The Sunflower v. 126 i. 22

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THURSDAY Feb. 17, 2022 Volume 126 Issue 22

With 24 newcomers added to the roster, the Shocker baseball program looks to make an NCAA Tournament Regional for the first time in nine years. For full coverage and the baseball preview flip to pages 7-10.

Baseball looks for first postseason berth since 2013 BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Heading into the third season under head coach Eric Wedge, the expectations for the Shocker baseball program are the highest they’ve ever been. WSU is fresh off backto-back winning seasons, including the highest finish in the American since joining the conference. With the program starting to trend in a positive direction, the Shockers have made their goals for the 2022 season clear. They want to make an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2013. “We definitely have the talent to

do it,” junior college transfer Will Stevens said. “We just need guys to step into their roles and perform how they can and there should be no real issues as long as we move forward as a team.” Senior first baseman Garrett Kocis could’ve gone professional following his breakout junior season, but opted to return for one last season of college baseball. Part of his decision came from head coach Eric Wedge’s confidence in reaching the postseason for the first time during his coaching tenure. After seeing and interacting with WSU’s 24 newcomers, Kocis

“Now that I’m here seeing all the new guys and the guys that came back, I know it’s definitely possible and we’re going to do it.”

- Garrett Kocis

agreed. “That’s the reason why I came back,” Garrett Kocis said. “Talking to Wedge and coaches about the new guys before I saw them, they were really confident in us making the postseason and a regional push. Now that I’m here seeing

all the new guys and the guys that came back, I know it’s definitely possible and we’re going to do it.” WSU players and coaches aren’t shy about their goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament. The team feels that this season is pivotal in returning the program to national prominence and building on it in years to come. “Everybody knows this goal and being able to be a part of it, especially early on,” freshman Payton Tolle said. “Hopefully we make a regional and it’ll set the tone for the next two, three, four years, however long I’m here. It’ll set the tone for what the expectation is

and what the goal is every year.” The Shockers will headline a new starting rotation this season, following the departures of Liam Eddy and Preston Snavely. Jace Kaminska returns as the staff’s ace, fresh off a First Team AllConference finish last season as a freshman. Wedge said he is excited about the new additions they’ve made to the rotation with freshman Payton Tolle and Will Stevens expected to join Kaminska in the weekend rotation. “We’ve got a lot of newcomers SEE POSTSEASON PAGE 12

Author Lawrence Ross speaks to students about campus racism BY MELANIE RIVERA mrivera1047@gmail.com

Lecturer and author Lawrence Ross visited Wichita State on Friday to turn students’ attention to issues of racism that has occurred on college campuses across the country. He decided to write his book “Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race of America’s Campuses” after lecturing on college campuses for almost 20 years. He saw that racism was a topic that many students did not like discussing. “No one was listening, no one was paying attention,” Ross said. They had to cobble together like the people on campus to be able to even just get through. And I began to wonder if there was something there” Ross began research to see if there was an issue with Black students over an extended period of time — 1946-2015. “I started looking at campus racism in a sense and began seeing a formula, and that formula is very simple,” Ross said. The “3 Ize”; individualize, minimize, and trivialize is the formula Ross said connected all of the issues together. Colleges and universities tend to individualize the incident, by saying that it was a one time thing and that there is no larger issue at hand. “University officials will then try to minimize the situation by saying a statement, ‘does not represent our values,’” Ross said. Lastly, they will look for the reason why the incident happened by trivializing it. “We use what is the First Amendment dodge,” Ross said. “Students get frustrated and wonder why nothing changes and

Courtney Price-Dukes gets her miss Sedgwick County Crown. Price-Dukes is a recent WSU graduate and uses her platform to speak out about a variety of topics, including foster care. | Courtesy of Courtney Price-Dukes

Miss Sedgwick County doesn’t let past adversity define her BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com

Lawrence Ross, author, historian and activist, speaks to students, staff and public figures about the nature of racism and discrimination on college campuses on Feb. 10 at the Rhatigan Student Center. | Photo by Devon Sipes / The Sunflower

they become transitory.” Ross said the first type of world on a college campus is a race adverse. “Race adverse from an institutional way, they typically try to project out their aspirations of what they want the world of the university to be but it does not necessarily match what the university actually is,” Ross said. Ross said some colleges and universities will “lie” by putting minority students on their websites or pamphlets to promise a diverse campus. “We think of college as being some sort of Utopia, some educational Disneyland, where the regular societal issues don’t really affect us,” Ross said. The race aware world on a campus signifies how a minority student might feel when they are surrounded by white students. Ross said they may feel

uncomfortable and that they don’t belong in a certain social setting. “We jump through hurdles to be ignorant about racism, so it is not surprising that when we get to a college campus that people do not know how to talk about it,” Ross said. Ross wants college campuses to understand problems within itself and implement changes that will inspire other colleges or universities to model each other. Throughout Ross’s years speaking to students, he believes that it is time for the young generation to be the change that they want to see. After understanding the problem, students can then address it with their minds and actions. “You have to get the best critical thinking skills you can at Wichita State and then use those skills as your weapon,” Ross said.

Courtney Price-Dukes defeated the odds. Price-Dukes landed a full-ride scholarship to WSU and now wears the Miss Sedgwick County crown. A recent WSU graduate, she will compete in the Miss Kansas scholarship competition in June. But it hasn’t always been easy for Price-Dukes. “My biological parents were both drug addicts, so I was immediately adopted by my mother at birth,” Price-Dukes said. “Automatically, born to two drug addicts, adversity. Going into the foster care system, that’s adversity. Single mother, adversity.” Growing up, Price-Dukes dealt with plenty of hardships, including financial instability. Some days she had to walk to the store to get food because her family didn’t have a car or use the fireplace as light when her house was without power. “On the outside, we looked fine,” Price-Dukes said. “We lived in this big house in the suburbs, but inside it was a whole different

story. I think as a kid I didn’t really process that.” Price-Dukes also faced abuse in the household. When she went to the police about it, they did not believe her. “My life was constant adversity to where I should not be in the position I am today,” Price-Dukes said. Even though Price-Dukes had these challenges in her past, she strives to make sure they do not define her. “I don’t want to let my story be my complete identity,” she said. “I’m going to get those good grades. I’m going to, you know, be in extracurricular activities. I’m going to go to college, you know, I’m going to make something of myself and I’m going to use it to not only help myself but help other people.” And that’s exactly what PriceDukes did. In November 2020, Price-Dukes gave a TED talk at Newman University called “The reality of the foster care system.” The speech is on the TED talk Youtube SEE COURTNEY PAGE 2

2 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

Students assist Student Wellness Center with COVID-19 testing

NEWS

SGA censures Senator Samuel McCrory over false statement BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE AND LINDSAY SMITH

Dacaria Harris helps sign in a student wanting to use the free COVID-19 testing option in the Student Health Center on Feb. 13, 2021. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

BY MIA HENNEN mbhennen@shockers.wichita.edu

Students interested in the medical field or helping with the ongoing pandemic were able to apply to assist with COVID-19 testing this semester in the Student Wellness Center. Director of Student Health Services Director, Heather Stafford, said that they recruited students mainly through the College of Health Professions. “When we were asked to do this, we also were very busy in the clinic with sick people, so we couldn’t really afford to bring all of our staff over here at the time,” Stafford said. “We tried to get students who would find this as an opportunity to help and get some experience, and we had a lot of students respond.” Students hired to assist with testing gained hands-on experience that could help them in their field of study which included fields like medical laboratory science, nursing and dental hygiene. “It is an applied learning opportunity for them because they do get to have the experience working with patients,” Stafford said. “It also provides community service in a way; they’re helping out with the pandemic.” Dacaria Harris, medical laboratory science major, began working at the Student Health Center this Read the rest at thesunflower.com

The Student Government Association censured Senator Samuel McCrory at their meeting Wednesday. This public censure follows a statement made by McCory at last week’s meeting where he called certain identity-based groups “discriminatory.” “There are already racially discriminatory groups on campus that have RSO status on campus for instance the international student leftist association, the Black Student Union … I know there’s also an Asain group, there’s an Arab group … there’s all kinds of discriminatory groups,” McCrory said. Vice President Kamilah Gumbs responded to McCrory’s comment last week, clarifying that anyone is allowed to join these organizations. “Even if you do not identify with the name of the group, you can still be a member of that group,” Gumbs said. The resolution stated that McCrory’s comment was proven false, meaning he broke SGA’s code of conduct which reads: “No SGA official shall make, directly, any oral or written public statements that are false, proven through objective evidence, of the Student Government Association, any of its present officers, or its Constitution, Bylaws, Codes, procedures, and regulations.” The author of the bill and the chair of the diversity, equity and inclusion committee Omarian Brantley said that senators need to be held to a high standard when making public comments. “This is about us as senators upholding honest values and showing the bare minimum of respect to the students we were elected to represent,” Brantley

said. Brantley said that it’s important to recognize these students instead of dis-validating them and their experiences. “[These organizations] have been on campus for numerous years and have been safe spaces for various students from various backgrounds,” Brantley said. “As senators we need to remember it is a privilege to serve students and when we make comments in our SGA capacity that those comments carry weight. “When we as senators devalue and defame these organizations, we devalue the students in those organizations, we devalue their work and their story.”

