Visitors filled the Ulrich Museum of Art and the McKnight Art Center on Saturday, Nov. 15 for artist Justin Favela’s “Family Fiesta,” a closing celebration that marked the end of the artist’s largest exhibition.
Favela, surrounded by relatives who traveled from Las Vegas for the event, said the Wichita crowd made the farewell feel less like an exhibition closing and more like a community gathering.
“I’d never really been to this part of Kansas before, so today’s turnout was awesome,” he said. “It was great to find a community where people really show up.”
The fiesta, which ran from 3- 5 p.m., invited visitors of all ages to dance to DJ Ash Aranda, try traditional Mexican food from Las Delicias and build their own miniature piñatas. Wichita East High School students handed out aguas frescas. Favela’s installation, “Everything Must Go: Justin Favela’s Closeout Blowout Re-Grand Opening,” surrounded guests with a dreamscape of piñatas that represent exhibitions across his 15-year career.
Each piece was handmade by piñata artisans from cities along the route between Las Vegas and Wichita, a project Favela undertook as a way to honor community labor and the collaborative nature of his work.
For his family, that community energy was unmistakable.
“The event actually exceeded any of our expectations,” said Favela’s cousin Jessenia Paz.
“We’ve done this in a lot of different places, but this one was really special because people here
BY MYA SCOTT & KASS LEWIS opinion@thesunflower.com
news@thesunflower.com
Wichita State Student Government Association is reviewing all the student fee-funded entities for the next budget cycle, breaking from its typical procedure for allocating funds.
SGA is in charge of allocating a portion of student fees to various student organizations and associations on campus. Each year, SGA’s finance commission — made up of SGA members — hears from groups and services funded by student fees to decide the budget allocation for each one.
Last year, the university faced a $929,000 shortfall because student headcount was lower than anticipated for the 2024-25 school year, causing the student fee budget to go into a deficit for fiscal year 2026. An error in the way some students were categorized resulted in an overestimation of the amount those students would pay in fees, compounding the shortfall. Now, for FY 2027, the budget has leveled out again, according to current Student Body President Jia Wen Wang. Organizations that had their hearings last year are operating on a lower budget than normal because of this shortfall.
SGA typically sees student fee-funded entities on a biannual A/B cycle, with half being in group A and the other half in group B. Each year, the SGA finance commission reviews either group A or group B — depending on which group’s turn it is — to create those entities’ budgets for the next two years.
were so ready to connect and understand the work beyond the surface.”
Paz said what made Wichita stand out was the openness she felt from visitors who lingered, asked questions and treated the exhibition as more than a spectacle of vibrant colors.
“What made this one stand out was how open everyone was; they really showed up for him, for the art and for the message behind it,” she said.
That message, Paz explained, has always been tied to how Favela has navigated stereotypes in the art world. Institutions often assumed he celebrated certain traditions or fit certain identities without ever asking him.
“Rather than asking him what he actually celebrates or what he’s about, they’d just label him: ‘Oh, you do Day of the Dead, right? You do fiestas, right?’” Paz said. “And that’s not our culture.”
The Ulrich event, she said, allowed visitors
to understand the complexities behind Favela’s work, which blends humor, critique and personal history.
This exhibition explains how, from the very beginning, Justin had to meet other people’s expectations just to get his foot in the door,” she said. “He was boxed in as a ‘Latine artist’ instead of being seen as an individual.”
That individuality is what brought Aileen Wang, the new associate curator at Kansas State University’s Beach Museum of Art, to Wichita for the event.
“I came here from Manhattan. I wanted to meet Justin,” Wang said. “We had a staff field trip to see his exhibition, and I just loved it.”
As the event went on, children lined up to swing at the hanging piñatas as the adults cheered them on. The music and sounds of cracking papier mâché echoed across both floors of McKnight.
“It was so cool to see people from all walks of life – families, students, kids — all in the same space, just celebrating together,” Paz said. “That’s exactly the point.”
For Favela, who will step away from making large-scale installations for a while, the day felt like the right moment to pause.
“I love the community here in Wichita,” he said. “Museums can feel so stuffy, but this felt like a place to party and interact with people in a fun way.”
The final piñata was broken, and visitors scooped up candy alongside Favela’s family — a last burst of color, laughter and shared experience to send the artist into his sabbatical.
“It lets everyone sit with his message a little longer,” Paz said.
Following the shortfall, the finance commission asked the Student Senate to invoke Chapter 5 of the Student Fees Statute, which allows the finance commission to hear from all student fee entities when needed, instead of only group A or group B. The Student Senate voted to approve the invoking of Chapter 5 of the Student Fees Statute. Last year, Wang was the student body treasurer, the leader of the finance commission. She said the finance commission at the time also decided to invoke Chapter 5 of the Student Fees Statute to hear from all student fee entities so that the effects of the shortfall were divided among both group A and B rather than
disproportionately impacting half while leaving the rest unscathed.
If the finance commission had seen the groups as normal, only group A would have continued with their reduced budgets because it was group B’s year to be re-evaluated, according to Wang.
The A/B cycle will continue as normal after this year’s hearings, according to Wang.
The finance commission will start reviewing student fees in the spring semester.
The Student Senate meets every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. A recording of the Nov. 12 meeting is available via the Student Government Association’s YouTube channel.
art and community fill the Ulrich as Justin Favela closes exhibition
Over a hundred Justin Favela piñatas dangle from the ceiling of the Beren Gallery as they wait to be bought during his Family Fiesta event. The proceeds from the piñatas will go toward student scholarships. Photos by Piper Pinnetti / The Sunflower
After waiting in a line organized from shortest to tallest, a little boy beams as he strikes the golden Ulrich Museum of Art piñata on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Student Body President Jia Wen Wang addresses the Senate on Nov. 12. Photo by Ellery Prothro / The Sunflower
After 20 years Ablah Library gets new system
BY KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com
The Ablah Library has been using the same system to keep track of its collections and other resources since 1999. After planning to move to a new system for over a decade, the switch was finally made on Sept. 16.
“We were holding together the old system, which was called Voyager, sort of with baling wire and duct tape, and we needed to migrate to a new — a modern system,” Brent Mai, dean of the university libraries said. “I think seven or eight, maybe 10 (years) is when … most libraries get new systems. We had just managed to keep this one — the old one — going for so long.”
Mai said that the Voyager system the library had been using previously had stopped being developed, which made managing the library’s electronic resources difficult for staff. Voyager was an integrated library system. Most of these systems have a focus on print resources which made managing electronic resources more difficult.
“A few years prior … we were looking at other systems, but because of where they were in their development and other factors, we wound up not going with them at that time,” technology development librarian Samuel Willis said. “So we’ve been planning this for a decade at least.” WSU libraries made the switch
to EBSCO FOLIO library services, which is an open source software that makes it easier for library staff to manage both print and electronic sources. These services are hosted through MOBIUS Consortium, which provides access to resource sharing between all the libraries that are members. By January, WSU will also integrate about 29 million resources in other MOBIUS member libraries into its system.
“For me, it was kind of a no-brainer to go with that system,”
Mai said. “We looked at several different vendors that were out there, but we ended up going with one called FOLIO, which is an open source software system, which seems to be where lots of things are moving that way … so we saw two benefits of that. To my staff behind the scenes, being able to manage things better, and then also the way we deliver to you guys is better as well.”
OpenAthens has also been implemented into the library system. This means when students are authenticated on their device as a WSU student, instead of the only way to find scholarly sources being through the library’s website, Google searches will also show sources that are in the WSU libraries.
