SUN FLOWER
the
The men’s basketball team wins first game in exhibition against Hawai’i | PAGE 4
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2015
VOLUME 120, ISSUE 28
THESUNFLOWER.COM
The changing face of veterans
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Student Body Vice President Khondoker Usama participates in a moment of silence Friday. The vigil was held to support victims of suicide in response to a student death last month at Shocker Hall.
Vigil sheds light on suicide Friends, classmates speak up in memory of student
A
BRENNEN SMITH
REPORTER
@brennen19_26
suicide last month at Wichita State drew solemn faces of students, faculty and staff as they lined the Rhatigan Student Center east patio and stairs and filling three rows of available chairs Friday evening. “I’m excited to see that Shocker Nation is standing out here in so many numbers and standing tall in the midst of adversity,” Student Body President Joseph Shepard said. Just before sunset, Wichita State’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Hispanic American Leadership Organization (HALO) and others held a candlelight vigil to remember the life of the Shocker Hall resident who died by suicide last month. The vigil was also held to increase awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. About 50 people attended. “I encourage every one of you to not reflect on the fact that she and many other individuals are not here with us, but to reflect on the impact they had on our lives when they were here,” Shepard said. Senior Steve Paniagua, a friend of the Shocker Hall resident, spoke after Shepard. “I first met [her]* playing a video game,” Paniagua said. “She was a wonderful person to be around.” Paniagua then spoke about depression and how they both struggled. “It just feels like you’re drowning … but there’s always someone there,” Paniagua said. Paniagua ended his speech with a minute of silence in honor of his friend’s life. After the vigil, Paniagua was able to speak in depth about how he was there for his friend until the end. When school started, Paniagua said they enjoyed a group dinner at Applebee’s. He made sure his best friend was there so she could be introduced to everybody since she came to WSU from Hawaii this year. “These are all of the people you’re going to see throughout the year, and even if you make no other friends, these are the ones that are going to be there,” Paniagua remembered saying to her. Paniagua said he basically forced his best friend to
go to counseling, and that she made use of it, but her life ended tragically because she just couldn’t take it anymore. “What I did for [her] I would have done to any one of my friends,” Paniagua said. “There’s a lot of people who are out there who are willing to help you.” Kelvin Lopez, vice president of HALO, said the group organized the vigil because the victim was a member of the organization. “We’re a tight-knit group of people,” Lopez said. “When this happens to a family member, it hurts all of us.” Even though Lopez wasn’t close friends with the victim, he said her death impacted him, especially because he has had three friends commit suicide. Each death was devastating, Lopez said. One was successful in academics and was the captain of his high school soccer team. “He found acceptance from everyone else, but he didn’t find acceptance from his family,” Lopez said. Members of the Counseling and Testing Center were available afterward for anyone needing help. Tables were set up with brochures and magnets with the national suicide prevention lifeline: 1-800-273TALK (8255). Derek Rohleder, a staff psychologist with the Counseling and Testing Center, spoke at the end of the vigil in an effort to educate attendees on depression and suicide prevention. In response to the commonly asked, “What more could we have done?” Rohleder responded: Take notice when those around us are struggling and don’t be afraid to talk about suicide because doing so doesn’t put it in someone’s mind. They are either already thinking about suicide, or it isn’t a problem. Rohleder said 7.5 million Americans struggle with suicidal thoughts every year, but less than 5 percent go through with it, meaning millions escape suicide every year. “I want you guys to feel that whenever you are feeling in a place of self-doubt, you can open up and talk to someone,” Shepard said. “Because there are many people that care about you, and even if you feel they don’t, they do.” — Editor’s note: The Sunflower chose to not publish the student’s name because it did not receive direct permission from the student’s relatives.
