The Sunflower v. 130 i. 20 (Feb. 24, 2026)

IN WONDERLAND

Students boogie at 5th annual Fairmount Formal

BY LIBERTY THOMPSON

liberty_thompson@icloud.com

Friday’s chilly weather gave way to a warm evening in Beggs Ballroom, where the Student Activities Council hosted its annual Fairmount Formal.

The theme was a classic – “Alice in Wonderland,” and the decor glittered like something out of a Shondaland special.

The DJ served up 2010s throwback grooves all night long while mixing in current hits that had the whole dance floor moving to the beat.

The crowd sparkled in their

Friday night best, but a few people went above and beyond for the love of the theme.

Adán Parker, WSU junior, was decked head to toe in a Mad Hatter costume.

“I was already planning on going as the Mad Hatter for Halloween, so it was just the perfect opportunity for me to dress up,” Parker said.

Outside of the dance floor, the ballroom had rows of snacks and drinks, a photobooth and several photo backdrops for all those Instagram aesthetic chasing folks dancing the night away.

Between the flowing drinks,

Mike Kennedy’s legacy

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

It all began at the age of 9 with a basketball and hoop in the backyard. At night, a radio transformed his childhood bedroom into arenas he would later find himself calling games in, providing a precursor to the many moments people lived through his voice.

Now, after calling Shocker games for nearly five decades with the same steady, familiar, and unwavering cadence, Mike Kennedy will hang up the headset once the 2025-26 season reaches its conclusion.

To honor his service, Wichita State’s Athletic Department hosted a moving tribute throughout Saturday’s men’s basketball game, aptly dubbing it Mike Kennedy Night. Multiple heartfelt honors

Legislature passes bathroom bill into law, overriding governor’s veto

BY AINSLEY SMYTH & KASS LEWIS managing@thesunflower.com news@thesunflower.com

Kansas Republicans have passed a bill into law that will require people to use bathrooms in state buildings and state-issued identification that align with their sex at birth. The House voted to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto Wednesday, following the Senate’s Tuesday vote.

This will apply to restrooms in state universities, including Wichita State. It will also apply to other single-gender spaces, including locker rooms.

The Senate voted 31-9 to override the veto. The House followed with an 87-37 vote, meaning both chambers had the necessary supermajority needed to override a governor’s veto.

House Substitute for Senate Bill 244 will become law when it is published in the Kansas Register, which is published every Thursday.

Kelly called the legislation “poorly drafted” and said it would “have numerous and significant consequences far beyond the intent to limit the right for trans people to use the appropriate bathroom,” in her veto message.

Legislators in favor of the bill argued during floor debate that it would protect women and girls in female-only spaces.

Restricting bathrooms and other single-gender spaces

Senate Bill 244 bars anyone from using a restroom or other single-gender space that does not align with their sex as recorded at birth, even for transgender people who have medically transitioned. It applies to all state-owned buildings, including state university buildings. The legislation also mandates that state institutions designate multi-occupancy restrooms and similar spaces as either male or female.

Governing bodies would be fined up to $25,000 for failing to enforce the rule on a first occurrence and $125,000 for each time after.

crumbly cookies and the everpresent hits vibrating the room, the diverse crowd exemplified a good time.

The dim lights and loud music made conversation difficult, but that didn’t seem to dim the spirits of the crowd. People mingled, danced and made merry with other attendees all night long.

The Fairmount Formal was originally hosted in 2022 to give students who didn’t get a chance to have a prom or homecoming due to COVID-19 the dance they missed. SAC has kept up the tradition since.

The budget this year was

$4,000, and between 300 and 500 students were expected to attend, said Madilynn Sanderholm, Coordinator of Student Activities with SAC. According to Sanderholm, the budget differs each year depending on the theme.

Dancers attempted viral TikTok choreography and had the crowd cheering for renditions of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go” dance. Other hits like “Pink Pony Club” had attendees excited.

“I like all the opportunities there are on campus,” Parker said. “There’s always events going on. You can always find something to go to.”

If someone uses a bathroom not matching their biological sex, the first violation will result in a written notice, the second could include a $1,000 penalty, and the third would result in a misdemeanor.

Genesis Merriett, president of WSU’s Spectrum, an LGBTQ student organization, previously told The Sunflower the bill would cause harm to many people, not just transgender individuals. Merriett said it would cause people to worry about appearing “male enough” or “female enough” to use their assigned restroom.

finds new home hanging in the rafters

were bestowed during Wichita State’s 69-57 win over Temple, celebrating Kennedy with the same careful, genuine appreciation he’s shown coaches, athletes and fans for as long as he’s called games.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Kennedy said. “There was just so much that I hadn’t anticipated that blew me away. I was shocked by how much went into all of that. I’m very, very appreciative of the recognition.”

The ceremony started even before tip-off. The Shocker team donned black long-sleeves dedicated to him and fans were given commemorative pennants.

Then, during pregame player introductions, the starting five made their way directly to his perch on press row to show their appreciation after their names were called.

The honors continued into the first half. Kennedy was gifted a microphone trophy and, more permanently, a decal bearing his name was placed on the court in front of where he sits. However, the decal, trophy and pennants were just the preamble.

At halftime, an emotional video montage, chronicling his legendary career, was displayed on the jumbotron for Kennedy, his family and the 8,094 in attendance. This was followed almost immediately by what will perhaps be remembered the most.

The moment the video ended, the crowd’s attention was drawn upward as a massive banner began to slowly unroll from the rafters.

BY KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com

The student fee budgeting process — in which a Student Government Association commission reviews student feefunded entities to draft a budget for next fiscal year — is a week away. Here’s what you need to know.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. on March 2, the finance commission will hear from each entity requesting student fee funding for fiscal year 2027. FY 2027 runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. Each group will have 15 minutes to present information about their entity and their budget requests. Then, a questioning period will follow.

The hearings will go from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 2 and 3. March 4’s hearings will start at 9:30 a.m. and end at 12:15 p.m.

The finance commission will then go into deliberations on March 5 starting at 9:30 a.m.

During deliberations, the student fee commission discusses how it will create its proposed budget. Based on the hearings, commissioners give their proposal

on how to fund the entities within the allotted budget.

This year, the finance commission is reviewing all student fee entities, a break in the typical format due to the $929,000 budget shortfall last year.

The student fee entities are split into two groups, A and B. Typically, only one group goes through the hearing process each year, and those groups have their budget for the following two fiscal years.

Last year, the commission’s fee budget was $929,000 short of the initial number provided by the director of administration, finance and operations. Lower enrollment and an error in the way the budget was predicted caused the shortfall.

