Issuu

NEWS | 2

OPINION | 6

SPORTS | 4

ACTIVISM

BODY IMAGE

SHOCKERS FALL

How Brandi Calvert brought the Women’s March to Wichita.

Arts and Entertainment Editor Tabitha Barr discusses her relationship with her body.

The Shockers lose their spot in the NCAA tournament.

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896 MONDAY

Volume 125

www.thesunflower.com

March 22, 2021

Issue 20

University looking at two alternatives to online fees BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_ KSmith

The university is working on two possible alternatives to the $97.25 online class fee, Interim Provost Shirley Lefever said. The online class fee has been a forum of much discussion recently due to many students having to take more remote classes than they would a normal semester. With the extra online fee, many of those classes end up costing more than normal in-person classes would. PHOTO BY CALEN MOORE / THE SUNFLOWER

Jonathan Lozano, SGA Director of Health and Wellness, poses at his desk in his office. Lozano was appointed as Director of Wellness in October of 2020.

SGA Director of Health and Wellness draws on own experiences to advocate for students BY CALEN MOORE cjmoore3@shockers.wichita.edu

he responsibility to direct and support the health and well-being of a student body can be a daunting task. But Jonathan Lozano feels excited to hold the responsibilities as the SGA Director of Health and Wellness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the physical health and mental well-being of students have continued to be at the forefront of issues universities are tackling. As the pandemic continues, experts say mental health and physical health among students should be a major concern due to the negative impact the pandemic has left on students mentally. Back in October, Junior Biological Sciences major and pre-med student Jonathan Lozano was appointed as the Director of Health and Wellness for the Student Government Association. “My position is mostly about researching student health insurance and decreasing its cost, as well as discussing what the other departments within the committee are doing,” Lozano said. The Health and Wellness advisory board consists of counseling and prevention services, student health services, the YMCA, and the CARE team. The committee meets once a month to discuss communication with the students and make students aware of the services available to them. Lozano, prior to his current position, had not held a position in SGA before. He said it was exciting to be given an opportunity like the one he has. He said everything has led him here, he was not sure he was going to WSU before, but it has led him to this position. “The SGA President and Vice President actually reached out to me and talked about this position, and there was an interview process but I ultimately was not planning on this position,” Lozano said. Lozano’s main focus since taking the position has been mental health. Being vocal and showing students the services his department is a part of and can provide has been important to him from the start. “I myself before assuming this position was struggling with my own mental health and was receiving services through CAPS and it made me realize that we have a lot of services available for students to utilize that we don’t know of,” Lozano said. The Health and Wellness advisory board has put a goal to share the message of “its

/ The Sunflower

PHOTO BY CALEN MOORE / THE SUNFLOWER

The “Shockers Supporing Shocks” signs are placed around campus to bring awareness to mental health.

“We never know what students are going through, whether it’s transportation to the clinic or whatever the case may be ... we want to make everythig accessible to students..” JONATHAN LOZANO SGA Director of Wellness

okay to not be okay” by putting signs and support around campus. Lozano said there is a stigma around mental health still today and receiving or reaching out for help is seen as weak. But he said that what he wants to break down is the Director of Health and Wellness and shine a light not only on physical health and services, but mental ones also. “Coming from a Hispanic household, mental health can be a toxic environment, so that is something I would like to keep in mind going forward and providing more therapeutic services keeping minority students in mind,” Lozano said. WSU Junior Mario Loredo recognized the signs and services such as CAPS and the CARE team that WSU provided when he first transferred to Wichita. “It’s important to me as a student to know what options I have to seek help I may need but also how to go about it especially for mental health,” Loredo said. Loredo, also a Hispanic student, said he feels mental health is often overlooked in his community.

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“It’s encouraging knowing there are people who understand how taboo mental health can be to certain minority groups or in certain families,” Loredo said. Lozano also has been active in other ways for students’ physical needs. In the fall he helped to present a funding bill to provide free flu shots for students, with the help of the executive cabinet. Currently Lozano and the Health and Wellness department have been focused on the upcoming wellness days this semester. The first wellness day was March 16 and the next one will be April 27. “Our department has been working on wellness days for a while, pretty much talking to different administrators encouraging professors to allow students a day off on those days,” Lozano said. “Without spring break, we just think it’s important for students to take a day off as well as the faculty and staff.” Lozano said events are planned for each day for students to participate in if they choose to do so. Looking ahead, Lozano said he is focused on providing more therapists of color for students within campus, as well as more accessible mental health services for students who are struggling. He also said he is working on providing a more accessible clinic for students’ convenience. “We never know what students are going through, whether it’s transportation to the clinic or whatever the case may be, we want students to be able to receive the flu shot and make everything accessible to students to access as many resources that can help them,” Lozano said.

