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THURSDAY April 7, 2022 Volume 126 Issue 28

WICHITA STATE’S STUDENT NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1896

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ARTISTIC FREEDOM MADT springs into their student choreography showcase BY MIA HENNEN mbhennen@shockers.wichita.edu

The Mid American Dance Theatre showcased students’ choreographing and dance skills last week during the Student Choreography Showcase. The short performance featured a variety of contemporary performances that blended features of jazz, modern, ballet and others. Music like “Je te laisserai dos mots” by Patrick Watson, “Self Reflection” by Mac Miller and “Keep Moving” by Jungle were among some of the songs dancers choreographed for themselves.

Madelyn Marshall, Liberty Joy, Rhiannon Vierya and Bailey Buchanan perform “Keep Moving” by Jungle together. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Student senate passes 2.7% student fees increase, funds Shiftspace through reserves BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com

The student senate met last night to vote on the student fees bill proposal, which includes a 2.7% fees increase. Shiftspace gallery, a student-run art gallery down down, received a 65.8% funding cut in the proposal. After listening to dozens of speakers who spoke against the cut, the student senate voted to provide Shiftspace the remaining funding not approved in the proposal through SGA’s reserves for a year. During the discussion period, Senator Jay Thompson said that the decision to cut funding would push art students away. “It is not wrong to ask this group and others to find alternative sources of additional funding — In fact, that should be encouraged,” Thompson said. “But a cut of this kind, with this timing, guaranteed for three years, in a discipline that has been historically underfunded, should not happen.” Kristin Beal, manager of Shiftspace, spoke again in public forum Wednesday and said while they are willing to find other

sources of funding, they needed time to figure out what that would look like. “If this is the expectation moving forward that we diversify our funding, we need time to figure it out,” Beal said Senator Kirk spoke in opposition, saying that over 100 students he spoke to were not against the gallery’s funding cut. “If this is a department or organization that is requesting to ask for a large amount of money that, to our knowledge, only is being participated by a large amount of fine art students, this should not be funded through student fees,” Kirk said. Senator Jacob Unruh spoke in favor, citing the passion he saw from those who spoke in public forum. He said that giving them their request this year gives them an “offramp” to shift that funding. “Not every organization is going to have a huge impact on every single person, like Varsity Esports doesn’t really impact all of us on a personal level, but we are still giving them funding,” Unruh said. Senator Omarian Brantley asked Treasurer Zachary James if

SGA senator asked to leave meeting for not breaking mask mandate rules BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com

An Exhibit about speaking out against rape culture, Mar 23rd, 2022, in Shift Space, a WSU student run art gallary in downtown Wichita. | Photo by Devon Sipes / The Sunflower

SGA would be in a comfortable position with their reserves if they took money from it for Shiftspace. “This one time deduction from the student fees reserve shouldn’t hurt the SGA’s reserve fund, but I would caution future senates in

sessions to not rely on this fund,” James said. There were 17 in favor and five against the motion to fund the gallery through reserves. All senators were in favor of passing the student fees bill.

A student government senator had to leave Wednesday’s SGA meeting after refusing to put on a different mask. Senator Sam McCrory wore an outline of a mask with what appeared to be only mesh covering the mouth and nose. SGA requires masks to be worn in the chamber. McCrory has sparked controversy during his time at SGA multiple times. He’s worn a “white lives matter” mask at multiple meetings, including the inauguration ceremony, and was censured by the student senate in February after stating that identity based groups, like the Black Student Union, were “discriminatory.” When asked to put on a proper mask, McCory refused, arguing that his mask “followed CDC guidelines” because it “covered the mouth and nose.” “Well, I disagree,” Speaker of the Senate Jacob Tubach said. “So I would ask … that you put a mask on or I will have you leave the chamber.” SEE SENATOR PAGE 2

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WSU Police Department promotes three employees within department BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

The campus police department continues to evolve after the promotion of Guy Schroeder to police chief and three staff members getting promoted to positions. The three staff members promoted are Kyle Garwood, Matthew Feldt and Alba Morales. “We are very excited,” captain Corey Herl said. “We had a good process and three good candadites in the house. We have a lot of hard workers providing safety for the people. They see the value in what they do.” Garwood was promoted from sergeant to captain. He served as sergeant for 9 ½ years, but his journey at WSU began twenty years ago. Garwood attended WSU straight out of high school in 2002 as a music student. That same year, he decided to join the Army. “While I was in the military, I served in Iraq,” Garwood said. “I realized I wanted to serve others who will not or cannot protect themselves.” When his deployment ended, Garwood wanted to continue serving others and in 2007, he became a full time dispatcher before being promoted to sergeant in 2013. “I was working towards this position for a long time,” Garwood said. As Captain, Garwood will be serving WSU in new ways. He will focus on non-commission work such as parking, IT Staff, records and dispatch. While Garwood is extremely thankful for his promotion, he is more excited about Morales and Feldt’s promotions due to the amount of work they will do. Feldt, who is being promoted from officer to sergeant, also got his start in law enforcement through the military. He served for 12 years and was deployed overseas three times. “During my experience, I knew I wanted to be a protector,” Feldt said. Feldt began a training role within the WSUPD after his deployment ended in 2015. As sergeant, Feldt is expected to take on the roles of second shift patrol as well as spending 40 hours in the house training. Morales has worked at WSU for five years. Before her promotion to sergeant, Morales served as a second shift patrol officer. “Being able to get this opportunity is an honor and the trust with the people I work with,” Morales said. “I really like working here because we have a positive impact with students and faculty.” Morales grew up in Mexico, where her family still lives. Even though her family saw law enforcement as a negative, Morales had a good relationship with her school resource office in high school. Her SRO helped guide her with informing her family of the positives. “Law enforcement is not out to get you,” Morales said. “They’re here to help you. They’re just like us, normal people.”

NEWS

Provost finalist Glen Krutz answers questions at open forum BY JULIA NIGHTENGALE news@thesunflower.com

Wichita State is one step closer to finding the new provost. The executive vice president and provost search committee are in the process of holding open forums for each of the three candidates — Glen Krutz, Shirley Lefever and Alan Shoho. Glen Krutz, current dean of the College of Arts and Science and political science professor at Oklahoma State University, spoke on April 5. He said he is a “political scientist with real world experience.” Krutz was a first generation student who worked his way through school at the University of Nevada, Reno. Krutz said both him and his wife, Julie, would be a good addition to the university. “We are deep into working with and helping students … Julie and I lived as faculty residents in a dormitory,” Krutz said. “There were 380 students, we had a great time, it was wonderful for someone leading the retention effort at OU to get inside a freshman experience like that.” Krutz said he wants to focus on student success and furthering research. “I hope to make a mark on student success and the research

areas I just talked about. Another area that I’m passionate for, I really hope we can move the needle on is diversity, equity and inclusion,” Krutz said. He said that while the university has diversity in the student body, the faculty and staff lack that diversity. Krutz touched on diversity efforts he has been involved in at OSU, including a coalition to create diversity training for faculty and staff and intentional efforts to increase retention of minority students. As a first generation student, Krutz said that he is still prone to imposter syndrome. He said overcoming fear meant meeting other people like him. He said connections are important. Krutz also talked about how he hopes to push wellness efforts across campus to support academic success. “This generation has their gadgets, they’re lurching along moment to moment and sometimes don’t always think about taking care of themselves, and so to the extent we can implicate the wellness approach for the students, and also for the faculty,” Krutz said. Shirley Lefever spoke on April 4 and Alan Shoho will speak on April 7 in 231 Hubbard Hall.

