/ The Sunflower
THURSDAY Nov. 4, 2021 Volume 126 Issue 13
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PHOTO BY RACHEL RUDISILL / THE SUNFLOWER
Amy Ross holds a sign in support of Professor Karen Countryman-Roswurm. A protest was held outside of the Metroplex to call for accountability from WSU administrators on Oct. 29, 2021.
Protesters call for accountability from WSU administration following professor’s lawsuit BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com /@JuliaNightengale
Roughly a dozen community members gathered across the street from the presidential inauguration ceremony to call for accountability following social work professor Karen Countryman-Roswurm’s lawsuit against the university that cited “years of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.” “We need to hold WSU responsible for causing harm,” Gianna Williams, a lifelong friend of Countryman-Roswurm and the protest organizer, said. “We need to ask those leaders to do better. The lawsuit is an attempt to hold them accountable and I hope the community will push them to find a safer space for staff and students.”’ Williams said she decided to hold the protest because she wants to see change from the university. “It’s important because a lot of the community are not aware of the harm that can be caused by what they consider to be simple locker room talk,” Williams said. “She has complained and followed the chain of command for years and has not been able to get satisfaction so I just wanted to come out here when there was a lot of attention on WSU to say, ‘I don’t think this is OK.’ They can do better.” The protesters spread out around the complex across the road. The majority of protesters were holding up signs. Many of the protesters were friends and old coworkers from the Center for Combatting Human Trafficking, as well as social work students at WSU. Linda Gregory, who did photography work for the CCHT, said that she was at the protest because she wanted to stand up against the culture of sexual discrimination. “I am supporting Karen CountrymanRoswurm in her lawsuit that she has tried to avoid having for years,” Gregory said.
“The lawsuit is an attempt to hold [WSU’s leaders] accountable and I hope the community will push them to find a safer space for staff and students.” GIANNA WILLIAMS Protest organizer
“No one will do anything about it, they tell her just don’t report it, take it easy, it will go away. It does not go away. It becomes worse. No one should take that kind of mental and verbal abuse that she has taken.” In terms of what she wants to see happen from the university, Gregory said that she wants them to be aware of the community support for the lawsuit and be made aware of the situation so they can begin to change the community so it is no longer an issue. Kristen Powell, a criminal justice graduate from WSU who worked at CCHT said she was there to stand with her mentor. Powell said she would like to see some changes with Title IX. “I don’t think that having in-house reporting is something that is good on campus, in jail systems, or any system,” Powell said. “How do you know it’s ever going to escalate within the university? So I think that would be something that would be helpful for both students and staff members because the person who you are making the report to is someone who might be working in the same office or building.” ShaiLyn Malsky, a graduate student in social work, said that she attended the protest to hold those in power accountable. “Honestly, I think that leadership needs to be held accountable,” Malsky said. SEE PROTEST PAGE 2
PHOTO BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
President Rick Muma takes his oath of office delivered by magistrate judge Gwynne Birzer. The presidential inauguration was held at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex on Oct. 29.
Rick Muma inaugurated as 15th president of WSU BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith
Rick Muma was inaugurated as the 15th president of Wichita State University Friday, roughly six months after the Kansas Board of Regents hired him. “Every day for the past 25 years, I’ve considered myself lucky to be a part of Shocker nation — as a person, as an educator and a leader — because of the people and opportunities that I’ve found here,” Muma said in his remarks. “I promise to work hard every day to be deserving of this honor.” The inauguration ceremony was held at the WSU Metroplex located on East 29th street. Guests included former WSU President Donald Beggs, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, former presidential search committee chair Dan Peare, KBOR President Blake Flanders, among others.
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly shared the inaugural remarks. “We have the unique privilege of not just celebrating the new president, but we are recognizing the meaningful contributions he’s already made in this position,” Kelly said. “I know that President Muma is dead set on creating even more opportunities like the ones available at the innovation campus for students at Wichita State.” Amy Drassen-Ham from the college of health professions gave the inaugural speech. Drassen-Ham has known Muma for over a decade, and said that she was honored he chose her to give the speech instead of someone who held a higher office in the university. “I concluded that asking me to speak is a direct representation of who President Muma is,” Drassen-Ham said. “He finds value through the everyday SEE INAUGURATION PAGE 2
SGA Senate tables bill that would transfer authority to recognize student organizations to Student Involvement BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com / @JuliaNightengale
A student senate bill regarding the transfer of authority to recognize student organizations to Student Involvement was tabled due to a high number of questions and debates from senators. This bill follows a controversial decision by the student senate last month that rejected the conservative organization Turning Point USA registered student organization status. The decision was deemed unconstitutional by the Student Supreme Court and was overturned the following week.
The bill was introduced to the senate last week by Senator Ella Perkins. “Whether the senate has true authority over recognition of RSOs has long been a question, and it has become increasingly clear through conversations that have been had over the last month, the denial of any student group RSO status will always have the potential to put the association in legal jeopardy,” Perkins said. Perkins said that this forces senators to make false choices because voting no will always be questioned as a violation of the first amendment, and may force them
to support a student organization that they don’t think represents their constituents. Perkins said that both Gabriel Fonseca, Interim Director of Student Involvement and President Muma are in favor of this legislation. The senate would still be able to reverse any decision made by the student involvement office by a two-thirds vote. If a senator was concerned about a specific RSO, they would be able to make inquiries to Student Involvement. Abby Whistler, coordinator of student organizations in Student Involvement, would be in charge of
processing student organizations. “I think the way we would maneuver this responsibility would be through and in conjunction with the Ways and Means Committee, that provides oversight to student organizations,” Fonseca said. “We’re also not opposed at all to notifying senate leadership that an organization had been approved and for them to have that information.” During the voting period on Nov. 3, many senators voiced concerns over the bill, including Senator Tayton Majors who chairs the Ways and Means Committee — the committee that oversees
RSOs. He said this bill would take away student organization;s platforms to share about their vision to SGA and give senators a chance to ask questions. “This bill isn’t fully removing SGA’s involvement … Even if our current situation is legally questionable, this would not change with this legislation,” Majors said. He also noted that there is nothing in this bill that guarantees immediate notice to senators about groups being denied or accepted. Senator Emily Warden spoke in affirmation of the bill, and said SEE SGA PAGE 2
2 | THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021
NEWS
Turning Point USA to receive RSO status after student Supreme Court decision BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith
PHOTO BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
Admissions director Bobby Gandu answers questions from a Sunflower reporter in his office, located in the Marcus Welcome Center.