Wichita State allows Tulsa, Oklahoma City residents to pay in-state tuition GRANT COHEN
REPORTER
@sunflowernews
Wichita State continues to live up to its reputation as one of the most affordable public research universities in the country. The university announced last week that residents in Tulsa and Oklahoma City can be Shockers for the price of in-state tuition. The Shocker City Partnership Program added 18 Oklahoma counties that are eligible for in-state tuition, a news release said. Rates will apply to undergraduate and graduate students beginning next semester. “Our hope is that more and more residents of Oklahoma City and Tulsa will see that WSU is a first-class institution and just a short drive away and more affordable than their other in-state research university options,” said Director of Admissions Bobby Gandu. Residents pay $202.70 per
undergraduate credit hour while non-residents pay $480.15 per credit hour, according to numbers from the university’s website. Graduate resident students pay $273.70 per credit hour and non-residents pay $672.20 per credit hour. This rate does not include a discounted fee for room and board. However, the decreased tuition rate for the Oklahoma area students will increase the demand for on-campus housing, said Katie Austin, associate director for Housing and Residence Life. “Between Shocker Hall and Fairmount Towers, we do currently have the space to accommodate these students and would be excited to see them join us as residents on campus,” she said. “It is exciting that if the demand for housing continues to increase, we will be able to justify the need for more new housing options on campus.” Along with the discounted tuition rate, President John Bardo
said the new renovations, the university’s growth as a public university and its central location will spark Midwest students to make WSU a choice school. “The dominating part has to do with the mission of the university,” Bardo said to KSHB news. “We have defined marketing areas where it is more likely students will be willing to leave to come to a university as a residential student.” Dallas and Fort Worth are being discussed as part of the same residential rate in the future, Gandu said, but will need to have approval of the Kansas Board of Regents before this can be applied. Gandu said it is critical for WSU to make the university more affordable and attractive to these students. “There is great synergy along the I-35 corridor,” Gandu said. “We’re just wanting to make sure that Wichita, and specifically Wichita State, continue to be an important part of it.”
Photo Courtesy of Zack Carbiener
Senior Bobby Fleetwood, First Class Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy, said veterans have become reclusive over time and live in fear of negative confrontation. Fleetwod and other student veterans at Wichita State are working to get the veterans more involved on campus to rid the stereotypes.
As Veteran’s Day approaches, military students discuss reversing stereotypes AMANDA HANSEN
REPORTER
@mandabri4
Jerald Ashton wore a black leather vest adorned in badges and pins representing his 12 years spent serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, the Kansas Air National Guard and the U.S. Army. Ashton, a Wichita State senior, became quiet and his eyes grew sorrowful as he recounted his return home from deployment. “I’ve had a lot of experiences where people who’ve never been in the military or had never been to war don’t understand there are certain things that are very touchy to me, such as them asking me if I’ve ever killed anyone. That’s something I don’t want to think about. They don’t need to know.” He paused a moment, and the large room grew eerily silent. “I know a lot of people nowadays are welcomed home as heroes,” he said. “When I came back, I was not.” The six military flags behind him, aligned in a perfect row, resembled his demeanor — structured, yet colorful. However, at that moment, they seemed to bring the only colorful relief into the Military and Veteran Student Center at WSU. The center, on the first floor of Lindquist Hall, provides a space for veterans and active-duty military to support each other by providing mentoring, tutoring and camaraderie. With Veterans Day nearing, the veterans on campus shared their stories. COMBATING STEROTYPES Sarah Sell, director of Veteran Student Services, said the center was created to provide a space where veterans can connect like they did in the military. Sell served 14 years as a 1st Sgt. in the International Guard. “A lot of times people join the military and stay in it for the camaraderie and brotherhood that it brings,” she said. “We wanted to bring that same feeling to campus so that they can have a comfortable place and a way to connect.” Sell said “We’re in a new because of the age of swearing unique off ignorance, challenges student so the first veterans face, step is getting they have a high dropout out there rate. and making Like many people know returning who we are.” veterans, BOBBY FLEETWOOD Ashton said he WSU SENIOR suffered from the stereotyping of military personnel. Throughout history, service members have faced stereotyping. Bobby Fleetwood, First Class Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy, said over time, veterans have become reclusive, avoiding civilian interaction in fear of a negative
confrontation. Fleetwood, a senior majoring in business, said the stereotyping stems from ignorance on the part of civilians. “[People are ignorant] about the military service members, ignorant about what we’ve done,” he said. “It causes most of us to clam up, keep to ourselves and stay within our circle. But we’re in a new age of swearing off ignorance, so the first step is getting out there and making people know who we are.” To combat people’s misconceptions about veterans, Fleetwood has made it his goal as president of the Student Veteran Organization to help veterans become more active in the campus community. “By becoming more involved with the community, when people see us, they won’t think, ‘Here’s this reclusive combat veteran,’” he said. “They’re going to think, ‘Here’s a guy that’s seen things and done things and wants to bring his knowledge and education back into our community to help us grow.’” Fleetwood said he expects increased campus involvement to reduce the dropout rate because it will motivate veterans to stay on campus longer and allow them to develop lasting connections. That is why the Military and Veteran Student Center was created. Ashton experienced a personal increase in his student involvement and connections since the establishment of the student center. Before the center opened, Ashton said he was on and off campus as quickly as he could. “I felt absolutely no connection to this school,” he said. “With those [veteran] organizations, I was able to start developing more of a connection.”