Interim Provost Shirley Lefever speaks at provost finalist open forum are addressing it by the way we approach our conversation with industry and how we approach determining what degree programs we offer.” When Lefever attends Kansas Board of Regents meetings, she said that they are impressed with what WSU is doing. “It’s not uncommon for the regents to ask, ‘Why aren’t you doing what WSU is doing?’” Lefever said. “So that tells me that they believe that we’re on the right track.” Lefever said that WSU’s success should start with the students. “The more that students want to be here, the more that faculty and staff want to be here,” Lefever said. When it comes to leadership, Lefever has quickly learned that communication is vital. “Communication is probably the toughest thing,” “But it’s also the most important thing an institution can do.” Lefever said when it comes to communication, people need to elevate everyone’s voices. What’s Lefever’s favorite thing about Wichita State? “The people.” Glen Krutz and Alan Shoho are the other two provost finalists.

BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com

After two years of being interim provost, Shirley Lefever was named a finalist for Wichita State’s next provost. Lefever spoke at an open forum on April 4 to answer questions from the WSU community on what she would do if she continued with the provost role. She spent 14 years at the University of Arkansas before moving to WSU in 2005. Lefever received her bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D from Kansas State University. The university named her interim provost in 2020 after former provost Rick Muma became interim president following the resignation of Jay Golden. Lefever said through her optimism, she can make the correct decisions for the community. “I’m an eternal optimist,” Lefever said. “I’m very team driven, I think when we have teams working together, the solution that we come up with is going to be a lot more powerful.” Lefever said the topic of higher education can sometimes become stigmatized. She said this is something that needs to change. “I think the public’s perception of higher education needs to be addressed,” Lefever said. “We

Gallegos, Adamson next SGA president, vice president BY LINDSAY SMITH editor@thesunflower.com

Olivia Gallegos and Mitchell Adamson will be the next SGA president and vice president, according to uncertified election results. Gallegos and Adamson, who were the only declared ticket, gained 55% of the vote. Gallegos, the current president of Turning Point USA, is in her second year as a student government association senator. Adamson is a sophomore economics major. This will be his first experience in SGA.

SENATOR FROM PAGE 1

Students participate in the Office of Diversiy and Inclusion’s first GAYpril event at the Rhatigan Student Center on April 4. At the event, students could create their own buttons with their pronouns. | Photo by Jordan Plowman / The Sunflower

Office of Diversity and Inclusion kicks off the month of GAYpril with DIY pride buttons BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

The struggle of being addressed by the right pronouns is an issue that many have never considered or experienced in their own lives. For the first event of GAYpril, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion gave students the chance to represent themselves. Students of all identities came to the ODI table and made buttons to represent their own gender identity or sexuality. “People can express themselves and have buttons to show their pride,” ODI Ambassador Alondra Aguilera said. Students could grab free merchandise such as pens, t-shirts and pre-made buttons from the ODI. “I wanted to socialize with people because it is a social

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.

event,” WSU graduate student Kausatb Saha said. “And I really liked the buttons so I wanted these [buttons] to have them.” Some students also attended the event because they wanted to make custom buttons with pronouns that are not as represented. “I use neopronouns so they’re not very sought after,” said WSU sophomore, Kade Karamer. “I’ve requested with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to make me a custom pin for the past two years and they just never get around to it so this is finally my chance to make them myself.” ODI director, Alicia Sanchez, said that it is important to celebrate GAYpril because it allows the campus community to honor, support and bring visibility to the queer and transgender community on campus. “Our students have an

opportunity to engage in educational and celebratory programming,” Sanchez said. “This months provides us the opportunity to promote awareness surrounding the diverse intersections of queer identity.” Sanchez also said that the ODI button making events are a hit every year, with this year being no different. “This event allows our ambassadors for diversity and inclusion an opportunity to blend art, education, and awareness all together,” Sanchez said. “ What is great is it allows our LGBTQ+ and ally community to engage at various levels and be creative at the same time.” Future events held by the ODI during GAYpril can be found at www.wichita.edu/lgbtq.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Lindsay Smith editor@thesunflower.com

DESIGN DIRECTOR Thy Vo design@thesunflower.com

NEWS EDITOR Julia Nightengale news@thesunflower.com

PHOTO EDITOR Khanh Nguyen photoeditor@thesunflower.com

SPORTS EDITOR Sean Marty sports@thesunflower.com

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

OPINION EDITOR Emmie Boese opinion@thesunflower.com

MARKETING MANAGER Kaylee Stout marketing@thesunflower.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kyran Crist arts@thesunfower.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Rachel Thomas admanager@thesunflower.com

FACULTY ADVISOR Amy DeVault amy.devault@wichita.edu

McCory challenged the ruling of the speaker, which led to a vote to either overrule the speaker’s decision or to sustain the decision regarding McCrory leaving the chamber due to his mask. With three in favor of the ruling and 22 against, McCrory had to leave the meeting. “Its a miscarriage of justice,” Mcrory said as he left the room. “I hope you guys enjoyed the show,” Tubach said sarcastically right after McCrory left. Tubach also apologized to the people who attended the meeting, many of whom showed up to speak in public forum about Shiftspace’s proposed funding cut that was voted on later that meeting. “I would like to try and remind everyone that this is a chamber where we conduct serious business and there are people here to talk about that tonight,” Tubach said. “I apologize that our attention was directed from what you wish to come here and speak to the senate about.”

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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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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 | 3

Sports

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

DOWN NOT OUT

After a successful set, graduate student Lingwei Kong smiles during a doubles match against Houston on April 1. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Despite battling injuries all season long, women’s tennis is fighting until the end BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Injuries have plagued the Shocker Women’s tennis team this season, competing shorthanded in six of its 19 matches. But despite competing without their full roster, WSU has continued to fight to the finish line. With only seven players on the roster and injuries to Bianca Rademacher and Dohee Lee, the Shockers have had to forfeit doubles and singles matches during those six matches. In the six matches they have been shorthanded, WSU is 1-5, with four of the five losses coming in AAC play. The Shockers are 0-6 against AAC

“They’ve faced this adversity head on and in sports and in life, you’re going to have challenges. It builds character to face those and get knocked down over and over and keep getting back up.”