Admissions director Bobby Gandu: A shocker through and through BY SASCHA HARVEY snharvey@shockers.wichita.edu
One look inside admissions director Bobby Gandu’s office and it is apparent that he is a Shocker through and through. Between pictures of his family is a collection of Wichita State memorabilia, with everything from foam fingers to small pins of Wushock himself. Once a business student, Gandu now works to recruit students from every walk of life to attend Wichita State. After graduating in 2002, Gandu was unsure of what to pursue next. “I really just thought at some point I would graduate and then I would pivot to the real world and work at a corporation, and that would just be my job,” he said. “I didn’t know what job that would be.” Gandu decided to continue his education towards a master’s degree due to the declining job market in Wichita at the time. “As I got further into my career, and also my education, I spent more and more time enjoying what I was doing,” he said. “I could bring together a
“I could bring together a couple of passions: passion for Wichita State, and also a passion to market and tell the good stories of Wichita State.” BOBBY GANDU Director of WSU’s admissions
couple of passions: passion for Wichita State, and also passion to market and tell the good stories of Wichita State. I’ve just been so fortunate to bring those all together for my career.” Gandu now resides in the Marcus Welcome Center, which is, coincidentally, the same building in which he married his wife, Trish, who he met through Wichita State and became engaged to in Koch Arena. “Now we both still work here and we have really enjoyed our time and our careers here,” Gandu said. “We actually have two young children that are going through the child development
center here on campus. They really enjoy that experience.” Gandu appreciates the conversations he gets to have with graduates about their professional lives and how Wichita State has helped them achieve their educational dreams. “It’s really the relationships with our students … that have meant so much to me,” Gandu said. “What’s so incredibly fulfilling for me in this role is [that] I get to know students while we’re recruiting them to attend Wichita State, I get to see them excel and do well here on our campus, and then, maybe, my favorite part is seeing what they’re doing after Wichita State.” In the role of admissions director, Gandu is granted plenty of experiences to develop WSU’s profile. By utilizing Wichita State’s noteworthy athletics teams, he works to appeal to potential students across the nation. “We’ve got some brilliant conversation starters due to the success of athletics,” Gandu said. “We really work hard to try to celebrate students who are choosing to attend Wichita State.”
SGA FROM PAGE 1
LAS Dean removed from list of finalists for provost position at Iowa State BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith
Andrew Hippisley, Wichita State’s dean of liberal arts and sciences, was removed from the list of finalists for the provost position at Idaho State University — after originally being on the list Tuesday. Hippisley took the role of LAS dean in 2018. Before WSU, Hippisley served as the inaugural
INAUGURATION FROM PAGE 1
that she doesn’t see any issue with the transfer of power. “I don’t know why it would be a big deal to give them authority when their primary goal is to help students become more involved,” Warden said. The bill will be voted on during next week’s meeting.
PROTEST FROM PAGE 1 “Women in academia haven’t been taken seriously in general, and the idea I think behind this is not only to support a community member like Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, who’s been a pivotal part of WSU and the Wichita community, but again to hold male staff members accountable. “We need to show them that it is not okay to treat women like objects and it’s not okay to do these kinds of things, and it will be highlighted. It will be shown.”
Turning Point USA will now be formally recognized after the SGA Supreme Court unanimously voted to overturn the senate’s decision that rejected the group registered student organization status. The court ruled the senate’s previous decision as unconstitutional. The bill was first brought to the senate in early October, and was initially tabled before receiving the vote on Oct. 20. The motion to recognize the organization failed with 14 in favor, 21 against and four abstentions. Senators voiced many concerns with the right-wing organization, mainly surrounding campus safety and the possibility of the organization promoting hate speech. “All of us should be worried about the safety of our constituents,” Senator Victoria Owens said at the Oct. 20 meeting. “It should absolutely be a priority that all students feel safe, and I do understand that promoting groups to have a voice is incredibly important, however you can not
PHOTO BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
President Richard Muma delivers his Inagural Address to the crowd in Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex on Oct. 29.
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.
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and the common, through authentic experiences and long friendships. “He’s sincere, conscientious and utterly dedicated to the success of Wichita State.” Muma started at the university in 1994 as a Physician’s Assistant Program professor. In 2016, he became the associate vice president for strategic enrollment and management and was promoted to provost and executive vice president in 2018. Muma served as acting president in 2019 after former President John Bardo’s death and again as both acting and interim president in 2020 following the sudden resignation of Jay Golden. Muma shared his pride that WSU is the only urban public research university in Kansas. “There are two purposes for this type of institution,” Muma said. “[To] create opportunities for our families and communities so they can have access to affordable education and help our communities
EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith news@thesunflower.com
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have a voice if you are unsafe.” The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) wrote a letter to the student government on Oct. 19, urging the senate to approve recognition to the TPUSA chapter. “As a public university bound by The First Amendment, WSU and its student government may not deny recognition to a student group based on its views or speech,” the letter reads. “Because this TPUSA chapter satisfies the SGA’s criteria for recognition, the Senate’s denial of recognition would violate the group’s well-established rights under the first amendment.” This is not the first time a controversial student senate decision regarding an RSO was overruled by the Supreme Court. In spring of 2017, SGA denied recognition to Young Americans for Liberty, citing that the free speech group promoted hate speech. In response, FIRE wrote a letter to then-President John Bardo asking to reverse the decision. The Student Supreme Court ultimately overturned the senate’s decision and the group received RSO status.
FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu
chair for the department of linguistics at the University of Kentucky. Last Monday, a lawsuit was filed that included Hippisley. The lawsuit details that Hippisley knew of discrimination, harassment and retaliation that professor Karen Countryman-Roswrum was facing but failed to take any action. Hippisley was set to have an open forum for the Idaho State community on Nov. 16.
solve problems, research, creative activities and service initiatives.” Muma shared three priorities he wanted to focus on during his time as president. The first is to make higher education affordable and accessible. “These two words, affordable and accessible, can give a high school graduate encouragement to be the first in her family to attend college … Far too often a person’s dreams are dashed because higher education seems out of reach,” Muma said. The two others are to support Kansas businesses with a talent pipeline and increasing economic prosperity with higher education. Muma took some time in his speech to address the topic of freedom of speech. “It’s the common thread that holds everything together,” Muma said. “All of our priorities, our goals, our initiatives and the foundation of Wichita State, and without that thread, the fabric of our institution will unravel in our classrooms, lecture halls and offices through our campus.”
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NEWS
THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021 | 3
UPD hang signs around campus reminding students to lock their vehicle doors amid a rise in on-campus car thefts BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu
Roughly four weeks ago 12 incidents of broken-into vehicles were reported to the university police department. Possessions such as change, watches and wallets were stolen. All of the break-ins occurred in lot 1, located on a hillside between 17th and 21st street. There have also been reports of items being stolen in lot 3, located on 21st street, between hillside and yale. Since the 12 vehicles were broken into, there have not been any reports of vandalized or robbed vehicles. However, the University Police Department wants to bring awareness to thefts. There have been reports of vehicles being broken into all throughout Wichita. Each of the juveniles, who were
reported as the thieves, have been taken into custody. So far, there have been no damage to car windows or stolen parts, but UPD is determined to prevent any car break-ins. All of these break-ins could have been prevented; however, in all of the reports at least one door was unlocked. There is also a problem with leaving windows open. When the window is left open, people can reach into the car to unlock it themselves. To help remind students to lock their doors, the University Police Department is hanging new signs all over campus. The signs just say to lock up your doors They’re located in each campus building. Images of the signs and daily reminders to lock car doors have been posted on Shockerblast and WSUtoday.