This led then Student Body Treasurer Jia Wen Wang to order all student fee entities’ budgets to be reviewed. The entities then received reduced budgets.

If the budget process had gone back to normal this year, group B entities would return to a regular budget while group A entities would be on a shortfall budget for another year. This led current

Student Body Treasurer Luke Bumm to once again order that all student fee entities present to the commission and be reviewed.

“We’ve really been working with (the Budget Office) to stay on top of everything by meeting at least once a month over the past couple months to try to make sure that we’re right on track for everything and there’s no mishaps like last year,” Bumm said.

After deliberations, the finance commission will present a budget to the Student Senate at a following Senate meeting.

The Senate then has the authority to alter the proposed allocations and vote the budget into place. Bumm estimated the budget would be presented at the March 11 Senate meeting. The Senate meets in the Rhatigan Student Center, room 233, at 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday.

The hearings, deliberations and senate meetings are open to the public and will be live-streamed on SGA’s YouTube channel.

STUDENT FEE ENTITIES

Both student fee entity groups will be reviewed this spring.

Group A

n Student Engagement & Belonging

n Campus Recreation

n Varsity esports

n Educational opportunity funds

n Graduate School

n College of Fine Arts

n Child Development Center

n Office of Student Accommodations & Testing

Group B

n Student Health Services

n Counseling & Psychological Services

n Student Affairs Assessment & Retention

n The Sunflower

n Student Government Association

n Rhatigan Student Center

n Approved bond payments

Student fees hearing schedule

Monday, March 2

9-10:30 a.m., Gavel In and Commission General Business

10:30-11 a.m., Break or Back Up Time

11-11:30 a.m., Student Engagement & Belonging

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m., EOF International Scholarship FundStudy Abroad

12-3 p.m., Lunch & Recess

3-3:30 p.m., EOF Non-Traditional Student Scholarship and EOF Student Grants

3:30-4 p.m., EOF Disability Support Services

4-4:30 p.m., Child Development Center

4:30 p.m., Adjourn for the Day

Tuesday, March 3

9-9:30 a.m., Gavel In and Commission General Business

9:30-10 a.m., Sunflower and Sunflower Reserve

10-10:30 a.m., NISS Student Digital Toolbox

10:30-11 a.m., Campus Recreation

11-11:30 a.m., EOF Ulrich Museum

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m., HOPE Services

12-2PM, Lunch & Recess

2-2:30 p.m., EOF HALA Scholarship Award

2:30-3 p.m., Fine Arts Programming

3-3:30 p.m., Student Health Services

3:30-4 p.m., EOF Wichita State Esports and Varsity Esports

4-4:30 p.m., Rhatigan Student Center

4:30 p.m., Adjourn for the Day

Wednesday, March 4

9-9:30 a.m., Gavel In and Commission General Business

9:30-10 a.m., Counseling Services

10-10:30 a.m., EOF Debate

10:30-11 a.m., SA Student Outreach Services

11-11:30 a.m., Office of Student Accommodations/Testing

11:30 a.m.-12 p.m., EOF Graduate Student Scholarships and Graduate Student

Programming

12-12:15 p.m., Commission General Business

12:15 p.m., Adjourn for the Day

Thursday, March 5

9:30-10 a.m., Gavel In and Commission General Business

10 a.m.-12 p.m., Deliberations

12-2 p.m., Lunch & Recess 2 p.m.-Adjournment Deliberations

CORRECTIONS

In the previous issue, a story incorrectly stated that a proposed Student Senate bill allowed for transportation within 50 miles of campus as part of the Student Government Association’s individual funding process. The bill would actually allow for travel within 50 miles of where the student’s lodging location is on the student’s trip.

Another story in the previous issue incorrectly stated that Rannfrid Lasine Thelle, a professor of religion, was a professor of history.

BY KASS LEWIS news@thesunflower.com

Earlier this month, Wichita State Esports requested a special meeting with the Student Government Association’s finance commission ahead of the regularly scheduled student fee hearings. Esports’ meeting inspired the commission to visit more student fee entities.

“Myself and some of the other leadership on the (finance commission) saw that it was a great opportunity for some of our newer commissioners to see how those entities operate,” said Luke Bumm, the student body treasurer. “Obviously, you hear about esports, and you hear about certain other entities on campus, but you don’t really know what they do.”

The student fee budget hearings, scheduled for March 2-5, will begin SGA’s process of allocating student fee money to campus groups.

Bumm said there isn’t enough time for the finance commission to visit every group, so he sent out a survey to see which entities the commissioners knew the least about. The commission will visit Student Health Services, The Sunflower and HOPE Services.

Bumm said he thinks it’s important to educate the commission about the parts of campus that they will soon recommend funding for.

“Last year I was a finance commissioner myself,” Bumm said. “I wasn’t able to tour any of these entities, and to be honest, some of the first times I heard about some of these entities were during the hearings.”

Despite Bumm’s term lasting for the current school year, he said he feels that these visits should become a regular part of the process.

“I really do think in the future that it should be the status quo that all these entities are toured before hearings,” Bumm said.

Editor’s note: The Sunflower is funded through the student fee process. We believe that coverage of the student fee process is integral to students, and we remain committed to unbiased and fair reporting.

/ FROM PAGE 1

LEGISLATURE

Gender markers on identification

The law forbids people from changing the gender marker on their driver’s licenses from the gender recorded at birth. Transgender Kansans who have already changed their IDs will have to get them replaced with a new ID reflecting the original gender marker.

Kelly responds to override In a statement following the Senate’s vote, Kelly again criticized the legislation.

“Not only will this bill keep brothers from visiting sisters’ dorms and husbands from wives’ shared hospital rooms, it will cost Kansas taxpayers millions of dollars to comply with this very vague legislation,” Kelly said.

Senate President Ty Masterson, who also leads GoCreate, a WSU partnership with Koch Industries, expressed his support for the bill, writing in a statement that the Senate “restored sanity” by overriding the veto.

“Kansas Democrats are for They/Them,” Masterson wrote. “I will continue to fight for you, and protect women and girls across our state.”

MANAGING

SPORTS

WICHITA STATE VS. TEMPLE

A MEMORABLE NIGHT

How men’s basketball surged ahead in front of past, present Shockers

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

The final seconds ticked away. Only one gesture felt right in a moment steeped in Wichita State history. Before the last buzzer echoed, TJ Williams and Kenyon Giles broke from the celebration, making a pilgrimage to press row. They offered a handshake and a dap-up to the man whose voice has carried the Shockers for nearly half a century: Mike Kennedy.