“Even though you start your search by going out into the world, it redirects you back to the stuff that we’ve already paid for to support your curriculum,”
Mai said. “So I thought that was really cool, you know, it helps you without you even knowing.”
Mai said the transition so far has gone well for the library staff. They had to go through a lot of training for these new systems, but Mai said they work much smoother than the old one.
“Now that we’ve gone live … our staff has been very happy with it,” Willis said. “I’ve heard great remarks about it from the circulation side of the house and from the metadata. It’s all working just fine.”
Mai said there was a lot of testing involved with switching to these systems to get them to run as smoothly as possible. Fortunately, not many issues with the online systems have been reported by staff or students.
“My goal was, we went live on the 16th of September. My guess is that you didn’t even notice, and that was the goal, that on the user side, there’s still a box there … the goal was to make it so that it was not a thing for you guys to deal with,” Mai said.
Mai said that if anyone encounters issues accessing resources on the library’s web page, they should contact library staff to get it fixed. Contact information for Ablah Library’s “ask a librarian” service, the reference desk and circulation desk are available on the Wichita State libraries’ website.
Student fee entities can now formally apply for special project and capital project funds from the Student Government Association
BY KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com
The Student Government Association has now created a formal application process for the special projects fund and capital project fund, sources that student fee entities have previously been able to utilize.
“We didn’t really have a formal process of getting the (requests), and even though (SGA) created it, put it out there, there really wasn’t information sent to people to say, ‘Here’s how you apply for it,’” SGA Advisor Gabriel Fonseca said. Student fee entities are organizations funded by student fees, like the Rhatigan Student
Center, which requested funding from the special projects fund for the Campus Activities Center Theater renovations.
The capital project fund is meant for “small-scale investments” like technology, construction/renovation and physical assets for a student fee entity, according to Fonseca. The projects must be for spaces utilized by students.
The special projects fund is meant for “initiatives and activities that enhance the student experience,” according to Fonseca in an email. This year, the special projects fund has funded the Student Legal Services and CAC
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 effictive learning opportunity for students, who will have the final authority on what is published. The Sunflower is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association and the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.
One free copy of The Sunflower is available to members of the WSU community. Additional copies may be obtained from the newsroom, Elliott Hall 019. The Sunflower is private property and unlawful remocal or use of papers is prosecutable. The Sunflower is funded b a combination of print and online advertisement sales and allocations by the Student Government Association.
Copyright @ 2025 The Sunflower. This newspaper, its design, photos and all contents are copyrighted.
Theater renovations.
Fonseca said that the funds are not for recurring or long-term expenses.
When a group applies, the application is reviewed by the finance commission, which is made up of SGA members and led by the student body treasurer. The finance commission then works with the applicant to create a plan to present to the Student Senate. The plan is then voted on by the Senate.
Groups wishing to apply must fill out an application that can be requested and sent to Fonseca via email at gabriel.fonseca@wichita. edu.
Here are students’ meal options over Thanksgiving break
BY KAMI STEINLE steinlekami@gmail.com
Over Thanksgiving break, the Shocker Dining Hall and restaurants in the Rhatigan Student Center will be closed. Wednesday, Nov. 26 is the last day the Dining Hall will be open, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and then from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Then it will reopen the following Sunday with its normal hours.
Students staying on campus can purchase a meal bundle for $54 from the housing portal, under the “My Room” tab.
The bundle contains six meals, each with one entrée, fruit, a chip bag and a bottled beverage. Students can pick these up at the Groundhouse. The bundle cost will be billed to your Shocker account. The Kiah Duggins Shocker Support Locker, as a Wichita State entity, will also be closed over the break.
Student Government Coordinator Lauren Madison said in an email to The Sunflower that students who rely on Wichita State food programs should reach out to the WSU CARE team.
onion bulb thrives despite breaching the soil’s surface. Various materials are mixed in the soil including leaves, mulch and pine cones for optimal nutrients.
Student Senate votes in new bylaws for community garden
BY KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com
Over the past year, the Student Government Association has worked to make changes to the campus community garden. Last year, SGA moved the garden near the Rhatigan Student Center and created the Sustainability Committee. The current Student Senate has voted in new bylaws for the garden.
The community garden has student assistants, who help maintain and promote the garden as well as promote sustainability practices, according to the bylaws. Also on the student assistants’ list of primary duties is garden programming, which includes events and workshops centered around the garden and sustainability.
Student assistants are paid $12 per hour with varying hours per week depending on the time of year, according to SGA Advisor Gabriel Fonseca. The student assistants and volunteer coordination are funded by the president’s budget, which also funds various entities on campus, including SGA agencies, staff salaries and the appropriations
budget for registered student organizations.
During the debate on the Senate Bill establishing the bylaws at the Nov. 12 meeting, the Student Senate made additions to the new laws focused on regulations regarding garden use.
The amendments include bylaws barring the growth of prohibited plants like marijuana and tobacco as well as the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco in the area.
The laws also state that individuals are not allowed to “claim exclusive ownership” of different areas of the garden. Individuals are also not allowed to remove or damage crops or support structures that they did not put in place.
Produce grown in the garden is also not allowed to be sold for profit.
Because the rules were added to the bylaws in amendments made by the Student Senate, the enforcement model for the rules still needs to be created, according to Fonseca. He said that signage should be posted and that the rules will be enforced by the student assistants, though this plan is not final.
Home basketball games mean different parking rules. Here’s your guide to not getting a ticket.
BY CAILEANE THURSTON caileanethurston@gmail.com
The next Wichita State women’s basketball home game is Tuesday, Nov. 18, and parking around Koch Arena has different rules on game days. Game day parking is located around Charles Koch Arena and parking lots 2W, 2N and 2E will be reserved beginning at 3:30 p.m.
Any non-visitor vehicle parked in the designated lots after the 3:30 p.m. deadline will face a $50 citation. Students, faculty and visitors planning to attend the game can review the campus parking map. For more information, visit Wichita State’s website or contact the WSU parking office at 316-978-5526.
A shelf of books in Wichita State’s Ablah Library. Photo by Kass Lewis / The Sunflower
An
File photo by Piper Pinnetti / The Sunflower
NEW YEAR, NEW FACES
Women’s basketball transfers adjust to changing team dynamic
BY JONAS LORD legobricklords@gmail.com
The arrival of eleven new players has, in effect, created an entirely new roster for the 2025-26 women’s basketball season.
“We can play a bunch of different ways which we’re pretty excited about,” Wichita State head coach Terry Nooner said at the team’s media day on Oct. 30th. “From last year, we wanted to improve our three-point shooting. We wanted to improve our defense. We wanted to improve our rebounding, and I think we did that with the players that we brought in.”
With such a massive shake-up, some challenges are to be expected, but the transfers are already adjusting well to their new surroundings.
“I really love the atmosphere,”
junior forward Jaida McDonald said. “You know, everybody is intentional about everything, and I feel like it’s a good place for me to grow and get better.”
Fellow transfer and guard Azjah Reeves also enjoys the atmosphere of Wichita State.
“I like that, honestly, there’s really nothing new, so it just keeps you locked in on what you need to do on the court and that’s it,” Reeves said.
The relationships players formed with their new coaches proved to be a reason for some of the transfers.
“I transferred here because of the coaching staff,” graduate guard Abby Cater said. “They were very welcoming, and they had a great plan for me and a lot of confidence in me and that’s something that
is hard to find throughout your college career. So, I think this is the best place for me.”