SUPPORTING VETERANS Now, there’s been a shift in the attitudes of student veterans, Sell said. “I think a couple of years ago, our student veterans were almost invisible on campus,” she said. “They basically came here, completed their mission and left. Since we’ve opened the center, what we’ve seen is this community develop where students are supporting other students and vets are supporting other vets, which is exactly what we wanted to see.” With the added support, student veterans are more visible on campus. They have the opportunity to prove their value to people, Sell said. “I think they bring a lot to the table, and I think that is something I would love our traditional students to engage more with our vets to really understand all the strengths they bring with them into a classroom including a different perspective and strong leadership skills,” she said.
SEE VETERANS • PAGE 3
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
PAGE 2 | OPINION THE STAFF:
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief Shelby Reynolds Managing Editor Danielle Prewitt Multimedia Editor Xavier Mortenson Sports Editor Reece Burns Opinion Editor Alex Perry Special Sections Editor Amanda Hansen Production Editor Jillian Clough
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A year ago Saturday, Letitia Davis, 36, was sexually assaulted, beaten and set on fire in Fairmount Park near Wichita State. Since her death, saftey at WSU has become a major concern on campus.
STAFF EDITORIAL
On anniversary of Fairmount Park attack, reflect on violence in society It will be one year Saturday since Letitia Davis, 36, was attacked at a nearby park, raped and set on fire. It was a cool November evening, the night the men’s basketball team played New Mexico State. Just hours after fans left campus, Wichita firefighters responded at 11:20 p.m. to reports of flames in Fairmount Park, located about a block south of Wichita State. Within the fire they found Davis, a Wichita woman who was walking through the park when she had a random encounter with a man who police say is Cornell McNeal, who has been charged with capital murder and rape in connection with the attack. Davis died from her injuries about a week after the attack. McNeal is expected to plead not guilty at a Nov. 12 arraignment, according to a Wichita Eagle article. Because of the horrific crime, the last year on campus has held an unsafe, uncertain tone. The neighborhoods surrounding campus had always been a safety concern for students — robberies have riddled university parking lots and sidewalks for years — but this heinous crime defined what has happened in the last year. Students directed their safety concerns toward the university, which pointed out jurisdictional issues between University and Wichita Police officers. There were safety forums, safety walks and the addition of more officers and more lighting. Students became more aware of their surroundings as they
walk to their cars parked on the outskirts of campus, many of them just yards from the site of the crime one year ago. They took advantage of safety escorts from the UPD. Students, faculty and staff came together to host a benefit for Davis’ family. Thousands of dollars were raised in her memory. An effort was created last December to strengthen the surrounding communities in an effort to further join WSU and its neighbors, which hold significant connections to the university both in proximity and in history. If anything positive could have come from such a cruel and dreadful incident, it’s that Wichita and WSU united under one cause to hopefully solve the problem of violence in our community. The attack was a wake up call in many ways. In some way, WSU students, faculty and staff were impacted by what happened at Fairmount Park one year ago. Do you carry pepper spray to your car? Do you request a safety escort late at night? Do you walk in groups? Do you teach your children respect and equality? As we reflect on this anniversary, The Sunflower urges those on campus to pause for a moment to remember the children who lost a mother, the man who lost a fiancé and the woman who lost a best friend.
— Editorial Board Find coverage of the one-year anniversary in Thursday’s edition of The Sunflower.