“It was really a burden for students to have to enroll in online courses when they weren’t expecting those additional costs.” SHIRLEY LEFEVER Interim University Provost

“It was really a burden for students to have to enroll in online courses when they weren’t expecting those additional costs,” Lefever said. “So, in response, faculty then were listing their classes as hybrid even though they were online to save their students that extra fee but the problem that created was students thought they were enrolling in a hybrid class, which really wasn’t a hybrid class. Good intentions, but it kind of backfired.” Lefever said the university came up with two separate models. The first model would increase the $7.75 campus infrastructure fee for all courses to $34.25. This fee would be the same for every class, no matter what college. The second model would increase the campus infrastructure fee to $21.75, with specific course fees adjusted for each college. This fee would give different colleges more input on class costs for their students. Lefever said spreading the fee across all classes made the most sense. “53% of those fees really go to support every student on this campus,” Lefever said. “So from an equitable point of view, it really makes much more sense for it to be distributed across campus to all students.” Lefever spoke in public forum during Wednesday’s Student Government Association Meeting to get student’s input. The majority of student senators spoke in favor of model b. “If they’re having a semester where their finances are really tough and they need to have a semester that’s cheaper, to have the option to [take classes] that might have no fee, as opposed to [classes] that have a higher fee,” Speaker of the Senate Olivia Babin said. “As opposed to all classes costing the same, there’s no way you can have a cheaper semester.”

2 | MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021

NEWS

This week’s weather in brief

ILLUSTRATION BY THY VO

Source: iPhone weather app

Taxpayers receive stimulus money for dependents over the age of 16

Women’s March founder shares her story of empowerment BY AUDREY KORTE opinion@thesunflower.com / @audreykorteshares

Brandi Calvert is known throughout Wichita as a woman of action. The realtor and single mom is a local activist whose focus is on women’s representation, community engagement, outreach and advocacy. Once a year Calvert gears up to lead the Women’s March- Air Capital — a day of gathering, sharing, and inspiring others in the community to advance equality and justice. Calvert is center stage at the Women’s March every January. If you’re not sure how to spot her — just look for the blonde with Starbucks in one hand and a megaphone in the other. For the last four years, Calvert has held a candle to the causes and policies that impact Wichita and Sedgwick County women — hoping to illuminate the way for others who care about gender equity and representation. Calvert said a few years ago she started looking around at various organizations to see what was being done to help this community. She spoke to those who are engaged with the county and city. “What we needed here was a lot of policy change,” she said. She saw a gap and wanted to do her part in filling it. Inspired by one of the first Women’s Marches, Lacey Cruse ran for Sedgwick County Commissioner against incumbent Richard Ranzau. Before Cruse, a woman had not served as a commissioner in eight years. Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of Trust Women — an abortion and reproductive rights foundation in Kansas and Oklahoma — said that the rally served as a healing process for women after President Donald Trump’s first year in office. “Millions of us marched in protest of Trump’s maniacal policies and statements,” Burkhart said. “[We] stood shoulder-to-shoulder resisting hate, homophobia, bigotry, misogyny, and xenophobia.”

The election of Donald Trump forced many women to evaluate this country and its priorities with renewed vigor. “Oh my gosh. That election — I literally mourned. I mean I cried for a week; my mother and I cried for a week,” Calvert said. “I just couldn’t understand how such an injustice was able to happen.” Calvert said despite wanting to go to Washington D.C. for the national Women’s March the year Trump was inaugurated, she couldn’t make it happen. “(I’m a) single mom — couldn’t afford to go to Washington, it just wasn’t in the cards,” she said. “And change is from the ground up.” In 2019 bitter cold and storms across the country forced many cities to postpone or cancel marches. Not Wichita. Calvert and other organizers pulled it off. “I had so many people reach out and say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be really cold, are we still marching on Saturday?’ Calvert told The Sunflower in an interview. “We can’t be fair-weathered about this,” she responded. But how did Calvert start the march? It began with a Facebook post There were millions of women across the entire world that felt a need and Women’s Marches popped up across the nation. Calvert said she asked herself, ‘what can we do? How can we maybe do that here in our community?’ “I said ‘hey maybe this will be a great idea.’ I put it on my Facebook page which I had under 100 friends on my Facebook page (at the time.)” Despite the few Facebook friends, the word went out and before long women were mobilizing, organizing and making moves. “I don’t feel like it was really me that did anything at all. The community, the people all around Kansas and even Oklahoma, that was all of their voices,” she said. “They’re the ones that made everything happen.” Women that she had never met from the League of Women Voters

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.

BY EMMIE BOESE

and Women for Kansas reached out and said ‘hey I see this event that you have on Facebook. What organization are you with?’ Calvert said. “I thought, ‘Oh my god am I supposed to be with an organization?’” It was just Calvert. But the two organizations said they’d like to help. Calvert said she worried that people would not turn up for the event. “I said, ‘What if only 10 people show up?’ and one of the organizers said ‘then just all 10 of us or 20 of us will just March proudly, that’s what we’re gonna do.’ When the time finally came to begin Calvert looked out at a crowd over 4,000 strong and knew she had done something important. There was a need and she and many volunteers, women’s organizations and nonprofits had given something back to the community. In the years following, Women’s March – Air Capital worked to become more diverse and inclusive of minority women, prioritizing hearing from a wide range of perspectives and including women of every race, religion and ethnicity in the leadership and planning process. “Our mission is to lift the voices of women who are too often left out. We believe in a world where women from all backgrounds are equally represented,” Calvert said. Women’s March Air-Capitol wants to enhance the leadership roles of women and support the ongoing work and collaborations with other organizations in focusing on women’s issues such as equal pay, domestic violence, immigration, foster care, sexual assault, racial profiling, police brutality, reproductive and mental health, and LGBTQ equality, Calvert said. “It can’t be a one-time event. It can’t just be a once-a-year event. It has to be a movement that continues to evolve and grow.”