FILE PHOTO BY DANIEL CAUDILL / THE SUNFLOWER
A group of police cars line the university police department’s parking lot.
“We put up those signs to help be a reminder to folks to lock their doors,” said Wichita State Interim Police Chief Guy Schroeder. University Police also want students to know they are out looking around for suspicious
activity. Police sit in those lots and drive around those lots the most. They walk the lots during all shifts in order to prevent suspicious activity. On campus, more acts of suspicious activity have been
reported near the sorority houses directly across the street from Wichita State. At night, police will sit and patrol the area. “We want students to know we are here to serve them,” said Schroeder.
Here’s how to utilize WSU’s emergency blue light system BY RACHEL RUDISILL
rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu
PHOTO BY RACHEL RUDISILL / THE SUNFLOWER
Wichita State Student tests the emergency pole next to the RSC on Oct. 15 2021.
With over 40 emergency blue lights on Wichita State’s campus — and more being added as the campus expands — WSU’s Interim Police Chief Guy Schroeder said that in the last eight years, the lights have only been used twice. “In my eight years working on campus, we have only used the blue lights twice,” said Schroeder. “One was for an accident and one was for a suspicious character.” During student orientation meetings as well as campus visits, there is a presentation on what the blue lights are and the meaning behind them. Even still, Schroader said it is concerning to see how many students do not know how to properly use the lights. “When you see the blue lights in a presentation or online, sometimes the message doesn’t get there,” Schroeder said. “That’s concerning to me.”
The blue emergency light is an emergency tool that is used to immediately call the on-call campus dispatcher. The dispater answers immediately and all the student has to do is explain the situation. If a student, or visitor walking, is in danger and cannot say where their location is, that’s okay. The dispatcher can pull up the location of the blue light and send police to the exact location of the blue light. If a dispatcher suspects any suspicious activities, they can pull up video surveillance which is attached to the emergency lights. The surveillance cameras are 360 degrees and allow for the dispatcher to view the area. Dispatchers do not just look at the surveillance cameras during a crisis, they look at them all day, and especially at night. The third shift dispatchers look through each surveillance camera to look for any suspicious activity.
How the blue lights work is by pressing a red button. Once the button is pushed, a dispatcher is called in less than a minute. After you explain, or the emergency is detached, a police officer is sent to the location the button was pushed. On campus police arrive in under one minute. Emergency lights should only be used in the case of an emergency. If there is an accident or you see a suspicious individual, press the button immediately. If you just have a question for the officers, call the university police number. The lights are checked by UPD once a month. “It’s a good thing (checking the lights), but if you don’t know what it is for and there’s an emergency, then we haven’t gotten the message out the way we need to get the message out,” Schroeder said. “Don’t give somebody the opportunity to make a bad choice.”
Food for fines open through Friday BY SASCHA HARVEY snharvey@shockers.wichita.edu
Food for Fines is running for the fourth year in a row this week until Nov. 5 at 5p.m. The program helps students by helping other students: Students can donate nonperishable food or hygiene products to have their parking citations pardoned. Donations must be dropped off in the SGA office, located in room 219 of the RSC, between 8a.m. and 5p.m. If the door is locked, donations can be dropped off next door in 216. “The donations from this program go directly to the Shocker Support Locker here on campus,” student advocate Jadie Chauncey said. “This means the items are going back to our campus community.” Food for Fines usually occurs Wednesday through Friday during the first week of each month. Last month, the program generated about 430 donated items, with 60
“The donations from this program go directly to the Shocker Support Locker here on campus.” JADIE CHAUNCEY SGA’s student advocate
citations pardoned. “We accept any nonperishable items,” Chauncey said. “We do prefer items from the Support Locker Wish List.” Up to two citations may be forgiven, totaling six per year. Seven items must be donated to excuse a ticket $30 or under while fourteen items must be donated per $31-50 ticket. Tickets over $50 are not eligible for the program. More parameters are outlined on the program’s website. Chauncey is available at student. advocate@wichita.edu to answer any questions.
THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021 | 4
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Opinion
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contact The Sunflower’s opinion editor, Jaycie Nelson opinion@thesunflower.com
The importance of gaining inspiration from others Jaycie Nelson Opinion Editor opinion@thesunflower. com
A university is a place where we are working in close relations with a diverse range of people with different outlooks on life. Now’s the time to communicate, share and gain inspiration from one another. Let’s have meaningful conversations with people so we can better ourself, one another and the world. This past Friday, I had the honor to sit down with the Fairmount College Student Advisory Committee to discuss opportunities for liberal arts and sciences majors. There were people from different backgrounds sitting together trying to create opportunity. I felt so grateful for the invitation to join and be a part of that meeting because it inspired and motivated me to push harder, learn more and continue to invest time in learning about developing opportunities on campus. I realized there was so much I didn’t know about the university, and it energized me to not relent and keep pursuing what I find passion in. Throughout the meeting, brilliant ideas and conversations
“Nothing motivates me more than being surrounded by people that want to make a difference. People that see the world not how it is, but how it could be. were shared, but my own ideas that were completely unrelated to the topic also came to mind. Ideas for papers, a poem or even an interesting book plot. Now, these aren’t all going to be developed anytime soon, and honestly maybe never. However, that’s not the point. The point is I had these ideas and thoughts because of the conversations I was a part of. These ideas can develop into other ideas, and then there’s a continuum of intention and purpose in mind. More ideas, more opportunities, more events and more conversations about things that matter. Because conversations are the start of inspiration, and then end of indolence. However, I don’t think conversation itself is the cause of inspiration. I think stimulating conversation with people that are smarter than you. They lead you to
learn more and prompt you to do better. We need to surround ourselves with people who know more and are willing to share. It’s humbling to be reminded of what you don’t know. You being on campus is already the start of surrounding yourself with inspirational people. This leads to another important aspect of the column — talk to your professors. Ask them about the research they may be doing or books they may be writing. If they’re not that’s fine, but more than likely you have one teacher who is working on a project unrelated to class. Engage in conversations with them and gain insight on their thought process. There’s so much to learn at Wichita State that has nothing to do with classes. Learn from groups and organizations, read the newspaper (great job, you’re doing this), stay involved with what’s happening on campus, not only for shocker pride but to gain inventiveness that leads you to action. Change may be slow, but it has to start somewhere. And I believe it starts with conversation. Think of why social media is so big now in marketing and advertising, it allows people to have conversations right there on the post— conversations are fuel
ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO/ THE SUNFLOWER for ideas. Even if you don’t agree with people on topics, you can gain new information, perspective and ideas by talking to people with different viewpoints. Nothing motivates me more than being surrounded by people that want to make a difference.
People that see the world not how it is, but how it could be. The university is a drawing board, and you hold the pen to create your picture. So talk with people, have ideas, and have yourself be a part of the open flow of inspiration that is taking place at WSU.