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My body, my decisions, whenever, wherever, even in public sphere I am a female. As such, I have certain body parts that men do COLUMN BY not. One of VICTORIA these includes HENDRICKS breasts. Well, men have breasts, too, but you know what I mean. Gasp. I said breasts. Can we all just stop for a minute and think about how absolutely ridiculous it is for us to be afraid or disgusted of the things that fed and sustained us to be the adults we are now? Breasts are the things that, for some reason, we all adore during October during Breast Cancer Awareness month but shun and scorn the rest of the year? Get over it. I have boobs. And when I have children, they will be latched on to them whenever, wherever, and I am not going to tuck it away and leave my babies crying from hunger because it makes you uncomfortable. Breasts are for babies. They are intended to provide food for little ones. Why does it seem that we are only comfortable when they are sexualized? We don’t seem to mind bare boobs on a billboard people drive by every day, or when they are in
films or being objectified elsewhere. Yet, when they are doing their jobs, people want to hide them. It goes back to a long history of women’s bodies being hated on. Certain individuals possess a hatred for women’s bodies when they are just simply doing their natural, God-given duties. Women have been conditioned to hate and loathe their bodies for generations now, and it is not right. My breasts are not for your entertainment. My breasts or anything else about my body is not up for discussion unless I choose for it to be. My breasts and other body parts are not a regulation you can politicize. They are a part of my body. They are what makes me, me. They are unique and beautiful in their own way. They are my breasts, and thus, I decide what I get to do with them, whenever, wherever, your opinion or feelings aside. We are a state that generally is pro-child. So, let me be prochild. I’m going to be whether you like it or not. I am unapologetically in love with my breasts, and I will use them to do one of the greatest things they can do: To feed my baby so he/she grows up healthy and strong.
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LETTER to the EDITOR
There have been numerous attempts to smear Planned Parenthood in recent months. Some of them have been carefully crafted, others have been on the nonsensical side. One thing missing from both categories is reality. Planned Parenthood provides so many beneficial services to people of all walks of life. They provide education, STI testing and so many other imperative health services. A group coming to campus this week, the Planned Parenthood Project, plans to spread some common myths about Planned Parenthood, so let’s clear some things up beforehand: Myth 1: Planned Parenthood is a business specializing in the sale of abortions. Fact: Abortion services account for three percent of what Planned Parenthood provides. Myth 2: All Planned Parenthood locations donate body parts. Fact: One percent of Planned Parenthood facilities donate tissue cells to research toward life-saving medical discoveries. Myth 3: Planned Parenthood targets college campuses. Fact: Services are provided for a fee based on income, which means the health centers are more likely
to be in a neighborhood with more low-income folks, such as near a college campus. Unfortunately, Kansas took away Title X funding for the centers, the funding that allowed fees on a sliding scale. But I don’t want to get too caught up in facts and figures because this is a human issue. Planned Parenthood serves the people who had a night out gone wrong and need STI testing. Planned Parenthood serves the teen who needs pregnancy testing confidential from their parents. Planned Parenthood provides education to anyone needing guidance in navigating a healthy and happy sex life. All of these human aspects are all facts, as well, but it seems that the opposition groups like to gloss over and ignore them. This is likely because these groups know so many people have relied on Planned Parenthood in their time of need, including when they find themselves needing an abortion. Through the battle being waged by the opposition groups, similar to the one coming to campus on Planned Parenthood, the health clinic will always find a way to provide comprehensive sexual health services. — Junior Marilyn Morton
Put the phone down
File Photo by Christopher Bardo
Attendees at the broadcast of “Morning Joe” Tuesday take pictures of the event except a thoughtful looking woman in the crowd.