Forward Sophie Benharouga specifically transferred because of assistant coach Uyen Tran.
“It’s beyond basketball, it’s more like family,” Benharouga said while describing her relationship with Tran.
According to Cater, the team dynamic in general has been solid thus far.
“I think the team gels really well together,” Cater said. “Everybody’s just goofy. We know when to be goofy, we know when to be serious and I think our chemistry is very good. And the coaching staff, they’re just very supportive, and I really enjoy that.”
Women’s basketball drops back-to-back games
BY MACK SMITH mackred22@gmail.com
In their first two games away from Koch Arena this season, the Shockers’ women’s basketball team dropped back-to-back games and fell to 1-3 to start the season.
Wichita State lost to Western Kentucky in overtime on Nov. 11 after leading by as many as 15 points in the third quarter.
Last Saturday against old Missouri Valley Conference rival Missouri State, the Shockers fought for four quarters but could never get past the Bears, which marked the team’s third loss in a row.
Wichita State will look to get back in the win column as Southeast Missouri State visits Koch Arena on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
@ Western Kentucky
Wichita State’s women’s basketball team saw a 15-point second-half lead disappear against Western Kentucky, but four quarters couldn’t decide the outcome.
The Lady Toppers eventually outlasted the Shockers in overtime Tuesday night, 73-71.
Trailing by seven points early in the second quarter, the Shockers used a 9-0 run and retook the lead for the first time since the 2:37 mark of the first, 20-18. Their lead grew to 10 points by the end of the half via a 12-2 run that spanned the last four minutes.
Wichita State started the third quarter fast, gaining their 15-point advantage a little over three minutes into the period, 40-25. The Lady Toppers began to claw back, ending the third on a 14-3 run over five minutes to cut the Shockers’ lead to three points, 45-42.
Two buckets from graduate forward Bre’Yon White and a 3-pointer by graduate guard Jaila Harding helped the Shockers maintain their lead early in the fourth quarter. Western Kentucky then scored five points in 55 seconds of game time to take its first lead since the second, 53-52. The teams traded and tied for the lead a combined nine times before the final buzzer sounded at 61-all,
student Taya Davis
forcing overtime. By the end of the game, the teams made 11 lead changes and eight ties.
Western Kentucky won the tipoff and took a three-point lead in trips to the free throw line. The Shockers fought back to tie the game at 65 as graduate center Cheyenne Banks found space in the paint with 90 seconds left.
Graduate guard Taya Davis later tied the game at 67 but was given a technical foul resulting in her fifth and final of the night.
Western Kentucky was awarded free throws and possession of the ball as a result. It cashed both untimed shots and quickly made a shot to up its lead to four points, 71-67. A basket by graduate guard Abby Cater cut the Shockers’ deficit to a point, but they couldn’t tie or retake the lead.
vs. Missouri State Turnovers and a wide free-throw margin proved to be differentiators as Wichita State’s women’s basketball team dropped another close game to old Missouri Valley Conference rival Missouri State on Saturday afternoon, 66-57. The game was played in the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo., as part of the 28.5 Hoops Women’s Invitational.
The turnover bug got to Wichita State early, as Davis committed two in the first 61 seconds of the game.
The Shockers ended the game with 23 turnovers, stalling momentum
Volleyball honors seniors, Rice spoils party in sweep
BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com
Emerson Wilford, Brooklyn Leggett and Katie Galligan all played in what was most likely their final match in Koch Arena on Friday evening.
The emotions ran high for Wichita State’s volleyball seniors, from the player introductions to the final whistle.
“You could probably see when we were watching our videos, we were all crying,” Leggett said.
“It’s so special here. We have a lot of volleyball left to play. I’m not really so sad about the volleyball part, more just about this is the last time playing here.”
Leggett said she could feel it hours before the match against Rice began.
“I’m glad I got to do it with these two,” she said, gesturing to Wilford and Galligan, who were by her side after the game.
Galligan said she was thankful to be able to suit up in the Roundhouse one final time.
“It’s one of the reasons I came here,” Galligan said. “That arena. That crowd. You go anywhere else, there’s not something quite like it.”
The Shockers celebrated their seniors in the match against Rice. But the Owls spoiled the party, sweeping Wichita State in straight sets (25-27, 20-25, 17-25).
Even though the Shockers lost to the conference’s top team in Rice, Wichita State coach Chris Lamb thought the team exceeded expectations.
The teams matched each other in both kills and digs, but seven more errors on the Shockers’ side proved to be the difference. So did the Owls’ four more aces (4-0) and two more blocks (9-7).
“Rice is the best ball-control team in the league, and it’s probably not even close,” he said.
“We were tied with them tonight that way. If we could have got a little more balance in our offense, I think the match could have gone differently.
for most of the game.
Wichita State also committed 21 fouls, which resulted in 24 free throw attempts for Missouri State. The Shockers attempted five shots at the charity stripe.
Despite this, Harding kept Wichita State in the game, scoring two 3-pointers at the 15-12 mark — including one that stopped a 7-0 run by Missouri State. Backto-back baskets by the Shockers later in the first quarter kept it a one-possession game at the end of it, 19-16.
Aggressive defense continued to send Missouri State to the stripe in the second quarter, as it was able to open up an eight-point lead. Cater later kept the team within an arm’s reach, 34-32.
First-half turnovers carried into the second, as Wichita State committed another just 11 seconds into the third quarter.
The Bears took advantage of this and took control with a 10-point lead with 3:45 left to go.
The Shockers showed resilience and junior guard Kyleigh Ortiz and graduate forward Sophie Benharouga spearheaded an 8-0 run off the bench to trim their deficit to two points, 52-50.
Fouls and misses limited the flow of the fourth quarter, as the teams went cold for long stretches of time. The Bears came alive late, and went on a 7-0 run to essentially decide the final score. The Shockers ended the game on an eight-minute field goal drought.
“If we could have found a few more points in a few more places, I think we’d still be out there.”
A short-term memory will be crucial when Wichita State competes in the American Conference Championship from Nov. 21-23.
“The first thing we said after was, ‘What do we take from this game that’s good and apply it to the next?’” Galligan said.
“We thought defense was great this game, good blocking as
well. Then we take the other good aspects from other games throughout the season. There’s a lot of volleyball left.”
“I think I’m probably the most short-term memory person there might be,” Wilford added. “‘Next ball. Next ball.’ That’s probably what I think a bunch of people would say.”
Wichita State held Rice to a .186 hitting percentage for the game and blocked seven of its attacks. The Owls have hit .235 in their matches on average.
“We scouted them really well,” Leggett said. “We were ready for what they were running on that side. We were trying to keep them out of system… I think this whole week was a lot of preparing for them.”
Game recap
The Shockers took control early in the first set, opening up an 11-2 lead early on. Rice responded with a 5-0 run that trimmed its deficit to three almost immediately after.
Wichita State maintained a lead of at least three points until it reached set point for the frame, 24-21. The Owls stormed back, going on a 6-1 run and forcing overtime to steal it, however. They tied it at 25, then won a rally that was nearly two minutes long.
The energy in the arena sank. Admittedly, Galligan said that’s one of her favorite parts of the sport.
“You could be down 24-1, and you can come back and win it,” she said. “It’s one ball after the next, and you have to be zoned in.”
Rice jumped out to a 4-1 lead early in the second and controlled the tempo throughout it. It later used runs of 5-0 and 3-0 to open up a seven-point advantage, 18-11.