If you are a college student and your parents claimed you as a dependent on their taxes in 2019, you may still qualify for some stimulus money. According to kwch.com, college students are now eligible for the coronavirus relief package which was signed by President Joe Biden on Thursday, March 11. However, according to the nytimes.com college students who are claimed as dependents in this package will not directly be sent stimulus checks. The check will instead be sent to the parent that is the taxpayer. This means though that parents will receive identical payments for

each of their children. In the past, in order for parents to receive money for dependents, the dependents had to be 16 years old or younger according to cnet.com. Single taxpayers who have an income of $75,000 or below will receive $1,400. For heads of the household, their income must be $112,500 or below to be eligible, and for those that file jointly, their income must be $150,00 or below. These numbers were received from information by nytimes.com. The nytimes.com also clarified that stimulus checks started hitting bank accounts on Wednesday, March 17.

Outdoor classrooms available for reservation starting today BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com / @Lindsay_KSmith

Wichita State will be opening six online classrooms available for reservation, starting today, following requests from faculty members. The university’s plan to utlize outdoor spaces in another way they plan to safely social distance amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor space will include 30 folding chairs and a table. Professors are asked to keep their reservations at two at a time to make space for other interested classes. The outdoor spaces will be Morrison Hall west lawn, McKinley Hall West Lawn, Lawn between Engineering/Ahlberg, Hubbard east Lawn, Wallace Hall West court yeard / lawn. and the Corbin Hall Rooftop. Professors can make reservations at wichita.edu/ classoutside.

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

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Corrections

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

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Arts & Entertainment

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 | 3

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

Ulrich Museum Membership and Special Events Manager shares how hard work in the art world pays off BY EMMIE BOESE @Emmie

Working at the Ulrich Museum of Art was not in the original plan for Carolyn Copple when she decided to attend Wichita State University. However, it ended up becoming a place that she loves and embraces to this day. Copple worked at Ulrich in 2006 as an intern. In 2007, she became the Membership and Special Events Manager, and has stayed in this role ever since then. Copple worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years. She originally went to WSU when she was younger to study creative writing. In her 40’s, she went back to school to get her art history degree. The story of how Copple started working at the Ulrich is unique, and quite simple. She said she enjoys her job because no day is the same, and she gets to interact with the community. “I just walked across one day and knocked on the door and asked if I could volunteer,” Copple said. “I kind of found that I liked the community involvement. It was a kind of mix of two worlds. Every day is a little bit different, whatever going on is the most important thing.” Copple has been involved in art since she was young. She currently still does art when she has time. Some forms of art that she still does is pencil and graphite drawing and painting. “I have always done art,” Copple said. “I was involved from elementary and on. When I was in high school I thought I wanted to be a commercial artist or fashion designer.” Copple has planned several events at the Ulrich that she is

passionate about. One of those events is called Empty Bowls. “It is a nationwide effort to raise money about hunger in communities,” Copple said. “The community comes and pays $25, we have competition for chillies. In exchange you get to pick a bowl and take it with you. The money we raise goes to the Kansas Food banks. Through securing donations, then having the last five years we’ve reached out nationally to artists.” Copple’s effort to keep the Ulrich running does not go unnoticed by community members, and Wichita State faculty and staff. One person that has recognized her hard work is Madeline McCullough. McCullough is a Senior Instructor at the Elliot School of Communication. She used to worked with Copple at the Ulrich as the Interim Communication Director. McCullough said that Copple is very good at her job and works hard to make sure events at the Ulrich are planned out effectively. “She’s not a bookkeeper,” McCullough said. “She understands the Ulrich inside and out.” When asked to describe Copple as a person, McCullogh had several attributes that she sees in Copple. I would describe Carolyn as, one of the hardest workers I have ever met,” McCullough said. “She is focused and professional, kind and inclusive; she is very diligent.” Overall, Copple wants people to know that the Ulrich is a safe and welcoming place to come to. It is a place of learning and growth,” Copple said “You can come here and find peace, and joy, and comfort. We are kind of a quiet place.”