“This is about us as senators upholding honest values and showing the bare minimum of respect to the students we were elected to represent.”

- Omarian Brantley

McCory argued against the claim and stated that he was not false in calling these organizations discriminatory. “The only RSO I mentioned that is not racially discriminatory in their name is the Intersectional Student Leftist Association,” McCrory said. Even though Brantley called on McCrory to publicly apologize for these statements, McCrory publicly refused. “[If ] we allow this dysfunctional democratic charade to play out, as long as Christ is king, I will never apologize for the truth, whether it means death or a flimsy senate review board meeting,” McCrory said. McCrory has been known to spark controversy. In April, he

COURTNEY FROM PAGE 1

wore a “white lives matter” mask to a swearing-in event and has since worn it to the majority of SGA meetings and mainly asks questions related to freedom of speech. McCrory has also used a confederate flag virtual background at the majority of virtual meetings this semester. Many senators spoke in favor of the censure, with only one speaking in negation. “I think it is clear that the prejudiced language that has been exemplified by this senator throughout this session does an incredible disservice to the amazing diversity we have at Wichita State,” Senator Ella Perkins said. Senator Jozie Caudillo said that these comments can lead to an unsafe environment for students of color. “We simply cannot allow for that type of behavior to continue because it can actually result in direct actions to these groups, which is the real discrimination resulting from these statements,” Caudillo said. Senator Ted Angleton was the only one who spoke in negation of the resolution. “As long as you are on U.S. soil, you are protected with what you have to say and the idea of censure is in all regards against that freedom to speak freely, even if you are at the head or a part of a body that speaks for a greater group of people,” Angleton said. Senator Kathlyn Short said that senators are held to a higher standard. “Based on our code of ethics that we passed earlier in this session, we aren’t actually allowed to speak freely as senators,” Short said. “There is a higher standard that we are held to just because … you are representing a bunch of people.”

Guy Schroeder commits to new position as police chief after temporary retirement BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com

What looked to be the beginning of retirement turned out to be the beginning of Guy Schroeder’s career as police chief at WSU. Having spent 33 years in law enforcement with the Wichita police department, Schroeder took a six-month hiatus after working in various aspects of the job. He had no intention of returning to law enforcement, until the police chief at the time, Sara Morris, reached out. “Sarah was a gal that I trained all through her career with the Wichita PD, and she said she needed some help,” Schroeder said. “So I told her I’ll come out for six months, help her get things straightened out. And I just started my ninth year here.” Schroeder recently took the position of police chief at the WSU police department on Jan. 12 after the departure of former chief Rodney Clark. Schroeder said the transition into the new

position has been going well, and aside from learning the books, he seems to have it down. When approached with the offer, Schroeder said he thought long and hard about whether he could commit the time to the position. “I really did not have any intentions of this particular position,” Schroeder said. “I took a couple of days thinking – I’m coming up on my 63rd birthday. I could probably retire 65, 66. If I do this, I owe them, I owe the troops five years, so I’m going to have to promise in five years. Okay, 68.” His wife still works for the Red Cross and his children are both grown and out of the house. Having a job that he enjoys means he doesn’t mind coming to work every day. “We’ve worked really hard the last five years to try and change the culture within the Department, the culture all across campus,” Schroeder said. “We’ve worked really hard on our partnerships all across campus. I

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

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

LEGAL One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 in the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded by a combination of print and online advertisment sales and student fees allocated by the Student Government Association. The Sunflower is a member of Kansas Collegiate Media, the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Association. Copyright © 2022 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design and its contents are copyrighted.

feel very fortunate that I got the opportunity to be here, and I think that’s because of our work.” SCHROEDER Schroeder and his team have been working to remind the people on campus that they are here for them. “We got out of the cars, we started walking the buildings, talking to people, handing out donuts, handing out hot dogs. We handed out popsicles in the summertime,” Schroeder said. “We tried just a little bit of everything just to kind of help the guys understand that we’re not just the security on campus, we need to be a part of Shocker nation.” Being a part of Shocker nation and serving the faculty, staff and students is Schroeder’s goal walking into this position. He wants to make sure the people on campus know that they are here to help and not just to hand out parking citations. This means working for students’ safety and working to

create a relationship on campus where people don’t hesitate to call if needed. As he works to help those on campus, Schroeder also sits on the CARE team, providing resources pertaining to law enforcement and safety. Schroedor said he doesn’t want anyone to be afraid to call him. At baseball games, graduations, and other events he likes to hand out his business card to make himself available. “I worked out of the North Station with the Wichita Police Department for almost 15 years,” Schroeder said. “This is a safe place, and we intend to continue to be that way. We want folks to be comfortable here. “My door is open, my phone is always on the hook. If somebody wants to discuss something with me that I could discuss with them, I’ll be more than happy to do that. I believe in protest. I believe in someone having a voice, and we need to listen, and I’m willing to listen.”

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

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NEWS EDITOR Julia Nightengale news@thesunflower.com

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

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channel and currently has roughly 17,000 views. As a communications major, Price-Dukes said she always dreamed of giving a TED talk. Price-Dukes had to fill out an application and submit an audition video with a synopsis of what she was going to talk about. “I think [they chose me] it’s because it was something so different than what other people talk about nowadays, and I can personally relate,” Price-Dukes said. Price-Dukes said her goal was to shed light on the realities of the system instead of comparing it to non-realistic examples, like the movie “Annie.” Just recently, Price-Dukes has used her platform to speak out about the death of Cedric Lofton, a 17-year-old boy who died two days after becoming unresponsive while being restrained face down at a Wichita Juvenile center. PriceDukes spoke at a Sedgwick County Commission meeting where she called on the commission to act. “Why that was so powerful to me and hit home was because I saw myself in that case,” PriceDukes said. “I am not only a foster child, I am an African American woman and Cedric Lofton was Black. Some people say that doesn’t correlate, but it does. She said she feels the need to use her position to speak out on issues. “The job is not always light and fluffy, wearing a crown and waving and talking to children. Sometimes it’s talking to those commissioners and legislatures about the real issues.” During her time at WSU, PriceDukes competed in the Miss Black and Gold scholarship competition, which is what introduced her to the pageant world. While Price-Dukes did not win that pageant, it did provide her with important connections. WSU alum and former SGA president Joseph Shepard was the choreographer for the Miss Black and Gold pageant. Now, he serves as Price-Dukes’ director for the Miss Kansas competition. When Shepard was looking for women to compete, he wanted to find women who were authentic. That’s when he thought of Price-Dukes. “She is diverse, she is someone who is boisterous, not only about her beliefs, but her struggles … When I wanted to recruit young women to compete, that’s what I was looking for,” he said. Shepard said Price-Dukes’ story is an example that young people in similar situations can look up to. “She has a powerful story, a story that I feel so many other boys and girls need to hear about growing up in the foster care system … that there is a life and opportunities after that,” Shepard said. “Courtney is a walking testimony that your preset conduction doesn’t define your final conclusion.” Price-Dukes said having Shepard as a director has been a great experience because they look at each other as equals. “We have this friendship [and] I think that’s super important,” Price-Dukes said. “You don’t want to feel like someone’s talking down to you and making you feel inferior.”