Cherish moments both beautiful, sad When the pope arrived in America in September, a photo went viral depicting COLUMN BY a crowd of AMANDA HANSEN attendees capturing the moment on their cellphones, except a single woman, who watched, smirking in delight with no phone in sight. The smiling face of the woman sticks out like a sore thumb in a sea of partially obscured faces, peeking out behind metal devices. But if this photo emerged nearly two months ago, why am I writing about it now? In Thursday’s paper of The Sunflower, the same phenomena occurred in a photo taken of the “Morning Joe” attendees. In the image, a handful of people are holding up their phones capturing the live, nationally televised event at WSU; everyone except a sole woman who is watching intently, with no phone in hand. The similarity between the pope photo and that taken during “Morning Joe” is freakishly similar. But why do images such as these go viral? It has a profound effect on us when we see our culture exhibiting detrimental behavior. When we see those two women, lavishing in the moment, free of distraction, we become sorely aware of our own disconnect to the world around us. We feel almost envious of those who aren’t bound by technology’s grasp. We begin to ask ourselves, “What experiences have I missed out on thus far because I was too busy indulging in my cell phone?” Seeing the image forces us to re-evaluate our lives and experiences because most of us would be on our phones capturing the moment rather than living in it. Our dependence on technology has created a society that not only misses out on life’s beautiful moments, but also misses out on life’s thought-provoking, emotional ones. In certain situations, cellphones provide a safety net for feelings of
loneliness and sadness. If people begin to feel uneasy, they can grab their phone and distract themselves from those feelings. Comedian Louis C.K. explained this phenomena and why he hates cellphones on the Conan O’Brien talk show. C.K. said he thinks phones are toxic, especially to children because they are always into their phones and they don’t look at people in the eyes when they’re talking to them. “They don’t feel the empathy,” he said. He explained that we learn empathy from our negative interpersonal interactions. When we are experiencing these interactions online, we don’t feel remorse when we make someone on the receiving end feel bad. “You need to build an ability to be yourself and not be doing anything,” he continued. “That’s what the phones are taking away is the ability to just sit there.” He theorized that we reach for our phones to fill our “forever empty.” “Sometimes you’re in your car and you think, ‘Oh no, here it comes,’” he said. “That I’m alone part begins to visit on you. Just this sadness. Life is tremendously sad just by being in it.” He goes on to describe a time he realized he was feeling lonely and felt the urge to grab his cellphone and text people to stop the feelings. Instead, he said he allowed the emotions to “hit [him] like a truck,” and he began to cry. He described the moment as beautiful because sadness is poetic. He said we are lucky to live sad moments. Only in profound sadness can we learn to appreciate true happiness, so the next time you feel the urge to reach for your phone to snap a pic or escape an awkward situation, don’t. Let the emotion of the moment wash over you. Later on when you feel sad that you didn’t get a picture of the moment, think back to that image of the phoneless woman smiling in the crowd. Remember that a picture can’t replace a moment, so live it. Cherish it.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
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PAGE 3 | NEWS
Taben Azad, Amanda Johnson named Man, Woman of the Year CONNER CLAPHAM
REPORTER
@clapdaddy1
Man and Woman of the Year winners were announced Friday, and with so many differences between the two winners, their biggest similarity is that they both did not expect to win. Both Taben Azad, Man of the Year, and Amanda Johnson, Woman of the Year, said they were surprised, but also grateful, to win such a prestigious honor. “Being the Man of the Year, it’s a great privilege that I definitely won’t take so lightly,” Azad said. The eight finalists were asked to choose a specific word that had meaning to them, and that they will live out their academic and leadership career with. Azad chose the word “tawheed,” which means the unity of humankind despite language, race and different backgrounds, from the religious text of Islam, the Quran. He said he chose this word because of the current debates regarding Grace Memorial Chapel on campus, and said he feels having a sense of unity among different faiths is important. Meanwhile, Johnson chose the word “courage,” because of her passion for serving issues she feels are under-served or neglected, and loves bringing awareness to those issues. Johnson said she is excited to challenge herself
VETERANS FROM PAGE 1
Sell said the best way to combat misinformation about veterans is to talk to them, engage more with them and hear their stories. “The face of veterans is changing,” junior Erin Rust said. “People see me driving my car with veteran tags, and they think it’s my dad’s car. ‘There’s no way that she’s a veteran.’” Rust is a veteran E5 Sgt. of the U.S. Army. She became a veteran when she was 22 years old. She said the military prepared her for college by teaching her discipline, respect and responsibility. “A lot of kids don’t seem to take school very seriously,” she said. “I am here for a reason, and I want to get something out of it.” Sell said veterans’ sense of drive and ambition makes them an important asset on campus. “They’ve been put in positions where much was expected of them and they were able to rise and perform to that level,” she
to use her word in different aspects of leadership. Johnson was one of three finalists for Woman of the Year from her sorority, Delta Gamma, so she said she expected to be a runner-up. “It was a really nice opportunity to be surrounded by such impactful women,” she said. “I was really excited to win, but even more excited that I got to share the moment with people that mattered to me.” Azad had 14 of his friends and family — and even one of his professors — attend the banquet Friday, while most other finalists had three or four guests. “I bought 11 tickets and I asked Nick [Messing, coordinator of Leadership Development], like, ‘Hey can I get 11 tickets?’” Azad said. “I could just tell from his face, he was like, ‘Oh man, that’s a lot.” Azad and Johnson were both awarded a $650 prize as Man and Woman of the Year. Azad said he hopes to be an ambassador with the United Nations some day. “We are all citizens of the world, so finding a way to unify people despite our differences is a way to make it better,” he said. Johnson said the process has been rewarding, but even though the winners have been announced, the process isn’t over. “It’s really allowed me to do a lot of reflection on my character and leadership during my time at Wichita State,” she said.