- Colin Foster

opponents this season, including a 5-2 loss to Houston last Friday. WSU ended their eight-match losing skid on Wednesday, wrapping up their home schedule with a 5-1 victory over Emporia State. “We’ve been fighting injuries all season so certainly record and results wise hasn’t been what we set out for,” Head Coach Colin Foster said. “The team has kept a positive attitude through it all so to be able to come out and have a positive result is always important. It helps remind them that they’re doing a lot of things well and they’re doing it the right way.” In Wednesday’s match against ESU, the Shockers won both of their doubles

matches, securing the doubles point for the first time since Feb. 18 against Oral Roberts. In the singles matches, all five Shockers picked up victories in two sets. Foster said he’s proud of how the players have continued to persevere through this adversity, despite the limited results. “Super proud of each and every one of them,” Foster said. “No excuses, they’ve faced this adversity head on and in sports and in life you’re going to have challenges. It builds character to face those and get knocked down sometimes over and over and keep getting back up and that’s what this group has done.” After shifting around from the No. 3-5 spots in the Shocker lineup last year, redshirt sophomore Natsumi Kurahashi has provided some stability at the top spot for this season’s team. Kurahashi is 7-7 while competing at No. 1, including a straight set win (6-1, 6-0) on Wednesday against ESU. “She’s someone who started to build confidence last season in the middle of the lineup and then in the fall just continued getting better,” Foster said. “She’s become much more aware of how to use all her tools. She can slice the ball well, come to the net well, she can play power tennis, she can play a bit safer. She’s got a good variety, which at the top position, you need that.” The Shockers will wrap the regular season this Sunday against Missouri-Kansas City, before traveling to Tulsa, Oklahoma for the conference championship which is set to start next Wednesday. “Every time we step on the court, they’re playing to win,” Foster said. “While we haven’t had many wins lately, sometimes you need a little reminder that we’ve got really good players and unfortunately we just haven’t been able to all click on the same day enough this season but that doesn’t mean that we don’t believe that we can create more winning results.”

Sophomore Jessie Zheng and graduate student Lingwei Kong high five after a successful set against Houston on April 1. | Photo by Mia Hennen / The Sunflower

Hamilton makes instant impact as graduate transfer BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

Originally from Turin, Italy, first year graduate student Harriet Hamilton knew early in her high school career that she wanted to play in America, but her parents were hesitant and had other ideas. “When I started the [recruitment] process, I had never been to the U.S. or outside of Europe,” Hamilton said. “I had friends who played tennis in the U.S. and I knew I wanted to do that too.” The recruitment process in Europe is much different than in the U.S. Instead of a coach contacting a high school, European players have agents and HAMILTON agencies who help them get signed. Because Hamilton did not have an agent, coaches across the U.S. would contact her through Facebook Messenger. Coaches were determined to have Hamilton become a part of their team. They started contacting her a year and a half before her graduation. After speaking with Andres Amores, head coach at Jacksonville State University, her mind was made up. “The team was so diverse and I had a good connection with the coach,” Hamilton said. “The coach also followed all my tournaments.” Coming from a high school that celebrated different diversities and cultures, predominantly South American countries, Hamilton felt at home. The majority of Hamilton’s teammates were from different countries and she enjoyed learning about her team’s different cultures. While at JSU, Hamilton was selected to the All-Ohio Valley Conference Second Team and as a freshman, posted a 9-7 singles record from the No. 1 slot. She also added nine wins in doubles play with partner Elena Tendero from the No. 2 position during the regular season. She went undefeated at the UTC Fall Invitational, earning three consecutive victories in the Scenic City. During her 2019-2020 season, Hamilton had a perfect 7-0 in singles play during her sophomore season that was shortened due to COVID-19. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, Hamilton knew her time with the Gamecocks was over. JSU’s graduate program of supply chain management and a minor program of data analytics was not up to par for Hamilton. She also wished to leave Alabama to explore the country. “Jacksonville State is in Alabama,” Hamilton said. “It is a small college town school and I knew I wanted to move to a bigger school and a bigger city.” With two seasons remaining of eligibility, Hamilton wanted to continue playing tennis, so she was hoping to find the right school with the right program and team. Wichita State checked off every requirement Hamilton had. The graduate student said she enjoys how much WSU cares about each students’ future careers, as admissions works with students on internships and job opportunities. During her time with the Shockers, Hamilton has learned to adapt to Wichita’s weather. Hamilton is used to the Alabama heat and playing outdoors all year. When she first attended WSU in the fall, that was her first indoor season. It was unfamiliar to her. With one year left of eligibility, Hamilton’s goals include getting into the national collegiate with the Shockers. “WSU provides great opportunities,” Hamilton said. “WSU has been a big upgrade not only athletic-wise, but career and education.”

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SPORTS

MID-WEEK SHOWDOWN

Softball falls to Oklahoma State for second time this season BY EMMIE BOESE opinion@thesunflower.com

In front of a sold-out crowd at Wilkins Stadium, Shocker softball battled with No. 6 Oklahoma State for the second time, but ultimately the Cowgirls walked away from Wichita with a 4-1 victory. Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said Wednesday night’s matchup was one of the Shockers best defensive games all season compared to the Shockers performance against OSU in the Mizuno Classic in March. “You know I think that was the biggest difference is the pitching,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “The defense I thought we had some good clutch defensive plays. You know hitting wise we’ve gotta attack early.” OSU attacked early by hitting a solo home run in the top of the first inning. However, senior pitcher Erin McDonald responded by stranding a runner in the second and shutting the Cowgirls out in the third. “You know she had good command,” Bredbenner said. “Got a lot of swings and misses. Had quite a few strikeouts which is good to see because we are going to have to have that this weekend.” Despite McDonald’s strong performance in the circle, the Shockers struggled offensively throughout, and didn’t start clicking until the fifth inning. Senior Neleigh Herring scored off

an OSU throwing error to make it a 2-1 game. “We’ve gotta find some ways to score more runs early in the game and I thought we settled in and had some much better at-bats the second half, but I thought the first half we’re a better team and we could have been able to hit the ball a little bit better than that,” Bredbenner said. OSU finally got some more at-bats in the sixth and seventh against McDonald to seal the win. The Shockers’ strong hitting performance in the second half of the game helped them strive toward a comeback in the seventh.

“You know I think that was the biggest difference is the pitching. The defense, I thought we had some good clutch defensive plays. You know hitting wise, we’ve got to attack early. - Kristi Bredbenner

Freshman Krystin Nelson hit a single through the left side with one out left to start pushing towards the top of the lineup. With the bases finally loaded, sophomore Addison Barnard, the nation’s top home run hitter, reached on a fielder’s choice; however, OSU threw the Shockers out at third.

UP NEXT

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

WSU vs South Florida 5:30 p.m. Tampa, Florida

Nelson’s key at bat in the seventh proved to Bredbenner what kind of potential Nelson has. Nelson also had several strong defensive plays at third base. “I thought you know I mean she’s a freshman and she’s really taken advantage of the opportunities that she’s getting to experience and seeing her make those plays against a good team to me is showing that she’s getting better,” Bredbenner said. WSU’s three-game winning streak came to a close with their mid-week loss to OSU, dropping to 20-11 overall this season. The Shockers will head to Tampa, Florida on Friday to play a conference series with USF over the weekend. USF’s pitching staff is home to Georgina Corrick who is currently one of the nations top pitchers in college softball. Corrick has 14 shutouts and an ERA of 0.42 so far this season. “You know regardless of what that game plan is, we’ve done enough research as a coaching staff,” Bredbenner said. We know what to expect. We know she’s one of the best pitchers in the country. You know we just have to stick with our game plan and trust it.”