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BLACK HISTORY NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022 | 3

MONTH Black health and wellness February was selected as Black History Month primarily because of two prominent figures’ February birthdays: Abraham Lincoln, who signed the emancipation proclamation, and Frederick Douglass, a former slave who was an influential figure in the abolitionist movement. Every year the ASALH (Association of the Study of African American Life and History) selects a specific theme for the month. Last year it was the Black family, this year, it’s Black health and wellness. This theme is to acknowledge the inconsistency in health care for Black people and recognize Black scholars and medical practitioners, also including birth workers, doulas, midwives and naturopaths.

There are many reasons behind the inconsistency in health care for Black people. Lack of accessible treatment and insurance may be linked to preventable diseases in the community, making Black people more likely to die from cancer, diabetes and heart disease. This theme comes during the COVID-19 pandemic, an event that has shown that Black people are more likely to be hospitalized and die than white people from COVID-19. One of the main messages being promoted during this month is for the Black community to get vaccinated. Black Health and Wellness includes not only physical health, but emotional and mental health as well.

Sources: CNN, asalh.org, and npr.org

COMPONENTS OF HEALTH EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL Being emotionally healthy means being in control of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. This helps with coping with stress, self-image and relationships.

Source: familydoctor.org

ENVIRONMENTAL Having a healthy environment means having clean air, water, food, and chemicals in our products that don’t negatively affect health. It is connected to our personal health and wellbeing.

Source: University of Minnestoa

PHYSICAL Preventing chronic diseases and long-term illnesses are just two of the reasons why being physically healthy is vital. This means exercising, eating right and giving your body what it needs. Source: The foundation for peripheral neauropathy

INTELLECTUAL Intellectual wellness is about being open to new ideas and embracing learning opportunities in order to grow potential

Source: Washington State University

SPIRITUAL Spiritual health is defined as health that combines physical, emotional, mental and social health. Some psychologists say that spiritual health is important because it can provide people peace.

Source: http://spirituallyhealthyyou.org

Illustration by Thy Vo / The Sunflower

4 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM HAVE A STORY IDEA? contact The Sunflower’s A&E editor, Kyran Crist arts@thesunflower.com

New York artist speaks at Voices From The Vault

Students perform variety of pieces during February performance

Voices From The Vault was held on Tuesday Feb. 15 | Screenshot

BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

Tuesday Feb. 15, Ulrich Museum of Art hosted the latest installment of their series, Voices From The Vault. In this installment, artist Lesley Dill, an American contemporary artist based out of Brooklyn, New York, shows event goers a look at her art as well as the inspirations behind her exhibition, “Wilderness: Light Sizzles Around Me. “ The Voices From the Vault series is a five-year series that highlights several decades from the past that leads up to the Ulrich Museum’s 50th Anniversary in 2024. Dill’s Exhibition is the first installment of 2022 and the fourth installment overall. Her work is inspired by authors, writers and abolitionists from the Civil War era. Dill stated that this project has taken her seven to 10 years to complete and it was in the works during both pre and post pandemic. “We continued to work throughout the pandemic, remotely,” she said. “Thanks to FedEx.” Dill’s exhibition is made entirely by hand using handpainted letters, handmade costumes and horse hair knotted into the costumes to make it look authentic to the time period. “I love that sense of repetitive action, time invested, touch of a hand,” she said. “That impulse holds true in nearly all my work.” Dill describes her exhibit as a reading, leading and meeting exhibition. “Reading the works of others, going back into another time period,” she said. “So many of the figures in this world, in this exhibition, have a relationship of visual and acting revelation.” She said that she has found comfort with what she describes as “searching, rapturous people,” due to her experience as a teenager growing up in Maine. “Suddenly I became all eyes, my screen became dark,” she said. “I was given to see all, I was given to see the good and it was all encompassing and it was all alright.” When she started this project, Dill said she wanted to look for empathy and validation from these historical and spiritual figures who inspired her pieces in this exhibition. This exhibition is also a mission for Dill to talk about these figures in history. “In a way it’s like an eccentric dinner party,” She said “That’s moving around the country.” The project started out with a miniature figure of Historical Preacher Anne Hutchinson. “I thought, ‘Oh she’s so little,’” she said. “Why don’t I make her like a giant?” When she made her figures, she made them half an inch smaller than the height of her studio. “My studio [ceiling height] is 9 feet, so I made the figures 8 and a half feet,” she said. “So I could really live with these giants of history.” Dill ended the event with one piece of advice for young aspiring artists. “I would give the advice Horace Pippin gives,” she said. “Which is ‘Pictures come to my mind, and I tell my heart to go ahead.’”

Playing the role of Eboli, Alexis McGowan cries out at the collapse of Danielle Coppess, who plays Elisabetta. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Luke Harnish as Rev. Blitch attempts to seduce Kelsey Breon as Susannah in “Susannah.” The two grappled for power during their performance. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Playing Donner, Cole Bellamy uses his hammer to summon his brother, Froh, played by Luke Harnish. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Ethan Manlove and Baylee Almos sing together during “La Bohème” by Giacomo Puccini. Manlove played Rodolf; Almos played Mimi. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

After the death of Chayston SImmons, Kyree Thomas as Flute (Thisbe) cries out in agony before stabbing himself with a sword. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Playing Snug (Lion), Wes Kelley prances around stage attempting to scare the surrounding company during “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Benjamin Britten. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

GOING FOR GOLD

THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022 | 5

New director takes a successful stab at the Scream franchise

Students attend Olympics themed Shockers After Dark

A Shocker sings during Karaoke at Shockers After Dark on Feb. 11. Student Affairs hosted the event on Friday in RSC. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu / The Sunflower

Student Affairs hosted Shockers After Dark Friday evening at the RSC. Activities included BINGO, painting, karaoke and more. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu/ The Sunflower

Shockers playing air hockey during Shockers After Dark. The event was hosted by Student Affairs Friday evening at RSC. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu/ The Sunflower

Shockers playing twister during Shockers After Dark. The event was hosted by Student Affairs Friday Evening at RSC. | Photo by Baswanth Naidu/ The Sunflower

Hippodrome returns to in-person event, 2022 theme revealed BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com

One of Wichita State’s longest-running traditions is coming back in full swing this year after being online the previous year for COVID-19. Hippodrome is an opportunity for students in the presenting arts to showcase their talents and creativity. Each year the event is themed with something the performers can base their acts around. Performances for the event are skit, talent and emcee. Graduate Assistant Jordan Urban said that the preparation for the event has been going well and that everyone is excited to see what students bring this year, especially with the theme. “Although we have some changes to the event from past Hippodrome events, we are excited for the future of the event. I am looking forward to seeing all of the talent WSU students have and can’t wait for them to share it with the campus and community,” Urban said. “I am super excited about the theme for this year’s Hippodrome because it feels a

bit like nostalgia for the audience because groups will perform skits based on classic Children’s Books.” Hippodrome will also be in-person, after holding it online last year. While it isn’t a week-long anymore, Urban said the one day will still be a great time and way to keep the tradition alive. “Hippodrome has only been canceled twice in the past, once for World War two and again for COVID-19, so we are definitely excited to be back to the live event,” Urban said. “Having to cancel Hippodrome last year has impacted this year’s event, but we are excited to be back in person with safety measures in place.” Urban said that students are excited to perform in front of a live performance again. Hippodrome will take place on April 8 at the CAC Theater this year. Tickets for students are $6, $10 for faculty and staff, and $12 for the general public. “Hippodrome may look a little different this year, it’s going to be a great show and we are excited to showcase the many talents of WSU students,” Urban said.