said. “I think it gives them a different background and attitude about school.” Rust said the Army gave her a different perspective in life. “[After] going to places like Iraq, you really get the feeling of what’s really important in life, and you appreciate every day [and] little things a lot more,” Rust said. Although transitioning back into civilian life proved difficult for some veterans, Ashton saw the differences between traditional students and himself as a learning opportunity. “Hopefully I can give some of the knowledge that I’ve gained from my life experiences onto the traditional students so they can have a better understanding of the world,” he said. Fleetwood said he wants everybody to know that veterans are normal people who have goals, dreams and ambitions like everyone else. “We want to dispel the stereotypes about vets being hard, mean, rude, leave-me-alone types,” Fleetwood said. “Some of us may be, but not all of us. We want to dispel those stereotypes, become involved, and let the university know that veterans can be very, very contributing to the community.”
Photos by Kevin Brown
(TOP) Sophomore Kavya Natesan recieves a hug from Amanda Johnson after being crowned Miss Black and Gold on Thursday. (BELOW) Miss Black and Gold pageant contestants hold hands.
Kavya Natesan crowned in Miss Black, Gold pageant DANIELLE PREWITT
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ophomore Meenakshi Kavya Natesan stood with nervous eyes and a humbled smile as she and fellow contestant Amy Vuong held hands on stage. They waited patiently under a single spotlight when host, Joseph Shepard, screamed Natesan’s name as the winner of the 2015 Miss Black and Gold pageant. Natesan started to cry. “I was not anticipating it,” she said. “I thought I could have done better in some of the aspects, so I thought I wasn’t going to get it.” But, she did. “I was elated, I was ecstatic. I was looking for my mom and she was crying. I was looking for Joseph and he was crying … everyone was crying. It was a great moment.” Natesan was the sole winner of nine women who competed in the 8th annual Miss Black and Gold pageant, hosted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., on Thursday. The scholarship pageant highlighted the connection between success and young women and featured various categories including swimwear, evening gown, talent and question-and-answer. The theme of the pageant was “Women Empowered,” and each contestant articulated a philosophy for which they each stand. Natesan’s philosophy included a quote by Sir Winston Churchill, stating, “Success is not final, and failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” What counts to her, she said, is the extent to which one chooses to persevere. She is a sophomore majoring in biology
with a biomedical concentration and a pre-medical emphasis, and minoring in chemistry and philosophy. Persevere she will. “My education empowers me, my family themselves empower me … and the opportunities presented to me through Miss Black and Gold are what empower me, as well,” she said. Natesan won ‘Miss Interview’ during the competition, articulating a response as to why the actions of a police officer flipping a student out of a desk were unwarranted and unjust. Audience member Wilma Foster said she thoroughly enjoyed her first experience at the pageant and had Natesan as her choice to win. “Her interview was awesome,” Foster said. “I loved how she wore her bathing suit … She was feeling good about it in her own skin. That to me, it took strength.” The new Miss Black and Gold said she was happy to represent the Delta Mu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at the district level against the University of Kansas and Kansas State. Compared to other notable pageants such as Miss Kansas, Miss Black and Gold stands as a representation of Alpha Phi Alpha. “When you look at Miss Black and Gold, you think, ‘Who is going to represent this family next?” she said. The strong background of the fraternity and its brotherhood emanates through the pageant, Natesan said, and is personified through the love, strength and bonding of the fraternity. “The crowd was exceptional,” she said. “They were encouraging, and I think it was that sense of community and bonding that made the pageant what it was.”