The Shockers clawed out of their hole with a 6-1 run shortly after, but it wasn’t enough to push them over the edge. Wichita State hit its lowest during a set in the second at .102.
Set three started similarly to the second, with the Owls taking a two-point lead early into it, but the Shockers went on a 3-0 run to take its first lead since the opening frame, 5-4. It was shortlived, however, as a 4-0 Rice run gave the away team the lead, 8-5. Wichita State kept it close the rest of the way until the Owls ended the match on a 6-1 run.
n2025: 95 sets played, 189 kills, 1.99 kill/set, hit .221, 39 blocks SENIORS’ CAREER STATS AT WICHITA STATE THROUGH NOV. 18
Wichita State volleyball senior Katie Galligan (6) looks at the ball for a bump against Rice on Nov. 14. Galligan made nine digs in the loss to the Owls.
Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Wichita State women’s basketball graduate student Abby Cater (2) makes a hand sign while being introduced against Lincoln on Nov. 3. Cater started her first game in a Shockers uniform after transferring from Austin Peay over the offseason.
Photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
Wichita State women’s basketball graduate
(14) and Kyleigh Ortiz (1) scrap for a loose ball against Lincoln on Nov. 3. File photo by Garima Thapa / The Sunflower
on Nov. 13. The Shockers won, 95-74. Photo by Ellery Prothro / The Sunflower
How men’s hoops has fared after two weeks
BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com
Though we’re two weeks into basketball season, Wichita State is off to a promising start.
The Shockers (3-0) have averaged 91.7 points per game and had their most efficient game in years last Tuesday against old Missouri Valley Conference foe Loyola-Chicago. They face their toughest test thus far when they play Boise State — which is ranked No. 54, according to KenPom — on the road Tuesday at 8 p.m. But with that said, here are some stats that indicate growth and how they compare to other teams in the American Conference.
TEAM STATS
16 CANDLES LIT
Shockers torch Loyola with program-record 16 threes
BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com
Wichita State drilled a program-record 16 threes Thursday night against LoyolaChicago, but one of the loudest reactions came from the sideline.
Early in the second half, forward Karon Boyd jumped a passing lane, poked the ball free and pushed it ahead in transition. Senior guard Kenyon Giles caught the feed with daylight in front of him. The layup was there. Instead, he stopped short, rose, and buried his sixth three — a shot so clean Loyola was forced to burn a timeout.
“I actually wanted to drive,” Giles said with a grin. “Then I saw nobody picked me up. I said, ‘Yeah. This one has to go up.’ It went up.”
4. Tulsa: 38% (28-for-73) Average rebounds per game
1. Tulsa: 43.7
2. South Florida: 42.8
3.
As the ball snapped through, coach Paul Mills erupted — fists pistoning, arms flung skyward, the crowd surging in reply. He rose with arcs that etched records into the rafters. Later, he laughed that his frenzy rivaled the quake of a Quincy Ballard dunk against K-State last season.
On a night when the Shockers (3-0) buried 16 threes in a 95-74 rout against a Loyola-Chicago (1-3) team still searching for rhythm after three straight losses, even their coaches couldn’t sit still. Wichita State’s spacing and ball movement picked apart the Ramblers’ defense throughout.
“We had to go through a period of time where it was pretty chaotic,” Mills said, “and you have to live with it, understand it, and come back in the film room. Going against a defense that isn’t set with quicker decisions — it helps.”
The barrage came on a 50% clip from beyond the arc, a
You
can’t overcoach shooters. I don’t really mess with shots. I don’t really get into their techniques. I learned his from Chip England, who’s with the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
PAUL MILLS WSU men’s
basketball head coach
season-high through three games. Giles was nearly perfect from deep, hitting 7-of-8 attempts — every shot he took from the floor. Amid his second-half antics, he caught fire and drained three in a row.
It’s safe to say Mills granted him the green light — and then some.
“If you’re KG and you go 7-for-8, it’s neon green,” Mills said. “He doesn’t even need Christmas lights at his place.”
Senior guard Mike Gray Jr. said moments like that ignite everyone — the bench, the crowd, especially teammates on the court. Gray finished with five threes on a 50% rate. He laughed that he had to celebrate with Giles mid-game, despite being on the floor.
“If you look at Mike and KG’s shots, I mean there’s gravity there,” Mills said. “Those are NBA threes. That’s why they’re here.”
Mills said his philosophy on shooting comes from advice passed down from NBA coaches.
“You can’t overcoach shooters,” Mills said. “I don’t mess with shots. I don’t really
get into their techniques. I learned this from Chip England, who’s with the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
Giles’ confidence invited others to let it fly. Eight Shockers, including himself, attempted a three during the game. Even 7-foot-2 center Will Berg stepped out for a couple looks. Giles said it felt like a party, with Gray, Berg and junior guard Dre Kindell all joining in. Senior forward Karon Boyd added his name with a couple of threes himself.
Gray played Robin to Giles’ Batman, splashing five threes to keep the barrage alive. He said he felt like it was going to be their night from the opening minutes. At the 13-10 mark in the first half, Gray and Giles already connected on a pair. The early makes convinced Gray he had to keep pace.
“I knew I had to keep up with the guys that are making shots,” Gray said. “I have to do my part.”
For Mills, the joy wasn’t just in the numbers, it was in watching the Shockers trust themselves. His reflection carried the weight of a philosophy:
“I’ve always thought that it’s our job to lead and to show them what leadership looks like,” he said. “Then at some point during the season you hand those guys the reins and they need to be able to lead.
“They’re starting that process, you can kind of see it coming together. It’s fun to watch, but you can’t get caught up in one night that’s good offensively.”
Sixteen times Wichita State torched Loyola. Sixteen times it proved hesitation was never part of the game plan.
All-Regional awards, NCAA Championship ticket punched for cross country
BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ-MEDINA
65nthony@gmail.com
In the second to last race of the 2025 season, both Wichita State cross country teams competed in the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday. Three Shockers earned All-Regional team honors and one punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships. In the women’s 6-kilometer race, Wichita State ranked 14th overall out of 32 teams, with an average time of 22:05.94. Leading the pack at the Oklahoma State University Cross Country Course was senior Lucy Ndungu, who had a time of 21:03.5. She placed 25th out of 235 runners and earned a spot on the All-Regional team. Next in line was freshman Mercy Jepkoech who came in 36th overall with a 21:24.6 time, followed by graduate student Sarah Bertry, who ran a time of 21:53.0, good for 65th place. Sophomore Faith Ekart and junior Francesca Alvarado ran times of 23:01.6 and 23:47.3, respectively, to place 151st and 158th.
Senior Lea Jerkovic and junior Isabelle Hartnett rounded out the women’s race and placed 195th and 199th overall with respective times of 23:47.3 and 23:59.6. In the men’s 10-kilometer race, the Shockers finished in eighth place out of 30 teams, with an average time of 31:40.68. In his first season at Wichita State, sophomore Elkana Kipruto finished seventh with a time of 30:10.0. In his comeback season, senior Adrian Diaz Lopez finished 15th overall with a 30:44.8 time. Kipruto and Lopez also earned spots on the All-Regional team, and Kipruto punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships. In 42nd and 69th places were sophomore Kelvin Kipyego and senior Zander Cobb, who ran times of 31:47.8 and 32:27.8, respectively. Senior Jacob Meyers’ 33:13.0 landed him in 114th place. Junior Jonah Allison ranked 131st overall at 33:38.5, while senior Cesar Ramirez finished the race for Wichita State with a time of 34:21.1 and finished in 162nd place.