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

BY PIPER PINNETTI piperpinnetti12@gmail.com

When Wes Craven passed in 2015 at the age of 76, fans of the Scream franchise wondered if the end had come. However, the new directors, Matt Bettinelli-Oplin and Tyler Gillett, achieve almost all of the requirements for a basic Scream slasher film: epic killer scenes, stupid character decisions that have viewers yelling at the TV and even the twists and turns at the end of the film. The new movie’s target audience is the fans that were raised on the original 1998 film and its sequels. Like the first four movies, the fifth movie managed to slip a lot of ironic digs at slasher films and then do exactly what they made fun of. Scream continues with the meta commentary just as the previous films do, but this time the commentary is also directed to the fans. The writers James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick managed to roast everyone involved with the Scream franchise in the fifth film. The movie successfully ties in the previous films to the series while also being unique enough to be a stand-alone. As usual, Scream opens with a phone call —but not just any phone call. Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) answers the phone. Ortega’s character is attacked while she is home alone after another person is inspired by the in-universe “Stab” franchise. The attack on her little sister motivates Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) to return home with fear and a secret. Ortega kills the performance, as she does with every part she plays. Barrera played the older sister role perfectly. Fans of the previous movies know that Neve Campbell, David Arquette and Courteney Cox return in 2022 as Sidney, Dewey and Gale. The casting for the “requel” was done amazingly. The carpenter sisters behave like siblings, the return of original characters and diversity. The film includes the LGBTQ+ community, people of color and a mixture of rising stars with new faces. Once again, Woodsboro is faced with another ghostface killer (or two) and a group of friends and old characters are determined to unmask the betrayer. Fans of the first film will be delighted to see some of the old setting and Skeet Ulrich’s handsome face featured again. Although I will not spoil who lives and who suffered from another brutal ghostface murder, I will say that I shed a few tears during the film. The film was a great change of pace for the franchise, while also keeping its original meta commentary and slasher film horror scenes. With better use of gore, makeup and special effects, the movie’s murder scenes have been upgraded from decent 90s horror scenes with little gore to a few brutal crime scenes on the screen. Throughout the film I cried, laughed and quietly mentioned to my friend how dumb the characters were. Craven was honored in the new film with “for Wes” signs at a party as a tribute to the original director to the Scream franchise. Although Craven will be missed, at least the franchise is in the hands of great creators. I cannot wait to see the confirmed sixth movie set to release in midto-late 2023.

6 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

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Opinion Street

The Student Government Association passed a public censure of Senator Samuel McCrory at the meeting Wednesday over a false statement calling specific identity-based groups “discriminatory.” A censure is a formal reprimanding of an official due to inappropriate actions or statements. In April, McCrory showed up to the SGA inauguration ceremony wearing a “white lives matter” face mask. Since then, he has sparked considerable controversy during meetings going so far as to say that white nationalist groups should be recognized and protected at WSU. Just recently McCrory asked the chair of the diversity, empowerment and inclusion committee if there would

MITALI THOLE

“In terms of self care, I just like make it a point when I go home I just relax for a bit. Then talk to my friends if possible and then we go out together and eat something good.”

“To take care of myself I like to take really long showers and read my book instead of spending hours on TikTok.”

STAFF

EDITORIAL

Graduate Student, Chemistry

KENNEDY KELLEHER

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

Hate speech does not belong at WSU

WHAT DOES SELF CARE MEAN TO YOU AS A COLLEGE STUDENT?

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be white representation in a diversity video series the committee is creating. These are just a few of the unnecessary comments he has made at these public meetings. These kinds of comments at SGA meetings are not productive. Instead, it takes time away from important conversations senators could be having about students’ real campus concerns. These comments should not be tolerated at WSU. As a returning adult senator, McCrory is supposed to use his platform to represent returning adult students’ concerns. However, McCrory was a write-in candidate elected by one vote. Senators

COLLEGE STUDENTS NEED MORE WAYS TO EARN MONEY

College Algebra should not be required for for non-math realated degrees

Allison Campbell

Emmie Boese

Columnist

Opinion Editor

campbellnallison@gmail. com

CAITLYN RICE

Junior, Animation “I think it just means to be like taking some time out for myself whether that’s a bath or reading a book or I don’t know, just taking some time to chill because my life is very busy.”

NICOLAS VANECHAUTE

Sophomore, Applied Computing “I think for me it’s just taking care of yourself when you need to. Putting yourself first and kind of making sure that overall that physcially, mentally, and emotionally you are doing okay.”

DANIEL PARHAM

Senior, International Bussiness “I think it’s pretty important. I think if you let school kind of overwhelm yourself then it’s going to cause a lot of stress. You need to take those relaxing times and just a break from school.”

Making money in between classes, events, hangouts and club meetings can seem impossible. It’s no surprise that 6.6 million students nationwide cannot receive transcripts due to unpaid bills, according to an article published by The Hechinger Report. I’ve tried just about every “get rich quick” scheme in the book, and after many failures, I’ve compiled a list of the most legitimate ways to make money without breaking the law or selling your organs on the black market. Whether you’re looking to pay the bills or just have some extra spending money, here are some of the best and safest ways to earn money quickly. One of the most popular ways to earn money for college students is to apply for scholarships. This one is obvious, but it’s still a pain in the neck. The trick is to fill out as many local scholarships as possible, while also playing to your strengths. If you’re a Black ceramics student, find as many scholarships as you can pertaining to Black students in fine arts. If you’re a LGBTQ+ engineering student, find scholarships directed towards those qualities. The more specific you are, the less competition there will be for those scholarships. Over the past few years, I’ve toyed with every “cash back” app that you can imagine. Only one has stuck with me - Fetch Rewards. Every time you go grocery shopping, to the mall, or make any kind of purchase, scan your receipt using the Fetch Rewards app and collect points. Every 1,000 points is a dollar, and starting at 3,000 points

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.

are supposed to be elected by the student body to represent them, but if a senator only received one write-in vote, who is he really representing other than himself? Students need to vote in SGA elections. Last year, only 5.9% of students voted in SGA elections — 742 of 12,575 eligible voters. If you want student government senators to represent you and your values, you need to make your voice heard by voting when election season is here. The Sunflower supports individuals’ freedom of speech rights, but does not tolerate hateful rhetoric that makes individuals feel unsafe on their own campus. SGA publicly censuring McCrory is a necessary step in making sure that senators are held accountable for their actions.

opinion@thesunflower.com

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

you can redeem gift cards from hundreds of stores like Target, Adidas, Amazon and more. The best part is, it’s totally free and you are guaranteed at least 25 points per receipt. It doesn’t sound like much, but it allows me two or three free Starbucks drinks a month. Another way to earn money is to save your change. This may sound silly but you can save more money the longer you do it. In our ever-progressing world, cash and coins are becoming more and more uncommon. So much so that most people don’t stop when they drop the occasional quarter or penny. Yes, you may feel like a change goblin collecting lost coins, but in the long run you’ll have made enough extra money that otherwise would have gone to waste. If you have junk that you need to get rid of, then you can simply just sell it. Facebook Marketplace is a haven for getting rid of items you no longer find useful. If you don’t need it, a fellow broke college student probably will. I like to meet my buyers on campus for security and so I don’t have to spend money on gas. I always recommend bringing a friend, meeting in a public place or letting someone know that you are meeting up with a stranger. Last but not least, you can earn money by donating plasma. This is my favorite and most efficient money making secret. I Read the rest at thesunflower.com

I’ve been in college for four years. I have struggled with several classes, but managed to get through them. However, one class that always seems to be a pain is college algebra. I started my academic journey at Butler Community College. Before attending Butler, I decided to only take the ACT once in high school. My ACT score was low in the math portion. Therefore, I had to take a placement test so I could be placed in a math class that was appropriate for my skill level. According to ontocollege.com, in Kansas the average ACT score is a 21.5 and the national average score is a 20.7. Also, the average math score on the ACT nationally is a 20.4 At Butler, in order to get directly placed into college algebra you have to receive a minimum score on the ACT 21. This is frustrating when you look at the national average. Therefore, high school and college students are spending money to take the ACT and get a specific score just so they can get into a class that is unnecessary t0 take. I was placed in fundamentals of algebra through a math software program called Hawkes at Butler. Each class is five weeks long and has three portions. I am currently in the second sequence of college algebra. Math has always been a struggle for me but I have acknowledged the fact that I do need math to be a successful adult. However, I do not need the complexity of college algebra to be a successful journalist or have a career in a communications related field. Looking back on when I began classes at Butler, I remember thinking the fundamentals of algebra was the most efficient

way for me to earn a math credit in college because it provided problem solving skills and some basic math that I may need to use in the future. Classes you take in college should be tailored towards your degree and the most basic skills needed to succeed as an adult. I should not be wasting thousands of dollars trying to complete a class that I will never use in the future. I have had to waste money on re-taking five week modules just to get in to college algebra, which is ridiculous in itself. I’m actually a student at Wichita State but due to the high amount I have to pay per credit hour, I still am finishing up my math classes at Butler. General education classes in college do help you succeed and I understand that. My composition one and two classes have helped me learn how to write letters, how to research properly and examine accurate sources. A solution to this problem would be making certain degrees take college algebra if they need it in their future career, while offering a personal finance class for other degrees. This way, everyone is still taking a math class but one that is useful to their path in life. Personal finance is practical and needed information that still includes math. This goes to say that there are more than just classes like college algebra that are not necessary to take. I do not need to take classes like music appreciation or art appreciation either. I’m not saying these classes shouldn’t be taught and I respect the teachers that are currently teaching them or have in the past. I just don’t think they are necessary for everyone to take. I will continue to finish out my general education requirements including college algebra, but maybe a change in the general education system in university academics will come in the near future.