COURTESY OF THE ULRICH MUSEUM

Carolyn Copple stands with “Millie” the Millipede on Wichita State University campus. She works for the Ulrich Art Museum as their Membership and Special Events Manager,

4 | MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2021

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Sports

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

Shockers season comes to a close after heartbreaking loss to Drake BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @Theseanmarty

After a three-month journey where the Shockers overcame unprecedented adversity throughout the season, Wichita State’s season came to a close on Thursday as they fell to Drake, 53-52 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. WSU had many chances to win the game, even in the loss. Early on in the first half, the Shockers held multiple double-digit leads while holding the Bulldogs to 10 points through the first 15 minutes. But Drake ended the half on a 10-0 run to cut the halftime deficit to one point. The same story played out in the second half with WSU taking a 41-31 lead with 9:25 left to play. Drake once again had the answer and completed the come from behind victory by one point. “I felt like we had them in the first half by 10, second half again and Drake just kept making runs and hitting shots against us,” junior Morris Udeze said. “Just give them credit for hitting shots, it happens.” WSU’s opponent missed a free throw in the final seconds for the second straight game, giving the Shockers a chase to win the game in the final possession. Redshirt senior Alterique Gilbert missed a shot to win the game in the final seconds for the second straight game and Drake escaped with the victory. Head Coach Isaac Brown said that the plan was to get the ball to rim on the final possession but still liked the shot that Gilbert took. “I wanted Alterique and Tyson to get at each elbow at the free-throw line,” Brown said. “Whichever side it came off of, I wanted (Dexter Dennis) to sprint up the court, they advance it to

you, and we try to get to the rim as quickly as possible. We took a jump shot, they defended it well, just didn’t make it. I mean, we had to get it up.” Leading scorer sophomore Tyson Etienne was held to a season-low one point with Etienne missing all six of his shot attempts. Brown credited Drake for their defense on Etienne throughout the game. “They did a good job of staying with him,” he said. “He missed a couple of shots. We didn’t do a good job of getting him open. They did a great job on Tyson, slowing him down. But Tyson also did a good job on their 2 guard. That was the difference in the game.” One of the major bright spots in WSU’s loss on Thursday was the performance of junior Morris Udeze who finished a game-high 22 points. Udeze said that he was prepared coming into the game and felt that he was ready to step up in the big moment. “I feel like my teammates, my coaches have faith in me, kept giving me the ball,” Udeze said. “I just tried to execute whatever was given and it happened in my favor today. I just want to thank God, coaching staff and teammates.” Typically down the stretch, Brown likes to play through his guards and the dribble drive offense but he said that the performance of Udeze made him switch up the offense late. “Morris can score the basketball and at the end of the game I like to go dribble drive but I didn’t want to do that,” Brown said. “I wanted to make sure we were executing and getting the ball to a guy that could score and every time we threw it in there he scored it.” Just as they did against Cincinnati last weekend, the

BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com / @Theseanmarty

COURTESY PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES

Shockers let Drake hang around which proved costly on the biggest stage. The Shockers’ season ends with a 16-6 record and an American Athletic Conference regular season championship. But the one thing that came back to bite WSU in their last two games was their inability to close out games. “We just let them hang around,” Brown said. “In the first half, we got up 11, had a couple

turnovers and they made a few shots. Even though we went into the half with a one-point lead we came out the second half, we put the first half behind us. We got a 10, 11-point lead in the second half and we just didn’t do a good job. They stepped up. They made some threes, they hit some timely baskets and they were the better team tonight.”

WSU Men’s Basketball Head Manager plays crucial behind the scenes role to the Shockers’ success BY JOE BAKER joebakerwsu@gmail.com/@JoeBakerWSU

From attending the NCAA tournament in San Diego in 2018 to being a part of the 2019 NIT run in New York City, Wichita State senior Nick Segura has been a manager for the men’s basketball team for the past four seasons. Segura grew up in the Wichita area and is a 2017 graduate from Campus High School in Haysville, Kan. Segura’s path to being a manager for Shocker basketball began while he was a Campus Colt. “I was a manager for basketball at Campus,” Segura said. “Our head coach there was friends with one of our old assistants Kyle Lindsted. So during the summer, I kind of worked their summer camps and that kind of got me in the door and was essentially my try out.” Segura is a sports management major with a minor in communications. After Segura graduates this upcoming May, he plans on being a graduate assistant for a college basketball program. “Hopefully, I either go and GA for another basketball program or just be a GA in general somewhere in the sports world,” Segura said. Nick also has aspirations to work as a Director of Basketball Operations. Segura is the head manager of the men’s basketball program. Segura’s day-to-day duties are constantly changing. He has learned the ability to adapt to any

COURTESY PHOTO BY STEVE ADELSON/ GOSHOCKERS

situation. “You can do anything,” Segura said. “You can stock our fridges, you can deal with equipment, our video stuff, tickets. Just making sure everything is accounted for.” One of the expectations that come with being a manager for the men’s basketball program is to be available and relied upon. “I will say that one thing is like you always got to be available,” Segura said. “These guys like to shoot late at night and we have some good managers that will actually come super late at night.” Over the past several seasons, Nick has had the opportunity to get to know more about the players and because of that, he has formed close friendships. “Yeah I would say, definitely Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler and Morris Udeze, just because I help with the bigs a lot” said Segura. “Dexter is another one of those