Select Wichita State cross country runners will compete at the NCAA Championships in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday, Nov. 22. The meet will stream on ESPNU.
Volleyball ends regular season on high note with win at Temple
BY MACK SMITH mackred22@gmail.com
Coming off of back-to-back losses, Wichita State volleyball ended the regular season on a high note by beating Temple on the road Sunday afternoon, 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 26-24, 25-27).
The Shockers ended the regular season at 18-10 overall and 10-6 record in the American Conference with the win, marking the sixthstraight season finishing above .500 in win/loss percentage. The Owls ended their season at 16-15 overall and 5-11 in conference play.
Wichita State finished fifth in the conference standings, beating out Florida Atlantic based on headto-head results. It will play fourthseeded North Texas in the first round of the American Conference Championship Friday, Nov. 21, at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Mean Green bested the Shockers in five sets earlier this season.
The teams displayed offensive firepower throughout the match, as Wichita State hit .329 to Temple’s .229. The Shockers better handled service situations, however,
racking up nine aces — a stark improvement after not recording one in Friday’s loss to Rice.
Head coach Chris Lamb also emphasized the need for a balanced attack after the loss to Rice, and Wichita State responded.
Six players recorded four or more kills, spearheaded by junior outside Sydney Dunning’s 21 and senior right-side Brooklyn Leggett’s 14. Dunning nearly had a perfect game attacking, recording only one error for a .408 attacking percentage.
The sparks on offense were felt almost immediately, as Temple collected the first three points of the match in the first set. The Shockers then got on the board with a kill by junior middle Maddie Wilson.
Trailing 11-9 later in the set, Wichita State went on a 4-0 run to take their first lead, 13-11.
Leggett’s third kill of the frame at that point gave the Shockers the advantage. The momentum from the 4-0 run kept rolling, as Wichita State scored 10 of the last 12 points to put the opening set away.
The Owls once again started hot in the second set, winning the
first four points. Temple managed to hold the lead the entire frame this time, however. The closest the Shockers came to tying or taking the lead was four points.
Wichita State stole the early set momentum in the third, winning the first three points and eventually opening a 6-2 lead. The frame remained competitive with the biggest lead only being four points.
Back-to-back kills by Leggett and Dunning put the Shockers on the doorstep for a third-set win, but back-to-back Owl kills gave them set point. A kill by Dunning tied the set and forced overtime. A kill by Wilford gave the Shockers set point, and the Owls committed an attack error to decide it.
For the first time in the match, the teams traded the first points in the fourth. After WSU took a 10-4 lead following a 7-1 run, Temple called its first timeout. The Shockers continued to extend their lead out of the timeout and never conceded more than two consecutive points throughout the frame to take the match.
END OF SEASON
1. Rice: Conference record — 15-1; Overall record — 19-8
9. UAB: Conference record — 6-10; Overall record — 13-15 10. Temple: Conference record — 5-11; Overall record — 16-14 11. East Carolina: Conference record — 4-12; Overall record — 12-15
12. Tulane: Conference record — 3-13; Overall record — 11-16 13. Memphis: Conference record — 2-14; Overall record — 11-20
Wichita State men’s basketball guard Kenyon Giles (1) celebrates after making a 3-pointer against Loyola-Chicago on Nov. 13. Giles went 7-of-8 from deep in the Shockers’ 95-74 win. Photo by Ellery Prothro / The Sunflower
Wichita State cross country sophomore Kalyn Willingham paces herself during the JK Gold Classic on Sept. 6. The Shockers’ women’s team finished in third place out of nine teams. File photo by Airianna Sallaz / The Sunflower
Wichita State men’s basketball guard TJ Williams (4) celebrates after forward Karon Boyd (0) was fouled against Loyola-Chicago
OPINION
IS IT OKAY TO CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING?
YES NO
Every year in November, Thanksgiving comes around, greeting us with leaves falling out of the trees, grocery stores filled with pumpkin pies and a question we might ask ourselves: should we celebrate Thanksgiving?
For some, Thanksgiving is a day rooted in history, one that hides the suffering of indigenous peoples behind a story of gratitude.
The traditional myth of Thanksgiving paints a peaceful meal shared between Pilgrims and Wampanoag people. They symbolized unity and coming together. But the real history includes suffering for indigenous communities.
As someone who is mixed, Mexican and Native American with a grandmother who was part of an indigenous tribe (Cherokee), I understand why the holiday can feel complicated. It is also part of my family’s history too. For others, it’s quality time spent with family and friends, reflection and giving thanks to the Lord for what we have.
Both can be true, and that is why I think it’s okay to celebrate Thanksgiving, as long as we remember why and how we choose to celebrate it.
Thanksgiving has a complicated meaning, and it
Thanksgiving is argued by many as the holiday with the best food: turkey, ham and every type of pie you can imagine. Its function has also been upheld as a time to spend with family, and give thanks.
This Thanksgiving, many Americans may be struggling to feed their families, especially due to the stalling of SNAP benefits, during a holiday hailed for its food and a time for individuals to be grateful for what they have.
The dining hall and Shocker Support Locker being closed increases the need for meals. Not to mention the numerous restaurants that will also be closed, which eliminates opportunities to eat
isn’t just about all the good food. It can mean recognizing history – sitting down to a meal with family does not erase the injustices faced by Native communities. This is an opportunity to acknowledge them.
The meaning of Thanksgiving has evolved far beyond its origin story.
Instead of ignoring the past and repeating it, we can learn from it while also finding hope in the present.
So yes, I think it is okay to celebrate Thanksgiving, just remember to celebrate it thoughtfully. Celebrate it with love, kindness, gratitude and with an open heart. Reflect on life’s blessings.
Celebrating it today does not mean celebrating the actions of the past. We all have something to be grateful for. We can enjoy our traditions while taking a moment to still honor Native communities. This can look like learning more about the true history of the holiday, supporting indigenous-owned businesses or attending campus events that support Native groups. Awareness does not cancel the holiday, but it gives it depth.
Thanksgiving looks different to everyone, and however you spend it, it’s okay. It isn’t about how Thanksgiving began, but it’s about what we choose to make it today. So, continue to celebrate Thanksgiving in the way you choose.
elsewhere.
Instead of building a system to provide meals over the holiday for students who already pay for a meal plan, and who may not have a home to return to for the holiday, or are unable to go home, they used this as a chance to market and sell a Thanksgiving meal bundle.
How gracious.
The bundle “would include 6 meals (each meal consists of 1 entrée, 1 fruit, 1 chip, 1 bottled beverage) and will cost $54,” on top of the price students already pay for meal plans. Why would this price not have been worked into the overall meal plan?
WSU’s decision to close the dining hall on Thanksgiving, whilst advertising Thanksgiving bundles as an add-on purchase to students’ meal plans, is at best, tacky, and at worst, poor timing.
Shocker Hall could have worked to create Thanksgiving break meals
BY MYA SCOTT opinion@thesunflower.com
The following is the timeline of events that led to Thanksgiving becoming a national holiday. It tracks the connection with and the later genocide of several Native American tribes.
n 1614: Squanto (Tisquantum), a Patuxet, one of the tribes who formed the Wampanoag Confederacy, was captured by slave-traders and brought to Malaga, Spain.
n 1619: Squanto got back to America, and found his tribe killed by European diseases.
n 1620: The Mayflower docked with separatists who fled from England to escape religious persecution aboard. They built a settlement named New Plymouth.
n Spring 1621: Squanto met the pilgrims and became the translator between them and the Wampanoag Confederacy. He taught them farming techniques.
n Fall 1621: Plymouth hosted a harvest feast in thanks. The Wampanoag attended with around 90 soldiers.
n May 26, 1637: Plymouth helped massacre and enslave 400-700 of the Pequot tribe. An estimated 300,000 Native Americans were killed around New England.
n 1776: The Continental Congress declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.