The Academy for Effective Teaching urges all eligible students to vote for their outstanding faculty member at WSU.
Voting is from 8:00 AM Monday, October 5 to 11:59 PM Friday, November 13.
Apply at Room 019 in Elliott Hall
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
PAGE 4 | SPORTS
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Freshmen showcased in exhibition
Men’s basketball rises 91-57 over Hawai’i Pacific in opening game EVAN PFLUGRADT
REPORTER
@evpflu
Wichita State ousted Hawaii Pacific in their first exhibition game Friday. The Shockers, ranked 10th in the nation by the Associated Press, beat the Sharks 91-57. While this exhibition game is near meaningless, it stands to gain experience for the eight new Shockers to take the floor this season. Cleveland State transfer Anton Grady showcased his experience in the low-post, scoring 13 points in just 10 minutes of play. Grady was confident in his abilities on offense as a low-post scorer, and attracted a lot of foul calls. In his 10 minutes of playing time, Grady was sent to the free throw line for 10 shots. He was 7-10 from the stripe. The Shockers played without starting senior Fred VanVleet, who sat out the exhibition game with an injured hamstring. The loss of VanVleet led to hefty minutes for freshman guard Landry Shamet, who led all Shockers in minutes with 24. Shamet stepped into the shooting guard position sending senior Ron Baker to control the point.
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Freshman Eric Hamilton grabs a loose ball during an exhibition game against Hawai’i Pacific on Saturday at Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers went on to defeat the Sharks 91-57.
“Baker has been the point guard when Fred is out,” said head coach Gregg Marshall. “He’s done it in situations for three years now.” The backcourt of Baker and Shamet filled the stat sheet, combining for 21 points and six assists. Shamet settled in; the freshman showcased his athleticism, fighting for loose balls, and he came up with four rebounds to
add to his 10 points and two assists. He admitted that playing in the spotlight of a crowd of more than 11,000 was a bit intense. “I was nervous at first,” Shamet said. “I compared it to the first day of school. I couldn’t sleep all night last night.” Marshall admitted to offensive struggles in the backcourt without
VanVleet. “When we have Fred VanVleet on the sideline, we aren’t going to be as good,” Marshall said. The lack of backcourt depth challenged the Shockers with extra minutes from Shamet and Ty Taylor II. While Shamet isn’t a true point guard, Taylor considers himself better at filling the backup role.
“Ty is a scoring guard,” Marshall said. “I’m trying to make him a point guard.” Both freshmen are expected to earn time playing behind VanVleet until sophomore guard and University of Kansas transfer Conner Frankamp becomes eligible in December. VanVleet sat out practices this week, only participating in limited shooting drills. VanVleet is expected to return for the Shockers’ first official game of the season at 7 p.m. Friday against Charleston Southern in Charles Koch Arena. “If we handle this the right way, [VanVleet] will start easing his way back in this week and will start [on Friday],” Marshall said. The Shockers played 15 players in the exhibition, sidelining Peyton Allen (transfer redshirt), Conner Frankamp (eligibility), Fred VanVleet (hamstring) and Rauno Nurger. With the depth in forwards the Shockers have this season, Nurger has stated interest in redshirting this season. First-year players are allowed to play exhibitions without burning their redshirt eligibility. Freshman Brett Barney is also suspected as a potential redshirt candidate for the Shockers this season.
Shockers rally fourthquarter exhibition win EVAN PFLUGRADT
REPORTER
@evpflu
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Senior Katie Reilly celebrates an exciting score against Drake on Friday at Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers went on to win 3-1 with scores of 25-22, 22-25, 25-15 and 25-17. The win made it the 20th of the season.