When the scoreboard finally settled at 69-57 in Wichita State’s favor over Temple, the entire team followed suit. Every player and coach stopped to pay homage to Kennedy, who will retire at the end of the season after 46 years calling games, shaking his hand and posing for pictures.

Over the speaker system afterward, Kennedy thanked the fans, players, coaches and alums time and time again.

On a night dedicated to a legendary voice and past champions, the Shockers of the present delivered a surging second half, ensuring their 18th win of the season and 10th in conference play was earned in front of an inspired crowd of 8,094.

“To be able to honor Mike tonight in conjunction with those teams, it really makes it a special night,” third-year head coach Paul Mills said. “I would rather teach third grade than lose a game like tonight and have to live with that.”

Kennedy, the Voice of the Shockers since the 1980-81 season, was honored with a microphone trophy, tribute video, custom jersey and banner in the rafters at halftime during Saturday’s game. The teams that won the Missouri Valley Conference in 1976, 2006, and 2016 celebrated their anniversaries at the Roundhouse, adding to the legacy-filled evening.

Among the past title winners were former players Ron Baker (2016), Evan Wessel (2016), PJ Cousinard (2006), Cheese Johnson (1976) and former head coach Mark Turgeon (2006).

“We knew we were going to win for him (Kennedy),” senior center Emmanuel Okorafor said. “Having

all the alumni come in tonight, we knew it was a big night.”

The Shockers carried a 33-27 advantage with them at halftime, and the celebrations seemed to have lit a fire underneath them.

After a Temple 3-pointer opened the second half, Wichita State responded with force.

Giles sank two from deep to help crack open a 39-32 cushion.

Senior guard Mike Gray Jr. launched a triple, extending the lead to nine, 42-33. Williams then muscled his way inside, making it an 11-point advantage with 14 minutes and 37 seconds remaining as the crowd roared its approval.

For the entire half, the Owls were stifled, never making more than two shots in a row and finishing the game shooting 36.4%.

Wichita State eventually pulled ahead by 18 when Giles drilled his final 3-pointer — a transition dagger delivered precisely at the midway point of the half. From that moment on, Temple couldn’t cut the deficit back under double digits.

“It’s a testament of Mike’s personality and his demeanor,” said Cousinard, who is now an assistant coach. “These kids have only been around him for four months, and they felt like they had to win for him. He pours into them. They see him every day being consistent, being an everyday guy, like we always talk about.

“That just tells you the nature of him and what type of guy he is that the kids wanted to win so badly for him.”

Giles finished with 27 points on 5-for-10 shooting from deep. Williams pitched in 12 points and five rebounds.

Okorafor ended with the first double-double of his career: 13 points and 10 rebounds, six of which were on the offensive end. He did it with a bruising force that showed up from the first possession of the game.

The Shockers owned the glass, with 39 rebounds to Temple’s 28.

“I think that the team was inspired today,” Turgeon, who coached from 2000-07, said. “Their defense was just tremendous. The crowd was great. It was a big game, because Temple

was right there near the top of the league. It’s been a good two weeks for Shocker basketball, so that was a big win for them.”

The victory vaulted Wichita State into sole possession of second place in the American Conference at 10-5 against league opponents, while dropping the Owls into a pack of six teams battling for position with seven or eight wins. Crucially, the win kept the Shockers firmly in the race for a triple-bye at the conference tournament set for March 11-15.

This pivotal win was fueled by an electric second half where Wichita State shot 50% from the floor, all buoyed by the emotionally charged halftime celebrations and a season-high crowd.

“It means a lot, especially celebrating Mike Kennedy,” Giles said. “The fans came out and supported him, and really, this night is all about Mike. We came out and made sure we played hard for him.”

For one night, the eyes fixed on the court for 46 seasons were holding back tears. For one night, past champions carried Wichita State for 40 minutes.

For one night, it was “all about Mike.”

Softball goes undefeated at Boerner Invitational, improves to 8-5

BY MACK SMITH

mackred22@gmail.com

Wichita State’s softball team easily swept its way through the Boerner Invitational in a dominant fashion from Friday to Sunday, winning all five games and never surrendering a lead.

After the games against South Dakota, Creighton and tournament host UT Arlington, the Shockers gave up just 12 runs and put up 38, which included back-to-back eight-run outings against the Bluejays and a 14-run performance against the Coyotes.

Wichita State’s record grew to 8-5 on the year as a result, with just two weeks before the team faces opponents in the American Conference.

Next up, the Shockers will play in their final nonconference tournament at the Mizzou Invitational from next Friday to Sunday.

Friday

Wichita State finished its first day at the Boerner Invitational Friday with wins over South Dakota and UT Arlington.

In game one, the Shockers beat the Coyotes 7-2 at Allan Saxe Field in Arlington, Texas.

Both teams went runless for the first three frames, but an RBI triple by sophomore Brookelyn Livanec opened the scoreboard. Wichita State ended the inning with three runs and never looked back.

The Shockers added runs in the

fifth and sixth innings before they scored two in the seventh, 7-0. Sophomore Ava Sliger started in the circle, and South Dakota couldn’t manufacture anything for 20 plate appearances.

Wichita State continued its form and shut out the Mavericks 6-0 to conclude the first day at the tournament.

The Shockers got the scoring started in the second off an RBIdouble by senior Chloe Rhine. They added two more runs in the fourth on a single by freshman Mackenzie Rooney and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Ausha Moore. Home runs in the sixth inning by Moore and graduate Johnna Schroeder grew Wichita State’s lead to six, which essentially put away the game.

Sophomore Ryley Nihart made the start and pitched a complete game shutout, while striking six Mavericks.

Saturday

The Shockers picked up where they left off Saturday with a doubleheader sweep over former Missouri Valley Conference rival Creighton.

In game one, senior Jade Sanders pitched the 22nd no-hitter in program history during an 8-0 win over the Bluejays.

Backing up Sanders’ stellar outing, Rhine started the Shockers’ scoring in the third inning with a solo homer. Sophomore Gabby Scott added another run in the

third inning via an RBI single. In the fifth inning, Wichita State’s first two batters reached safely, which allowed junior Trinity Allen and Livanec to plate them both with a double to right-center field and an RBI ground-out, respectively. A double by freshman Kinzey Woody plated another run and put the Shockers on the doorstep of their first run-rule victory of the season.

Sanders made quick work of the Bluejays in the bottom of the sixth, getting the final three outs on nine pitches. Sanders finished the game with 10 strikeouts, two walks and retired the final nine Creighton batters in order.

In game two, a walk-off homer secured the doubleheader sweep in an 8-4 decision.