Lauren Lucas works hard to earn starting spot for WSU

Junior Sydney McKinney dives to catch a line drive between second and third base against OSU on April 6 in Wilkins Stadium. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

Senior Neleigh Herring cheers for freshman Krystin Nelson after advancing her to second base. Herring was the only Shocker to earn a run against OSU on April 6 in Wilkins Stadium. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

Softball helps raise awareness for Autism Acceptance Month BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

BY EMMIE BOESE opinion@thesunflower.com

During Lauren Lucas’ freshman season last year, she watched from the dugout cheering on her teammates in the NCAA Norman Regional. The Shockers were playing against Texas A&M and two of Lucas’ former travel ball teammates were on A&M’s roster. Most of her travel ball teammates went to power-five schools and Lucas was one of the only players from her team to go to a mid-major softball program. Watching her teammates claim a 9-7 win over A&M gave Lucas more satisfaction that she picked the right program to play for. However, she said it gave her hope that she would be in the starting lineup if she kept working hard and waiting her turn to crack the starting lineup. Lucas is now a sophomore and is the starting left fielder for the Wichita State softball program. She is currently batting third in the lineup and has a .266 batting average this season. “When she gets up, you know, I get pretty excited,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. “She’s got good bat speed and has done real well for us so I hope she continues to get better.” Lucas knew making her way into the starting lineup last season was going to be difficult. The Shockers graduated six seniors last season and Bredbenner placed five of those seniors in the starting lineup, with each being named to the all-conference team in the American Athletic Conference last year. “I was cool with what she was doing because I knew it was always best for the team even if that meant me not being in the lineup and so I really just tried to embrace my role last year,” Lucas said. However, she said encouragement from others in the program like former standout outfielder Bailee Nickeson and hitting coach Elizabeth Economon was helpful. Lucas said Nickerson took advantage of the depth the Shockers had in the outfield to help prepare the younger players in the years to come. “She (Bailee Nickerson) was

Sophomore Lauren Lucas bats against OSU on April 6 in Wilkins Stadium. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

just so encouraging because she thought the world of us,” Lucas said. “She thought we could catch anything and so just taking that attitude and trying to put that into my play over the summer has really helped me.” Lucas said she never felt like she needed to consult Bredbenner about what she could do to get into the starting lineup because she trusted that there was work to be done and it wasn’t her time yet. She worked closely with Economon by hitting extra during hitting practice everyday. “She was like, ‘You know you just keep grinding. You keep grinding and it’ll pay off, don’t give in and stop working’ because you know it’s super easy to be like, well I’m not going to play,” Lucas said. “Why would I put the work in? But you know Coach E (Economon) really helped me see, ‘Well, next year you really got a shot.’” Lucas learned she would be placed as a consistent starter in the Shockers starting lineup before their second game of the

season against Sam Houston. She said based on her success in the fall season, she felt anticipation that she earned a starting role. “The nerves that I had last year when I would start a game were just not there anymore because I have full confidence in my preparation and I had full confidence in my ability and you know whatever was going to happen was going to happen,” Lucas said. Lucas said she came on an unofficial visit when she was 15 and really bought into the program right away at WSU. Bredbenner believes Lucas’ continued faith in WSU softball has been a vital part of her success this season. “I think last year not getting to play a lot, she did exactly what we want our kids that, you know, on the team and not getting to play to do,” Bredbenner said. “She worked hard and she paid attention and learned from last year’s season and basically made it her goal to be a starter and knew what it was going to take to get to that point and she did it.”

April is national Autism Acceptance month. With multiple Shocker softball players having austistic family members, the athletes knew they wanted to bring awareness to the condition in a positive way. The idea sparked from junior Sydney McKinney and sophomore Lauren Lucas, who both have brothers with autism. Lucas’ mother bought puzzle piece ribbons to each of the players to wear in their hair during games. The puzzle pieces represent the complexity and wide variety within the autism spectrum. “Every year me and Lauren Lucas try to wear the ribbon just to raise awareness,” McKinney said. “I know on my social media, I like to post Autism Speaks. It’s a big platform for autism and it just brings awareness to how autistic people function, signs of anxiety, what triggers them and things like that. I think it’s just really important that people do know these things.” Autism Speaks not only helps individuals learn signs of autism, but also has portals for parents and educators to learn how to better provide for children. There is also a section for individuals with the condition to help them understand why they are acting or feeling a certain way. The website contains hundreds of articles that can be narrowed down by age, level of support and resource type. “She’s (McKinney) definitely somebody that as a role model to so many is doing a great job bringing awareness to autism and the functionality of people that are autistic,” Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner said. McKinney grew up in Norborne, a small town located in Missouri. Residents were not well informed about autism and young children did not understand why Rider, McKinney’s younger brother, acts differently than others. “Just having awareness [about autism] is important,” McKinney said. “Maybe a parent sees it and tells their kid is like, ‘Hey, you can’t do this around Rider,’ or,

Sophomore Addison Barnard wearing a puzzle piece ribbon representing autism appreciation month. Ribbons were provided by sophomore Lauren Lucas’s mom. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

‘Rider’s saying this because he is autistic. Not because he doesn’t like you.’” The Shockers began wearing these ribbons on April 1, the first day of Autism Acceptance month. In less than a week, the Shockers have received positive feedback. One of the players from Tulsa approached McKinney the Sunday concluding the Tulsa Series and expressed how she appreciated WSU bringing awareness to autism. The Tulsa player also has a brother diagnosed with autism, who was attending the game. McKinney decided to give some of the Tulsa players extra ribbons from their locker room to help spread awareness. “It’s cool to know that a lot of other families do have siblings and members with autism,” McKinney said. The Shockers plan to continue wearing the ribbons each April to help people understand autism and teach them that people with autism are regular people. “There’s a lot of functioning kids out there and human beings that have autism and we need to support them and all the other endeavors that they’re involved in,” Bredbenner said.

SPORTS

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 | 5

Jody Adams-Birch lands head coaching job at New Mexico State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Jody Adams-Birch, WSU’s former head women’s basketball coach from 2008-2017, has been hired as New Mexico State’s next head coach. She’s the second former Shocker coach to land a job with the Aggies in the last week, after Greg Heiar was named their next men’s basketball head coach. Adams-Birch had a tumultuous tenure with WSU, which ultimately came to a close as WSU and Adams-Birch parted ways in 2017. Following a 29-win season in 2015, WSU conducted an informal investigation into Adams-Birch, after four players left the program due to accusations of mental and physical abuse, but she continued to lead the program following the review. Two years later, another investigation into Adams-Birch took place, after players boycotted practice due to the “overall atmosphere” of the program. WSU and Adams-Birch mutually parted ways five days later. “What stood out the most is that I’ve known her for 16 years. ... I know Jody Adams-Birch,” New

Mexico State Athletic Director Mario Moccia said of AdamsBirch’s WSU tenure. “So while we did have conversations about it, I had no reservations whatsoever recommending her, and I’m just very ecstatic with the choice.” Adams-Birch compiled a 161-115 ADAMS-BIRCH record while at WSU, leading the Shockers to three straight Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles in 2013-15. Under Adams-Birch, WSU made three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, from 2013-15. Since Adams-Birch’s departure, the Shockers have had one winning season and zero appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Adams-Birch landed a job as an assistant for Derby High School, where she helped lead the Panthers to their first state title. For the past four years, Adams-Birch has served as an assistant coach at Southern Illinois. Last season, she helped lead the Salukis to their first regular-season MVC title since 2007.