Volleyball pushes to 13th consecutive season with 20 or more wins MEGAN LOOPER
REPORTER
@meglooper
The Wichita State volleyball team’s 20-plus win seasons are becoming a common phenomenon. The last year they won less than 20 games was in 2002 with an 18-13 record. For the now 21-7 (12-2) No. 1 MVC-ranked Shocker volleyball squad, two wins over Drake and Northern Iowa on Friday led the team to yet another season with a 20-win milestone. The four-set match put Wichita State back in its groove after a loss against Southern Illinois last week, but the team didn’t exactly come out with all guns firing as it dropped one set to the No. 8 Drake Bulldogs, which the team has now defeated 31 consecutive times. After winning the first set 25-22, the team lost its composure in the second set, falling 25-22. “We need to make sure we take every game seriously,” setter Emily Heibert said. “I don’t want to say we overlooked them, but we need to make sure we play our hardest every game.” Coach Chris Lamb said he was not happy with the lack of enthusiasm shown by the Shockers early on in the night. “They were pretty excitable over on the other side of the net to start that match,” Lamb said. “We seemed to be dragging through the mud.” After the loss, WSU revamped and came out ready to compete in a 5-1 offense, winning the next two sets by scores of 25-15 and 25-17. Abbie Lehman led offensively
with 14 kills, nearing a .500 hitting percentage. Mikaela Raudsepp was close behind with 13 kills, while Heibert had 38 assists and 11 digs, and libero Dani Mostrom had 16 digs. Saturday night against No. 5 UNI came with a 25-15, 25-16 and 25-20 sweep, and a game plan that was focused. “We just kept this one very simple and minimized the moving parts,” Lamb said. “We were going to stay with the rotations until something got crazy away from us.” Team leaders included Raudsepp with 15 kills, Lehman with 11, hitting .769 percent, Heibert with 35 assists and Mostrom with 17 digs. “Any coach is going to be googly-eyed happy when outside hitters are scoring at a rate like that,” Lamb said. For a team that has been playing around with many different rotation styles and techniques, simplicity was something they had been searching for. “I think keeping it simple means having confidence in every single player on the floor,” Raudsepp said. “If you know that everyone out there is going to do their job, it can’t get more simple than that.” Along with two wins, the week came with a personal achievement for senior Katie Reilly, who was named to the CoSIDA All-District Second Team, which recognizes student athletes for academics and athletics, according to the website. From Cypress, Texas, Reilly has a 3.93 GPA, and is majoring in exercise science. The Shockers’ next match-up will take place at 4 p.m. Friday at Loyola.
The women’s basketball team rallied together a late fourth-quarter victory Sunday in an exhibition over the University of Central Oklahoma. Wichita State came out on top, 68-61, over the Bronchos of UCO. The Shockers started off the game strong over the Bronchos with aggressive scoring from TaQuandra Mike and Diamond Lockhart. Lockhart started the game off with a quick drive to the basket to set the pace for the first half. “Diamond’s ability to maneuver the ball and her scoring ability is something that she’s come into this last week,” said Wichita State head coach Jody Adams. Adams was impressed with Lockhart’s abilities in her first start as a Shocker. The sophomore transfer from Texas Tech finished with 20 points, four rebounds and an assist. Lockhart said it was a great feeling to finally compete again. “It was a great feeling,” she said. “I got that rush I hadn’t had in a while, to make plays and help my teammates execute.” The Shockers started a new lineup with just two returning players in their starting rotation: junior Jaleesa Chapel and sophomore Aundra Stovall. Adams said there remains plenty to be learned from this new group of players. “The team is very talented,” Adams said. “They’re just trying to learn to play together. We’ll grow and learn how to get stops and open shots.”
Photo by Manny De Los Santos
Freshman Jyar Francis drives to the paint against Central Oklahoma on Sunday at Charles Koch Arena. The Shockers went on to beat Central Oklahoma 68-61.
Adams faces the task of quickly building team chemistry in a new team centered on transfers and freshmen. “We have a lot of freshmen and a lot of newcomers.” Adams said. “They’re going to be pressured by their opponents.” The Bronchos did just that as they challenged WSU freshmen Jyar Francis early on in the game, hoping to target her inexperience,
but Francis showed none. The freshman forward looked poised and confident in the post. Francis drew a lot of attention, and drew contact in the paint, sending her to the free-throw line on five occasions, where she was 8-10. “I was impressed with Jyar coming off the bench and stepping up and being so aggressive,” Adams said. “She came in with an aggressive mindset.”