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

Julia Nightengale: I cannot remember the last time I watched anything related to the SuperBowl. Rachel Rudisill: I am one of those girls who was rooting for the Bengals just because of Joe Burrow. Jacinda Hall: The halftime show and commericals were more entertaining than the game. Emmie Boese: The halftime show was average at best.

BASEBALL PREVIEW

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BASEBALL PREVIEW

8 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

‘I’m not going to take it for granted’

Senior Garett Kocis celebrates after hitting a home run during the game against Dixie State at Eck Stadium on Mar. 3, 2021. | File Photo by Khanh Nguyen / The Sunflower

Garrett Kocis prepares for final season with the Shockers BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Senior Garrett Kocis was off to the best season of his career. Kocis had hit a career-high 12 home runs and led WSU in OPS through 25 games of the 2021 season. Then a broken wrist sidelined him during his breakout season. Kocis made his return to the Shocker lineup after missing a month of action, despite not being 100%. “It feels awesome,” Kocis said. “Injuries kind of teach you how to enjoy the moment and just take it one day at a time and just be grateful to be able to put this uniform on our chest. It’s a pleasure to go out there and play and I’m not going to take it for granted.” Kocis struggled to find his early season form after returning from injury, hitting .242 with two home runs in the final 10 games of the 2021 season. Kocis said that it messed up his swing, which resulted in the offensive struggles. The senior first baseman worked tirelessly in the offseason to regain his swing from earlier last season. Kocis is now coming off a strong fall campaign, hitting two homers and driving in five runs. “It screwed some things up with my swing because I came back with it still broken so I just wasn’t really the same,” Kocis said. “This offseason was basically focusing on what I was working on before and now that I’m healthy, I’m hammering in the fundamentals of myself and my swing.” With Kocis out of the lineup, the Shockers went 7-10 in his absence, falling to as low as fifth place in the American. WSU was able to finish the season strong with Kocis back and recorded a third place finish in the AAC. “He’s been hungry to get back for a long time, it’s unfortunate that he had that injury but he’s powered through it,” head coach Eric Wedge said. “He’s worked hard with the training staff and doctors. It’s going to take him some

time to get back on track but he’s really worked hard.” Kocis could’ve opted to enter the Major League Baseball Draft last spring but decided he wanted to return for one last season with WSU. Behind a revamped roster, Kocis said that, he is confident in this team making an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2013. “That’s the reason why I came back,” Kocis said. “Talking to Wedge and coaches about the new guys before I saw them, they were really confident in us making the postseason and a regional push. Now that I’m here seeing all the new guys and the guys that came back, I know it’s definitely possible and we’re going to do it.”

“I got emotional thinking about it. I put blood, sweat and tears into this place and it’s given back more than I could ever dream of.”

Wichita State junior Garrett Kocis stands at first base during the game against the Memphis Tigers at Eck Stadium on May 22, 2021. | File Photo by Lena Alhallaq / The Sunflower

- Garett Kocis

Since arriving back on campus in the fall and seeing the new additions in person, Kocis has agreed with Wedge’s assessment. With the season coming around the corner, Kocis said he is excited to compete healthy with this new group. “I’m just excited for more than anything to get out there and compete again,” Kocis said. “I’m really just excited to see what this team can do because I know what we’re capable of. It’s going to feel good to go out and compete with everyone.” With the final season of his college career set to get underway later this week, Kocis said he’s been emotional heading into the season opener on Friday against Louisiana Tech. “I got emotional thinking about it,” Kocis said. “I put blood sweat and tears into this place and it’s given back more than I could ever dream of. It’s really exciting to go out there and compete.”

Wichita State junior Garrett Kocis waits to hit the ball during the game against Dixie State at Eck Stadium on March 3, 2021. | File Photo by Khanh Nguyen / The Sunflower

BASEBALL PREVIEW

THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022 | 9

SOPHOMORE SURGE

Ingram ready to build off strong fall BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

After Chuck Ingram had concluded his freshman season, he knew what his weakness was. Curveballs. Ingram worked in the summer and fall to see as many offspeed pitches as possible. It paid off during WSU’s fall scrimmages, hitting five doubles and a home run, while making more consistent contact at the plate. “This summer I really worked hard on curveballs obviously and seeing curveballs early in the count and swinging at them and having better at bats,” Ingram said. “Last spring, that transition from high school to college with curveballs was a little difficult because I wasn’t used to seeing curveballs that good.” Ingram said that being able to take offspeed pitches early on in the count has been crucial to having better at-bats. Last year, Ingram struck 34 times in 89 at bats, largely due to these struggles. “It’s really helped me for tracking pitches and laying off pitches early in the count,” Ingram said. “Going into the season, it’s going to help me have better at bats and at the end of the day, help the team

get a win.” Head coach Eric Wedge said he’s been impressed with Ingram’s improvement in tracking pitches. “He has made consistent progress,” Wedge said. “He’s doing a better job of controlling the zone, obviously he’s very strong, has a lot of raw power, so when he touches it, it goes a long way. He’s not trying to do too much and he’s really worked hard in the outfield.”

“I’ve gotten used to everything here, the team and coaches, I feel very comfortable and confident heading into this season.”

- Chuck Ingram

When Ingram finally arrived on Wichita State’s campus last fall, he had low expectations for his role on the team. Ingram was rehabbing after wrist surgery, still having some lingering effects. Although Ingram didn’t expect it, he got an opportunity to get some playing time in the spring. On April 10, starting first baseman Garrett Kocis broke his wrist, which forced him to miss over a month. Ingram was called upon to help fill that void and started 15

games over Kocis’ absence. Ingram is now adjusting to the outfield, after catching most of his high school career and playing first base last season. “I hadn’t really played the outfield that much, now I’ve been playing it for a while,” Ingram said. “I’ve gotten used to everything here, the team and coaches. I feel very comfortable and confident heading into this season.” Ingram is motivated to earn one of the vacant outfield spots, after Corrigan Bartlett and Hunter Gibson both graduated. “I looked up to all those guys that were here last year obviously and they taught me so much,” Ingram said. “That’s always what I dreamed of, starting in the outfield for a D-I program. It’s really important to me.” The Kansas City, Missouri native said Bartlett and Gibson were both beneficial in his growth in the outfield and is happy he got the opportunity to learn from them. “I took a lot because I was new to it,” Ingram said. “I learned a lot with my footwork, that was all new to me and just helping me with fly balls and stuff like that. All those things I didn’t know before, they helped me out. I’m really thankful for that.”

Sophomore Chuck Ingram celebrates after hitting a home run during game two of the Fall World Series on Oct. 11 inside Eck Stadium. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Stevens uses confidence in first year with WSU

Behrens joins WSU coaching staff BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

The Wichita State baseball program has added Connor Behrens as a volunteer assistant coach for the 2022 season. Behrens comes to Wichita from Point Loma Nazarene University, where he served as the infield and hitting coach for the Sea Lions. Prior to his time in San Diego, the native of Lincoln, Neb., spent two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Central Missouri. Working primarily with the hitters at UCM, Behrens helped engineer an offense that ranked top-10 nationally in a litany of offensive categories, including batting average, hits, home runs, runs, slugging BEHRENS percentage, stolen bases and hit by pitch. Over Behrens’s two seasons in Warrensburg, the Mules went 66-11 (.857), producing seven all-conference players, five all-region hitters, and three All-Americans. UCM was off to a 20-3 start in 2020 before the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Those two places, especially UCM was a lot of toughness and grit,” Behrens said. “You learn how to get through a bunch of crap, you don’t have the facilities and all the amenities. Just become the jack of all trades because you don’t have the same support staff.” Behrens played collegiately at Kansas City Kansas Community College and Lindenwood University, where he hit a combined .304 over two seasons. As a junior in 2017, he helped the Lions to their first-ever appearance in the Division-II World Series. Behrens began his coaching career the following year as an assistant for his alma mater, Lincoln Southwest High School, where he was an all-state performer as a player. “I think being as young as I am, the most important thing I can do is try and relate to the players and try to give them the perspective of where the coaching staff is coming from,” Behrens said. “There’s a bit of a gap in age so just trying to give them a perspective on some things.”

BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com

Senior Connor Holden throws a pitch during game one of the Fall World Series on Oct. 9 inside Eck Stadium. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Holden joins WSU for final season of college baseball BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

In the past few years, the Wichita State baseball program has found some success in adding graduate transfers to the roster. Connor Holden became the latest graduate transfer to join the program, announcing his commitment this summer. Holden comes to WSU following a four-year career with Murray State. Holden said that going the graduate transfer route became intriguing to him with the possibility of transferring to a high-major school like WSU. “I just wanted to go to a school where I could get a little more exposure,” Holden said. “I loved Murray State but I felt that in Wichita, I could get more exposure and get my name out there, get some development and see if I could try to get to the next level.” Holden appeared in 19 games last season with Murray State, while compiling 30 innings pitched along with a 2.10 ERA. Holden also converted nine saves across his four-year career with the Racers. The Louisville, Kentucky native said that despite his experience in the back end of the bullpen, he knows he must still obtain that

opportunity. “I know I’ve got to earn it,” Holden said. “I know there’s some really good talent on this team, so I hope I come in and earn it. One of the biggest things I hope I can bring is my experience. I played all four years, I have a lot of career appearances, I’m hoping I can come in and share my experiences and what I’ve done and pitching in the later innings.” Although Holden will only be a Shocker for one season, he feels that he can still have an impact with his leadership, given his experience over the past four years. “I think the biggest part is I’ve got to earn their trust,” Holden said. “Going to a new program, the kids on the team are very talented and there’s going to be fresh talent coming in. Everyone’s new and I’ve got to show them my skills and prove to them what I can do on a baseball field. If you don’t earn their trust, then they’re not going to listen to you.” Holden said that his main goals this season are to find success while also enjoying his last year of college baseball. “Obviously it’s to win but it’s also to have fun,” Holden said. “I think that gets lost in a lot of

things. If you’re not having fun, do you still have the same passion for it? I’m just excited to get in a new environment, new coaches, new players and learn from those players and learn from the coaches and see where it takes me.” Holden started to build some relationships with some of the other members of the bullpen this offseason. L.J. McDonough was the lead recruiter following a successful debut season with the Shockers. Holden said he also talked to Aaron Haase, last year’s closer, who was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 17th round of the MLB Draft. Holden also joined Jace Kaminska and Cameron Bye on the Upper Valley Nighthawks, a summer collegiate team in the New England League. Holden said that McDonough’s message that the program was like a family stuck with him when it came time to choose his next school. “He was really optimistic from day one about me coming in and he said ‘it’s like a family there’ and that really stuck with me,” Holden said. “There’s a lot of competition but at the end of the day the team really comes together and becomes a family.”

Getting experience and learning from former major league players continues to draw pitchers into the men’s baseball program. “Definitely the coaching staff,” Will Stevens said. “Like the experience that they have, it’s really hard to find and kind of looking around at other schools there’s nowhere that has the big league experience that (Eric) Wedge and (Mike) Pelfrey do.” Head Coach Eric Wedge was a part of the team that helped lead Wichita State to a national STEVENS championship in 1989, and brings several years of managing, coaching, and playing experience from the major leagues. However, having a former major league pitcher and Wichita State Baseball Hall of Famer in Mike Pelfrey on staff is something that Stevens said has given him confidence in addition to a successful career at the junior college level. Stevens played two seasons at Iowa Western Community College as a right-handed pitcher. He finished his career there with 46 strikeouts. 41 of those strikeouts came during his sophomore season. He also finished with a 2.84 ERA. The Shockers will open up their season at Louisiana Tech this Friday and Stevens has earned a spot in the starting rotation. “We’ve got a lot of newcomers here and some arms that we’re counting on,” Wedge said. “(Jace) Kaminska, obviously with the year he had last year, he kind of leads the way for us, from a starting pitching standpoint and then we’ve got some veterans in the bullpen that are going to lead the way as well.” Stevens said he hopes to add depth right away this weekend by giving last season’s American Athletic Conference Newcomer Pitcher of the Year Jace Kaminksa some relief. “I think just being able to put a good inning together every weekend you know is super important,” Stevens said.

10 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

BASEBALL PREVIEW

‘I’ve always done both’

Junior Spencer Hynes throws a pitch during Wichita State’s game against South Florida on Saturday, May 15 inside Eck Stadium. | File Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Hynes ready to make impact out of the bullpen BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Freshman Payton Tolle prepares to throw a pitch during an exhibition game against Cowley College on Sept. 13 at Eck Stadium. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Freshman Payton Tolle takes a swing during game one of the Fall World Series on Oct. 9 at Eck Stadium. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Tolle becomes first two-way player under Wedge BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Growing up, freshman Payton Tolle had always pitched and hit, which hasn’t stopped since he arrived on Wichita State’s campus. Tolle brings a unique skillset and is the first ever two-way player that Eric Wedge has coached. “He’s a treat to be around and doesn’t take himself too seriously but he goes out and competes,” Wedge said. “For a young player, he knows himself very well, whether it being in the box or on the mound.” Tolle primarily focused on hitting in high school but grew later on, allowing him to do both. Tolle was named First Team All-State by The Oklahoman and OBCA after a senior season when he hit .490 with nine home runs and also recorded a 0.25 ERA. “I’ve always done both,” Tolle said. “Early freshman days of high school, I would lean towards hitting and then as I grew, I got with my coaches more and it turned out I could pitch too. I was able to work with both and I’m happy to do both here. It’s awesome.” Tolle figures to be one of the pitchers to make the Shockers’ weekend rotation, following the losses of Preston Snavely and Liam Eddy, while also making an impact in the lineup. Wedge said he’ll be in communication with Tolle throughout the season to find the

right balance. “It’s going to be touch and feel. It’s not just the physical, it’s the mental as well,” Wedge said. “Just continue to communicate with him and you just watch and make sure we don’t give him too much.”

“I’ve always done both. Early freshman days of high school, I would lean towards hitting and then as I grew, I got with my coaches more and it turned out I could pitch too.”

- Payton Tolle

Two-way players have become more normal in the sport of baseball, with Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani winning MVP, after hitting and pitching. Tolle said it can be difficult to balance both sides of the game but the coaching staff has been helpful during the process. Assistant coach Mike Sirianni has helped him make a schedule to focus on both pitching and hitting on individual days. “I’ve got to focus on both, sometimes I get focused on one too much,” Tolle said. “One won’t be there that day but we’ve been trying to work on both. We’ve worked at trying to find a schedule with it.” Tolle comes to WSU from Yukon, Oklahoma and said that

WSU’s coaching staff was key in his decision to become a Shocker and the opportunity to become a two-way player. “They were very personable people and I’ve connected with all of them since I’ve been here,” Tolle said. “They’re people, they don’t big league anybody. We’re a family.” Tolle said he anticipates taking a back seat this year, with it being his first season in college baseball. Tolle is one of 24 newcomers to this year’s Shocker team, looking to build off last year’s third place finish in the American. “I think just sitting back and being more of a role guy early on, let the older guys work and do their thing,” Tolle said. “I think I’ll set back and I’ll either swing it or sling it. Just being able to get outs whenever I’m pitching and not trying to do too much I think is the biggest thing I need to do.” Tolle and his teammates are motivated by their goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament. The team feels that this season is pivotal in returning to a regional for the first time since 2013. “Everybody knows this goal and being able to be a part of it, especially early on,” Tolle said. “Hopefully we make a regional and it’ll set the tone for the next two, three, four years, however long I’m here. It’ll set the tone for what the expectation is and what the goal is every year.”