A two-run home run by senior Jodie v opened the scoring for either team, and gave the Shockers an early 2-0 lead. They added another run in the fourth via another homer, this time off the

Shocker Sports Roundup: What you missed over the last week

BY OWEN PROTHRO sports@thesunflower.com

Bowling

The Wichita State women’s bowling team won its second tournament of the 2025-26 campaign, and first since the calendar year rolled over, at the Big Red Invite in Lincoln, Neb., from Friday to Sunday. After dropping the first three Baker matches to begin the tournament on Friday, Wichita State rattled off two wins backto-back, including a 986-981 decision over No. 6 Nebraska. The Shockers closed out Saturday and Sunday’s traditional matches with five-straight losses, but battled back in the final day to take home the crown.

They beat tournament host Nebraska again in a best-of-seven Baker match, 4.5-1.5, which set up a showdown with the No. 1 team in the nation, Jacksonville State, in the finale.

The teams traded blows the first five matches, with the Gamecocks taking a 3-2 lead. With its back against the wall, Wichita State rattled off two wins to take down the team at the top.

Golf

Both the Wichita State men’s and women’s golf teams made their spring debuts last week.

The men’s team took fourth out of 13 teams during the Border Olympics, hosted by Houston in Laredo, Texas, last Monday and Tuesday.

As a team, the Shockers posted a score of 859 (plus-7) after 72 holes of competition. The No. 50-ranked Cougars (850, minus-2), Tarleton State (852, even par) and North Texas (852, even par) were the only teams to best Wichita State.

Senior Jose Miguel Ramirez placed second, individually, after rounds of 73, 63 and 71 for a minus-6 finish. His 63 in the second round tied for the second-lowest in program history.

After shooting a 901 (plus-34) as a group from Friday to Sunday at the Rio Verde Invitational, the Shockers’ women’s team placed fifth out of 18 teams. Bradley took home the trophy after shooting 885 (plus-21).

Kayla Van de Ven and Manon Guille each tied for 10th in the individual leaderboard after shooting 221 (plus-5) across the 72 holes.

Track and field

Four Shockers won their respective events during Wichita State’s last meet before the American Conference Indoor Track and Field Championship last Friday at the Steve Miller Invitational in Manhattan, Kan.

Sophomore Chairo Ogbebor won the men’s 60-meter sprint in 6.79 seconds. Junior Josh Parrish won both the 60-meter hurdle finals and long jump with a time of 7.71 seconds and jump of 7.45 meters. Freshman Zada Brown won the 60-meters on the women’s side with a time of 7.78 seconds.

bat of Rooney. The Bluejays chipped away at their deficit, scoring four runs across four innings to tie the game at four.

Two WSU singles and a Creighton error loaded the bases in the seventh and final inning, setting up the dramatic finish. Woody stepped up to the plate and sent the ball over the right field fence for her first collegiate home run and to put an exclamation point on the win.

Sunday WSU finished the Boerner Invitational with its second runrule victory of the weekend, this time against South Dakota. The Shockers loaded the bases in the first inning and got one run out of it before scoring three in the third, four and fifth. Leading 10-6 in the sixth inning, Wichita State exploded for four more and opened up the game-deciding eight-run advantage.

Though they didn’t place first, twin phenoms Josh and Jason Parrish each broke the Shockers’ 23-year-long 200-meter dash records. Jason ran a time of 21.01 seconds to set a new record, and Josh slid into second place in program history with a time of 21.07 seconds. Shannon Armstrong previously held the record at 21.19 seconds, which he set in 2003.

Women’s tennis

The women’s tennis team won their eight match-in-a-row against Oral Roberts Saturday in a decisive 7-0 sweep.

The Shockers won the doubles point after 6-2 and 6-3 decisions on courts one and three, respectively. Much of the same dominance continued on the singles courts, as WSU never dropped a set.

The Shockers will look to continue their momentum with two road matches this weekend, beginning with UTSA on Friday at 2 p.m., then Rice Sunday at 11 a.m.

Baseball splits series with Hawaii after starting 0-2

BY EVAN LONG evan.long.soccer@gmail.com

Wichita State baseball (6-2) started off hot in game one in Honolulu, Hawaii, holding a 6-0 lead over the Rainbow Warriors (5-3) going into the seventh inning on Thursday.

Senior designated hitter Owen Washburn contributed three RBIs to this lead, and junior right-handed pitcher Matthew Cuccias pitched six perfect innings for the Shockers. However, when senior lefthanded pitcher Brady Owens came in to relieve Cuccias, Wichita State’s game was blown open. Owens gave up two earned runs without recording a single out and graduate right-handed pitcher Ryan Morrison allowed three earned runs. With the Shockers going scoreless after the sixth inning, Wichita State was narrowly defeated 7-6 on Thursday. In the second game Friday, junior right-handed pitcher Brady Hamilton got off to a rough start on the mound. He allowed four runs in just the first inning of the game, but pitched six scoreless innings after the first.

Wichita State answered with two runs in the second inning, but was unable to add onto this total for the rest of the game. Junior right fielder Jack Quick and senior catcher Max Kaufer struck out three times each en route to the Shockers’ 13 total strikeouts.

After the Saturday game was rained out, WSU looked to even the series up in its Sunday doubleheader.

The Shockers defeated Hawaii 13-3 in the third game and were powered by an 11-run third inning. Graduate shortstop Alex Ulloa recorded six RBIs in this seven inning run-rule game.

The Shockers also dominated game two of the doubleheader, 7-1, to seal back-to-back victories in one of the toughest ballparks to win in the country. Junior righthanded pitcher Brok Eddy pitched 4.2 scoreless innings in relief of junior left-handed pitcher Reese Kortum, who gave up one run in four innings.

Washburn ended the series even better than he started it with four RBIs, including a three-run home run.

Wichita State is back at Eck Stadium on Thursday at 3:05 p.m., facing off against Omaha in a fourgame series.

It bore not a former player’s face and name, but Kennedy’s. Visibly surprised and holding back tears, Kennedy watched as his name took its permanent place in the rafters above Section 117. He now joins the likes of Shocker legends Cleo Littleton, Dave Stallworth, Antoine Carr, Cliff Levingston, Xavier McDaniel and Ralph Miller.

“I had seen it done in a couple of arenas at other schools, where they had a long-time play-by-play announcer,” Kennedy said. “When I saw that, I thought, ‘Now that would be so cool to have done. That would be the greatest honor I could think of.’ It was absolutely the number one thing that anybody could have done for me, for sure.”

Even once the final buzzer sounded, the tributes weren’t over. Players and coaches from the home team’s sideline wandered over to where Kennedy sat to shake his hand and pose for pictures, showing deep respect. The game’s result quickly faded at that moment.