Dennis and Udeze enter the transfer portal BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Junior guard Dexter Dennis and junior forward Morris Udeze have entered the transfer portal. With Dennis and Udeze’s announcements today, the Shockers now have had six players enter the transfer portal this offseason. Both players just wrapped their fourth seasons at WSU, after arriving on campus in 2018. Dennis averaged 8.4 points DENNIS per game during his junior campaign, while also winning AAC Defensive Player of the Year. Dennis struggling shooting the basketball during the 2021-22 season, posting a careerlow 29.8% mark on three-pointers. “After deep consideration, and consulting with my family I’ve decided that my time as a current basketball player for Wichita State

University has come to an end,” Dennis said in a social media post. This will be the second time Udeze has entered the transfer portal in his career, after he entered the portal following the 2019-20 season but returned UDEZE to WSU. Udeze averaged 10.2 points per game this past season, the second most of his Shocker career. “To Shocker Nation, my teammates, coaches, trainers, and professors I want to thank you for the love shown to me while at WSU,” Udeze said in his announcement to social media. With the two transfers, WSU now has eight open scholarships for the 2022-23 season, if Ricky Council IV decides to keep his name in for the NBA Draft. The Shockers have been active in the recruiting market but are yet to land any commitments.

Lou Gudino accepts job at Ball State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

After four seasons as an assistant coach for Wichita State, Lou Gudino is headed to Ball State as an assistant coach under Michael Lewis, according to a report from Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. Gudino was elevated to WSU’s associate head coach last summer by Isaac Brown. During Gudino’s four seasons at WSU, he helped the Shockers to 76 wins — the first two under Gregg Marshall and the last two under Brown. “Lou is a guy that I’ve come to lean on,” Brown said in a statement last July. “His basketball knowledge and attention to detail are second-to-none. He’s always

prepared and always willing to pitch in. From recruiting and game-planning to staff and player development, his impact is felt in all areas of our GUDINO program, and this title change reflects that.” Gudino arrived at WSU after stops at Louisiana Tech (2005-07), Indiana State (2007-17) and New Mexico State (2017-18). The Shockers now have one vacant spot on their coaching staff, following Gudino’s departure, but Butch Pierrer is expected to fill the opneing. Tyson Waterman and Billy Kennedy are the only assistant coaches left on the staff.

Nicolas Acevedo hits the ball during a point during the match against Omaha on March 3 at the Coleman Tennis Complex. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

Baseball’s upset bid falls short against No. 6 Oklahoma State BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

Shocker baseball’s upset bid against No. 6 Oklahoma State fell short on a windy Tuesday evening, losing to the Cowboys, 5-3. WSU held a 3-1 advantage for the second straight game heading into the eighth inning but once again, were unable to close out the victory. OSU scored three runs with two outs in the eighth inning and tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth to secure the two-run road victory. “Anytime you have an opportunity to play a good team, it’s an opportunity,” Head Coach Eric Wedge. “We were in control of the game for seven innings and it slipped away from us in the bullpen in those last couple innings. We had a lot of missed opportunities that we should’ve taken advantage of earlier in the game to do a little bit more.” The late rally spoiled an excellent start from freshman lefty Jace Miner, who held the Cowboys to just one run over a career-best five innings. Miner struck out four and walked only one, allowing seven hits. It was the second consecutive solid mid-week start Miner had delivered for the Shockers, allowing four earned runs through four innings last week against Kansas. “I came into this with a lot of confidence but I feel really good after this one,” Miner said. “I feel I could do a lot better, not the outcome I wanted at the end, but at the same time, I think we can all learn from this.”

After Miner allowed his lone run in the top of the first inning, he settled in against OSU, throwing four scoreless innings to put himself in line for his first career victory. WSU has struggled to find consistency in their midweek starters this season, but Miner has stood with his last two appearances. Miner made his first five appearances out of the bullpen, allowing seven earned runs in three innings pitched but has been more effective as a starter. In nine innings pitched during his two starts, Miner has seen his ERA dip to 9.00, after allowing only five earned runs against KU and OSU. “He’s ramping up and getting better,” Wedge said. “Today he was able to throw around 80 pitches and he’s starting to get built up now and he controlled the baseball game against a very good team.” After rebounding from their slow start to the season, WSU has hit another rough patch, losing four of its last five games. The Shockers’ record now stands at 12-16 and a 1-2 record early on in conference play. WSU will now travel to Greenville, North Carolina to take on pre-season favorite East Carolina this weekend. The Shockers have struggled on the road to start this season, going 1-10. Their lone road victory came against Houston last weekend. “We just hung with a really good team, a top-10 team,” Miner said. “I feel that could really help us keep going forward with it. We have a really good team, we have a lot of talent on this team and once it clicks we can be a scary team.”

Pierre set to join men’s basketball coaching staff BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

After former WSU Assistant Coach Lou Gudino accepted an assistant coaching position at Ball State earlier today, Head Coach Isaac Brown moved quickly to find his replacement. Butch Pierre is set to join the Shocker coaching staff, according to multiple reports. Pierre would bring over 30 years of coaching experience to the coaching staff, as a head coach and assistant. During his time at the Division-I level, Pierre’s coaching has resulted in nine conference championships, 12 NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four appearance, and three

NIT appearances. Pierre served as an assistant coach at multiple Power-Five schools, including Oklahoma State (2008-16), LSU (1997-2008) and NC State (2016-17). He has also served as the director of player personnel at Memphis during the 2017-18 season and was the head coach for Northwest Florida State College for two seasons. While at Oklahoma State, four Cowboys were drafted to the NBA – James Anderson (20th pick, 2010), Markel Brown (44th pick, 2014), Juwan Evans (39th pick, 2017) and Marcus Smart (6th pick, 2014). Pierre also helped land OSU two top-10 recruiting classes. During his time in Baton

Rouge, LSU advanced to four NCAA Tournaments (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006), including appearances in the 2006 Final Four and 2000 PIERRE Sweet 16. Pierre’s recruiting efforts led to a 1998 top-three class and 2003 No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. LSU also had a 2007 top-five class, two top-10 classes (1999, 2005), a trio top-15 classes (2000, 2002, 2004) and a top-20 class (2001). Pierre served as LSU’s interim head coach in 2008 for 10 games. Pierre joins assistant coaches Tyson Waterman and Billy Kennedy for the 2022-23 season.