I was six when I learned the “story” of Thanksgiving. I was taught that the pilgrims welcomed the Native Americans to their table, a cornucopia overflowing with a plentiful harvest. My class wore paper pilgrim hats and “Native headdresses.” Not only was that extreme cultural appropriation, it was just factually incorrect.
Thanksgiving is heralded as a day to give thanks for what you have and spend time with the ones you love, which are both valuable lessons to be learned, but the holiday itself wasn’t built on thankfulness. I’ll never understand the audacity that the American people have to blatantly rewrite history. I understand the desire, sure. It’s terrible to have your people see the atrocities your ancestors may have committed. But what’s worse than hearing the true story are the reality of the crimes committed and the people affected by the real history of Thanksgiving.
The people who were present at this time and suffered are not alive, but their stories are. They may not have to relive this terrible period of history, but their descendants are reminded of this every time a turkey balloon floats through the Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Now, I am fully aware that most people aren’t celebrating Thanksgiving to bathe in the gory history. They’re probably getting together to watch TV, chat a little, eat more turkey than should be humanly possible and argue about politics.
However, if you need the label of a holiday to finally get together, then you probably need to talk to your family more.
And I do love spending time with my mom and animals, stuffing ourselves full the traditional foods of turkey, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, but I don’t do it under the guise of Thanksgiving. I do it because I love my mom. We don’t just eat together on the fourth Thursday of every November; we eat family dinner all of the time. I think it’s okay to want to set aside a day to be grateful for what you have because sometimes it’s hard to remember, but choosing to do that on a day steeped in bloody history leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For some, they’re observing the Day of Mourning to remember the lives lost in an unnecessary bloodshed.
So remember to tell your family you love them more often than every holiday because they won’t always be there.
Instead of celebrating the holiday Thanksgiving, celebrate your family – and that’s something you can choose to do every day, not just in November.
built into the menu, and remained open. Students pay thousands of dollars in meal plans, with the expectation that they will be fed healthy, filling meals – especially
on Thanksgiving — without an upcharge. Students are of course thankful for all the work that goes into planning, prepping and distributing
Illustrations by Savanna Nichols / The Sunflower
Sandwich display at Cargill Cafe inside Woolsey Hall. File photo by Jacinda Hall / The Sunflower
HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Company’: An immersive rendition of Sondheim classic
The School of Performing Art’s adaptation of Steven Sondheim’s “Company” was intimate and expressive, a testament to the unity and passion of the cast, crew and directors.
I regret to say this was my first time attending a Wichita State theatre performance, but I am a longtime lover of musical theater and the performing arts. My draw in attending the performance stemmed from my recent obsession with the musical “Company,” which I have listened to on repeat over the past six months. When I saw the show’s name on the fall schedule, it immediately drew me in.
“Company” stands out among Sondheim’s work because it explores a mundane, often awkward part of life — the plateauing feeling of mid-adulthood.
The musical is told in vignettes centering the protagonist Bobby, a 35-year-old bachelor, surrounded by people taking “the next step” in life — marriage.
Gabe Almodovar immediately captured Bobby’s charisma upon entering the stage clad in bell bottoms and a denim vest. He brings a boyish charm, integral to a character clinging to his independence in a world obsessed with connection.
I found myself consistently impressed with his cadence and humor. Especially with a script written in the 70s – he made it feel natural.
The titular opening number “Company” introduces the audience to Bobby at his 35th birthday party. The actors surround the audience, updating Bobby on their lives and checking in on him in a repetitive, semi-demanding manner, creating an atmospheric surround-sound effect.
Vocally, Almodovar is warm and inviting. Bobby’s songs often build slowly, showcasing a wide range of pitch, which Almodovar executes vividly.
The cast being college-aged, all a good 10 years younger than their characters, gives a unique charm to the show. The standout pairings to me were Larry and Sarah, played by Jyavon Hill and Issy Lynn, and David and Jenny, played by Gabriel Cornwell and Elena Cianciolo. Both pairs had incredible chemistry on stage together, in spoken word, choreography and song.
Larry and Sarah have a playful dynamic, showcased during “The Little Things You Do Together,” where Sarah showcases her “ka-rateh” skills on her husband Larry, while Bobby sits in a corner and observes. The two also stand out vocally, Lynn having a powerful yet worried tone and Hill with a smooth silky voice. Hill’s voice shines in the lamenting “SorryGrateful,” describing the complex nature of marriage.
In the scene, Bobby hallucinates being interrogated by his three lovers, Marta, Kathy and April, in “You Can Drive a Person Crazy.” Liv Rivera (Marta), Zoie Dangerfield
(Kathy) and Dot McMillen (April) gave a unified performance evoking anger and disappointment toward the noncommittal Bobby.
The costume design was very charming. The color palette alone invoked the 70s, with oranges, yellows, browns and muted blues, but the hair and costumes sank their teeth into the era. Joanne with an upturned bob, Amy with wild curls and a mix of bumps, bangs and beehives solidified the time period.
The Welsbacher Theatre was an incredible venue for the show. It was intimate, tucking the audience inside of the show, with stairs and balconies along the walls. I found myself near the stairs, feeling almost like I was peering through a picture frame on the wall of the set.
The real strength of the venue was the immersion.
Having to crane your neck up to get a better view of a conversation. Even sitting and staring at the back of someone’s head felt important. With the ensemble constantly rotating, it was effectively a 360 show. You never knew what angle you would be peering through into the scene.
This immersive style lends itself naturally to “Company.”
The ensemble frequently moved throughout the venue – sitting in pairs on the side of the theater and moving on a dime during the performance.
In tender intimate moments, the audience held its breath. At times it felt awkward, intrusive to be watching, but impossible to look away.
The lighting also added to the immersion. One of the best moments came during “The Ladies Who Lunch,” when Joanne, played by Kaete Mokrynski, laments her life and the changes that have taken place in society around her.
During the climax of the song, Mokrynski raises her glass, illuminated in blue and purple light. The light creates four silhouettes of Joanne in fractured parts surrounding her on the stage. Mokrynski is bathed in a silver sequin dress, bedazzling the audience in light as she cries out powerfully, ‘Everybody rise.’
The choreography also added another dimension to the show. My favorite moments often came when the entire ensemble was on stage. “Another Hundred People” had a loveable section with the cast formed into subway cars, swaying and walking in character — with an added costume element to show they were “on the move.”
My catch
There was one aspect of the show that was hard to ignore — the backtrack.
One of the best parts of “Company” is the instrumental music, an integral part of the show. In the 2006 Broadway revival, my favorite show, the actors play instruments on stage alongside singing and acting.
I did anticipate there would not be live music, but I was still disappointed. I also have to mention that since this is my first show, I’m unsure of the norms around backtracks in these types of shows or what the director’s options were, but my background
Spectrum’s annual drag show receives increased attendance
BY MIA MALCOM miamalcolm4@gmail.com
in instrumental and vocal music deeply influences my taste in musicals.
When the ensemble sang together, it was difficult to notice the backtrack. But occasionally, during quieter moments, I would get pulled out of the story, when my ear focused on the quality of the backtrack, which relied on electric, almost keyboard-like sounds reminiscent of a practice track.