Calvinism is the best reading of scripture Mitchell Adamson Columnist
meadamson1@wichita. shockers.edu
Growing up my parents raised me in the Christian church, and I partook in leading student worship when I was in High School. Many people claim that my faith is built upon the foundation of my parents, which to some degree is true— but also is not true. As I read scripture I came to my own conclusions, that of Calvinism. For those who don’t know who John Calvin was, he was a French theologian in the protestant reformation, who made major efforts in theological writing to a degree that is unmatched. Calvinism is the most accurate interpretation of scripture, and is also the most helpful in understanding the human condition. Calvinism’s five points are Total Depravity, Unconditional Election,
Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints. “Total Depravity” is built on Adam’s first sin, and everyone being affected by that sin is dead in tresspasses and sins. This is the belief that man is unable to save himself, that he is depraved in nature. My belief is that everyone is evil, not even one person is good, that all of mankind is not “kinda” pretty good, but actually deserves hell. “Unconditional Election” is the belief that man is not able to respond to God. If God is completely perfect in nature, there is no way for him to communicate with humans due to their sins. So the idea of modern Christianity, that they can immediately go and talk to God whenever they want, is flawed. Only those whom God calls to be saved will be saved, he must
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.
“Calvinism is the most accurate interpretation of scripture, and is also the most helpful in understanding the human condition.” first change them and save them through the blood of his son. Thus, God Elected some to salvation, not based on merit, but based on his choosing, nor based on the idea that man will respond to God in the right way, because he is unable to. “Limited Atonement” means Christ died for the elect alone. This hurts many liberal Christian’s feelings because they would claim it “isn’t fair.” But He is God, and you are not. Many people quote John 3:16 “all that who believe in him shall not perish” all meaning, all the
elect, because responding to God would logically have to follow from God making an individual able to respond. “Irresistible Grace” means those whom God calls cannot reject salvation. It isn’t possible for God to reach out to save someone and for them to reject that. Which means, to a degree, there is no freewill upon the sinner. Built on this, is the idea God being God, is so Holy, that it is irresistible when He calls. No one would resist the all powerful God of the universe. “Perseverance of the Saints” means those whom God calls, He gives the Holy Spirit and they are eternally secure. The idea that someone could stop believing and live in sin again, is impossible for those who have been saved. They are “born again” unable to sin any longer. These five culminate in the beauty that is Christianity. The only thing you can do as an
individual is come before God and ask that He will forgive you of your sins and save you. It isn’t what you do, what you pray, or anything else. God sent Jesus to be the propitiation for the sins of those whom He has set apart for Himself. Reach out to God. Repent of your Sins. Beg that God would save you, so that you could spend eternity with him. Eternity with God is better than anything you could even imagine. Jesus said “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Revelations 3:20. And “All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” John 6:37.
SUNFLOWER HOT TAKES The Sunflower editorial board gives their one-sentence opinions.
Lindsay Smith: I want summer back. Julia Nightengale: Lindsay knows everything. Sean Marty: Cincinnati deserves more respect in the College Football Playoff. Khanh Nguyen: Merry Christmas.
2 | THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021
OPINION
‘Only Murders in the Building’ brings a fresh twist to crime TV
Street WHAT’S AN EVENT YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN ON CAMPUS?
GRACE ARMENTA ALUMNI, GRAPHIC DESIGN
“I feel like the Office of Diversity Inclusion covers a lot of topics for a different range of people. My favorite is Hispanic Heritage Month... I think that ODI does a great job over covering a lot of events for a lot of people.”
Elena Kuckleman Columnist
emkuckelman@gmail. com
Hulu’s new TV series, “Only Murders in the Building” has reportedly become the most streamed comedy series on Hulu— and it’s no mystery why. The series takes a different approach to crime TV, following a group of ragtag friends as they try to solve a murder and create a podcast about their investigation simultaneously. I found the format of the show to be refreshing and a much more modern take on mystery TV. With the current popularity of true crime podcasts, “Only Murders in the Building” does a fantastic job of creating a storyline showcasing the actual production of the podcast. The show was also genuinely unpredictable. Every time I thought I had solved the mystery, something new would happen and I would change my mind. Unlike most other mysteries, “Only Murders in the Building” was successfully able to incorporate comedic elements into the show. The show maintained a perfect balance between comedy and suspense. Not to mention, the show has
Kyran Crist
arts@thesunflower.com
LEXIE MILLER “I think concerts would be really cool, I’ve seen other colleges do that, and I think it would be really fun.”
LAUREN DESCH FRESHMAN, EXERCISE SCIENCE
“I feel like a concert would be fun or like a little carival or something.”
a solid group of actors. I have to admit, I wasn’t sold on the strange combination of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez acting together as the main characters, but after watching the show, I can’t picture anyone else playing their roles. The trio brought their characters and the show to life. And, to top it off, “Only Murders in the building” features a slew of guest stars like Tina Fey and Jane Lynch, who bring an extra flair of entertainment. The writers of the show did a fantastic job creating dialogue between the characters, but perhaps the best episode of the show features no dialogue at all. Seen from the perspective of a character who is deaf, episode seven utilizes sign language and lip reading throughout and lets the visual elements of the show really shine. The only bad part about the show was having to wait for the new episode every week. But, putting out a weekly episode only worked in the show’s favor, creating buzz around solving the
Life’s easier when you don’t compare your van or your life Arts and Entertainment Editor
FRESHMAN, NURSING
“The only bad part about the show was having to wait for the new episode every week.”
You know, I would really like to have a heart-to-heart talk with those people who told me through their Instagram posts and their travel vlogs that getting the van life project finished was easy. For those who don’t “van life” is when you turn a van into essentially a living space. Because right now as I write this article – I am sitting on a spare tire in the back of the van because I don’t want to touch the gross floor where I ripped up old carpet with my freshly washed jeans. Here I am, three months after my van purchase, and I have just now bought the insulation for the walls. I bought the floor insulation last month but “Oh no, can’t put that up without the walls.” I get it, if I wasn’t in school right now, I would totally have the time to finish this project in a week or three. If I wasn’t driving it every day for a two hour round trip – it wouldn’t have had the issues like the flat tire from the unavoidable board on the road. This isn’t supposed to come off as a rant, I understand my position and whatnot. What I want this to serve as is showing the realness of projects and life. If you are like me and have other things going on, it is hard
to be able to sit down and put the money and time into the van when other things are trying to take it. Which at the end of the day is okay, you don’t have to follow the same timeline that others do if it doesn’t work for you. That’s why it’s your van and not theirs— duh. Let’s be real, we all don’t even follow the same build layouts, why would we follow the same time frame. An idea I am very fond of is that everyone’s journey is different, even the journey you had planned three years or months ago is different from the one you’re on now and that’s okay. I’m going to be real with you, all I want is to be like the adorable couple I follow on Instagram (@ parkingonthewildside) who live in their converted van up in the Netherlands and go foraging sometimes for fresh food. Instead, I am here on this tire with my Freddie’s fries and Starbucks coffee, seemingly complaining about my slow build. Drop the complaining part and I’m doing just fine if I would stop comparing. Maybe you aren’t converting a van right now, but the saying still applies to you. Everyone’s journey in life is different and that’s a beautiful thing. If we were all the same, that’d be pretty boring, and journalists would have some lame stories to write. Thanks for being different because if anything it makes my job easier and fun. So don’t compare and just do you.