“For them to react the way they did, to kind of show me that it meant something to them is beyond special for me,” Kennedy said.

The spotlight shifted from 46 years of Kennedy’s calls on the court to the cherished man behind the moments.

‘MEANS THE WORLD’

Jaila Harding breaks 3-point record, women’s hoops snaps 5-game skid vs. UTSA

BY MACK SMITH mackred22@gmail.com

Graduate guard Jaila Harding is now in rarefied air for the Wichita State women’s basketball program. Helping propel the Shockers to a 62-61 Saturday afternoon, she also became the single season 3-point record holder.

“I wanted to represent the city and inspire the youth,” Harding said after the game. “To have my name at the top of that record, and I know a lot of young kids look up to me, and to have that record now just means the world.”

Harding’s 19 points on 4-of-12 threes helped WSU’s record grow to 6-21 on the season, 3-11 in American Conference play and snapped a five-game skid. The Shockers are two games out of qualifying for the conference tournament with four games left in the regular season.

“(We) understand you only got five games left,” head coach Terry Nooner said. “You got our seniors who want to go out with a bang and want to end on a high note, and so the stakes are high for us. It’s postseason time for us, like it’s win or go home for us every single game.”

Junior Jaida McDonald opened up the Shockers’ scoring with a driving layup in the first quarter and the teams remained in a deadlock for more than half the period. A buzzer-beating jumper gave the Roadrunners a 12-11 at the end of the first.

Going into the break, WSU and UTSA were tied at 24. The Shockers held the largest lead of the half at four points with two minutes left before halftime.

Coming out of halftime, graduate

Former players and coaches celebrate alongside Voice of the Shockers

Mike Kennedy Night wouldn’t have been complete without a little nostalgia, and the return of former players and coaches provided the perfect backdrop.

Members of the 1976, 2006 and 2016 Missouri Valley Conference-winning teams were already on hand to celebrate their anniversaries at halftime, amplifying the atmosphere of memories with more to come.

Mark Turgeon, who coached Wichita State from 2000-07 and led the memorable 2006 Sweet 16 run, was among those who returned. He recalled Kennedy’s enduring support during challenges and triumphs.

“He was such a big part of our success when I was here,” Turgeon said. “He was a very loyal person to the head basketball coach then. It was a great day and a lot of fun to see everybody.”

The sight of so many familiar faces returning to the Roundhouse to honor Kennedy only reinforced his profound impact across generations of Shocker basketball, adding an extra layer of meaning to the night’s grand prize: his permanent place in the rafters.

PJ Couisnard, a player on the 2005-06 team and now an assistant

guard Abby Cater hit a 3-pointer to open up the second half scoring.

With 6 minutes, 10 seconds left in the third quarter, Harding hit a three that tied the record. Then, just a minute later, she hit another that put her solely at the top. She credited her teammates for the feat.

“They set amazing screens for me tonight (and) all season long,” Harding said. “I know I’m probably the most difficult person to screen for just because of how tight they play me. All credit to them, they’ve been talking about it for weeks, and been making me anxious about it. So it’s kind of a relief to just have it.”

Nooner added: “It means a lot. She was the first one in this new class as far as the portal. She took a chance on us and wanted to be a part of what we had going on here.”

In the closing seconds of the third quarter, graduate guard Diamond Richardson made back-to-back impact plays by denying a fast-break layup, then scoring one on the other end and converting a three-point play to give Wichita State a nine-point lead, 49-40.

“It’s huge,” Nooner said about Richardson’s play at the end of the quarter. “The games like this that are the toughness, physicality games — that’s just right up her alley. That’s what she wants, that’s how she plays.”

The Shockers ended the quarter with 25 points after scoring 24 during the entire first half.

With 7:30 left in the game, Wichita State pushed its lead to double digits with a layup by Cater, 53-43. UTSA, however,

fought back and brought the deficit to one point with 35 seconds left, setting up a tight-knit finish.

The Roadrunners had a chance to get a buzzer-beating basket to steal the win, but McDonald blocked the shot.

“I actually gave up the play before that. I gave up a layup,” McDonald said. “I just thought it had to be me. I just went into it because my teammates always tell me to block shots, even though I don’t almost all the time, but I feel like I had to make that play, and I did.”

Next up, Wichita State travels to Birmingham, Ala., to play UAB at 6 p.m. Wednesday. The Blazers beat the Shockers in Koch Arena earlier this season.

When I say great human being, (I mean Kennedy’s) one of the best people you’ll ever meet. I told him, ‘Outside of being the voice for 46 years, you were one of the greatest people I ever met.’ Just his demeanor, his genuineness — he’s such a great guy. He is what you see.”

PJ COUISNARD

2005-06 men’s basketball alumnus

coach, echoed that sentiment, remembering the personal bond Kennedy built with all the players.

“When I say great human being, (I mean Kennedy’s) one of the best people you’ll ever meet,” Couisnard said. “I told him, ‘Outside of being the voice for 46 years, you were one of the greatest people I ever met.’ Just his demeanor, his genuineness — he’s such a great guy. He is what you see.”

That genuine affection shown by returning figures like Turgeon and Couisnard illustrates why Kennedy’s name now permanently hangs among the legends, a true voice of the program for nearly five decades.

A different kind of bond: Mike Kennedy and the current Shockers Kennedy showed that same warmth for the program even

before, and after, Turgeon’s coaching career and Couisnard’s playing career.

However, Kennedy admitted it’s been harder to form the same bond with players in recent years due to ongoing changes in collegiate athletics. That made his experience with this year’s group of Shockers a pleasant change.

“This group is different,” Kennedy said. “This group has been very open, very accessible. They’ve made it easy for me to interact with them and get to know them a little bit. It really is a feeling like old times in some ways.”

The pre- and post-game interactions were the evidence, as was Wichita State’s play.

“We knew we had to come out and play for him,” freshman forward TJ Williams said. “He’s done a lot for this community.

Especially me, being from here, I’ve seen it all, or at least a good portion of it. … Real testament to Wichita showing up for him, and then we played hard for him.” Kennedy’s presence is especially meaningful for Wichitans like Williams. He watches players grow from high schoolers into men before the city’s eyes during their collegiate careers.

“You come in at 17, 18 and leave at whatever age it is,” Williams said. “You just start to grow into a man right in front of him. He’s there with advice, there to talk to us.”

While the final buzzer has not yet sounded on his career, Mike Kennedy Night was a definitive declaration of his legacy. The banner hanging high above the court ensures his voice, heard nightly on the radio, will forever be a visible part of Koch Arena.