Shockers motivated after crushing loss to Drake

guys where we like to joke around a lot, all the time. Then, I’d say Tyson, he’s up there as well; so those four I’m really close with. Segura offered his advice to students who may have interest in becoming a manager for the men’s basketball program. Loyalty and dedication to the program is the expectation. “All these coaches, all these players trust you to do a job, not only for them, but for this program,” Segura said. “You’ve got to be dedicated to providing your time and your service.” The Shockers were anxiously waiting for NCAA Tournament selection show this past Sunday after falling to Cincinnati 60-59 in the American Athletic Conference semifinals on March 13th. Segura was there with the team when Wichita State was announced in the tournament field of 68. It was a moment of

shock. “You see all those guys jump up right away and it still took me like two seconds after that to really process like we are in this thing,” Segura said. “It was a special feeling.” This season has been an unexpected ride for the Shockers. The team was picked to finish seventh in the preseason coaches poll, yet Wichita State prevailed and went on to become American Athletic Conference regular season champions. Segura believes while this season has been hectic; he claims it has been his most memorable season as a manager. “Hectic is definitely one of the words to describe it,” Segura said. “Winning that regular season title, I get my first ring now and am coming to the NCAA tournament. It’s just crazy man.”

Wichita State battled through adversity throughout their season but it ultimately came to a close on Thursday, falling to Drake, 53-52 in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. Following the crushing loss, Head Coach Isaac Brown consoled the team after a resilient season that saw the Shockers return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. “I went to the locker room,” Brown said. “I didn’t even talk about the game. I said, man, I’m so proud of you guys. You were picked 7th. You won the AAC. You’re one of the 68 teams to make it to the tournament. I’m just proud of you.” Even with the disappointing loss to the end of the season, the Shockers still have a lot to be proud of. WSU overcame complications from COVID-19 and the resignation from their former head coach. After being picked to finish seventh the Shockers won their first American Athletic Conference regular season championship. “We wanted to go out with a bang and make the NCAA Tournament and we did that,” junior Morris Udeze said. “We accomplished what we wanted to accomplish. We wanted to make it far in this tournament, but we didn’t succeed. But we did win a conference championship and I’m proud of my guys back there in the locker room, no matter what.” Even in the loss, Brown put an emphasis on the team taking care of things off the court and preparing for next year in the coming months. “What I would like you guys to do is continue to do the right things on and off the court, take care of your academics, give a week off, maybe two weeks,” Brown said. “And when we come back, time to get bigger and stronger, get better on the basketball floor and get ready for next year. I told them I was proud of them. Great effort. Just didn’t get it done.” The Shockers look to be in a much better spot heading into next season after last season saw a massive overhaul in the roster. Three of WSU’s five starters – Tyson Etienne, Dexter Dennis and Morris Udeze – are slated to come back while important bench players, Clarence Jackson, Craig Porter and Ricky Council IV will return also. WSU already had one player enter the transfer portal with Trevin Wade doing so on Friday. The Shockers are now slated to have three scholarships available for next season. “I’m excited about our team coming back next year,” Brown said. “Another year to work with them. Another year to get better. Next year we can concentrate on getting bigger and stronger. And in the summertime we don’t have to work on all our sets because now they know them.” This season, WSU played many close games but it finally came back to bite them after losing backto-back one point games to end the season. With that bitter ending to the season, the Shockers are hoping to use it as motivation and to ensure they return to the tournament next year. “As one of the leaders of the team, I’m just telling the guys that this offseason is going to be hectic,” Udeze said. “We’re going to get after it and we’re going to be here next year again.” In the weeks following, seniors Alterique Gilbert and Trey Wade will have decisions about their future at WSU. With the uncertainty of this season, the NCAA has given them the option to return for one more season.

SPORTS

CORNHOLE MANIA

MONDAY, MARCH 22, 2021 | 5

Shockers swept by the Jayhawks, losing streak at seven matches BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower / @Theseanmarty

PHOTOS BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

ABOVE: Two cornhole players compete at the 2021 ACL Cornhole Mania inside Charles Koch Arena on Friday. LEFT: A cornhole player prepares to toss his bag during the 2021 ACL Cornhole Mania at Charles Koch Arena Friday. BOTTOM: Two cornhgole players game plan prior to their match during the 2021 ACL Cornhole Mania at Wichita State University on Friday.

Wichita State volleyball dropped two matches at the hands of in-state Kansas this week. The losses extended WSU’s losing streak to seven matches after starting out the season on and eight-game winning streak. On Friday, KU won the match in four sets, winning by set scores of 25-18, 25-19, 25-13 and 25-15. The Jayhawks outhit the Shockers in the match, .243 to .083. In the opening set, the Shockers outhit KU, .243 to .149 but struggled offensively in the final three sets. Senior Emma Wright led the way offensively in the loss as she tallied a season-high 12 kills while recording a .500 hitting percentage. Wright also tallied a gamehigh four blocks in the match. Wright was the lone Shocker to reach double-digit kills in the match. Freshman Natalie Foster was the next highest with eight kills on a .278 hitting percentage. Sophomore Lily Liekweg tallied a career-high 28 on the defensive end, but her performance wasn’t enough. Kayce Litzau added a team-high 18 assists in the loss along with a service ace. For KU, Anezka Szabo led the way with a match-best 15 kills on a .448 hitting percentage. Jenny Mosser added a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs while Ayah