COURTESY OF IMDB
mystery. With the cliffhanger ending to the first season of “Only Murders
in the Building,” I can only hope that the second season will be just as unpredictable and well-done.
Why we should drop old trends and find new ones Melanie Rivera-Cortez Columnist
mrivera1047@gmail.com
Fashion and music throughout the decades has given the public iconic pieces of history that live on today, however I believe that it is stopping our creativity. In the age of digital media, there are so many fashion trends that border on things in the past we have seen. Many fashion pieces from the 60s throughout the early 2000s have made their way back to mainstream media— such as Ariana Grande sticking to the 60s trend for her new makeup line. I know I speak for myself but I also know that many of us would like to relive these old eras in all their glory. The Y2K trend that is very popular right now happened almost 20 years ago, and due to the nostalgia that we have suppressed through social media, it has been made a trend because life was simpler then. For this trend, I believe that most of us are trying to be the very people that we grew up idolizing such as Paris Hilton or Christina Aguilera, who were breaking barriers in the fashion world. Personally I love bell bottoms, and floral pattern shirts are what I live for, but at this time it’s not creating a new fashion statement, however, these are the pieces that I
find in stores today. I have not found any pieces that really define the era in which we live in. Maybe the trends will start to show in a few years, but in the 2010’s the fashion trends were very prominent such as brightly colored skinny jeans and wedge sneakers. The creativity has shifted from breaking the fashion molds to recreating old trends that have already been done. This can also be seen in music with bands like The Beatles, Jackson 5, Queen and Nirvana, which are still very much relevant today as they were back in their time. They were known for creating statements about what they believed was right, once again breaking the mold. Yet in today’s mainstream music artists turn to their old predecessors to create massive hits. Such as Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Good 4 U’ taking inspiration from Paramore’s ‘Misery Business.’ In my opinion the creative mold has already been broken for the old eras. It is time to step up and begin to dissect what the new mold in front of our generation looks like and break it. We should not just simply try to recreate the old fashion statement and trends but find a way that makes it unique to our current time period. Only then will we find what new fashion trends will emerge that future generations will look to.
Follow the golden rule: sports edition Emmie Boese
Assistant Sports Editor
elboese15@gmail.com
RAVEN GARRISON JUNIOR, BUSINESS
“Maybe a dance, a dance would be cool.”
EVELYN ABREGO FRESHMAN, ANIMATION
“What looked interesting to me were all the food-related ones... Food trucks, that is a great idea.”
At events, I’ve been told, “this is a table only for media personnel,” or “this is the entrance only for the media so you can’t take your backpack in.” I told them I am the media, “Oh, I thought you were a mom.” I’ve heard, “slow down, let’s not get in a titsty.” I wanted to say, “Be quiet, you aren’t allowing me to do my job.” These are just a few situations that have happened to me as a young woman working in sports media. I understand that I am young, and I do not look like I know much about sports writing due to my appearance. I am not only a woman, but I do not look athletic or skinny due to medications and symptoms from a chronic illness — and the stress from the college lifestyle. I get that I do not exactly look the part. Still, for the men out there and for others out there,
please do not assume I am not a working member of the media just because I look like an unathletic young woman. Please do not assume I’m a mom trying to get close up photos of players, or that I am a dumb fan who thinks they get special privilages. Do not look at the media pass I show you to get into a game and tell me it is fake or that I am just trying to push my way into the game to get in free. These are more snippets of situations that have happened to me. Also, do not mansplain sports concepts to me. Do not talk down to me or act like I do not know what I am doing. Do you know how we solve this problem? The lesson we simply learned as kids in elementary school — to not judge a book by it’s cover. I have seen men or drop dead gorgeous women with cameras being treated with kindness and respect as they walk in to cover a game. So when you see me as a member of the media please treat
“You should treat everyone with kindness and respect regardless of gender, race, religion or disability.” me the same way you would treat the other people of the media. I know I am still a college student with a lot to learn in the career field. However, know that I do have an idea of what I am doing. I’ve worked and interned for two professional media outlets and have done four years in student journalism. On a personal level of loving sports, I can not count on two hands the amount of soccer games I have watched my sister play from when she was a kid to the end of her college soccer career, or the amount of instruction I have received from well respected coaches as a former player. I can tell you that there has not been a day in my family’s
household that sports have not been talked about. Each member in my family besides me are former college athletes. I have grown up around the environment and knowledge of college football because my dad was a wide receiver and defensive back in college. My mother is a former college volleyball player. This is all to prove that I have been in the sports world for a while so as I said when you mansplain something to me — I will correct you. Not everyone has treated me like this while I have been working. I have also had many co-workers, bosses and fans treat me with kindness and respect. However, I have also faced a lot of discrimination and talking down to. This is a concept that should be the basis of how you treat everyone at work or in the world in general. You should treat everyone with kindness and respect regardless of gender, race, religion or disability. I do not want pity, I just want to be treated the same as others.
6 | THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021
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Sports
HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s sports editor, Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com
FINAL TUNE UP
Shocker basketball defeats Missouri Southern State in exhibition game blowout BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @TheSeanMarty
Wichita State coasted to an exhibition victory on Monday, defeating Division II Missouri Southern State, 90-58. MSSU kept the game close in the first 10 minutes, with the Shockers maintaining a 26-24 lead. WSU called upon a full court press to help turn the tide of the game and responded with a 20-2 run to help take control of the game. Both teams traded baskets for most of the second half, but the Shockers used a 15-3 spurt to close out the 32-point victory. One of the main bright spots in the game was freshman guard Ricky Council IV. Council shook off a rough start, scoring 11 of his team-high 15 points in the second half. “I just had to lock in,” Council said. “In the first half, I shot at the side of the backboard and that almost threw me for the rest of the game but I told myself at halftime, I have to lock in. After that I just took off.” The Shockers had contributions from up and down the roster with 12 of the 13 players seeing action. WSU had eight players score at least seven points, with four players reaching double figures. Sophomore Tyson Etienne – the reigning American Player of the Year – was held to 10 points in the victory but said it was important for other players to step up to the challenge. “There’s going to be some nights where they’re whole mission is to stop No. 1,” Etienne said. “We’re going to have other people have to step up and score buckets. So, knowing that we have people capable of doing that is very important for me. For my team, I think it’s great that we have a balanced attack and I think we showed that tonight. Qua Grant – a transfer from Division II West Texas A&M – led the newcomers in scoring, tallying 11 points in his Shocker debut. Grant was effective in attacking the basket, shooting 4-5 on two-pointers, while also contributing a teamhigh four assists off the bench. “He made a difference,” head coach Isaac Brown said. “He is able to create shots off the bounce. That
“We’re going to have other people have to step up and score buckets. So, knowing that we people capable of doing that is very important for me.” TYSON ETIENNE Sophomore
opened everything up for us, the fact he kept getting in the lane. He did a tremendous job off the bench and that’s why we recruited him.” Freshman center Kenny Pohto was also effective in his collegiate debut, scoring nine points and snatching six rebounds. Brown said he was more impressed with Pohto’s defense, where he blocked two shots. “He’s playing a lot of minutes because he can defend,” Brown said. “That’s what I try to tell all the young guys. If you can defend, play smart and you can gain the coaching staff’s trust, you will play.” The Shockers gave up 11 offensive rebounds but out-rebounded the Lions in the victory, 47-34. Rebounding has remained a point of emphasis after being a weakness for last season’s team. “I don’t know how many times Coach Brown has talked about rebounding,” Council said. “He’s said that over and over. It’s kind of annoying, but it’s true.” Charles Koch Arena made its return to full capacity on Monday after the arena was limited to 25% attendance last year. 8,040 fans showed up to the exhibition contest — the most for a men’s basketball game since March 2019. “Just to have everyone back in the arena was super big for us, super important,” Etienne said. “For the fans themselves, going to the games to watch Shocker games is part of people’s traditions. For us to play and put on a show for them is really important.” The Shockers will open up regular season play against Jacksonville State next Tuesday. The game is set to tip-off at 7 p.m. inside Charles Koch Arena. Currently, KenPom gives the Shockers an 82% chance to open up the season with a victory.