Men’s tennis rallies for win over Temple in Texas BY SEAN MARTY sports@thesunflower.com

After dropping two straight matches against ranked opponents to start the weekend, the Shocker men’s tennis team capped their weekend in Dallas with a 4-1 win over Temple Sunday at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex. The Shockers took the early 1-0 lead with doubles wins at courts two and three with Luka Mrsic and Orel Ovil picking up their seventh win as a pair. The Owls tied the match at 1-1 with a win at court three, but WSU won three straight singles matches to clinch. Nicolas Acevedo played well at court one, picking up his 12th win of the season and his seventh on the top line. Ray Lo and Jackie Lin followed

with 6-4, 7-5 victories at four and six to close out the match and defeat the Owls. Earlier in the weekend, the Shockers fell to No. 37 Memphis 4-2 on Friday. The Shockers dropped the doubles point, despite Orel Ovil and Luka Mrsic extending their doubles winning streak to five straight matches. Kristof Minarik picked up the first singles win of the match, defeating David Stevenson, 6-3, 6-2, at court two. Memphis regained the lead with wins at No. 3 and No. 5 before Nicolas Acevedo claimed victory, 6-4, 7-5, in his return to No. 1 singles. The Tigers clinched the match with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) win on court six. WSU then dropped their second ranked matchup on Saturday against No. 31 SMU. The

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FRIDAY, APRIL 8

WSU vs South Florida 4 p.m. Coleman Tennis Complex

Mustangs got out to an early 1-0 lead, clinching the doubles point with wins at courts one and two. Alex Richards tied the match at 1-1 with the lone straight-set victory of the match, winning 6-1, 6-4 at No. 5. Kristof Minarik gave the Shockers a brief 2-1 lead with a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory at court one to earn his 13th win of the season. The Mustangs tied it back up at 2-2 with a win at court two and then regained the lead, winning 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 at No. 3. Jordi Redelijk clinched the match for SMU, winning in three sets at court six.

Nicolas Acevedo celebrates with Jackie Lin after a point during the match against Omaha on March 3 at the Coleman Tennis Complex. | Photo by Sean Marty / The Sunflower

6 | THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

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Arts & Entertainment

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

Courtesy of Netflix

Bridgerton’s second season is anything but a disappointment Piper Pinnetti Columnist

piperpinnetti12@gmail.com

Unless you are watching Bridgerton only for the Duke of Hasting’s handsome face, then the second season of the Netflix original is anything but a disappointment. “Bridgerton” is a Netflix show and originally a series of eight novels written by Julia Quinn. Each novel is dedicated to the story of one of the Bridgerton children. Two years after the first season, Netflix gave fans eight more episodes based off of the second novel “The Viscount Who Loved Me.” Fans were quick to react when discovering the absence of last season’s newlyweds Daphne Bridgerton, played by Phoebe Dynevor, and Simon Basset. The season only features Daphne a few times and her new husband, Simon, played by Regé-Jean Page, is not featured at all. The main character switched from one sibling to another. Oldest Bridgerton sibling Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, is determined to follow his duties as the viscount. Daphne seeked a love match just as her parents had during her season and found it. Unlike his sister, Anthony is seeking a marriage that is better compared to a business relationship rather than a love match. A marriage to fulfill his duties of finding a lady for the Bridgerton home as well as producing a family. However, this season is in for just as much scandal as the last. A trio of three travel back from India: a mother and two sisters. They joined London’s social season to secure the youngest sister Edwina Sharma, played by Charithra Chandran, a husband. Will the Sharmas put a muddy boot in Anthony’s plans? The season’s plot is not at all what I expected, but made for great drama. However, the second season does not feature as many sex scenes and saves a majority of the tension for the end of the film. Although it was appreciated when my roommates were present, it does not create the same tension and build up as it did for the duke and duchess. In reality, the couple was also introduced differently. Daphne and Simon were to act as a pairing while our new romance was too scandalous to start. On another note, I love the new characters introduced with the film but I have to point out a thought that has been bugging me. If the Sharma family is from India, their culture and traditions are different from those of England. Yet, there is no cultural clash — or any of the Indian culture — appearing at all in the film. A majority of this is because in the second book, the Sharma family is not only white, but also the Sheffields.

Read the rest at www.thesunflower.com

The creator, Chris Van Dusen, said after the first season of

A cake inspired by the novel, “Where the Crawdads Sing.” The novel is set in 1969 North Carolina. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

Edible Book Festival returns in person after two years online BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

University Libraries hosted the Edible Book Festival in person this year after two years of hosting it virtually. Students, staff and faculty are invited to the event to design any dessert inspired by a book or character. The idea came from the Dean of Libraries, Kathy Downes. “It’s exciting to be back after being strictly online,” event organizer Kelsey Unruh said. Library staff members originally planned to move the festival online for 2020 and 2021. Participants took pictures of their dessert and posted it online for judging. Event participants could vote virtually for their favorite dessert. The fair was hosted this year in person on April 1. Participants brought their desserts into the Albah Library to be displayed. The creators flowed in and out of the library throughout the

day and were encouraged to vote anonymously for their top three favorite desserts. To vote, marbles were placed in a brown paper bag with the book title and author printed on the front, with the identity of the baker being unknown. This was staff member Rachel Crane’s second year participating. “When the edible book festival is brought up, you think of books with food in the title,” Crane said. For her first entry, Crane designed a pizza with a face on it. This year, she took inspiration from the children’s novel, “Everything on a Waffle” by Polly Harvard. The desserts do not have to be about a specific character. The designs can also be about a cover, a pun or overall theme of a novel. “I just try to think of good book covers, like something where I could just make the book, but it would look good,” library staff member Maria Sclafani said.

The cake “Eargo” inspired by the Christopher Paolini series. The cake was designed to look like a hatching dragon. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

“An Elderly Lady Must Not be Crossed” was created by Maria Sclafani. She approached the ornate look the book had. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

Meghann Kuhlmann shares how to write a literature review BY RACHEL LYONS lyonsrachel439@gmail.com

Understanding how to write a literature review is a key concept for writers, with several aspects going into simply understanding the how and why. Instruction and Research Services Librarian Meghann Kuhlmann explained to students how to effectively write a review in her event titled, “Writing an Awesome Literature Review” on April 1. Literature is everywhere, and it comes in many different forms, with any subject you can think of being reviewed. With the amount of literature we have on any given subject, there comes a point in time when it must be analyzed to make contributions to a field — whether it

“You don’t know what’s been published until you go out there and look at the literature, and you don’t necessarily know what’s goig to be a good topic for your research until you go out and find what’s been researched before.”

-Meghann Kuhlmann

be engineering, business, medicine or any other subject. Kuhlmann said that this why she decided to hold this event for students. In the event over Zoom, she explained all of the necessary steps to write a literature review.