Elnady tallied 10 kills to go along with a match-best four service aces. In their second match of the weekend, the Shockers were swept in three sets by the Jayhawks on Saturday. The set scores of the match were that of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-20. Senior Emma Wright once again led WSU offensively in the loss, this time tallying 10 kills and three blocks to go along with a .476 hitting percentage. Freshman Natalie Foster and sophomore Sophia Rohling each contributed seven kills as well. On the defensive end, liberos Sina Uluave and Lily Liekweg led with 10 digs each. Litzau lead the way in the setting department with a team-high 18 assists. Caroline Crawford paced the Jayhawks in the match, tallying a match-best 18 kills to go along with a .739 hitting percentage. Crawford only committed one error in the match on her 23 attempts. Crawford also added in four blocks for KU. The Jayhawks once again outhit WSU in the match, .333 to .255. WSU falls to 8-7 on the season with the pair of losses and now have a record of 3-5 in AAC play entering the final week of AAC regular season play WSU will wrap up their regular season at home against

Shockers collect highest ranked win during Mizuno Classic BY EMMIE BOESE @elboese15

The Wade brothers shine on college basketball’s biggest stage BY JOE BAKER joebakerwsu@gmail.com/@JoeBakerWSU

For parents Nelson and Tiffany Wade, they had aspirations for their sons Trey and Trevin to play together at the highest level of collegiate basketball. Before attending Wichita State, Trey Wade has played his collegiate basketball career at a few schools. Trey spent two seasons at the University of Texas El Paso and redshirted his true freshman season. Wade transferred to Wichita State from South Plains College in Levelland, Texas and in 2019, he was rated as the No. 23 junior college recruit. In his junior campaign and in his first season as a Shocker, Trey started 27 of the team’s 31 games, a team-high. Trey averaged 7.4 points-per-game and 5.4 rebounds for the 2019-20 season. Trey has had similar success in his senior campaign. The six-foot-six forward averaged 6.7 points-per-game while grabbing 5.6 rebounds per game. Trevin Wade played with his brother, Trey at South Plains College in his freshman season. After his freshman campaign, Trevin transferred to Georgia Highlands College in Rome, Ga and was named a Second Team NJCAA Division I All-American as a sophomore. This season, Trevin appeared in nine games for the Shockers.

The five-foot-11 guard averaged 2.1 points-per-game and scored a season-high eight points against Newman University on Dec. 30. According to Trey and Trevin’s father, it was a plan to have the two brothers play basketball together again. “It’s actually like a dream come true,” Nelson said. “We always wanted them to play college basketball at the highest level and we felt coming to Wichita State this year together would be a great opportunity for us to put together something special to make it to the tournament.” The mother of the Wade brothers, Tiffany just wants to see Trevin and Trey happy and to play NCAA tournament basketball. “As mom, I always want to see my boys happy and getting as far as they can,” Tiffany said. “It’s been a long road. I’m just happy that they have the opportunity to be here at March Madness and I know they’re excited.” Emotions were running high last Sunday, when the Shockers’ NCAA tournament fate was undecided due to a 60-59 loss against Cincinnati on March 13. It was well expected that if the Shockers squeaked into the NCAA tournament, it would be as one of the last teams accepted into the tournament field. When Nelson and Tiffany found out their sons would be

playing in the NCAA tournament together, they had emotions of shock and excitement. “Oh man we were just like the team, we were excited,” Nelson said, “We were a little nervous, because we were at the Cincinnati game when they lost.” “I’m always a nervous wreck, because I always want to see them do well,” Tiffany said. “Just to get here is just awesome, I’m excited for them, I’m excited for the family. I have family that lives close by, so we are all trying to get here to cheer them on and make it to the next level.” Trey Wade has yet to announce whether he intends to return to Wichita State for another season or graduate and opt to play professional basketball. Whether or not the road ends in Indiana for Trey in a Shocker uniform, Nelson is just thankful and proud of Trey’s collegiate basketball experience. “Win or lose, it’s been a great experience, it’s been a fantastic experience,” Nelson said. “This is a great opportunity for Trey to go out and shine and Wichita State to do, what we came to do and that is win.” Wichita State lost to Drake in the First Four in heartbreaking fashion 53-52 on Thursday evening. On Friday, it was announced that Trevin Wade is transferring from Wichita State.

The Wichita State Women’s Softball Team in the Mizuno Classic, hosted by Oklahoma State WSU finished off the weekend with a 4-1 record, including the highest win against a ranked team in program history. The Shockers started out hot by beating No. 6 Oklahoma State team in game one of the tournament on Thursday.WSU scored five runs in the 1st inning. Junior designated player Neleigh Herring started the scoring for the Shockers with an RBI single, which led to more runs scored. In the 2nd inning, senior catcher Madison Perrigan hit an RBI double, followed by an RBI single from center fielder Bailee Nickerson. Oklahoma State’s two runs scored came from two home runs in the 4th inning. Perrigan got another solid hit in the 5th, and freshman utility player Jesscia Garica scored the final run of the game in the 7th. Senior pitcher Bailey Lange started for the Shockers in game one and allowed only two runs on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. In game two against UTSA, the Shockers continued their winning streak from a strong performance the night before. The first two innings remained scoreless. However, at the top of the 3rd, the Shockers pulled ahead. Perrigan scored two runs in this inning, including her 8th home run of the season. UTSA responded in the bottom of the 3rd with another run scored. In the 6th inning, sophomore shortstop Sydney McKinney hit an RBI single driving in freshman first baseman Camryn Compton to score a run for the Shockers. UTSA scored another run as well in the 6th. The last run of the game came in the 7th inning when senior 2nd baseman Kaylee Huecker got a run that led to Herring scoring. Junior pitcher Erin McDonald started for the Shockers and delivered 4.2 innings, and allowed only one run on three hits. She also walked three and struck out eight batters. Lange pitched the rest of