PHOTOS BY SEAN MARTY / THE SUNFLOWER
Top: Junior Dexter Dennis dribbles the ball up the court during the exhibition game against Missouri Southern State on Nov. 1 inside Charles Koch Arena. Bottom: Junior Morris Udeze goes up for a layup during the exhibiton game against Missouri Southern State on Nov. 1 inside Charles Koch Arena.
Bowling Program picks up wins in Lawerence BY EMMIE BOESE AND MELANIE RIVERA
The Wichita State men’s and women’s bowling program remain undefeated after victories last week at the Jayhawk Collegiate Classic on Saturday, Oct. 30-31. Both the men’s and women’s teams brought home national championships last season.
WOMEN’S PROGRAM Head Coach Holly Harris of the Women’s Program said bringing home a national championship is something that is in the back of her mind again this season but she is more worried about the present. “We have a better idea of what it took to win, but it really starts over every year with a new group of women,” Harris said. “These young women are working hard so I expect good things to come our way again.” The women’s team did not have a great performance on Saturday but they regrouped and came back with a better game plan on Sunday. Head Coach Holly Harris said the women had both great and subpar performances. “You always want to have your
best showing during match play, so I was very happy with what they did,” Harris said.“During match play, the girls threw really great shots and made a bunch of spares.” The woman swept the first two rounds 2-0, over Midland then Ottawa. They went on to the finals against Oklahoma Christian where it was a best out of five. The women made a comeback by winning their three final games after losing the first two. “As a team, they did a great job of leaving what happened on Saturday there and coming into it fresh on Sunday,” Harris said. This season the women’s bowling team has 11 players; five returning and six new players. Returning players have taken in the new players under their wing to catch them up and teach them the tips and tricks that are needed to be great bowlers. “It’s always fun to watch new players experience college bowling for the first time and this year is no different. Having so many of them makes it all that much more fun,” Harris said. “I suppose the team this season is new – it’s a large group of new girls that you combine with the returning girls.”
With the COVID-19 restrictions that were placed last season the team did not have any fans cheering them on and with new COVID guidelines in place things have changed. “It is nice to have some fans back in the building,” Harris said. “We noticed it right away. It’s great to have our people behind us cheering and bringing the good energy.”
MEN’S PROGRAM Oklahoma Chirstain continued to be a rival throughout the day after the men’s program went head to head with Oklahoma Christian in the best of five in the championship match. The Shockers won the championship match by winning 3-1. Junior T.J. Rock earned All Tournament Team honors in the qualifying matches. Junior T.J. Rock earned AllTournament Team honors in the qualifying matches. Head coach Rick Steelsmith said the men’s program is trying to take each tournament one at a time in order to set themselves up for postseason play. “It’s obviously awesome that we won last year and we want to
PHOTO BY DEVON SIPES / THE SUNFLOWER
Caroline Ruden bowls during a practice on Nov. 3 inside the Rhatigan Student Center.
build off of that momentum, but at the same time, this is a new season with a new team makeup and identity,” Steelsmith said. Steelsmith said his team has been fortunate to win their first two tournaments of the season and they will keep working to put themselves in position for the National Championship. “We will continue to work on getting better each day, using our tournaments as learning experiences, and hopefully put
ourselves in position at the end of the season to win another National Championship,” Steelsmith said. “ In order to do that we understand that we have to put in the necessary work today.” The Shockers women’s and men’s bowling program will be back in action on Friday, November 13 - Saturday, November 14 where they will be competing at the Leatherneck Classic. This will be their third tournament of the season.
SPORTS
THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021 | 7
‘This is the best Kayce Litzau any of us have ever seen’
PHOTO BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER
Junior Kayce Litzau celebrates during the game against Kent State University on Sep 10 at Horejsi Family Volleyball Center.
Sophomore setter unlocks full potential in third year at Wichita State BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15
D
uring Kayce Litzau’s freshman season, she contemplated whether or not to redshirt straight out of high school and as a result, almost didn’t have the college volleyball career she’s had since. Litzau is now in her third year as the starting setter for Shockers and is off to her best season yet. Litzau said that Head Coach Chris Lamb told her it might be a good option to redshirt with several other players in her position when she first got to Wichita State. However, Litzau decided to play her freshman season which ended up working out for her. In her freshman season, Litzau played in 25 matches and 70 total sets. She had 358 assists total during her freshman season which was second-most on the team. Litzau said she thought deciding
Yazmine Wright wins individual title at American Championships BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15
Yazmine Wright won her first ever AAC Individual championship in the women’s 6K with a time of 21:03.30 She finished 15 seconds in front of the second place finisher which went to SMU. Wright finished 5th overall in the conference championship last year. As a team, the women’s team finished in sixth place. Winny Koskei won the conference championship last year for the Shockers which would make it the second year in a row the women have won an individual conference championship. The men had eight runners place in the top 25 to clinch a second place team finish in the men’s 8k. They finished right behind No.9 nationally ranked Tulsa, and 16 points ahead of Cincinnati. The Shockers also had another medal finisher in the women’s 6K. Junior Danielle Rinn finished in 11th place with a time of 22:02.50 after finishing in 16th place in conference last year. The top place individual finisher for the Shockers in the men’s 8K was sophomore Shadrack Chumba with a time of 24:35.90. Chumba finished 9th overall and ran a personal best time.