For 46 years, Kennedy chronicled countless Shocker journeys. Now, as his final season nears its close, the moment was finally his — permanently enshrined, not just as the voice, but as a legend of the Roundhouse for a boy once inspired in his childhood bedroom.

OPINION

Charlie Kirk’s harmful rhetoric day gets approval from Kansas lawmakers

Jadin Kaltenbach

jekaltenbach13@gmail.com

The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Over the course of history, we have seen the right to speech lead to catastrophic harm. Charismatic political speakers and leaders have persuaded entire nations to justify the heinous treatment of minority groups simply by weaponizing the unjust bias and fear of the majority.

American citizens are currently plagued with the same reality. But instead of recognizing history actively repeating itself, our state government passed a resolution honoring a man who directly contributed to the divide in this country. I find this decision not only disappointing, but extremely dangerous to the American people.

Oct. 14 will officially be recognized as “Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day” in Kansas after the state’s GOP-led Senate and House passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 1615.

SCR 1615 was proposed by a total of 31 Kansas Republican senators in early December. It sets aside a day to honor Kirk’s life and legacy, as well as reaffirm the need for free speech to residents of Kansas.

Kirk was a right-wing political activist and media personality, known for co-founding Turning Point USA, an organization that advocates for conservative politics in high school and higher education settings. Kirk’s work for TPUSA included holding political discussions on university and college campuses across America. His main talking points included faith, the traditional family unit and the American people’s freedoms, specifically freedom of speech (under the First Amendment) and the right to bear arms (the Second Amendment).

In September of last year, he was shot at Utah Valley University while hosting one of his TPUSA events in which he invited people on campus to ask questions or debate him. Kirk died after being rushed to a nearby hospital. The nature of his death resulted in an eruption of discourse related to First Amendment rights. Like most issues in this country, it quickly became a battle of political parties.

To honor Kirk’s legacy, Trump awarded him posthumously with the Medal of Freedom.

But the Medal of Freedom wasn’t enough for Kansas Republicans. They rallied behind Kirk’s memory, seeking a day to honor him.

In our current political climate, I am not surprised that we have a day honoring a man like Kirk; I am just disappointed. The way he died was horrific for all those who were present. I have empathy for anyone who attended that event or anyone who has ever been affected by gun violence. But I can’t help questioning what we are celebrating with this day of remembrance.

Megan Steele is a Kansas Representative who voted for SCR 1615.

“Charlie’s story ended far too soon, but his movement and his passion for truth, faith, family and liberty does not stop here,” Steele said on the House floor.

If you know anything about Kirk, his concepts of truth, faith, family and liberty were not inclusive. They only exist for a certain type of person.

His passion for faith was exclusive to Christianity. His passion for family was only for the traditional family unit — the man as the breadwinner and the woman as the homemaker, caring for the children. His passion for liberty and truth was entirely subjective.

His ideology was built on racism, sexism, transphobia and homophobia. If you aren’t a cisgender white male, he had a predetermined idea of who you were and what you should or shouldn’t be allowed to do.

Kirk has a history of racist rhetoric. In 2020, he said that George Floyd was a “scumbag.” Floyd was a black man who was

murdered by Minneapolis police officers.

In 2023, Kirk was discussing crime on his podcast and said, “prowling blacks go around for fun to target white people.”

When discussing why he opposed affirmative action and DEI, Kirk said, “If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.”

Kirk’s relationship with sexism was almost covert because it was masked by religious ideology. His idea of family was pretty simple: a man and woman get married and have children. The man is the head of the household, and the woman is meant to be submissive to him and care for the children. He sold this idea by encouraging women to find husbands with enough money to let them stay at home because that was their Godgiven calling.

In 2024, Kirk was featured on a Jubilee video in a segment that was called “1 Conservative vs. 25 Liberal College Students.” During one of the debates, an individual asked him if he had a daughter who was raped as a 10-year-old, would he want her to have her rapist’s baby. Without missing a beat, he said that yes, the baby would be born. He then continued to argue, completely ignoring the counterpoints that discussed the livelihood of the victim who endured the assault.

His ideology concerning LGBTQIA+ individuals was also based on his religious ideology and cherry-picked verses of scripture. In an episode from his podcast, Kirk stated, “There’s a direct connection to inflation and the trans issue,” which is absolutely preposterous. However, it quite literally sparked debates on whether there was an actual correlation between transgender people existing and inflation.

I have a difficult time understanding how we commemorate the memory of a man who had such a vile and insensitive worldview. I don’t agree with the idea of celebrating a man who continuously targeted minority groups and subjected them to hate. I think it is irresponsible to canonize an individual who weaponized religion to advance a political agenda.

Josh Pfleger-Bernat jbernat13@gmail.com OPINION

There is no better way to emphasize the importance of free speech than by restricting the topics that people are exposed to. That is exactly what some Kansas representatives want to accomplish with House Bill 2428.

Currently, the bill has been removed from the hearing schedule, with no indication of whether it will come back up this session.

Despite the bill’s uncertain fate, it’s still important to understand its purpose. Especially since a current budget proviso would effectively accomplish many of the same goals of restricting diversity, equity and inclusion content in classrooms.

HB 2428 would require that Kansas public universities “include among general education requirements the study of American institutions” for undergraduate students completing bachelor’s programs in school years 202728. This requirement includes inarguably important topics such as understanding the U.S. Constitution and its major developments, separation of powers, equal protection under the law, freedom of speech, etc.

But legislators also targeted DEICRT (diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory) related content by focusing a majority of the bill on restricting the discussion of these topics. The bill would ban these topics from most courses required for bachelor’s degrees.

Over 75% of this bill’s language focuses on defining these restrictions.

The bill prohibits promoting the idea that colorblind laws “perpetuate oppression, injustice, race-based privilege, including white supremacy or white privilege, etc.,” in these classes. Despite there being plenty of research showing this to be the case.

The article “Colorblind racial ideology as an alibi for inaction” in the Journal of Social Issues states, “White people were more likely to participate in antiracist practices when they reject power evasion CBRI (colorblind racial ideology) partly because rejecting CBRI enhanced their awareness of White Privilege.”

There are also restrictions on how topics can be presented, discouraging relating them to modern-day life. Topics including systemic racism, intersectionality and cultural competence can not be related to “contemporary American society.”

At the same time, historical examples of racial hatred or discrimination are permitted. It would seem that this bill is focused more on students learning about topics they can no longer have an impact on, while hindering their understanding of how they can

impact similar events today.

Students understanding the importance of free speech and American institutions is incredibly valuable, but that value is undercut when the ability to apply that knowledge to the world they live in is taken away.

These restrictions extend to prevent students from understanding how their race or sex can affect how they interpret certain events, barring content that “promotes the idea that a student is biased on account of such student’s race or sex.”