the game by pitching 2.1innings. In the final game of Friday, the Shockers continued to pull ahead on their winning streak against UMKC. The game remained scoreless until the 3rd inning, until Compton hit an RBI double to score the first run. Huecker, and Herring then followed with runs scored. UMKC then scored a run at the bottom of the 3rd. The Shockers didn’t let up though after scoring five runs in the top of the 5th. UMKC scored their final runs of the night with two home runs in the bottom of the 6th. In the 7th inning, Freshman right fielder Addison Barnard added an RBI double. Junior pitcher Caitlin Bingham allowed only two runs on six hits and two walks. WSU wrapped up the Mizuno Classic on Saturday with two more games and the first coming against UTSA. The Shockers defeated the RoadRunners in a low-scoring game, 3-1. Bailey Lange received the start and collected her ninth complete game after allowing one run while tallying a career-high 10 strikeouts in the victory. On the offensive side, the Shockers took an early two-run lead after a bases-loaded single from Bailey Urban drove in two runs. UTSA would load the bases in the fourth inning but were only plated a run. In the tournament finale, WSU’s winning streak was snapped at the hands of the No. 6 Cowboys, 5-2. OSU’s five runs came from the home run as the Cowboys launched a two-run homer in the third and three-run in the fifth. The Shockers lone runs would come from Ryleigh Buck who delivered a two-run double in the top of the sixth. On the mound, Caitlin Bingham suffered the loss after giving up five runs in 4.2 innings pitched. Overall, the Shockers went 4-1 on the weekend and are now 2-2 on the season against ranked opponents. WSU will return home next weekend as they open up American Athletic Conference play against East Carolina for a four-game series. The series will start on Friday and first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

6 | MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2021

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6 | MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2021

FILE PHOTO BY MATT COOPER

Representatives from left to right: Davis Peck, Irena Kutilek and Akari Yoshioka. Kutilek brandishes a sign encouraging students to stop by Japan Festival on Wednesday April 21 at the RSC.

WSU can do more to show love to the Asian community Audrey Korte Opinion editor opinion@thesunflower.com

A tragic story unfolded earlier this week when six Asian women were murdered by gun at the hands of a white man. The man who police say went on a rampage at three spas in the Atlanta area has been charged with eight counts of murder in connection with the attacks. The shooter claims that he is a sex addict and was trying to eliminate his “temptation”. I don’t believe a word he is saying. The man just killed six Asain women. It’s hard to believe he’s not suffering the same bigoted and delusional reasoning as anyone who burns down Black churches, stabs worshippers at Jewish synagogues or threatens to blow up Mosques. Asian residents, both American and foreign, have been under attack since early 2020, when reports about the novel coronavirus’s origin first circulated. But that’s not the whole story. The rhetoric about Asians that spewed forth from President Trump’s propaganda machine was some of the vilest, most offensive and inappropriate in a long list of ongoing rhetorical offenses. His supporters didn’t demand better. They demanded more. More hate. More white power. More violence. More crudity and cruelty. Shamefully our country didn’t just consent to him— we applauded, we cheered, and eventually, we looted and engaged in a political coup, attacking the U.S. capitol

and center of democratic decision-making. Some called him out for referring to COVID-19 as the “China virus.” Most did not. We’ve had our hands full the last 12 months trying to survive and adjust to one crisis after another. But were our hands so full that we can justify tacitly accepting this new anti-Asian sentiment? That we can defend our lack of active, bold and public support for our Asian community members? No. There’s no good reason for our inadequacy. This community claims to want to be a global research powerhouse, to attract private business partnerships and care about diversity and inclusion. Being a place where Asain students, academics, and businesses thrive is a no-brainer if we’re serious about accomplishing those goals. But what have we done to show our support to our Asian brothers and sisters? Send a few tweets. Hashtag something. Share a story about one of our many successful Asian students or faculty members. Host a webinar. Guess what? That’s not enough support. It’s keeping up appearances. It’s not the same as publicly stating, in every manner and on every platform available – ‘this university fiercely defends our Asain students and faculty. We are doing everything possible to keep them safe and make them feel welcome and supported.’ Then following through with action. Repeatedly. The whole “let us know if you need anything” mindset is the wrong approach to this situation. For our foreign students especially, there may be an