Unfortunately, the background track often took the life out of impactful moments and transitions between songs.
Despite this, the cast was extremely accurate and tight with the track. Their timing displayed the amount of behind-the-scenes practice put into the show. There were rare points where there was some lagging behind the track, but overall it was incredibly polished.
Amy, played by Lexye Collins, showed an impressive amount of control over her diction, vocal tone and familiarity with the track during one of the fastest and most difficult songs in the show, “I’m Not Getting Married Today.”
Sondheim is generally incredibly difficult to sing and perform, often pushing actors to the limits of the human voice and lung capacity. “I’m Not Getting Married Today” is no exception. Collins sings at an anxious pace of 163 bpm at its fastest moments, displaying her character’s fear and desperation around her wedding day.
The lack of professionalsounding instrumentals shifted the heartbeat of the show to the ensemble. They had an incredible blend and an almost percussive sense when moving around the stage.
During the second act, Bobby is almost tormented by those around him who love him. Unsure of his desires, he goes through the motions of life, which Almodovar represents wonderfully through his dry and uncaring tone displayed in his interactions with April.
The two of them balance each other out in their scenes together. McMillen plays a flighty, hopeful and naïve April, and Bobby matches her youthful passion with his dejected, empty responses.
In the last moments of the show, we see Bobby accept the possibility of relationships and a deeper meaning of life in the song “Being Alive,” being tugged along by his friends calling to him on the outside of the stage. His vocals grow in slow acceptance, which builds to a clear belt at the finale of the song.
The show calls back to Bobby’s surprise birthday party, but this time he didn’t show up. He returns to his apartment after all of his friends have left, and blows out his candles, finally in a moment of contentment.
Overall, it was an impressive show. It showcased a range of talent I am so delighted to see on this campus, and I will now challenge myself to see as many shows as I can before I graduate.
Though I was drawn in by Sondheim, it was the people involved in this show that stayed in my mind after leaving the theater. Now, when I listen to the 2007 album, I will imagine myself tucked into the November show in the back of Welsbacher Theatre.
An ordinary Saturday night in the RSC turned into something queer on Nov. 15. That night, Spectrum held its third annual drag pageant in Beggs Ballroom with performers Byongae, Tolu Storm, Bailey Seer and Saturn Starz stealing hearts and breaths from the audience throughout the show.
“I thought it was a lot of fun. I was really, really happy with how it turned out because this usually tends to be like a much smaller show and usually we only get a lot of Spectrum members themselves,” said Spectrum president Genesis Merriett. “We had a huge variety of people, and we actually hit, I think, 83 people in attendance.”
This is a big jump in attendance compared to past years, where there have been around 30 to 40 people in attendance at the shows, according to Merriett.
“I think it really creates a really nice and inclusive space on campus, and also just like a space where people can be more relaxed with who they are,” Merriett said.
“For the performers obviously they are the people that are really expressing their identity out there, they’re really putting themselves out there with all the details.”
Spectrum is a club that provides a space for LGBTQ+ members, as well as allies. Merriett said this is the third year Spectrum has held the fall drag pageant.
By the end of the show, the judges chose Seer as the winner, and they were rewarded with the largest gift basket.
“I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be at a school where students are allowed to express themselves freely and not only allowed but encouraged,” Seer said.
In extravagant makeup, Seer’s performance to Mommy Long Legs’s “Sorority Girls” was one to remember with many audience members cheering them on throughout. The loudest applause came when Seer duckwalked down an aisle in the ballroom.
“During the runway show, I was nauseous,” Seer said. “I almost actually left early because I was really thinking I was going to throw up, but after that the nerves passed, I felt great.”
Having shown up at 3:30 p.m., Seer said it took them three and a half hours to get ready for the performance.
Alongside performers prepping their looks, Spectrum volunteers worked hard to plan the event for that evening.
“We actually planned it in a very short amount of time, we were kind of stressing a little bit,” Merriett said. “We were worried we weren’t going to get as many people but this, I think, has turned out to be one of the best shows that we’ve had so far … a month and a half is like ideal planning. We did it in two weeks.”
Merriett said that the spring drag show, a collaboration between Student Activities Council and Student Engagement and Belonging, typically gains more attention than the Spectrum pageant. They said that it will look slightly different next year due to new state regulations. State dollars can not go into anything Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, related such as drag shows and Spectrum gets funding from SGA which comes from student fees.
“The audience watching, they kind of get an experience of like, ‘Wow there are some people out here that are really giving it their all, (and) putting theirselves into everything,’” Merriett said. “I think it can inspire people to do the same themselves.”
Taliyah Winn editor@thesunflower.com
Ruby Godsey holds the microphone to Bailey Seer after their performance at the Spectrum Drag Pageant. The pageant featured four ameteur performers.
Photos by Mia Malcom / The Sunflower
Bailey Seer poses for the crowd after being crowned “Mx. WSU” at the Spectrum Drag Pageant. This was Seer’s first pageant win.
Beyongae waves their wig in the air during their performance on Nov. 15. Beyongae placed second at the event.
Tolu Storm gives a lap-dance to Rin Baucomb. Performers were able to walk out and interact with the audience. Saturn Starz performs on stage in Beggs Ballroom. This was Starz’s third show performing in drag.
Illustration by Savanna Nichols / The Sunflower
VETSAID 2025 CONCERT HONORS WICHITA VETERANS
Former Eagles guitarist and Wichita native Joe Walsh honors veterans with benefit concert
BY MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com
Over the weekend, former guitarist of The Eagles and Wichita native Joe Walsh returned to his hometown for the 9th annual VetsAid benefit concert at Intrust Bank Arena on Nov. 15.
VetsAid is a non-profit organization started by Walsh and his wife, Marjorie Bach aimed to raise money for veterans. Since its inception in 2017, VetsAid has raised $4 million, according to a
KMUW interview.
“Tonight we’re going to have some fun, pay respects, enjoy fellowship (and) reconnect with what America means to us,”
Walsh said in the press Q&A before the concert. “If tonight we can come together, honor our past while dreaming big for the future … then I’ve done my job, and that’s what VetsAid is all about.
Let’s raise some money tonight … (to) support our vets.”
Walsh’s father, Robert Newton
Fiddler, a Wichita native and a Wichita State alumnus, was a veteran. Fiddler served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and was killed in a collision in 1949.
Walsh expressed that seeing VetsAid grow beyond what was anticipated is one of his wildest dreams.
“I asked some of my fellow musicians … if they would consider coming, and across the board it was ‘hell yes,’ and that’s America,” he said. “Hoping the
vets will know that we care … we go where the vets are and we find out what they need, and we take care of that to keep them going.
“It really is an American thing. There’s no politics in this at all. People come together.”
The arena was nearly sold out, with over 5,000 people in attendance. Wichitans and veterans attended the benefit concert, and each donation and money spent went directly back to support veteran organizations
in Wichita, like the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation, Wichita Kansas Inter-tribal Warrior Society and KanVet United Organization, among others. The concert featured performances from Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen, Vince Gill accompanied by Nathaniel Rateliff and Walsh himself with special guests Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.
Christy Hodgen, the ‘Jane Eyre for now,’ on first public reading in 15 years
PIPER PINNETTI piperpinnetti12@gmail.com
Wichita State’s fall installment of the Writing Reading Now series welcomed novelist and short story writer Christy Hodgen on Tuesday evening for her first public reading in more than a decade.
The event was part of the “Words by Women” series, hosted by the English department and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program.