What makes a literature review? It resembles a research paper formatting, with much more in-depth detail. Kahlmann explains that researchers must take a deeper dive into what has been researched before to fully understand their topic. Literature reviews also have different standards for the type of research that can be included. “You don’t know what’s been published until you go out there and look at the literature, and you don’t necessarily know what’s going to be a good topic for your research until you go out and find what’s been researched before,” Kuhlmann said. Literature reviews are not always straightforward research projects; they can include experiments conducted by

researchers that happen between their researching and writing a literature review. However, a literature review can lead to topics being studied through tactics that aren’t typically utilized for research if the writer feels a different angle is needed for the body of research. “Okay, that’s interesting, but it’s actually only been studied in this particular way, like maybe it’s only been studied with surveys,” Kuhlmann said. “If it’s a social issue, maybe you want to study it with interviews or focus groups, because it hasn’t been done before.” Students are encouraged to visit with their subject’s expert librarian in Ablah Library for specific questions on a literature review.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022 | 7

Courtesy of Disney

‘driving home 2 u’ film continues to bring fame to the SOUR album Rachel Rudisill Assistant sports editor rtrudisill@shockers. wichita.edu

Artist Annabel Daou speaks at the Ulrich Museum of Art, Apr. 5 2022. Daou is known for her use of langauge, poetry, and history to create messages people can learn from in everyday life. | Photo by Devon Snipes / The Sunflower

Annabel Daou talks about drawing inspiration from current events BY JACINDA HALL jacinda.hall@live.com

Lebanese-American artist Annabel Daou was the spotlight for this month’s Artist Talk on April 5. Known for her poetic conceptual pieces, Daou combines history and language with multimedia to empower viewers to look at the present. Many of her pieces have come from a time of war, including the 2003 war between the US and Iraq. “I had a feeling there was no place for art,” Daou said. “For me at that point in my life, I felt that I should stop painting and do something else. Something that could take me out of the private space of my studio.” During this time, she decided to pick up a pencil and paper to write instead of paint. “For the next several years, I began making work that

consisted of language,” Daou said. “Transcribed documents, transliterated documents as well … I wrote the US Constitution, for example, phonetically in Arabic.” Daou’s purpose for transcribing the document in Arabic is because she wants people to see the Arabic language. “I wasn’t using language as concrete poetry,” she said. “I was speaking in the voices that make up the landscape of a country.” Times of war weren’t the only thing that inspired Daou. Some of her other works were inspired by the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and fortune-tellers. The 2011 Egyptian Revolution inspired her multimedia piece “Which side are you on?” where she asked random people in New York, without any context or preparation, which side they were on. “During this period I began to think about the accumulation of voices,” she said. “Of language,

to mark the sense of being in the same place as others.” Her piece, “Fortune,” was inspired by fortune-tellers. “I was thinking about the fortune tellers as a stand-in for the artists,” she said, “Someone who looks towards the present to see the past.” For this particular piece, she had an advertisement placed in the Daily Star newspaper and locals could send in pictures of their palms and had their fortunes transcribed onto paper for $10. “The reading and writing is entirely silent,” she said. “It’s structured around two questions, ‘Where are you coming from?’ and ‘Where are you going to?’” Her most recent work, “DECLARATION,” is currently on display on campus in the Grace Memorial Chapel. The piece combines her voice along with others in response to protests around the world.

“It takes its opening line from the Declaration of Independence of 1776,” she said. “It articulates one’s pivotal moment to act.” The event that inspired the sound installation piece was the protests in Hong Kong that took place from 2019-2020. She will be performing in front of the Grace Memorial Chapel on April 6th at 12:30 p.m. During this performance, she will invite the public to participate in a collaborative project that will have the audience reflect on political, personal and social themes with no topic restriction. Daou leaves a powerful piece of advice for those going into the arts industry. “It’s important to build a community,” she said. “I think it’s important to build a community based on mutual understanding or learning from each other.”

‘Music is a part of her life:’ Sophomore Natalie Raine earns first gig in Wichita BY RACHEL RUDISILL rtrudisill@shockers.wichita.edu

As soon as Wichita State sophomore Natalie Raine could walk, she was introduced to music. Her passion for music only grew stronger as years passed. Raine has developed skills playing piano, guitar, claranet, cajon and ukulele. Her main focus is on guitar and piano. Raine’s main instrument has been the piano, but after joining the praise team at Sunrise Christian Academy, she picked up the guitar and continued to roll with it. “I started with chord charts playing guitar in church the summer after my freshman year in high school and have since then played keys or guitar with five different praise teams/worship groups,” Raine said. “Just having a basis in piano makes anything music related super interesting and like, super easy.” When Raine began her journey as WSU in the fall of 2020, she was a business major. But after a while, she realized how much she missed music. “Seeing how much she [my professor] enjoyed it and how much fun she had teaching it just helped me really dive into the depths of music and everything related to it. I decided to eat, sleep and breathe music at that point,” Raine said. Raine decided to become a music major. Within her degree plan, Raine has learned a wide variety of music and theory that has helped her progress her skill. Raine hopes to become an

One year ago, Oliva Rodrigo was a heartbroken teenager new to Los Angeles. Today, she is a singer, songwriter and a three-time Grammy award winner. Although Rodrigo grew up acting on Disney Channel, she never experienced fame like she received after releasing her debut single “Drivers License.” “Drivers License” is currently the longest running No. 1 hit song and it remained number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for eight consecutive weeks — nine weeks in the Billboard Global Excluding U.S — and is sitting at 1.6 billion streams on Spotify. Rodrigo moved to Los Angeles to continue working toward producing an album. In May of 2021, the album “SOUR” was just as much a hit as “Drivers License.” Rodrigo’s career continued to skyrocket when Disney+ released a documentary titled “driving home 2 u.” Rodrigo takes the audience on a road trip to each of the locations where her songs were written. The trip begins in Salt Lake City and ends in Los Angeles. Rodrigo sang different versions of the songs at each location, including the original versions. The album was inspired by her heartbreak. An anonymous older boy, thought to be Joshuah Bassett, broke up with Rodrigo for an older girl. “Nobody understood how I was feeling or related to it,” Rodrigo said in the film. Rodrigo also revealed the first teaser she ever posted online was to the song “Happier.” Instantly, she hated it, but her gut told her to leave the song up. Producer Dan Nigro became obsessed with the song soon after Rodrigo posted it. He messaged Rodrigo and the two became partners producing the SOUR album and the rest is history. “driving home 2 u” is an exceptional documentary. SOUR was the spark of Rodrigo’s career, but this heartbreak and devastation does not define her. In my opinion, this film marks the end of SOUR and a new journey for Rodrigo’s career.

WALE to come to Koch Arena BY KYRAN CRIST arts@thesunflower.com

Natalie Raine follows her passion for music at Wichita State, playing at the music department on campus as well as local areas such as Fairmount Coffee. | Photo by Rachel Rudisill / The Sunflower

“As much as I love music, I don’t think it would be the same without a great praise team.”

-Nataline Raine

elementary school music teacher after graduation. “If you start kids really early with music, you can find out what their passion is,” Raine said. “Or, if that’s not their thing [music], they could still learn to enjoy it, and you can help them learn how to have fun with it. The fine arts, I think, are very important for kids to learn and really boost the creative mind.”

Raine continues to develop her craft playing gigs around Sedgwick county — about once or twice a month — and has been doing it for about a year. She has been in WSU’s Christian Challenge for two semesters. Raine keeps a busy schedule as a weekly performer at Christian Challenge. “I think the team is what really keeps me motivated to keep doing it,” Raine said. “As much as I love music I don’t think it would be the same without a great praise team.” Raine was invited to perform her first gig in Wichita at Fairmount Coffee. She said she is hopeful for future gigs in the city.

“Gigs have been a new thing for me, I did my first one with Denae at Norm’s Coffee in Newton almost exactly a year ago which is what really kick-started my solo gig career,” Raine said. Denae Sawyer is a sophomore at WSU who has performed numerous gigs with her mother as a violist. Raine and Sawyer’s dynamic worked well together with two completely different instruments — a classical viola and a contemporary guitar and piano. “Music is a part of her life,” Sawyer said. “You can’t talk about her as just a musician or just a person because they’re one in the same.”