expectation of keeping their feelings, worries and negative experiences to themselves. The “don’t bite the hand that feeds you” idea is alive and well in our country and globally. Plus, it’s natural to not want to draw attention to problems, fears and complaints when in a precarious position, seeking support for your visa, scholarships for tuition, and post-college jobs in the U.S. The stakes are high, so people put up and shut up. To say, ‘if there’s a problem, please let us know’ is not going to accomplish much under those conditions. Wichita State needs to get proactive. It needs to offer support on all fronts, both public and private. That’s true for all of our community members. But right now, WSU needs to prioritize demonstrating to our Asian community that they matter, they belong, and they will be kept safe even if it ruffles the feathers of WSU’s Trumploving big shot donors. It means doing more than sharing a lovely story about an Asian student’s research. It means taking a stand and addressing anti-Asian sentiment straight on. I expect more from an institution of higher education. Our Asian community should too. Let’s show the world how a top-rate global powerhouse research institute takes care of its own in all the best ways. Let’s speak in a clear and unified voice and say, ‘We love and support our Asian community, and here’s what we’re doing to prove it…’ Let’s go beyond public relations and appearances and truly make an effort to support our Asian community. Offline and on the web, “we support you” has to be more than a slogan.

ILLUSTRATION BY KAYLEE STOUT / THE SUNFLOWER

My relationship with my body: Self- love over self-hate Tabitha Barr A&E editor

arts@thesunflower.com

My relationship with my body is complicated. Sometimes I love it. I want to flaunt it. I want people to see it. But other times, I absolutely detest it. I hate it. It makes me embarrassed and I want to hide everything about it. This is what society can do to us— make us hate our body and image. Not once growing up did I ever love my body. This is due to society, family, friends, and the world. In my childhood I was overweight. I remember my doctor told me I was slacking in exercise and I needed to or I would be “bigger forever”. Over the past couple of years, I’ve lost 80 pounds. Which most people would congratulate me, and ask me how I did it. Because they think it’s a win. But is it? I contribute my weight loss to my anxiety and depression. I seriously think that’s why I lost so much in a small amount of time. I remember my family and friends being so proud of me. And I remember not knowing how to feel. Fatphobia is a reality that is killing us. Why is it such a bad thing to be fat? I think of myself as fat and honestly I don’t care. It’s my body, it’s my weight. It should not be your problem. Stop making it a big deal when people are just being people and living. The word fat is supposed to

be a negative connotation, but it shouldn’t be. It’s an adjective. There is nothing wrong with being fat, I promise you. Please don’t continue to use the word fat in a negative way because it hurts those who are. My body dysmorphia might be talking a little bit but I still think I’m the same size I was when I was at my highest weight. Even if I was, that shouldn’t bother me . . . but it does. My weight is a hard subject for me. Exercise is also hard. I go for walk/runs when I can. But the thing is, I exercise because I think I need to burn off the food I just ate. I become obsessed with numbers. I can no longer check the calories that I’m eating or check my weight more than once a week. My mind becomes too focused on numbers and when I don’t reach the unattainable goal I set, it makes my mental health decline more than you would think. I also don’t believe in diets. I think if they worked, they wouldn’t be needed anymore. Plus they directly target those who believe their weight is a bad thing. It hurts more than it helps. What I want people to understand is that no matter what my body looks like, no matter what the scale says, it doesn’t mean anything about me as a person. I may not fully like my body, but I do love it. I want to be empowered in myself and know that no matter what I look like, I’m still a beautiful human being. I was going to put my before and after photos for this story, but I don’t want to focus on that. I would rather my point be to: Love yourself, no matter your size.

We need to put our phones down. Rachel Lyons Reporter

I realize we live in a digital world, especially now that we live in times where gathering with other individuals is discouraged to prevent the spread of disease, but I have questions. Who decided that it was necessary to spend 100% of our time online or on screens? Who decided that social media should be about

anything other than connecting with family and friends? I remember way back when Nickelodeon celebrated ‘Worldwide Day of Play’. They paused all programming to get kids outside— to get them moving rather than have them in front of a screen all day. This had me wondering— what is my daily screen time right now? Between February 14 - 21, my total screen time was 11 hours and 26 minutes. 416 times I picked up my phone with an average of 53 notifications per day.

Insanity. Compare that with last the week of February 28th through March 6th with 2 hours and 41 minutes of total screen time, 239 total pickups, and an average of 60 notifications per day. These numbers do not include any other devices such as my computer, tablet, or TV. I could sit here and lambast myself about how I got to the point of having nearly eleven and a half hours of screen time on my phone alone, but is that really worth it? The answer is no, because it took

“It took multiple instances to realize that I was spending too much time on my phone.” multiple instances to realize that I was spending too much time on my phone. I don’t know why, but lately I’ve noticed just how much time my (younger) coworkers rely on their phones - they “have” to be in front of the phone screen when there is

a lull in our work (i.e slow time up front, between clients in back, etc.). The other part of this was the one Sunday that I worked all day on homework and didn’t look at my phone until the end of the day. Since that week, I’ve tried to reign in the time I spend on social media and in front of screens whenever possible but I do need more time to get my own personal habits under control. Once I’ve done so I’ll gladly share my tips with you all.

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

Lindsay Smith: Jaaaason Deruloooooo. Tabitha Barr: Don’t argue with women about things they clearly know more about. Julia Nightengale: If my glasses can make it through the washing machine, we can make it through the rest of the semester.