Students should be able to express how they see the world, while also understanding where their blind spots are.

Supporters of the bill could argue that it does not prevent students from taking classes that cover DEI-related topics; it seeks to restrict them from being required. It simply states that students should have the option to complete general education requirements without being forced to take a class covering DEI-CRT-related content.

The primary issue is that to understand the importance of foundational institutions and freedom of speech requires discussing these topics.

How can honest discussion on a majority of women in the U.S. disapproving of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade happen without understanding how a person’s sex affects their bias? Can conversations about the underrepresentation of marginalized people in government be honest if professors are not allowed to teach about voter suppression laws, a remnant of systemic or institutional racism?

Students should understand the free speech protections and rights they have in the country they live in. They should be allowed to understand how American institutions came to be and the values they hold.

This bill, and the budget proviso, continue a pattern, at both the state and federal levels of government, of restricting DEI at public universities.

This includes changes made last year through executive orders, which put WSU outside of federal compliance, forcing changes that included removing web pages and changing the names of some university-affiliated groups.

There were also changes made by WSU such as those caused by Kansas Senate Bill 125 last year. State agencies were out of compliance, if they had positions, programs, activities and more related to DEI.

Regardless of your opinions on topics related to DEI and CRT, people should push back against this bill, and similar legislation, that is preventing students from being exposed to larger social conversations. Students should be able to develop their own opinion and worldview on these topics, not be shielded from reality by politicians.

ARTS & CULTURE

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

Faculty printmaker connects all ages through consistency in art

BY ANTHONY GONZALEZ-MEDINA

65nthony@gmail.com

The Ulrich Museum of Art, as part of its senior Wednesday series, invited faculty member Marco Hernandez to lead a printmaking demonstration.

Hernandez has been a part of Wichita State’s School of Fine Arts faculty since 2016. In those ten years, Hernandez has become an assistant teaching professor of print media and foundations coordinator of the School of Art, Design and Creative Industries (ADCI).

Hernandez originally hails from Mexico, and his roots inspire a major part of his artwork.

“My work is all about my culture,” Hernandez said. “So I feel, because I was born in Mexico, and I live in this country, I feel like with my work I’m able to connect myself to my culture, because my work is all about that.”

Ava Wilkie, a second-year student, shared that she’s “done a bit” of printmaking before, which led to her interest in Hernandez’s program.

“Printmaking is different than any other medium, because you can make copies upon copies upon copies, and for books or literature, that’s the dissemination of knowledge,” Wilkie said. “So, it’s really significant culturally that anyone can access that writing or whatever it is, but I think the same thing goes for art.”

Within printmaking, Wilkie said that prints can be both identical to other prints and also be unique.

“With prints, you can make as many as you want, and they’re all identical, l and anyone in the world can access that,” Wilkie said. “It’s different now with the internet and everything. Anybody can do that, but historically, I think there’s some significance to print.”

SAC is calling students for talent show

BY MALEAH EVANS arts@thesunflower.com

Application deadlines for Shockers Got Talent are approaching, announced via Instagram by the Student Activities Council. The annual talent show will be on April 3. Any singers, dancers and others are encouraged to apply to audition. SAC is also looking for a student emcee.

Students who perform in the talent show can win up to $1,000 in scholarship funds for first place, $800 for second place and $500 for third place. The student who conducts the show as the emcee will also receive a $100 stipend. The application deadline is Feb. 27. Interested students can apply here both to audition, and emcee. In past shows, talent has included played instruments, singing, cultural dances and local band performances.

Some of Hernandez’s students came to the printmaking demonstration, including junior Mikaila Saldivar.

“He takes the time to actually work with the students and actually help them improve their work,” Saldivar said. Saldivar brought along Elijah Frese, a non-WSU student. Frese said that he would like to “learn a little bit more about printmaking.”

“I’m not super familiar with it, so I’d love to see how it is and what it looks like today,” Frese said.

Another student of Hernandez, junior Aydan Wondra, came to watch the demonstration. Wondra is a ceramic major and student in Hernandez’s interdisciplinary studio class. Part of the class requirements is to attend multiple artists’ talks hosted by the Ulrich. She said she was interested in printmaking because of the “very physical aspect of it.”

Among the select group of students in attendance was an abundance of seniors looking to connect with Hernandez’s work, including 75-year-old Martin Mendoza. Mendoza found out about the program by looking at the schedule. Mendoza was also drawn to see another Mexican artist. Mendoza had previous experience in printmaking, which he said was “a long time ago.”

On top of making friends, one of Mendoza’s goals for the day, he also hoped to see “what their latest development is in printmaking and just looking and enjoying the art.”

Hernandez began the program by introducing the audience to different printmaking techniques. In his demonstration, Hernandez showed intaglio (metal plates), relief (wood, linoleum, or rubber) and silkscreen (mesh screen). Hernandez then donned his apron and took the group into the

I make prints because I love the process and I love printmaking. That’s the reason I do it, not to make a living.”

MARCO HERNANDEZ Assistant teaching professor

new printmaking studio, which opened last semester. Hernandez gave a live demonstration of what it looks like to make prints.

Here, Hernandez informed the audience about editions, a tradition where you make a limited amount of prints before ruining the original block.

“So this one right here is an edition of 30. So I made 30 of these, and then after you’re done printing 30, the traditional thing to do and the right thing to do is to break your block or scratch it up. That way, nobody else can print it.”

Hernandez was able to highlight a major aspect of why printmaking is unique.

“It’s very very difficult to print a consistent edition with all the processes. You have to, it’s like an art in itself, to be consistent every time you print something,” he said.

Although Hernandez said he isn’t a huge fan of doing this for editions.

Hernandez got a laugh from the crowd after saying, “I personally don’t do that because, I mean, I don’t really make a lot of money selling my work. That’s why I have a day job, right?”

But Hernandez did add that it is not the money that motivates him.

“I make prints because I love the process and I love printmaking. That’s the reason I do it, not to make a living,” Hernandez said.

‘The Tender Land’ sings its way into the hearts of students

BY NERY SANCHEZ neryjsanchez2007@gmail.com

Wichita State University’s fine arts department plans on peeling back the curtain in the spring semester with an opera show to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States.

“The Tender Land,” written in 1954 by Aaron Copland, takes place in rural America during the Great Depression. The show brings the audience through the everyday life of struggle during that time period.

“One of the reasons I chose this opera, of the thousands that you could choose from, was that this is a quintessential American opera,” said Alan Held, director of opera at Wichita state. “ This being the 250th anniversary of the country, it was good to do an American piece.