After making a regional appearance as a first year transfer student from Houston, senior Spencer Hynes is ready to make a potential second appearance. Transferring schools as an athlete comes with challenges. Growing bonds with teammates can come as a challenge. However, Hynes was ready for a big step to further his baseball career. “There’s a lot of unknown factors that come with transferring schools, but luckily this was not something I was ever concerned about,” Hynes said. “The guys here were very open to me and it was easy to form some really strong friendships. I’ve made some lifelong friends here and I will always be thankful for that.” Last season, Hynes started pitching for the Shockers making 19 appearances as a pitcher. After his solid start to this season, he became more inconsistent with his pitches. Head coach Eric Wedge made the decision to transition Hynes to the bullpen. “It was time to give another guy a chance to start,” Hynes said. “Wedge, Pelfrey and I had a conversation once they made the decision and we all agreed that the bullpen would simplify everything for me and it would be easier for me to keep it simple.” Over the summer, Hynes practiced his position at the back end of the bullpen that way as

POSTSEASON FROM PAGE 1 we’re counting on,” Wedge said. “Kaminska, obviously with the year he had last year, he kind of leads the way for us, from a starting pitching standpoint and then we’ve got some veterans in the bullpen that are going to lead the way as well.” After being picked to finish four in the AAC earlier this spring, the Shockers are hoping to use that as fuel for this upcoming season. The American has historically been a one bid

the season commences, Hynes will pitch in the later innings — relieving the previous pitchers. “It’s a good arm, and he has some experience,” Wedge said. “We’re trying to put people in the position to succeed. The rotation and pitching staff will evolve overtime, it always does.” Hynes takes the bullpen extremely seriously and aggressively — trying to get three outs as quickly as possible. This being Hynes last year of playing college ball, he is preparing to use his growth to make a regional appearance. “It’s something you grow up watching as a kid and something you dream of doing growing up,” Hynes said. “I’ve never played in a regional and it’s an experience I definitely don’t want to miss out on. When people think about the history of Shocker Baseball, they think about the postseason and how successful the program has been. We are to the point now where making a regional is an expectation and not just a hopeful thought.” After graduation, Hynes’s main focus is to continue his baseball career playing professional ball or potentially begin a career coaching within the MLB organization. “I would love to give back to this game once I finish playing, baseball has given me so many great experiences and life lessons and I would love to give back to the up and coming generation of ball players,” Hynes said.

league over the past couple years, but will be in the conversation of receiving multiple bids, including WSU, later this summer. “This is a team that could easily finish in the two or three spots if everything falls into place,” D1 Baseball’s Kendall Rogers said of the Shockers. “Eric Wedge has a team that could make some serious noise.” The 2022 campaign will get started on Friday as the Shockers are set to travel to Ruston, Louisiana for a three-game series with Louisiana Tech from. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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Sports

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‘We need these three’

Softball adds volunteer assistant BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com

Mary Stephens has admired the softball program for a while. Now she is a part of the winningest STEPHENS softball coaching staff in program history. “So my first year at Missouri State was her (Head Coach Krisiti Bredbenner) first year here at Wichita so I’ve known of her for a while now and it’s just been really cool to be on this side of things and see how it kind of works so it’s a really really incredible experience,” Stephens said. Stephens joined the coaching staff as volunteer assistant coach in January. She previously coached high school softball before coming to Wichita State. Some other

Junior Craig Porter Jr. jumps to make a pass to junior Joe Pleasant, who shoots a three pointer. The Shockers defeat South Florida, 73-69. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Men’s Basketball looks to move up AAC standings BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

After getting off to an 0-4 start in AAC play, the Shockers are back in the mix for a first round bye in next month’s conference tournament. The Shockers have won four straight home games and currently sit in eighth place through 10 conference games. WSU is still looking for their first road conference win of the season, as they continue their climb up the standings. WSU will have their most daunting stretch of the season in the next three games, starting with a road contest against Cincinnati on Thursday. They’ll then host conference favorite Houston on Sunday and then travel to Memphis on Feb. 27 to wrap up the three-game stretch. “That’s a tough schedule, but as a college athlete, that’s what you want,” head coach Isaac Brown said. “If we can win these games one at a time, that’ll help put us in position to get higher up on the conference standings, and hopefully we can play well at Cincinnati. We need these three games.” WSU has shown flashes during this recent stretch but has struggled closing out games in some moments. In three of the team’s six losses in AAC play, the Shockers have blown a double digit lead but WSU is starting to figure out how to win close games at home.

“If we can win these games one at a time, that’ll help put us in a position to get higher in the conference standings.”

- Isaac Brown

The next step is figuring out how to close out their first road win since Dec. 1 against Oklahoma State. “Offensively, it’s simple. We’ve got to do two things — you’ve got to value the basketball and take good shots,” Brown said. “We’ve got to defend at a high level, we’ve got to rebound at a high level and we can’t let their press bother us. If we can do those things, I think we’ve got a great chance to win on the road.” Key to this midseason turnaround has been WSU’s increased offensive numbers. The Shockers have shot over 40% in the last two wins, along with Tyson Etienne and Dexter Dennis finding more consistency from deep. “I think the biggest thing is we’re starting to make shots now,” Brown said. “Early on, in the first three conference games of the year, we were shooting right at 30% from the threepoint line. These last four or five games, we’ve moved up to 37-38%. We’re not turning it over as much.” Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday night inside Charles Koch Arena. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN+

coaching experience she has is one season at Sam Houston and two seasons at Texas Tech as a volunteer assistant. Stephens said that Wichita State seemed like the right fit for her because of their well known reputation as a national contender and competitiveness. “I think they are always known as hard workers no matter what,” Stephens said. “No matter the circumstances. They are going to go out there and put in good effort and work hard know nothing is given to them.” Stephens played collegiately at Missouri State, and played against the Shockers prior to Wichita State joining the American Athletic Conference. During her collegiate career, Stephens received several conference honors at first base. She also received Missouri State’s first ever NFCA National Player of the Week award.

Redshirt junior Orel Ovil jumps to greet the ball during a singles match against the Creighton Bluejays. Ovil won both his sets against CU’s sophomore Matthew Lanahan. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Men’s Tennis splits two matches over the weekend BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

The Shocker men’s tennis team split a pair of matches over the weekend against Creighton and Nebraska, bringing their record to 5-3 on the season. WSU took on Creighton University Feb. 11, where they picked up a win, 4-0. The Shockers started the doubles with redshirt junior Nicolas Acevedo and sophomore Luka Mrsic. The men secured the first victory with a score of 6-2. Freshman Kristof Minarik and redshirt sophomore Ray Lo secured the victory for the Shockers with another score of 6-2, securing the doubles point. As the Shockers moved onto the singles competition, Acevedo claimed the Shockers first victory. Shortly after Acevedo’s win, Mrsic secured the singles match going 6-1 and 6-4. The Shockers fell 4-3 against the Nebraska Huskers Sunday afternoon, dropping their record 5-3. In doubles, Minarik and

redshirt sophomore Alex Richards quickly grabbed a 6-1, on court two. However, shortly after they fell to Nebraska in the second and third matches. Mrsic and Acevedo gave the Shockers a second chance as they defeated the Huskers 7-5. Freshman Jackie Lin and Lo secured the doubles victory going 7-5 against Huskers senior Patrick Cacciatore and junior Shunya Maruyama. Minarik gained the first win in singles with a straight-set victory going 6-2 in both sets. Mrsic finished shortly after Minarik bumped the Shockers to a 2-1 lead going 6-3 and 6-3 in set three. The Shockers were on a hot streak and Acevedo gained a 7-6(5) victory in court one. However, the Huskers came back fighting. They scored twostraight wins to tie the score 3-3. Redshirt Orel Ovil fell to Husker freshman Roni Hietaranta, securing the win for Nebraska. Up next, the Shockers return to the courts in Denver, Colorado to compete against the University of Denver on Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.

Softball starts 4-1 after opening weekend tournament BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

The Shocker softball program went 4-1 in the Bearcat Classic this weekend, to open up the 2022 season. Here’s how they fared in the five games.