The event, held in the Ulrich Museum of Art’s Dr. Same and Jacque Collection Study Center, featured a reading from Hodgen’s work followed by a discussion about writing, teaching and finding meaning in small, ordinary moments. Margaret Dawe, director of WSU’s creative writing program, introduced Hodgen with high praise for her 2010 novel “Elegies for the Brokenhearted.” Dawe highlighted Hodgen’s ability to write about ordinary
I think that fiction, at its best, is a kind of mercy. It lets us see the parts of each other that we’d otherwise overlook.
CHRISTIE HODGEN Author, “Elegies for the brokenhearted” and “Wish Strike”
lives with “deadpan humor and sentences that gorgeously evoke longing and admiration.”
“Some mornings, I make my tea and ask myself, ‘Read what Trump did yesterday or read more of Christy Hodgen’s ‘Elegies for the Brokenhearted?’” Dawe said.
“‘Elegies’ wins.”
Dawe also described Hodgen as
“Jane Eyre for now,” capturing how her fiction brings depth and dignity to characters who quietly persist through life’s disappointments.
Hodgen, who teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said it had been years since she last gave a public reading.
“It’s been so long since I’ve given
a reading — maybe fifteen years — that I’d forgotten what it feels like to actually connect with people on the other end of this work,” Hodgen said.
Her reading featured a 10,000word short story titled “Wish Strike,” which follows a group of friends with various degrees who work in retail together. It is the brink of Y2K and through their sarcastic manager, Ray, and their own frustrations, the story examines work, purpose and the quiet dignity of persistence.
“When I write, I’m usually circling the same question: what does a good life look like if no one’s clapping for you?” Hodgen
said. “There’s so much talk about purpose and productivity, but I’m more interested in endurance, in people who keep showing up for small, unglamorous things.”
Her remarks often returned to the quiet resilience of ordinary people, a common connection that runs through much of her fiction.
Throughout the evening, Hodgen reflected on the empathy that drives her writing. Hodgen described her writing routine as one of discipline and solitude.
“Someone asked about my routine … I get up at 4:30 in the morning and write for two hours,” she said. “It’s dark and cold.” Those hours, she said, are when her thoughts are clearest — when she can fully inhabit her characters and reflect on the “quiet resilience” that threads through much of her work.
“I think fiction, at its best, is a kind of mercy,” she said. “It lets us see the parts of each other we’d
otherwise overlook.” Hodgen’s comments offered an introspective look into her creative process and her evolving perspective as both a writer and a teacher. She noted how her approach to writing has changed over time.
“Getting older has made me less afraid of sentiment and more afraid of irony,” Hodgen said. “When I was young, I thought writing was about being brilliant. Now I think it’s about being kind.”
Dawe said Hodgen’s appearance fit the “Words by Women” series’ mission to spotlight women authors whose work engages with themes of identity, place and endurance.
“I’m grateful she’s driven across the Flint Hills this November day,” Dawe said.
For Hodgen’s, that literal and creative journey remains rooted in persistence.
Hodgen said, “If you keep doing the work, even in the dark, the work will remember you.”
Joe Walsh, a Wichita native and member of The Eagles, talks about what VetsAid means to him before the benefit concert. Walsh started VetsAid in 2017 and has since held various concerts across the United States. Photos by Maleah Evans / The Sunflower
Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen perform at the VetsAid benefit concert. Bingham is a Grammy Award-winning artist who is known for his storytelling in his music.
Multi-Grammy award winning artist Vince Gill performs at the 9th annual VetsAid concert. Gill has performed with Joe Walsh and The Eagles since 2017.
Members of the Wichita Inter-tribal Warrior Society present the colors before the 9th Annual VetsAid benefit concert that took place in Wichita on Nov. 16. VetsAid was started in 2017 by Joe Walsh, guitarist of The Eagles.
Wichtia native and member of The Ealges, Joe Walsh, performs at the VetsAid benefit concert. Walsh co-founded VetsAid in 2017 with his wife Marjorie to raise money for veteran organziations and to honor his late father.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MAKER MARKET
Tuesday, Nov. 18
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Rhatigan Student Center
Join students, staff and local artisans in buying and selling handmade pottery, woodwork, knitwear, jewelry and other items.
“LIVING OUT LOUD: INDI-QUEER VISIONS”
Tuesday, Nov. 18 5 - 7 p.m.
Rhatigan Student Center
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by watching the documentary “The Exiles” by Comanche Tribe Member Daniel Pewewardy.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE
Tuesday, Nov. 18 6 p.m.
Charles Koch Arena
Come watch the shocker women’s basketball team take on Southeast Missouri State in Charles Koch Arena. Students get free tickets.
PANEL: CURATING WITH PURPOSE-STUDENT CULTURAL PERSPECTIVES
Wednesday, Nov. 19
10 a.m.
Ulrich Museum of Art
Come listen to a panel discussion by art students on the process of curating their ongoing exhibition “Art, Identity, and Innovation”
PIZZA AND POLITICS
Wednesday, Nov. 19
12:30 p.m.
Lindquist Hall
Come for refreshments and a discussion on the relations between China, Taiwan and the U.S. led by Professor Doris Chang.
CHIPS AND CHAT: YOUR NSE JOURNEY STARTS HERE
Wednesday, Nov. 19 1 - 2 p.m.
Rhatigan Student Center
Come listen to stories from students who have participated in National Student Exchange to learn what it’s like and how to join.
ARTIST TALK: ANNA TSOUHLARAKIS
Thursday, Nov. 20
6 p.m.
McKnight Art Center
Listen to a lecture from Anna Tsouhlarakis, a multimedia artist and citizen of the Navajo Nation known for challenging boundaries in art.
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Thursday, Nov. 20
7:30 p.m.
Duerksen Fine Arts Center
Listen to a performance by the Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Mark Laycock. The orchestra consists of 70 student musicians.
NOVEMBER CONVERSATION CAFE: STARBUCKS LOUNGE Friday, Nov. 21
1 - 2 p.m.
Rhatigan Student Center
Join the Shockers Vote Coalition for a conversation cafe event in the Starbucks Lounge. Come to meet new people and drink coffee.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
Saturday, Nov. 22
2 p.m.
HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED?
CONTACT THE ARTS EDITOR: arts@thesunflower.com
CONTACT THE NEWS EDITOR: news@thesunflower.com
Artist Justin Favela teases the audience as he waits to reveal the final raffle winner. The raffle prize was a Justin piñata that was won by new associate curator at Kansas State’s Beach Museum of Art, Aileen Wang, who went on a road-trip to meet the artist. Photos by Piper Pinnetti / The Sunflower
A piñata Justin Favela stares upward in a thoughtless daze as he waits to be purchased. The Family Fiesta event acted as a closing celebration to the artist’s exhibition, “Everything must go: Justin Favela’s closeout blowout re-grand opening.”
Two men tighten a Justin piñata’s tie before lowering it. The duo maneuvered the targets from the second floor of the McKnight Art Center for people to hit from the bottom floor.
A child batters a piñata as it finally drops low enough for her to reach during the third piñata smash. She did not break off any pieces off.
Twirling the skirts of her dress, a dancer from Raices De Mi Tierra flashes pinks and reds in the choreography. The folkloric dance group was founded by Latina mothers who wanted their children to participation their culture and roots.
Blind-folded and surrounded by a cheering crowd, a guest swings for a yellow piñata on Saturday, Nov. 15. The event held four rounds of piñata smashing. Jessenia Paz dances in the McKnight building’s atrium on the first floor.
