of the plastics are single use plastics, particularly food and this really showcases that the materials being used in the packaging industry are really over-engineered,” Bashir said. When asked how close we are to using compostable plastics in consumer goods, Matsco said that is almost an entirely different discussion.

“I think we are a number of years off from that, I think it is going to take some special enzyme research,” Matsco said. “I would push the industry towards more chemical recycling, not even risking engineered plastics entering a landfill. It would be a much better pathway, or even better, close the loop at the end of its useful life cycle.” Biddle said that the future of recycling looks like a multistep process to get rid of plastic materials. “It’s a triage. You start with mechanical recycling, you go to traditional chemical recycling . . . and then the leftovers, which will be a small amount could be turned into energy . . . the nice thing about plastics is they lend themselves to a zero-waste solution if you have all the solutions available,” Biddle said. Bashir said that there is not just one solution to our plastic problem, but many solutions that can work together. “I think all of these solutions are really complimentary . . . all of these solutions are complimentary, they aren’t in competition,” Bashir said.

DANCE PERFORMANCES TIED TO ULRICH’S ‘SOLVING FOR X’ EXHIBITION 05/04/21 @ 5:30 p.m.

TRIVIA TUESDAY: KAHOOT! 05/04/21 @ 7-8 p.m.

PHYSICS SEMINAR SERIES 05/05/21 @ 2-3 p.m.

SCIENCE AND BIAS 05/05/21 @ 2 p.m.

VIRTUAL BINGO 05/06/21 @ 7-8 p.m.

LAST DAY OF SPRING 2021 CLASSES 05/06/21

SOFTBALL VS. ARKANSAS 05/07/21

VOLUNTEER WITH WICHITA CLEAN STREAMS 05/08/21

Retired.

12 | MONDAY, MAY 3, 2021

adjective.

1. Having ended one’s professional career. 2. I do what I want, when I want. 3. Not my problem anymore. See also:

Dr. Rick Armstrong

Associate Professor, Director of the public speaking program & founder of the Center for Excellence in Oral Communication Armstrong is likely the record holder for number of banked sick hours, having never missed a work day in more than 33 years. The consummate professional, he has been a respected colleague and exceptional mentor.

Dr. Patricia Dooley Elliott Distinguished Professor & former graduate coordinator

From Athens to Africa to Albuquerque, Dooley traveled the world, usually with graduate students in tow, talking not only about freedom of the press and fake news, but also about zombies, Instagram, atomic bombs and, on occasion, pot heads.

Rebecca Nordyke Senior Educator

Often teaching more classes per year than any of her colleagues, Nordyke’s impact was global, teaching thousands of students in cross cultural communication, international communication and public speaking for non-native speakers of English. Her Quilts of Valor have helped students bring warmth and comfort to many.

Bill Molash

Senior Administrative Assistant & sheriff of Elliott Hall In the office by 7 a.m., Molash was always ready to pass back assignments, administer the GSP, kick you out of your office or classroom during a fire drill, and give a little good-natured grief to everyone who stopped by.

Together, you have given 128 years of service to Wichita State University. On behalf of our students, alumni and all the colleagues you have worked alongside, we thank you and wish you a happy retirement.