not to red shirt was a good decision because she got experience right off the bat. “I went into it and I started finding my way and figured out how to play on the fly and play at a much higher level than I’ve played in the past,” Litzau said. “Just gaining that experience and knowledge has helped me a long way. “You obviously learn a lot in practice but just being able to be on the court and make mistakes and be able to learn from my mistakes as I’m going has been super helpful and now that COVID happened and I’ll get another year back it’s like a gift because I didn’t redshirt because I have five years now so it’s definitely a good thing.” So far this season the Shockers have a 14 -7 record and a 8-4 record in the American Athletic Conference. Litzau has been a key contributor to the Shockers success, however, in their first three
“I went into it and I started finding my way and figured out how to play on the fly and play at a much higher level than I’ve played in the past.” KAYCE LITZAU Sophomore
conference games, they started out with an 0-3 record. Litzau and her teammates started clicking during the third consecutive loss to start conference play against Central Florida. Litzau had 51 assists, and had 14 digs in the five set loss against the conference favorites. Head Coach Chris Lamb was impressed with Litzau’s performance especially against UCF who has a roster made up of
experienced older players. “That is the best Kayce Litzau that any of us have ever seen as a volleyball player,” Lamb said. “She can hold her own with some of the better setters in our conference and it’s a testament to her growth as an athlete.” Sophomore hitter Brylee Kelly agreed. “Right after the game, I told Kayce (Litzau) I was so proud of her,” Kelly said. “That’s the best I’ve seen her set. I’ve played with her for three years now and she looked great.” The Shockers responded with eight consecutive wins following the loss, jumping to third place in the American. Litzau said during the UCF match that she felt like the team finally realized their potential, which has led to a strong season so far in conference play. “It’s really cool to see but also just the trust in our teammates and knowing that they’re going to do
Volleyball’s eight match winning streak snapped against Central Florida BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com
The Wichita State volleyball program had its eight-match winning streak snapped over the weekend, by first place Central Florida. The Shockers sit in a tie for third place in the American Athletic Conference, after going 1-1 in a pair of matches this past week.
SOUTH FLORIDA Wichita State extended their winning streak to eight matches with a comprehensive three-set sweep over South Florida, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21 on Friday evening. The sweep is their second during the winning streak, with both coming against the Bulls. The victory matches the eight straight wins that Wichita State recorded to begin last season. It’s the longest stretch of conference wins since the 2017 season. The Shockers improved to 7-0 all-time against South Florida. WSU set a new season high with 13 aces in the match, breaking their previous high of ten against Kent State on September 10. Lily Liekweg established a new career and individual season high with five aces, while Kailin Newsome added four of her own. The Shockers turned a tight first set into a rout thanks to a run to seal the match. With the score tied at 10, the Shockers scored six of the next seven points, then a
few moments later collected four consecutive points to take control at 22-14. The Bulls tried to claw back into the set late, but a service error from CC Clausen gave the Shockers the set. WSU hit a blistering .429 to side out at 66% in the second set, with both being match bests. Brylee Kelly hammered home five kills on seven swings, Newsome added four, and the Shockers tallied three solo blocks to sprint to another set victory. It seemed WSU would cruise to the sweep in the third set, taking a comfortable 20-12 but the Bulls scored the next four points and cut the lead to 23-21. Kelly answered with a kill to give the Shockers the win. Kelly finished with a teamhigh ten kills, hitting .381, while Kayce Litzau handed out 28 assists and Liekweg scratched out 11 digs.
CENTRAL FLORIDA Wichita State saw their eightmatch winning streak come to an end on Sunday afternoon in Orlando, falling to Central Florida in three sets 25-11, 25-14, 25-17. The Shockers never led in the match, as UCF raced out to leads of 8-1, 12-4, and 11-5 in each of the three sets. The Knights hit .487 as a team, getting 18 kills on 27 swings from McKenna Melville and five or more kills from six
players. Natalie Foster led the way for Wichita State, picking up eight kills on 11 total attacks, hitting .727. UCF held the Shockers to a .087 hitting percentage, including a -.029 mark in the first set. Setter Kayce Litzau handed out 23 assists, but no Shocker managed more than five digs. Brylee Kelly and Bryn Stansberry each recorded a pair of service aces, while Morgan Weber added one of her own.
NEXT UP Wichita State heads home for four consecutive matches at Koch Arena, beginning Friday against Houston. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 PM and can be streamed live on ESPN+. The Shockers will wrap up the week with a match against Tulane on Sunday at 12 p.m. If WSU wins one of the matches this weekens, it would clinch the most conference wins since 2017. The Shockers currently sit at No. 60 in the RPI, which is the fourth best in the American. WSU has three matches against teams in the top 100 of the rankings with matches against Houston (No. 59), SMU (No. 65), and Cincinnati (No. 54). Two of those three matches will be at home (Houston, Nov. 5, and SMU, Nov. 24), while the Shockers will have to travel to Cincinnati on Nov. 19.
their jobs and then you are going to do your jobs as well and everything is going to come together not necessarily as planned but as to the best of our abilities and if it doesn’t go as planned and we are still going to give 100 percent and it’s been working and paying off,” Litzau said. Lamb and Litzau have built a level of trust this season for her to make her own decisions on where to place the ball for the hitters and other strategies in games. “You can tell yourself that you are good all the time but just hearing it from another source and your coach that has such an impact on how you play and what not is so helpful and just knowing too that even if you do make a mistake,” Litzau said. “Even if I were to make the wrong decision which I do, they still have my back and they’re still helping me through all the mistakes and growing from that.”
SPORTS IN BRIEFS 2022 BASEBALL SCHEDULE RELEASED Featuring 28 home games at Eck Stadium and 28 road contests, Wichita State baseball unveiled their 56-game 2022 schedule on Wednesday. The schedule features seven non-conference opponents that finished with a top-100 RPI in 2021. 24 of the 56 total games will be American Athletic Conference matchups, broken up into eight three-game series. Conference play returns to a traditional Friday-SaturdaySunday format after adopting four-game series in 2021.
ATHLETICS RELEASES PROMOTIONS SCHEDULE Wichita State announced its promotion schedule for the upcoming men’s basketball season this past week. The promotions include striping Charles Koch Arena against Memphis on Jan. 1, while also a Black out and Yellow out against SMU and Houston. On opening night next Tuesday, they will be unveiling the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance banners, with a basketball schedule magnet giveaway included. Some of the other highlights include a MTXE Throwback Night, Teddy Bear Toss, and an AAC Replica Ring Giveaway,
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THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021 | 8
HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com
Office of Diversity and Inclusion hosts Día de los Meurtos event
PHOTOS BY KHANH NGUYEN / THE SUNFLOWER
Día de los Muertos was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion on Nov 2 in the RSC. Día de los Muertos, translated to The Day of the Dead, is a traditional celebration of life and death in Latin countries. Even though the main theme is dead, it is a holiday to show love and respect for deceased loved ones.
Artist Lydia Humphreys looks at artwork during Dia de los muertos in the RSC on Nov 2. The event was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com
Wichita State University’s office of Diversity and Inclusion recently held an opportunity for students and faculty to get to learn about the history and the traditions of Día de los Muertos this week. Tuesday, the office of Diversity and Inclusion as well as their co-sponsers Hispanic and Latinx Organizations held a table in the Rhatigan Student Center for students to stop by and learn of the holiday and what it means to those who celebrate.