DAY ONE The Dayton Flyers took an early 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, after Caitlin Bingham allowed a grand slam in WSU’s first game of the season. Bingham settled in after that, as she pitched for a total of six full innings and allowed eight hits, four runs, one walk and struck out three hitters. Junior Sydney McKinney sparked a fire for the Shocker offense. She went 3-4 hitting one

homerun, two doubles, three RBIs and two runs. Following McKinney was sophomore Bailey Urban who tied her career high of three hits and two runs. The Shockers took their first lead of the game in the fifth inning, after Lauren Mills, Lauren Lucas and Urban hit back-to-back RBI’s gaining the Shockers their first lead 7-5. Following their two run lead, the Shockers stopped the Flyers from scoring the rest of the game, while putting up five more runs with McKinney’s three-run homer and Addison Barnard’s final hit of the game. Next, the Shockers picked up their second win of the season against the Sam Houston Bearkats. Senior Erin McDonald made

her first appearance in the circle pitching a total of 6.1 straight innings. She allowed three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out 10 hitters. Following McDonald, freshman Alison Cooper made her college debut allowing one strike out, one hit. WSU put up the first runs in the top of the third inning with a double from Urban and an RBI from Lucas. Senior Neleigh Herring and junior Zoe Jones hit single home runs to lead 4-0. The Bearkats were unable to score until bottom of the fourth inning with sophomore Kylie Hobbs’s single home run. Following Hobb’s lead, the Bearkats put up two more runs changing the score to 4-3. The Shockers added five more runs leaving the final score 9-5.

DAY TWO The Shockers achieved their first run-rule of the season against Houston Baptist on Saturday. McKinney added to her weekend streak as she went 4-for-4 with one home run, one triple, three runs and three RBIs. In just three games, she has tied her career high. Freshman Kenzie Schopfer joined the circle making her collegiate debut. She pitched for a total of five innings, allowed two runs on six hits, walked one batter and struck out four.

DAY THREE WSU suffered their first loss of the season Sunday morning against the South Dakota Coyotes, 0-3.

Coyote senior Jadyn DeWitte put up the first run from either team. She hit the game-winning home-run during the bottom of the sixth inning. The Shockers finished the day picking up their fourth win of the season against Sam Houston once again. Senior Wylie Glover led the Shockers in the third inning with a double, gaining a 9-6 lead. The Shockers continued to add four back-to-back runs in the fifth and sixth innings after Barnard and Urban’s home runs (15-6). Jones scored the final run of the game on Glover’s RBI single in the top of the seventh. Up next, the Shocker will take on Arkansas State on Feb. 18 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. First pitch is scheduled at 5 p.m.

12 | THURSDAY, FEB. 17, 2022

SPORTS

Strong’s style prepares her for the next level BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Growing up in South Bend, Indiana, Asia Strong never imagined she would go to college, let alone in Wichita. Strong was raised by her mother Glendetta Jones and three brothers — Keenan, Thomas and Gabriel. Before she could walk, Strong developed a passion and love for basketball. She starts each day the same way — praying and meditating, practicing and listening to motivational podcasts. When Strong started high school, she joined the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to further her knowledge and experience playing basketball. “Shoutout to my AAU coach Toi Baylor,” Strong said. “She’s the reason why I am here now, so she just inspired me to be the best player and the best version of myself on and off the court.”

“I like to be different on the court. Some people have got their own style where they got the arm sleeve and one leg sleeve. I like to make my style the two different shoes, or twio different socks.”

- Asia Strong

In 2018, Strong began her collegiate journey attending Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where she played basketball for two seasons. In 2020, after being offered a full ride scholarship, Strong turned in her Braves No. 12 jersey for a Shocker double zero jersey. Not only is Strong the first member of her family to attend college, but she is the first to receive a full-ride scholarship. “I feel like basketball is my life,” Strong said. “That’s all I’ve known, so if it wasn’t for basketball I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t know who I was as a person or player, so the basketball aspect has given me the confidence and responsibilities. Just to physically be prepared for basketball. I know for my future I have a lot of opportunities just because of basketball and the

game that I love.” On Nov. 4, Strong was on the starting lineup for her first exhibition game of the season against Southern Missouri State. Making her appearance, Strong was seen wearing two different colored shoes — one black and one yellow. As the Shockers continued their non-conference season on a hot streak, more players were inspired by Strong’s style. The majority of the team was seen wearing mismatched shoes. “I like to be different on the court,” Strong said. “Some people have got their own style where they got the arm sleeve and the one leg sleeve. I like to make my style the two different shoes, or two different socks. “You look good, you play good, so just feeling like I look good gives me confidence and makes me want to play better. Just because I’m out here swagging it.” Set to graduate in May of 2022 with her bachelor’s degree in sports management, Strong is preparing to play professional basketball. She will either join the WNBA draft this year or play ball overseas and will continue her style of mismatched shoes. Strong hopes to follow her biggest inspirations A’ja Wilson — forward for the Las Vegas Acers — and Kevin Durant — power forward for the Brooklyn Nets. “I like to watch them a lot and compare my game to theirs so I can be the best player I can be,” Strong said. After playing professional basketball, Strong wants to begin a coaching career with her cousin, T.J., in AAU. “I want to coach seventh grade or eighth grade boys and girls,” Strong said. “I want to start my own ‘Strong’ elite brand and just build from that. Building a foundation where I can help the youth because as a young player I had people who was helping me.” Kids look up to Strong — especially in Indiana. She wants to show these young athletes if they continue grinding, practicing, putting up reps and building their own style they have the opportunity to gain a scholarship and potentially go pro. “I don’t even know all of them, but I hear about them all the time. I don’t know them personally, but I still am that role model for them.”

Senior Asia Strong looks ahead during the game against Tulsa at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 6. | Photo by Lena Alhallaq / The Sunflower

Women’s Basketball snaps losing streak BY EMMIE BOESE elboese15@gmail.com / @elboese15

Head Coach Keitha Adams kept telling her team to “pursue the ball” against Southern Methodist University on Saturday. That led to the women’s basketball team snapping a four game losing streak in conference play. “I’m definitely working on my game every single day so just me crashing the boards, doing the small things, playing defense, trying to get a deflection, trying to get stops… the small things become big things in a win,” Asia Strong said. The Shockers beat SMU 58-47 in front of about 12 breast cancer survivors in the annual Play4KayPink game. The Shockers held SMU to a season low in points, and forced 15 turnovers. Adams said the difference maker in the Shockers win was a strong presence down low. Three of the Shockers forwards scored in double figures. Jane Asinde led with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Four of her rebounds were on the offensive end. “What I’m most proud of our post is that when they got the

offensive rebounds and the putbacks,” Adams said. “To me that second effort was really key.” However, the Shockers went into a scoring drought during the third quarter which has been a struggle in previous games. Adams said she tried a personal superstition of hers to get her team’s intensity level up. After the third quarter, Adams made her bench switch places, by placing the assistant coaches at the end of the bench, and the end of her lineup at the front of the bench. “You know when things aren’t working one you gotta find some fun, one you gotta create some energy,” Adams said. Whether it was Adams’ superstition that worked or not, Strong said the Shockers’ win was crucial in turning the season around before the American Athletic Conference Championship in March. “It was all pressure on us but we just definitely like.. we gotta come hard,” Strong said. “We gotta bust down the door and finish and get the win.” Up next, the Shockers will play at Memphis on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

SPORTS IN BRIEFS BARNARD NAMED AAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK Softball sophomore Addison Barnard was named the AAC Player of the Week on Monday. The Beatrice, Nebraska, native hit .500 in five games, going 8-for-16 with three home runs, seven RBI, nine stolen bases and 11 runs scored. Barnard had nine stolen bases her entire freshman season, but swiped nine over the opening weekend.

PORTER MAKES HONOR ROLL DEBUT

Freshman Ella Anciaux goes for a lay-up during the game against SMU at Charles Koch Arena on Feb. 12. | Photo by Lena Alhallaq / The Sunflower

Men’s basketball junior Craig Porter Jr. earned his first spot on the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Porter — a 6-foot-2 point guard from Terre Haute, Ind. — had game-highs seven rebounds and six assists in WSU’s Saturday win over South Florida. For the week, he averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals over two games. He was 8-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three. Porter’s averaging 9.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.0 block in AAC play.