“Aaron Copland wrote opera, wrote music in a way that just feels American. And I know that’s

hard to describe, but there’s an openness to it. There’s a yearning to explore. The harmonies are something that we just hear in our ear as American.”

The story follows Laurie Moss, a young woman living out on a farm with her family during the hardship. On the day of her high school graduation, Laurie’s routine on the farm gets disrupted by two drifters, Top and Martin. Then, her ordinary life sees a chance to change.

Laurie grows closer and closer to Martin, beginning to envision her life beyond her farm, but reality starts to settle in as Laurie’s grandfather becomes more skeptical of the two drifters.

Laurie is forced to come to grips with reality as she is left with those big dreams and has to make a choice.

Held plans on putting the show “The Tender Land” for all WSU

students to view with the help of stage director Hillary Taylor and assistant music director Warren Kim.

“We recognize these characters inside of all of us. The protective grandfather who wants to protect his granddaughter,” Held said. “The mother who didn’t quite follow all of her desires and she’s a little disappointed in life. This young woman who’s ready to try it all. It touches on a young person maturing.”

Despite limited familiarity with opera among some audiences, Held hopes that people give it a chance.

“I wish people would give opera a try. I think there’s this idea that it’s very scary. It’s very difficult to understand,” Held said. “This is not that at all, you would love this piece. It’s very approachable. It’s fun at times. There’s great music. There’s

dancing in it. It’s just a really great piece of music. And it’s so American.”

Performances

n March 6 at 7:30 p.m.

n March 8 at 3 p.m.

Tickets

The performances will take place inside Miller Concert Hall, which is located in Duerksen Fine Arts center.

n Students can receive one free ticket by going to the ticket booth in Duerksen.

n After one free student ticket, tickets range from $10 to $20.

Wind Ensemble enters spring season with fresh music

BY PEYTON ECK

eckpeyton3@gmail.com

The Wichita State Wind Ensemble held its first concert of the 2026 calendar year last Tuesday at the Miller Concert Hall in the Duerksen Fine Arts Center.

The ensemble performed a four-part show that involved a comparatively new selection of music, according to Timothy Shade, director of bands and wind ensemble conductor.

The wind ensemble differs from Wichita State’s other concert band — the symphonic band — in format and member make-up. In wind ensemble, each part has one player, while the symphonic band has multiple musicians to a part.

The School of Music prioritizes inclusion in its bands and recruits many members with majors outside of music, according to the university band page. The wind ensemble, however, is primarily made up of undergraduate and graduate students of the music school who are honing their professional skills.

Due to the nature of the wind ensemble, Shade said the selection of music performed (or “repertoire”) can be difficult to choose for a concert.

“What do we need at this time, and what’s available to us, and how do things fit together?” Shade said. “It’s not as thematic. Sometimes a theme emerges, but I don’t try and adhere to one.”

The ensemble also plays more

contemporary pieces than the symphonic band, this performance being a clear example.

“I’m very concerned about the audience going, ‘I don’t want to come to your concerts, Tim, because I don’t recognize anything on your program.’ So I try and balance it as much as possible, yet again, with our students because of my focus as academics,” said Shade.

Opening with Bakhari S. Nokuri’s lively “Afrospire,” the ensemble then transitioned into the heavier tones of “Bury and Rise” by Catherine Likhuta.

Steven Bryant’s “Nothing Gold Can Stay” provided catharsis with its flourishing and nostalgic sound, tying Likhuta’s work to the closing piece “Khaen” by Viskamol Chaiwanichsiri. ”Khaen” sealed the evening with an optimistic note in its light-footed, galloping pace.

The wind ensemble will return April 14, with the symphonic band next performing March 5. Further performance scheduling can be found on the School of Music’s university page.

HISTORY OF SYMPHONIC BANDS AT WSU

The band opened its 123rd academic year in September:

n Both the wind ensemble and symphonic band were founded in 1902 when the university was still known as Fairmount College.

n The music department was established in 1902, and with it department-sponsored ensembles and associated student-community groups were established the same year.

n The group that is now the wind ensemble was referred to as the “Symphonic Wind Ensemble.” The now symphonic band was called the “Concert Band.”

n The distinction of “wind ensemble” is new, with the current names coming from 2017 when Director of Bands and wind ensemble conductor Timothy Shade made the change.

n Shade felt the new titles would help to clarify the respective focuses of the bands.

n The existence of the term wind ensemble is relatively new as well, with Frederick Fennell’s Eastman Wind Ensemble being credited for redefining modern wind music in North America in the 1950s.

The Ulrich kicks off a new series with Wichita artist Taiomah Rutledge

BY PEYTON ECK eckpeyton3@gmail.com

Taiomah Rutledge’s artist talk will set the pace for the Ulrich’s newest series, “In Place.” Rutledge is a multidisciplinary artist who emphasizes First Nation narratives in his work.

A co-founder of the Warclan Art Collective, Rutledge emphasizes identity and community building in his art and in his role as a community leader. He is of Objiwe, Meskawaki and Dakota descent.

“Our biggest priority is just to get people more culturally literate and get them studying up, reading up on who they are, right, and that sense of belonging and building

community,” said Rutledge. Rutledge is the creative mind behind the current exhibition “Taiomah Rutledge: Origins/ Evolution,” which will run to July 25. The installation is on display on the Ulrich’s first floor and was curated by former Ulrich Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Jo Reinert.

The exhibition intertwines heritage and Indigenous futurism, creating a visceral dialogue through its mixture of techniques and mediums.

Throughout his work, Rutledge has exemplified a drive towards progress while also denying monolithic Indigenous narratives.

The “In Place” series highlights Wichita artists such as Rutledge and will bring in three new artists to the Ulrich. The series “demonstrates the Ulrich’s commitment to expanding human experience through encounters with the art of our time by platforming artists who live, create and innovate right here in the Wichita area, our shared place,” according to the Museum’s website. Rutledge’s talk will be held on March 5, from 6-7 p.m. The event is free and will take place in the Ulrich’s Polk/Wilson Gallery.

FORMALLY FESTIVE

event. Cost of entry is free.

CULTURA Y CAPITAL: BUILDING COMMUNITY WEALTH TOGETHER

Thursday, Feb. 26 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Rhatigan Student Center

Learn and talk to other students about cultural values, financial literacy and strengthening Hispanic communities, in partnership with Fidelity Bank.

BASEBALL VS. OMAHA Feb. 26 - March 1 3:05 p.m. Eck Stadium

Support the Wichita State baseball team while they take on the Omaha Mavericks in a four-game series at Eck Stadium.

ARTIST WORKSHOP: LETTERFORM