Día de los Muertos (also known as Day of the Dead) is a holiday that is celebrated from Oct. 31st to Nov. 2nd, the holiday originated in Mexico, but is celebrated all over. It is a time to celebrate the living and the dead, a time to send prayer and remember those friends and family that have died. This offered a learning experience to students and those who may not know much about the holiday, as well as a sense of inclusion for those who celebrate the holiday and partake in traditional activities year round.
Artist Lydia Humphreys looks at artwork during Dia de los muertos in the RSC on Nov 2. The event was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021 | 9
PHOTO BY LENA ALHALLAQ / THE SUNFLOWER
Students gather to celebrate Wu’s 73rd birthday in the RSC Courtyard on Oct. 25, 2021.
PHOTO BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
Students celebrate after a successful round at Casino Night on Oct. 28.
PHOTOS BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
On Oct. 28, students high-five each other after a volleyball match.
Homecoming 2021 comes to an end BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com
If one was around campus this past week, you may have seen the festivities and people clamoring over not only Halloween and the events hosted, but also for this year’s Homecoming festivities. The school hosted several various events throughout the week, beginning with the schools annual Pumpkin Run, where runners followed a guide from Shocker Hall to Koch Areana. Runners were dressed in
Halloween themed costumes and attire. The run held a 1k and 5k for those who chose to participate to have options. The day ended with a Trunk or Treat in the south lot of Rhatigan Student Center, where Wichita State University student organizations, campus departments, and community partners opened their trunks to the community to have a safe and fun trick-or-treating experience. Tuesday Oct. 26th, WSU held a symphony featuring renowned tenor Micheal Sylvester during
the night, Sylvester has been featured in an USA Today article and brought his talents to WSU for the night. Wednesday, Oct. 27th, hosted the volleyball pink night where teams were built for the night to play some volleyball and raise money for breast cancer awareness. Tickets were $5-$25 and costumes were heavely encouraged. The night brought supporters together for a night of fun and awareness. The Student Activites Council held Casion Night on Thurdsay Oct. 28th in Rhatigan Student
Center where anyone could come to play roulette, poker, craps or on the slot machines. Students entered to win prizes throughout the night and enjoy the time together. Friday the 29th, students lined outside of the Heskett Center to venture into and experience a haunted house and enjoy food, a movie, and games. The event offered a fun, safe, free and easily accessible, haunted house when others sold out or farther away. Friday night in the Heskett Center, students could also go
‘You’ continues to keep watchers on the edge of their seat BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com
Netflix recently released season three to their original series “You”. The season release sent the internet into a new frenzy. This third season follows Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) and Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti) in their new life with little baby Henry as they work to make their small family work in their new fictitious town Madre Linda, California. Love is battling demons with the loss of her brother Forty, and takes her depression and grief out on her new marriage and child. She throws herself into making the marriage the best it could be while they are both unhappy. Joe is struggling in the new marriage, and he stays for his son and the guilt of not being a good husband to Love. But he struggles with his newest obsession, their next-door neighbor Natalie Engler (played by Michaela McManus). Though Love makes sure to take care of this newest threat to her perfect life, she handles it without thought and leaves Natalie’s widowed husband looking into her death. Her death also drives Joe farther away from his wife. After some time away, Joe comes back to his family. Love adds more guilt into the marriage as she takes her grief and feelings to the neighbor boy. After finding out that his father is looking into the death of Natalie, Love decides to keep him around to learn what his father is learning. Meanwhile, Joe found yet another obsession with who he is convinced is the new “Mrs.
Perfect”, aka Marienne Bellam (played by Tati Gabrielle), who works at the library with him. The two continue throughout the season, sidestepping the other. Love, trying to convince herself that everything is fine, that she is fine, with the death of her brother and the people she has killed. Joe, trying to find the safest way out of this marriage, trying to keep Marienne alive, and Henry with a good life. The series has yet to become repetitive. It changes just enough to be interesting yet keeps us with some area of familiarity. Joe continues to be a stalker who works with books, the cage comes with him, and is always dealing with some sort of outside obligation. This season keeps the watchers engaged and on the edge of their seat, with the added unpredictability of Love’s character and to have someone who finally has to deal with Joe’s problems. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of Love’s character in season two. Because while her character is much like Joe’s, she doesn’t think things through as he does, and she doesn’t have the same love for people that Joe does. She kills out of jealousy and impulsive decisions, then justifies it and guilt trips to say she is the victim. The series is interesting for the perspective it gives of the serial killer and the mindset of Joe Goldberg. At this point in the show, viewers can notice his thought patterns and guess what his next actions will be. The difference between him and Love is that he isn’t a cold blooded killer. He is psychotic and well thought out, and his loving personality to the women is nice. But
enjoy a relaxingly-spooky option for the night at Glow Yoga, where you are invited to relax and be more present in your mind and body. Saturday the 30th concluded Homecoming for 2021, with a Shocker parade that went from Koch Areana to Eck Stadium. Participants in the parade dressed in WSU themed colors and attire and showcased school spirit. The parade was followed up by the Shocktoberfest where students celebrated over food and games.
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK THURSDAY NOV. 4 Mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m. @ Charles Koch Areana ACDI Arts Market 11 a.m.-2:00 p.m. RSC
FRIDAY NOV. 5 Analytics Showcase 8 a.m. 5p.m. online GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP 2-3 p.m @ Student Wellness Center COSMIC BOWLING 5-11 p.m.
SATURDAY NOV. 6 Live well with Diabetes 8 a.m. 2 p.m. @ Hughes Metropolitan Complex COSMIC BOWLING 5-11 p.m. 2000s Skate Night 10:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. @ Carousel Skate Center
MONDAY NOV. 8 Tentative date for spring early registration to begin COURTESY PHOTO BY NETFLIX
when he is killing he doesn’t do it with a smirk like the commonly loved villains we see on TV shows and movies. He panics, he throws up, he thinks about it later and knows it was a bad decision. What is neat about their characters though is that they perfectly showcase the stereotypical man and woman serial killers. The show is a great example of what a modern day person-gone-crazy would be like. They were probably not as smart and good at covering
up murders, but they were realistic. This element was both interesting and kind of terrifying. I’ve been watching my surroundings extra closely since watching the series. After the whirlwind of the previous season, this last season brought back what the show was about when it first started, while not being too much of the same. Watchers are left wondering where the show could possibly be heading next, as a new season has already been confirmed.
FAFSA Fun! Workshop 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday Nov. 8 @ Zoom School of Social Work MSW Info Session 6:00 p.m. @ Zoom
10 | THURSDAY, NOV. 4, 2021
A&E
Homecoming Week
PHOTOS BY MIA HENNEN / THE SUNFLOWER
A student hits the inflatable ball across the net to score a goal during the Big Pink Voleyball event on Oct. 28 inside the Heskett Center.
A student jumps to meet the inflatable ball on Big Pink Volleyball night on Oct. 28 inside the Heskett Center.
Students celebrate after a successful round at Casino Night on Oct. 28 inside the Rhatigan Student Center.
After a play, students laugh together at the Big Pink Volleyball night aimed to raise money for Breast Cancer Research.
After a play, students laugh together at the Big Pink Volleyball night aimed to raise money for Breast Cancer Research inside the Heskett Center.