As basketball season comes to an end, Koch Arena will take a break from sporting events and will be transformed for a night into a concert stage featuring American rapper and Grammy nominee artist Wale. Student Activities Council announced they will be hosting Wale at 8:00 p.m. on April 15 at the Koch Arena. Anyone ages 18 and up can attend. Students can purchase tickets ahead of time for a discounted price of $10 and faculty and staff can purchase for $18. All tickets on the day of the show are $25 and can be purchased at Koch Arena. More info at www.thesunflower.com

8 | THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2022

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Opinion Street

HAVE AN OPINION?

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

Disability access on campus does not excel in being disability friendly

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPRING ACTIVITY?

SIERRA RILEY

Freshman, crimnal justice and psychology “My favorite spring activity is picking strawberries because strawberries are my favorite fruit. I think the weather is nice so it is a great activity to do with friends.”

‘‘The differences that these absences create can turn a simple process into a serious struggle.” | Photo by Nithin Reddy-Nagapur / The Sunflower

Allison Campbell Columnist

campbellnallison@gmail. com

POOJITHA DIGUMARTHI

Gradaute, computer sceience “The Shocker’s After Dark was a fun spring activity. They had plenty of events that night like karaoke, basketball, free bowling, and even free pizza and popcorn.”

CALEB MILLER

Sophomore, creative writing “I played intramural baseball but now I play Intramural softball for my spring activity.”

Anyone who has had to travel by foot on campus knows that it can be difficult because of long distances between buildings. For many freshmen it’s hard enough to navigate campus without getting lost or running late. For students with disabilities, the challenges escalate. Hidden stairways, obscure disability-friendly restrooms and a lack of ramps and dysfunctional automatic doors are just a few of the challenges that disabled WSU students have to work around. In a recent study conducted by Spectrum, an on-campus organization, several on-campus restrooms lack larger stalls and automatic doors for students who may be physically impaired. As a Spectrum officer and as a concerned student, this project not only revealed to me that campus is lacking promised disability-friendly options, but that WSU staff and faculty do not care enough to pursue correcting the issue themselves. Instead, our

Opinion editor

opinion@thesunflower. com

Graduate, bussiness analytics

““I am planning to move to San Francisco California to explore some new places. If I have enough time I will go hiking and sightseeing. ”

RADDEK THOMAS

sophomore, pre-medical chemistry “Hiking is my favorite spring activity because I enjoy the flowers and the outdoors.”

were missing features such as bag hooks. For a student with disabilities, the differences that these absences create can turn a simple process into a serious struggle. The RSC is also known for its fickle accessibility points. Several doorways are just barely large enough to fit the width of a wheelchair and nearly all of the restrooms have the larger stall cornered in the very back, making it even more difficult for students with disabilities to access them. According to the ADA Requirements for Commercial Building and Existing Facilities, every building is required to have wide enough doorways to accommodate wheelchair users. While campus buildings may meet this measurement, doing so by the bare minimum is not in the best interest of students. Many of the marble, slick stairs also pose a danger to those with walking impairments. We cannot prioritize a sleek design over the safety of students. The elevators on campus are also acceptable but not user friendly. Several elevators in the older buildings are much too small and can make entry difficult for individuals who may

use wheelchairs or crutches. The Engineering Building is one of these; steep stairs coupled with a small, dingy elevator is not a great combo for students with disabilities. The easiest solution, without completely tearing down and rebuilding several parts of campus, is for WSU Disability Services to put themselves in the positions of the students they aim to help. Students with disabilities could be financially compensated for walking around campus with a Disability Services staff member and taking notes of inaccessible or difficult to reach areas. What better way to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities than allowing them to voice their concerns and suggestions? The needed corrections could be made and a “suggestions” box could be created so that students with disabilities can continue to advise faculty on necessary changes. WSU students with disabilities have had to struggle far too long to be heard. It’s time for WSU to accept the responsibility and make serious efforts to make campus %100 accessible and friendly to all students.

Grades should be determined by performance not participation Emmie Boese

MOHAMMAD MAIBAH UDDIN

members had to take the time to collect data that should have been the school’s priority. The information we were provided from the school was years old and not only did not have information on every building, but much of the provided data was incorrect. Many restrooms that were marked as being available or accessible were not easily found by Spectrum members. If a tasked team can’t find restrooms labeled as accessible, how can we expect students to find them when they need them? Several buildings frequented by both students and guests to campus, such as the Student Athlete Center, were recorded as accessible, yet they did not have baby-changing stations available. A staggering number of facilities on campus were recorded as having only gendered restrooms and no available gender neutral, family or unisex restrooms. Of the 30 locations scheduled to be checked by Spectrum, 11 were completely inaccessible and could not be checked. Two restrooms, located in the basement of Jabara Hall, were inaccessible and did not have baby-changing stations. Other locations, such as Wallace Hall,

A grade is the result of what you earn based on your performance in a class. In order to earn a passing grade most likely you have to show up to class and do well on homework, tests, quizzes, projects — you name it. It’s important to study, communicate with your instructor and turn in assignments on time. College students pay thousands of dollars to go to school. Therefore, if college students don’t show up for the classes they are paying for, that’s on them. One of my professors this semester told my class that in the real world it’ll be our choice to not show up to work and as a result you’ll probably get a warning, suspended or in some cases fired. However, not showing up to class and getting participation points docked because of attendance is unnecessary and should not be factored into a college student’s grade. This semester I have had my grades docked more for participation points than on tests, quizzes and in class activities

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due to lack of attendance that was out of my control. So if attendance is vital to a student’s success, why is getting docked for participation points frustrating? Simply because life happens. Getting docked for classroom participation points can be extremely difficult to deal with for something entirely out of a student’s control when that student is working hard, studying in the class and participating in the class when they can. For example, I have had to miss several class periods due to chronic illness. Some may argue that this could simply be accommodated from the office of disability services at Wichita State. However, lenient class attendance is not a part of my accommodations. Sure I could ask for this accommodation and possibly get it but really just like students are expected to understand professors’ life situations, it should go both ways. The same goes for if a student’s car breaks down or they are struggling with a mental illness or a family situation. Personally, skipping class is never something to condone. However, skipping class to take care of yourself and those around you

Illustration by Wren Johnson / The Sunflower

is more important than a grade. Participation while in class is also important but personal factors should always be considered by both the professor and the student. Yes, in the real world people cannot always miss work because they are having a bad day. However, there are many employers out there

that give their employees sick leave, vacation, and lenient attendance if an emergency happens. As college students, yes we should be prepared for the real world. However, being treated as human beings that have life problems outside of classes should be understood as well.

STUDENT OPINION OF THE WEEK GRANT PHELPS FRESHMAN, BUSSINESS MANGAEMENT Q: How accesible to do you feel like campus is to everyone? A: “I think WSU is quite accessible because of the fact that tuition is cheap, it is a commuting school, and people are able to achieve their degree at a relatively low cost.”